Henry de Redmayne

  Noted events in his life were:

• Background Information.
According to William Greenwood, with Sir Henry de Redmayne, son of Norman, the chief interest of the family passes from Lancashire and Cumberland to Westmorland. Sir Henry made his home at Levens, and for near four centuries after, this remained the home of his descendants.

One moiety of Levens passed into the hands of Sir Henry in 1188. [Mag. Rot., 34 Henry II; Dugdale MSS] The remained moiety, together with Selside, was granted to Henry de Redman by Gilbert Fitz Roger Fitz Reinfrid, who married the only daughter and heiress of William de Lancaster II, and succeeded his as Baron of Kendal, and who for some years, shared the office of sheriff of Yorkshire with Henry.

Henry de Redman appears to have been a man of considerable wealth and importance in his time. He was seneschal of Kendal, and in this capacity witnessed a grant of Robert de Veteripont to the abbey of Shap. He also was, along with Gilbert Fitz Roger Ritz Reinfrid, the sheriff of Yorkshire, 12 to 15 John. [Dodsworth MSS., 79. f. 115]

According to the author of "The Redmans of Levens," in his day (1902, when he presented this infomation) there still was a charter of 1188 bearing the seal of Richard I, and re-endorsed after Richard's return from captivity, exempting Henry de Redman, as successor of Gilbert Fitz Reinfrid, from payment of the tribute called "noutgel." In 1198/9, Henry gave a 20 mark fine for the custody of the land and heir of William de Kellet, and in 1206, forty marks for the custody of the land and heir of Roger de Hedon, and for the marriage of the said heir to his daughter [Rotuli de Finibus, p. 335]. He was a benefactor of Furness Abbey and the chartulary of Shaps. He was also the witness of many charters.

Henry de Redmayne's son, Benedict, was among the hostages provided by Gilbert Fitz Reinfrid for his future good conduct and loyalty, after his rebellion against King John. Henry de Redmayne had taken an active part in the rebellion by the barons, and was among the prisoners taken at the surrender to King John at Rochester Castle. In 1215, he was in the custody of Robert de Courtenay and in the next year, he was likely pardoned before he was restored to his possession [Rot. Lit. Claus. Turr., London].

Within the records, we can find four of Sir Henry's sons, Matthew who succeeded him; Benedict, the hostage; Norman who appears to be one of the hostages given by William de Lancaster; and Thomas, who in 1246 confirmed to the abbey of Shap two oxgangs of land in Appleby, which Norman, his brother bequeathed with his body to the abbey. Benedict was the eldest son, and since he didn't succeed his father, he must have died in his father's life time. Henry de Redmayne died sometime around 1225, and was succeeded by his son, Sir Matthew de Redmayne.

~Transactions of the Cumberland, Vol. III, New Series, pp. 276-279 ⁹¹⁶

When Henry's father, Norman died, Henry was still a minor. He must have become of age sometime around 1187/8 when he proffered a mark in order that the Fine levied bwtween himself and Ketel, son of Ughtred, concernting territory of Levens in Westmorland, should be incribed upon the Roll of the Curia Regis. Their agreement granted from Ketel to Henry and his heirs "the whole of the Manor of Levens, one moiety to be held by Henry in his demesne, and the other to be held by Ketel of the said Henry by an equivalent service to that which Henry rendered to the chief lord for the same."

"Adam, the Dean" of Lancashire had, in 1184, proffered one hundred shillings for permission to marry his dauther to the son of Norman de Redmayne. [Farrer's Lancashire Pipe Rolls, p. 52] The author of the Redmans of Levens, both book and article, William Greenwood, was in correspondence with Mr. Farrar, whom we often find associated with many of the records for the time, as an editor, and who worked for the British Record Society. Mr. Farrer identified this Adam, Dean of Lancaster, as a son of Waldeve, Lord of Ulverston, and thus brother of Augustine, from whom the line of Heaton sprang; and of Richard, founder of the family of Tatham.

~The Redmand of Levens and Harewood, pp. 14-25 ⁸⁹⁸

Henry married daughter of Adam, Dean of Lancaster, daughter of Adam Dean of Lancaster and Unknown.⁸⁹⁸