The Battle Abbey Roll. Vol. I.
by
The Duchess of Cleveland.

Prepared by Michael A. Linton
-------*--------
Return to Index

Bodin : Raoul Botin on the Dives Roll: "a name well known in Richmondshire, and more generally afterwards, as the progenitor of the Fitz Hughs."—Whitaker. This Bodin appears in Domesday as the holder of a large estate in Yorkshire, including Tanfield (afterwards the lordship of the Marmions), which, "from the beauty of its situation, and the fertility of its soil, was one of the gems of the Earldom of Richmond," and Kirkby-Ravenswath, where he built his castle. He was a relative of Earl Alan, his feudal lord, and had come in his train from Brittany. Like some others of the Conqueror's companions-in-arms, he renounced the world, and ended his days as a monk of St. Mary's Abbey, York, having made over his lands to his younger brother, Bardolf, whose posterity held them for at least four hundred years. They ranked among the foremost of the great Yorkshire barons, and were a dominant and dauntless race, lording it over many a mile of the wild dales and moorlands of Hope and Arkendale, and present on every battlefield—whether within or without the four seas—where duty was to be done, or honour won.

"The Baron of Ravensworth prances in pride
As he views his domain upon Arkendale side;
The mere for his net, and the land for his game,
The chase for the wild, and the park for the tame."

Nothing now remains to mark their former state and sway but the crumbling ruins of their seignorial castle.

Bardolf followed his brother's example, and was shorn a monk in the same Abbey, on which, at Bodin's earnest solicitation, he had bestowed the churches of Patrick-Brompton and Kirkby Ravenswath. His son, Akaris, was the founder of another religious house, Fors Abbey, or the "Abbey of Charity," in Wensleydale; which, when it was translated by Conan, Earl of Richmond and Brittany (by permission of his heir, Hervey Fitz Akeris) to the field of East Wilton, in the green valley of the Yore (now the Ure), was thenceforward known as Jorevaulx. Fourth in descent from him was Hugh Fitz Henry, whose son, Henry Fitz Hugh, summoned to Parliament by Ed. II. in 1320, first transmitted this surname to his successors. He had taken part in five Scottish campaigns, and been appointed to hold Barnard Castle—one of the most important strongholds in the North—during the minority of the Earl of Warwick. There is extant a singular agreement that he made in 1327 with Sir Henry Vavasour, discharging him, by special instrument under his seal, of a debt of five hundred marks, on condition that Sir Henry's son should take to wife his daughter, Amabel. His grandson, who succeeded him in the barony, served for ten consecutive years in France under Ed. III., and had a son killed at Otterburne. The younger brother of this latter, who thus became heir, and was the third Lord Fitz Hugh, proved the most considerable man of the family. On the accession of Henry IV. he had been retained to serve the King for the term of his whole life; and he was thenceforward actively employed in peace and war. He helped to negotiate the truce with Scotland in 1403, the amount of the Princess Philippa's dowry on her marriage with Eric, King of Denmark, in the following year; the peace with Scotland in 1411; and represented England at the great Council of Constance in 1414. He was at that time Lord Chamberlain of Henry V.'s household, and had officiated at his coronation as Lord High Constable of England. He received two separate grants of ,£100 a year, one of them during the preceding reign; and all Lord Scrope of Masham's forfeited lands in Richmondshire were further bestowed upon him. He followed the King to France in 1415 and 1418, each time with a great train (on the latter occasion he had a retinue of eighty-eight men-at-arms, and two hundred and forty archers): was with the Duke of Exeter at the siege of Rouen; and three years later again in arms against the French. Nor did this by any means complete the tale of his services in the field. It is reported "that he travelled more than once to Jerusalem, and likewise beyond it to Grand Cairo, where the Souldan had his residence; and that in his return he fought with the Saracens and Turks; as also that by the help of the Knights of Rhodes he built a castle there, called St. Peter's Castle."—Dugdale. He married Elizabeth, daughter and heiress of Sir Robert Grey (son of John, Lord Grey, of Rotherfield, and brother and heir of John Grey, called Lord Marmion), by Lora, daughter and co-heir of Herbert de St. Quintin, by whom he had no less than eight sons and five daughters (Burke generously accords him six, and even intimates that he had "other issue"). But of the eight sons, at least six left no posterity. Three died young: Robert was Bishop of London; Henry was drowned in the Humber; and Ralph died in France. The first-born, Sir William, succeeded his father in 1425, and was followed in the next generation by Henry, fifth Lord, who received from Henry VI. the offices of Seneschal of the Honour of Richmond, and Chief Forester of Arkilgarth and La Hoppe, that had escheated to the Crown through the attainder of Richard, Earl of Salisbury. Though he remained a staunch Lancastrian, "yet did King Edward IV. look upon him with fair respect," and even occasionally employ him. He married Lady Alice Nevill, daughter of Richard, Earl of Salisbury, and died in 1472, leaving another goodly family of five sons and five daughters. But the same curious fatality pursued the sons—four died issueless; and it was their sister's descendants that eventually inherited. Richard, the eldest brother, was appointed Constable of Richmond, Middleham, and Barnard Castle, when Henry VII. came to the throne, and died about 1508, his only son, George, who was never married, only surviving him four years. With this seventh and last Lord Fitz Hugh the line ended, and the proud name died out that for so many centuries had shone with undimmed lustre in the North. His cousins and next heirs were found to be Alice, wife of Sir Sir John Fiennes, the eldest daughter of his grandfather, Henry, Lord Fitz Hugh, and Sir Thomas Parr, son of Elizabeth, another daughter, who re-married Nicholas, Lord Vaux. She was the grandmother of Henry VIII.'s Queen.