Sir William le Boteler Knight, Lord of Warrington

  Information about this person:

• Titles: High Sheriff of Lancashire, 1259. ¹⁶⁸

• Background Information. ⁷³⁰
Sir William le Boteler was born about 1231. He was under age at the time of his father's death. He was under the wardship of William, earl of Ferrars. The earl paid a good sun of 100£ for this wardship and the marriage of his daughter to Sir William. This was a huge sum, which shows that the estates of the young heir were quite large. The record of this fine reads "The king the sheriff of Lincolnshire. Know ye, that for a fine of 100£, which earl William de Ferrars hath paid us to have the wardship of the lands and heir of Almeric le Boteler until their full age, with their marriage, we command you to give the said earl seisin of all the lands of the said Almeric in your bailiwick." [Rot. Finium, p. 23; Pipe Rolls.]

Sir William le Boteler's name appears in the Pipe Rolls for paying fee for his estates before he comes of age. One, dated 29 Henry III, or 1245, which was on the marriage of the king's daughter, reads "William le Boteler holds viii. kinght's fee in Crophill, and v. carucates in Becunsall, Neubold, Trafford, the half lf Owthorp, Hole Calverton, and iii. carucates in Ince, iii. bovates in Barton, x. whereof make a knight's fee, and ii. carucates in thornton and Halstall, x. whereof make such a fee, and i. carucate in Rixton, i. carucate in Atherton, and I. carucate in Sankey.

"Of the aforesaid eight fees William Pincerna hold iii. in Lindesham; whereof Robert fitz Richard hold i. fee in Croxton and Fillingham and Hingham, Robert Brito half a fee in Heneworth and in Eltham and Bultham, Henry fitz Randulph i. fee in Fillingham, William fitz Winnoc half a fee in Hingham.

"The heirs of the lord Almeric Pincerna hold ii. fees in Werington and Laiton, ex antiquo; in Crophill and in Newbold ii. fees, ex antiquo; in Croxton and in Bultham and Fillingham ii. fees in Lincolnshire." [Tesda de Nevil, p. 408]

Sir William le Boteler came of age in the year 1252. In 1254 (38 Henry III), William was attached to answer Roger de Heyton in a plea of trespass for breaking his close, and entering the said Roger's turbary in Brun in Lancashire, and there throwing into a pit the turves which Roger had cut and gathered, and also ill-treating his men. [Abbreviatio Placitorum, p. 142] In 1255, William obtained the king's charter to hold a three day fair yearly at his manor of Warrington, on the eve, the day and the morrow of the translation of St. Thomas the martyr.

William became a knight in 1256, at which time he called himself the baron of Warrington. William built a new house which was named Bewsey or Beausey which means fair seat. When Sir William became the sheriff of Lancashire in 1256 he is called Willielmus Pincerna de Bewsey, which is the first mention on the name Bewsey. Later, 6 Feb 1259, King Henry III bestowed the honor of the governor and caste of Lancaster, but also the honor of the high sheriff of the county.

Sir William and his brother Sir Richard le Boteler, were witnesses to a grant of the manor of Magna Hole to Warin de Waleton in 1264 or 49 Henry III. On 4 Feb 1266 (50 Henry III), William le Boteler with Robbert le Banastre and six others were witnesses to the inspeximus of Robert earl Ferrars confirming to the burgesses of Liverpool the charters granted them by Kings John and Henry III [Baines' History of Liverpool, p. 111] In 1271 William le Boteler confirmed the grant of Thomas de Bethum and his wife Anuca, daughter of Richard Fitz Roger, of one-fourth of half a carucate of their land in the Howes within Lytham to the abbot and convent of Cockersand [Dodsworth's M.S.S.]. William's name appears in other documents dealing with Cockersand. On St. Lucia's day or 13 Dec 1271, "the lord William Pincerna, knight," was witness to a release made by the Cockersand [Arley Papers, box i. No. 56].

William's brother Richard and this Richard's son, also named Richard le Boteler, knight both died in 1281. Records indicate that William and his brother were very close. William and his son Henry were witnesses to the assignment of dower to Alicia, Richard's widow in the same year. [Whalley Coucher Book, p. 423 in notis, Chetham Soc.]

Sir William le Boteler had served the king in his campaing against the Welsh in 10-11 Edward I or 1282-1283. An account of the campaign has the entry of payment, and William is mentioned with "To Master William le boteler for the wages of one constable, two-hundred-and-and-six archers, with ten captains of twenties, from Saturday 16 Jan 1283 to Wednesday the 27th of the same month for twelves days 22£ 4s. [Meyrick's Anc. Armour, vol. i. p. 137].

On 14 Jul 1287 (15 Edward I), William le Boteler, described as of Warrington, was agains summoned to appear with hourse and arms at a military council to be held before Edmund, earl of Cornwall at Cloucester [Parlimentary Writs, pp. 250, 251] which lead to the conquest of Wales. He was summoned again on 3 Jun 1291 to appear at Norham, this time to perform military service against the Scots. [Parliamentary Writs, p. 265] William was again summoned to parliment on 24 Feb 1297 to be held at Salisbury, and again on 6 Feb 1299.

William le Boteler married Dionysia, the daughter of Henry and Joanna de Lostock. He outlived his wife, and after her death, in her memory, he bestowed a large gift of twenty acres of land in Laton, to pray for the repose of her soul. William died in 1303. Their children were:

Henry le Boteler, who died in his father's lifetime.
Richard, who in 1292 made a deed to which his brother Henry was a witness.
William mentioned in his father's confirmation of the grant of Alt mill by William blundell to Whalley abbey [Coucher Book, vol. ii. p. 495]
Isabel, married to Randle Starkey, lord of Streeton, mention in a deed by Randle that reads "I, Randle Starkey, lord of Stretton have givent to Randle my son by the lady Isabella, daughter of William Pincerna of Werington, all the land which I have in the vill of Comberback, the land and buildings in Street which Roger Hulcocke held." [Sir Peter Leycester's liber C., p. 135]
Elena, married James Banastre, son and heir apparent of Robert Banstre baron of Newton.

~The Annals of the Lords of Warrington, pgs. 62-128

William married Dionysia de Lostock, daughter of Henry de Lostock and Joanna, about 1250.⁷³⁰ (Dionysia de Lostock was born about 1235.)