Page:A History of Cawthorne.djvu/33

 Following Dugdale and the whole body of later genealogists, Hunter makes the de Laci estates go to Henry's half-sister Albreda de Lizours, the daughter of his mother by her second husband Robert de Lizours, lord of Sprotborough. This descent is taken from a historical fragment, written not earlier than Henry VI., called "Historia Laceiorum," which is given in the Monasticon.

In his preface, when editing the Pipe Rolls in 1833, (Magnus Rotulus Pipæ, 31 Henry I.) Hunter is able to correct this strange and unexampled manner of descent, and to show, with almost certainty, that this Albreda to whom the estates descended was the lineal heiress of the family, being the cousin of their last possessor, and granddaughter of the first Robert de Laci.

The connection is thus given in Glover's Visitation of Yorkshire, 1584-5 (Surtees Society, Volume 63*): "Albreda de Laci, sister and ultimately heir of Ilbert de Laci (vide fine 5 King Richard), married Robert de Lizours: had daughter Albreda de Lizours, dau. and heir (vide fine 5 King Richard), married Sir Wm. Fitz-Godric, 1st husband, a quo Earl Fitzwilliam: 2nd husband, Richard Fitz-Eustace, only son inherited the honours of his mother and became 5th Baron of Halton and Constable of Chester. He paid 25 marks for his marriage (Pipe Roll 31 Henry I.): ob. 1178."

In this Pipe Roll of the King's Exchequer Court of 1131, Robert de Lizouis is given as paying a fine of £8 6s. 8d. to the Crown for being allowed to marry the sister and heir of Ilbert de Laci. "Robertus de Lusoriis reddit compotum de viii li. vi s. viii d., ut ducat in uxorem sororem Ilberti de Laci. In thesauro iiii li., et debet iiii li vi s. viii d." (Dodsw. MSS., III., 78.)

Their daughter Albreda was also heiress of her father's lordship of Sprotborough. As her first husband she married Fitz-Eustace, Baron Halton in the Earldom of Chester, and hereditary Constable of Chester, who died before 1178. By this husband she had a son John, who died (1190) before his mother, leaving a son Roger heir both to the de Laci and Fitz-Eustace estates. This Albreda's second husband was William Fitz-Godric, lord of Elmley, from whom is descended the noble family of Fitzwilliam, and also that of Sir Jos. Copley, of Sprotborough. Albreda's grandson Roger was living at