Robert de Urswick

  General Notes:

Roger Dodsworth's "Urswick Pedigree" from The Records of the Family of Urswyk , p. 7 ⁷⁴⁶, m. Ellen, daughter and heiress of William Southworth, of Uprawcliffe.

The History of the County Palatine and Duchy of Lancaster, Vol. 2, p. 423^1530a, "Pedigree of Radclyffe or Radcliffe, of Radcliffe Tower," has Elena, daughter of Richard de Radclyffe, High Sheriff of Lancashire and his wife Isabella, daughter and heir of Pleasington, and sister to Thomas Radclyffe, marring, as her third husband, Robert Urswick.

The Manor of Upper Rawcliffe was in the possession of John de Rigmayden in 16 Edw. II and his daughter and heiress Joan, conveyed it, in marriage, to Sir John de Coupland, who appears to have held it under the family of De Ghynes, or Coucy, descendants of the Lancasters, Barons of Kendal. The Manor passed from the Couplands to the Southworths, and was conveyed in marriage, before the 47th Edw. III by Ellen, daughter and heiress of William de Southworth, to Robert Urswick of Urswick.

~Notitia Cestriensis: of Historical Notices of the Diocese of Chester Volume II, p. 449 ⁹²⁴

I believe that Robert Urswick was often mixed up with his son Sir Robert Urswick. I have come to believe that the elder Robert was married to Ellen Radcliffe and the youger Sir Robert to Margaret Southworth.

  Noted events in his life were:

• Records: ⁹¹⁴
1362 Order to the escheator to take security from Robert de Ursewyk son and heir of Adam de Ursewyk, deceased, for his relief, and deliver to him certain tenements in Strikland Ketill called Lyndesayhall, which he holds of the king in chief as parcel of the moiety of the barony of Kendale. [Abbrev. R. Original, ii, 271]

Records Relating To the Barony of Kendale: Volume 1, pp. 276-299

• 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

Robert married Ellen Radcliffe, daughter of Richard de Radcliffe Sheriff of Lancashire and Isabel de Peasington, in 1373 in England ^1530a.