Page:Dictionary of National Biography volume 31.djvu/379

 Lacy had the grand cordon of Charles III, was a commander of St. Januarius, and titular of the rich commandery of Casas Buenas, Merida. According to some he owed his success to his ready wit and imposing stature rather than to any military talent; but his conciliatory disposition and his unswerving loyalty to the country of his adoption are generally admitted. Lacy is stated to have been uncle of Don Luiz Lacy (1775–1817), Spanish general and governor of Catalonia, whose name often appears in histories of Wellington's Peninsular campaigns, and who was executed at the castle of Belver, Majorca, on 5 July 1817, after his abortive attempt, in conjunction with General Milans, to re-establish the cortes and proclaim a constitution on 5 April in that year. Three years later the Spanish cortes, to honour his memory, named his son first grenadier of the Spanish army (Biog. Univ. Nouvelle edit. xxii. 421).

 LACY, HARRIETTE DEBORAH (1807–1874), actress, daughter of a London tradesman named Taylor, was born in London in 1807. Her parents acquiescing in her desire to go on the stage she received lessons in elocution from Mrs. Bartley, wife of the Covent Garden manager, and made her début as Julia in the ‘Rivals’ under the management of Bellamy at the Bath Theatre on 5 Nov. 1827, when she was described on the bill as ‘Miss Taylor from Richmond.’ She obtained almost instant popularity, and in the course of the two following seasons Bellamy assigned her such parts as Portia, Helen McGregor, Lady Macbeth, and Catherine in the ‘Taming of the Shrew.’ She first appeared in London at Covent Garden, where, on 30 Oct. 1830, she played Nina in Dimond's ‘Carnival of Naples,’ and ‘burst upon us,’ says the ‘Theatrical Journal’ of that date, ‘with a natural freshness and power that must at once secure her fame, and prove of signal advantage to the house.’ Subsequent parts were Rosalind, in which Bannister compared her to Mrs. Jordan, and Helen to Sheridan Knowles's Hunchback in his play of that name, in which her performance excited the author's warmest admiration. She played Aspatia, to Macready's Melantius and Miss Huddart's Evadne, in the ‘Bridal’ under Benjamin Webster's management at the Haymarket in 1837, and in the following year she joined the company with which Macready commenced his management of Covent Garden. There in August 1838 she played Lady Teazle to the Charles Surface of Walter Lacy, whom she shortly afterwards married. For twelve years further she ‘played leading comedy, tragedy, and Vestris business,’ mainly at Covent Garden. Among her best performances were Nell Gwynne in Jerrold's play of that name (with the once well-known song, ‘Buy my Oranges’), the original heroine in the same writer's ‘Housekeeper,’ and Ophelia, a part in which, according to Madame Vestris, she surpassed any actress of her time. She retired from the stage in 1848, making her farewell appearance at the Olympic. She died on 28 July 1874 at Montpellier Square, Brighton.

 LACY, HENRY, third of the Lacy family (1249?–1311), was son of Edmund de Lacy, earl of Lincoln, by Alice, elder daughter of Manfred III, marquis of Saluzzo, and grandson of John de Lacy, first earl [q. v.] Henry was probably born in the latter part of 1249, since in April 1296 he was in his forty-seventh year (Monast. Anglic. v. 643). He succeeded his father on 21 July 1257. In 1269 he was involved in a quarrel with John de Warrenne, earl of Surrey, as to certain pasture land, and a threatened appeal to arms was only prevented by the king's intervention. The regular trial which followed was decided in De Lacy's favour (Flores Historiarum, iii. 17). On 5 April 1272 he was made custos of Knaresborough Castle, and on 13 Oct. of the same year was knighted by the king on the occasion of the wedding of Edmund, earl of Cornwall (Ann. Mon. ii. 111). About the same time he received full investiture of his earldom. In 1276 he served in the Welsh war, and was in command of a division which marched against Castle Baldwin, and next year besieged and took the castle of Dolvorwyn (Brut y Tywysogion, pp. 365–6, Rolls Ser.) In March 1278 he was one of the escort appointed to attend Alexander III of Scotland on his visit to England (Cal. Docts. Scotland, ii. 107). In 1279 he was joint-lieutenant of England during the king's absence from 27 April to 19 June (Fœdera, i. 568). Three years later he was again employed in Wales. Lincoln accompanied the king on his three years' visit to Gascony, from 1286 to 1289. In October 1289 he was appointed with Robert Burnell [q. v.] to hear the complaints against Ralph Hengham [q. v.]