Page:English Historical Review Volume 35.djvu/499

 1920 THE EARLY SHERIFFS OF NORFOLK 491 inquest of sheriffs.^ These returns illustrate his holdings on the fiefs of the earl of Arundel, Hubert de Rye, and Clare. ^ In 1174 WilUam died : the Pipe Roll of that year (20 Henry II) records the fact and tells us that the king had placed Hugh de Cressi in possession of his land.^ The roll also gives us the significant information that Hugh was now in charge of Norwich Castle ; ^ for Hugh was married to the eldest daughter (and heir) of William, whose land (and debt to the Crown) passed with her to that active officer of the king.^ Of the said dt'^^t there was still owing £190 in 1175. Hugh still owed £10 in 1176, and the king forgave him the balance {Pipe Roll 22 Henry II, p. 62). At this point it may be convenient to the reader to have a short pedigree set out, in order to make the descent of the shrievalty and castle clearer. William ' de Caisneto ' alias ' de Norwich ', sherifE of Norfolk, d. tl74. Hugh- de Cressy d. 1189. =(1) Margaret: d. 1231. Roger de Cressy, b. c. 1184.
 * (2) Robert Clemence m. Sara m.

' filius Rogeri ', Jordan de Richard sherifE of Sackville Engaine. Norfolk. (Saukeville). John Fitz Robert, b. c. 1191. Viel Engaine of Colne ' Engaine '. Although the fact has been overlooked, this appears to have been a notable instance of the king having exercised his theoretical prerogative of selecting one of a man's coheirs as virtually his sole heir.^ by me, and although Mr. Hall rejected my view (ibid. pp. cc-ccxi), he has since with- drawn his criticisms and accepted my vindication of my view {Commune of London, pp. 125-36). ^ Red Book, pp. 400, 404. It is unfortunate that he is indexed, not as William, but as Walter. ' ' Mortuus est et Hugo de Creissi habet terram per regem.' This statement is appended to an entry of William's debt of £190 ' de misericordia ' (p. 40), which was the balance of his fine of £200 in 1163 (9 Hen. II). p. 37. 192-8), with the assignment to Sara, the youngest of the three daughters, of this manor, derived from her paternal ancestors, in lieu of a third of the inheritance as her share. Her son, however, claimed a third of Blythburgh (Suffolk) as his mother's
 * Red Book, app. A, pp. cclxxi, cclxxiii, cclxxix, cclxxxi. They were so identified
 * ' Et in guam' Castri de Norwic' postquam Hugo de Creissi recep[it] custodiam ' :
 * See Foss's Judges, i. 228 ; Stapleton's Magn. Rot. 8cacc. Norm. n. cxvii-cxix.
 * I have dealt, in a paper on the manor of Colne Engaine [Essex Arch. Trans viii.