Richard de Balderstone

  Information about this person:

• Background Information. ⁸²⁷
Richard de Balderston succeeded his father William in about 1312, and he was appointed one of the keepers of the peace in this hundred in 1323, and the year following. Holding lands to the year value of £15, he was summoned to attend the Great Council at Westminster. In 1326, he was a commissioner of array in this hundred in connection with the Scottish campaign. Richard de Balderston married Alice, possibly the daughter of Alexander de Cuerdale, junior. In 1314/5, Alexander de Cuerdale granted to Richard de Balderston ahd his heirs the right to approve 14 acres of woodland in Balderston, adjoining land, which Richard had by gift. In 1322/3, Mary, the widow of Alexander, son of Alexander de Cuerdale, released to Richard and Alice his wife and their issue her dower right in lands and tenements here [Dods. MSS. cxlix, 17, 26, 27b]. Richard and Alice had a son, John, and a daughter, Katherine. Katherine married, in 1336, Gilbert son of John son of Gilbert de la Legh. Richard died in or shortly before 1339.

Simon de Balderston, brother of William, was seneschal of Blackburnshire, in 1305 receiver of the county, and afterwards parson of Heversham, Wesmorland. After the rebellion of Earl Thomas of Lancaster, he held various posts in connection with the administration of the earl's forfeited estates, and he appointed his nephew Richard de Balderston his attorney to collect the farms of this hundred. Richard had grants of land from the Crown in various places of Yorkshire and acquired several estates in that county, notably the manor of Rogerthorpe, near Badsworth.

~ VCH: The History of Lancaster, Vol. VI, pp. 313-319

Richard married Alice de Cuerdale, daughter of Alexander de Cuerdale and Unknown.⁸²⁷