• Marriage: Heir of Henry de Pleasington ^1530a
• Died: 1375

• Background Information: ⁷⁴⁵
Richard de Radclyffe was the eldest son of William and Margaret. Richard was born about 1305, and was 29 at the time of his father's death. He married Isabel, daugther and heiress of Robert de Pleasington, and coheir of Michael de Harcla. Due to this marriage he acquired more land & the moiety of the manor of Winmarleigh. Richard was heir to his cousin, Sir Robert de Radclyffe of Ordsall, and the manor of Astley was passed on to him. Later lands that came into his hadns included part of Clitheroe.

Richard de Radclyffe was the Steward of Blackburnshire from 1332 up to 1335, and the Sheriff of Lancashire from 1356 until 1359. In 1344, as keeper of the Chace in the Forests of Blackburnshire, he had a dipute with the Abbot of Whalley regarding his right to Puture in the Waste of Brandwood. The Abbot won the case, and Richard was committed to prison until he could pay the award damages of £4. As Master Forester for Blacburnshire, he was ordered by John of Gaunt to deliver to harts from the forest of Rossendale and two does from the Chace of Pendle. Three years later he was granted a pension of 20 marks per year by John of Gaut when he retired from this office.

Richard enjoyed being in high favor with Henry, Duke of Lancaster. As High Sheriff of Lancashire, was ordered by the Duke to raise and equip archers and men-at-arms in Salford and Blackburn for the campaign against the Scots and for the war in France. In 1358, the Duke mandated that the 12 acres of land in Radclyffe, forfeited by Adam Radclyffe, who was hanged for a felony, be given to Richard.

Richard was also assigned as one of the jutices for the observance of the ordinances and statutes of servants and artificers within the Ducy. The Close Rolls, 15 May 1362, show that he entered into bond at Westminster "for the good behavior of Richard, son of William de Radclyffe, arrested and detained in the Tower of Londown for certain misprisions, trespasses, and commontions against the King and the people, laid against him." He was set free on a bound of £500.

Richard died in 1375. The children of Richard and Isabell were:

William, eldest son and heir.

Christopher, second son, had grant of lands in Sabdenhey. He died without children, and made his brother Thomas his heir to his estates.

Thomas, third son, was given the manors of Winmarleigh, Astley and Clitheroe from his father. From him descended the Radclyffes of Winmarleigh.

Nicholas, fifth son, was educated at Oxford, where he gained a degree of Doctor of Theology. He was appointed Prior of Wymondham in Norfolk in 1368. He was a prolific writing, publishing numerous manuscrips on the religious topics of the day.

Elenna, their only daughter. was married three times. First she was married to Nicholas Boteler of Rawcliffe, in Amounderness. Her second husband was Sir John Dalton of Dalton, and her last husband was Sir Robert Urswidk, Knight, Justice of the Peace fo Lancashire, by commission of 12 Jul 1394.

~The Book of Radcylffe, pp. 19 - 24

• Background Information: ^1530a
The parish of Radcliffe, in Salford hundred, doubtless gave name to the family of Radcliffe before that lace was in the possession of the Earls of Chester. In the record of fees held in the reigns of John and Henry III., as exhibited in the Testa de Nevvill, William de Radeclive occurs in the Inquisicio Comitatus Lancastr', [fo. 401-405], where he is said to hold by 6s. a carucate of land of the fee of Ranulf Fitz-Roger's heir, a ward in the custody of Eustace Fitz-Moreton, for the king, besides twelve bovates of land in Edgworth.

In 30 Henry III. (1246), Adam, son of the William de Radeclive above named, petitioned a against Roger de Oswaldtwisel for the lands demised in Radclive, for a term of years, by his grandfather, of whom he was the heir. In 4 Edward I. (1276) Richard, son of Robert and great grandson of William de Radclyve, had a writ of novel disseisin, and held lands, &c., in Tottington, of the fee of Roger de Montebegon. This Richard accompanied the king in his wars in Scotland, and obtained from him a charter for free warren in his manors of Radcliffe and Querndone, dated from Strevelin, 32 Edward I. (1304). [Rot. Chart., 32 Edward I, mem. 17]



Sir John Radclyve of Ordsal, a younger son of this Sir Richard, who married Johanna, daughter of Sir Robert, and sister to Thomas de Holland, Earl of Kent, accompanied Edward III. In his wars in France; he introduced the honor of knighthood into the family in 1347, and was founder of the line of Radcliffe of Ordsal and of Foxdenton. The Radcliffles enjoyed the privilege of free
warren and free chase in the territories of the duchy, and held at various times the offices of seneschal and minister of the forests of Bowland an Blackburnshire; and the stewardship of Rossendale also devolved upon them. The chiefs of the family, as well as several collateral branches, filled the station of high-sheriff in the county in successive reigns; a rank which, in the early period of history, was equal to that of lord-lieutenant.

Ralph de Radclyffe, grandson of Richard above named, dying without issue before 5 Edward III. (1331), bequeathed his manors of Radcliffe, 850., to his uncle William, son of Richard de Radclyffe, of Radcliffe Tower, and brother of John, the founder of the line of Ordsal, called the "Great William," lord of Edgeworth and Oswaldtwistle, who became seized of Culcheth in 20 Edward I. (1292), in right of his wife Margaret, one of the two (Grand) daughters and co-heirs of Gilbert de Culcheth. From this "Great William" ennobled successively by the titles of Baron Fitzwalter and Earl of Sussex, now extinct, descended the Radcliffes, Earls of Derwentwater who suffered such a fatal eclipse on the execution of the unfortunate James, Earl of Derwentwater, for his share in the rebellion of 1715, and his no less unfortunate brother Charles who had assumed the title, and who was father of another Charles who became Earl of Newburgh. Robert Radcliffe, the eldest brother of the "Great William," was the father of William, 316 founder of the line of Smithells; and also of William, rector of Bury, 16 Edward III. (1342), who became lord of Chadderton and from whom descended the Radcliffes of Chadderton. William de Radcliffe-the "Great William," was succeeded by his son Richard, the grandfather of James Radclyffe.

"Radcliffe Parish," The History of the County Palatine and Duchy of Lancaster, Volume II, pp. 421 & 4261

Richard married Heir of Henry de Pleasington, daughter of Henry de Peasington and Isabel.^1530a (Heir of Henry de Pleasington was born in Winmarleigh, Lancashire, England and died after 1368-1369 in Lancashire, England.)