Ralph de Clitheroe

  Noted events in his life were:

• Background Information. ⁸²⁴
Karnwath Bussel of Clitheroe had a numerous progeny, of whom Ralph was probably the father of Hugh de Clitheroe, the husband of Cecily de Salesbury [Towneley MS. DD,]. Hugh died in or before 1272, leaving issue Hugh, who acquired a considerable estate in Clitheroe and Salesbury [Excerpta e Rot. Fin. (Rec. Com.), ii, 585]. In 1296 he purchased from Thomas de Hulton and his wife Dionisia their estate in the manor, and in 1311, as Hugh de Salesbury, was returned as holding the manors of Salesbury and Little Pendleton in thegnage [Final Conc. (Rec. Soc. Lancs. and Ches.), i, 182; Towneley MS. DD, no. 2045; Lancs. Inq. and Extents (Rec. Soc. Lancs. and Ches.), ii, 12. In Towneley MS. evidences of Talbot, where a correct pedigree of the Clitheroe family is given (p. 48), Hugh de Clitheroe the younger is said to have married after 1280 Amabel relict of Mr. Adam de Blackburn.]. He was succeeded by his son Roger, who had a grant of free warren here in 1312, but lost his life the year following in a fray. He was succeeded by his brother Adam [Chart. R. 5 Edw. II, m. 7, no. 18; Cal. Pat. 1313\endash 17, p. 53], who had apparently accompanied his father to Ireland in the year 1303. He was one of the four persons appointed in 1323 to be keepers of the peace in the county [Ibid. 1301\endash 7, pp. 133, 260; 1321\endash 4, p. 382]. In 1327\endash 8, as 'chivaler,' he instituted proceedings against eighteen freeholders in Salesbury and Dutton for felling and carrying away his trees growing there [De Banco R. 269, m. 70 d.; 275, m. 135 d]. In 1332 he carried away Robert de Clitheroe's live stock and chattels from the manorhouse of Bailey and refused to restore them. An appeal to the king resulted in an order for an extent of Adam's lands to be made and the half awarded to Robert, to whom a debt incurred in 1316 was due from Adam, which he had failed to repay [Coram Rege R. 293, m. 54]. He was living in 1337, when he was arraigned with many of the county gentry for trespass in the free chases of Queen Isabella of Pendle and Rossendale [Cal. Pat. 1334\endash 8, p. 452]. He died soon after, leaving issue by his wife Cecily (who survived him) Robert and Hugh.

~A History of the County of Lancaster, Volume VI, pp. 252-257