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 A HISTORY OF LANCASHIRE justice of the king's court.^ In April, 1190, Richard I, acquitted him from payment of neatgeld in respect of his Kendal and Westmorland possessions, and confirmed to him his forest of Westmorland, Kendal, and Furness, with 6 librates of land in Kendal, to hold as freely as Nigel de Albini, or William fitz Gilbert de Lancaster, had held that forest.' He was excommunicated in 1 191 by Longchamp with many others, including his father and brother Reinfred." In 1194 he was summoned to answer the monks of Furness in the king's court in a plea that he had taken from them 1,009 wether sheep with their wool, and 88 lambs.* This matter was no doubt connected with the old dispute about the division of Furness Fells, and, like the former dispute, was settled by an agreement made in the king's court, in February, 1196, confirming the previous agreement made before Henry II., and containing in addition a clause by which Gilbert and Helewise released to the monks all right of venison and hawks in the monks' part of the fells, and all claim to lands in Newby, near Clapham ; the monks on their part granting to them Ulverston with all its belongings for the yearly rent of ioj.' He was appointed, in 1197, with Richard Briwere, receiver of the issues of the bishopric of Durham whilst in the king's hand," He and his wife Helewise confirmed many grants of land made by their predecessors, including the grants of churches and lands in Ewcross wapentake, and in Lonsdale, Kendal, Westmorland, and Cumberland, made by Ivo Taillebois to St. Mary's Abbey in York.^ To Cockersand Abbey they gave the church of Garstang, and confirmed all other gifts made to that house within their fee.^ After John's accession Gilbert obtained, in 1200, a confirmation of the royal grants made to him, and a new grant of gallows and pit in his Lan- cashire fief.' The year following he gave 30 marks in respect of his one knight's fee in Lancashire and two fees in Westmorland in lieu of performing military service.^" In April, 1205, he was appointed sheriff of the honour and county of Lancaster, which office he retained until the end of John's reign," and in 1209 was also appointed sheriff of Yorkshire, which office he held for three years.'^ In May, 121 3, he was one of the twelve barons whom the king named in his letter to the primate and episcopate as pledged to support the king's declaration for the defence of the Church and its pro- perty.^' In March, 1215, he was one of the delegates sent by the king to negotiate with Llewelyn and Madoc, princes of Wales," and the same year had the king's writ authorizing payment of his expenses in munitioning castles and raising forces on his behalf." But before the end of the year he was won over to the party of the barons against the king, who seized his land in Dunnington, co. Berks, on 16 November, in revenge for his defec- tion." A fortnight later Gilbert's son and heir, William de Lancaster, was captured at the fall of Rochester Castle, and, the lives of the defenders being 1 Eyton, Itin. of Hen. 11. z6l. 2 Farrer, Lanes. Pipe R. 396-9. s HoveJen (RoUs Ser.), iii. 153. •* Cur. Reg. R. No. i, m. i </. ^ Feet ofF. Pipe R. Soc. vol. xvii. 101-4. 6 Gauf. de Coldingham, Surtees Soc. u. 16 ; Hodgson Hinde, Cumb. and WestmU. Pipe R 107 7 Mon. Angl. iii. 566. t • ^i- 8 Cockersand Chartul. (Chetham Soc), 56, 278-9. ' Rot. de Oblat. (Rcc. Com.), 67 ; Farrer, Lanes. Pipe R. 107. 10 Rot. de Oblat. (Rec. Com.), 167. u Pat. R. (Rec. Com.), i. 53^. 13 Dep Keeper's 3 xst Rep. 363. is p^t. R. (Rec. Com.), i. 98-0,, ,+3. " Ibid. I3ii. IS Close R. (Rec. Com.), i. 193. ^ ^' leYbJd. ^37. 362