Bernulf de Urswick

  General Notes:

Records of the Family of Urswyk, pp. 2-4, a Saxon whose ancestors were in England before The Conquest by William of Normandy.

  Noted events in his life were:

• Background Information: ⁷⁷⁵
The "Urswick part came from the third part of his moiety of Kellet which Orm son of Bernulf granted to his brother Adam. [Lancs, Inq. and Extents, i, 90] In the earlier period it was held of the two lords of the moiety, each of them therefore holding a fourth part of the manor; but in the 14th century it came to be reckoned as an independent part, though it does not seem to have been regarded as a 'manor.' Thus was created the confusion between third and fourth parts already spoken of. Adam had land also in Urswick, [ Farrer, Lancs. Pipe R. 14] and this gave occasion for the surname of his branch of the family. Gilbert son of Adam attested a charter passed before 1190, [Farrer, Lancs. Pipe R. 402] and received a moiety of Capernwray from Maud de Kellet, a rent of 3s. a year being due for it. [Lancs. Inq. and Extents, i, 9] Adam son of Gilbert gave land in Urswick to Furness Abbey, [Furness Coucher (Chet. Soc), i, 73] and from his kinsman Gilbert de Kellet he obtained a third part of the vill of Claughton. Adam left a son who as John de Capernwray son of Adam de Urswick granted land in Kellet to Furness Abbey. [Add. MS. 33244, fol. 47] Adam de Urswick and Isabel his wife in 1307 obtained from Edmund de Nevill, probably acting as trustee, 4 oxgangs of land in Over Kellet, [Final Conc, i, 211. Adam de Urswick was probably the son (though not the heir) of John, for the old index to the Furness Coucher records a grant in 1303 to 'Adam son of J. de Urswick'; op. cit. i, 70, 449] and in 1319 they obtained similarly from John de Hornby the younger the manor of Capernwray; both were settled on Adam's heirs. [Final Conc, ii, 32] Adam son of Adam de Urswick in 1337 granted an oxgang of land in Over Kellet to John de Urswick, rector of Tatham; it had formerly belonged to Orm de Urswick. [Dods. MSS. cxlix, fol. 75b]

The descent is not clear, for it does not explain why the Flemings did not inherit this with other parts of the Urswick estates, like Claughton. Another difficulty is created by the record of an Adam de Urswick, who was coroner of the county, but retired in 1323 owing to ill-health. [Cal. Close, 1323-7, p. 25] Another Adam de Urswick was chief forester of Bowland, [Cal. Pat. 1330-4, pp. 36, 78, 334] and served in the French wars of Edward III, being present at Crecy. [Staffs. Hist. Coll. (Salt Soc), xviii, 113, 129] He died in 1361, and was succeeded by his son Robert, [*] who has been noticed in the account of Upper Rawcliffe.

* Chan. Inq. p.m. 35 Edw. III, pt. ii (1st nos.), 88; it refers only to land in Westmorland. Robert de Urswick the younger, his son and heir, was of full age. This implies another Robert, the elder. There is nothing to indicate that these Urswicks had land in Urswick or Kellet. Adam's widow was Sarra daughter of Robert de Tatham. Sir Walter de Urswick was in 1374 chief forester of Bowland, and appears later in other capacities; Duchy of Lanc. Reg. Edw. III, 209; Whitaker, Whalley (ed. Nichols), i, 335; Pink and Beaven, Parl, Repre. of Lancs. 40

Victoria County History - A History of the County of Lancaster, Township: Over Kellet, Vol. 8, pp. 140-151

• Background Information: ⁷⁷⁵
It is shown in the account of Over Kellet that Adam son of Bernulf had a son Gilbert, who had a son Adam de Capernwray, identical, apparently, with an Adam de Urswick named in 1244. [Lancs. Inq. and Extents, i, 158] Adam son of Gilbert granted land in Urswick to Furness Abbey, a gift confirmed by his daughter Elizabeth when widow of Sir Richard le Fleming. [Furness Couch. i, 73; Dep. Keeper's Rep. xxxvi, App. 168] The estates appear to have been divided, yet lands in Urswick and Over Kellet afterwards came together.

A History of the County of Lancaster: Volume 8, The parish of Urswick, pp. 328-338