William Radcliffe

  General Notes:

de Radeclive | Henry de Radeclive, temp. Henry II | Possible son: Wiiliam de Radeclive, of Radcliffe Tower, temp. Richard I and John, married Cecilia de Montebou, lady of Kirkland and Hornby | Adam de Radeclive of Radcliffe Tower, living Henry III, married a daugher of Alan Culwen, and brother of Geoffrey and Hugh de Radclive | Robert de Radeclyye, of Radcliffe Tower, died before 20 Edward I (1291) "Radcliffe Parish," The History of the County Palatine and Duchy of Lancastee, Volume II, Radcliffe Pedigree, p. 422-425 1530a

  Noted events in his life were:

• Background Information: ⁷⁴⁵
William de Radeclife inherited his father's holdings some time before 1190. In addition to the main manor of the family, by this time the Radcliffs had extendted their territorial possession, and attained a position of influence, sufficient enough for William to seek alliance with one of the most powerful barional families of the north. By his marriage to Cecilia de Montbegon, Lady of Kirkland, he further enhanced his status, and achieved prior rank amongst the leading nobles of Lancashire.

William de Radcliff was appointed High Sheriff of Lancashire, an office instituted nearly a century previously, at the separation of secular and spiritual jurisdictions. About this time he commenced the rebuilding of the manor-house. He also built a church to serve the spiritual needs of his manor, and in 1202, he secured from Roger de Middleton an acknowledgement of his right in the advowson of Radeclive Church. His wife, the Lady Cecil, died about the time he finished church, and he found a chantry within the church in her memory.

At the Great Survey made in 1212, Sir William Radcliff was one of the "twelve trusty knights of the shire" appointed to review the manorial values of Lancashire for reassessment. He was found therein to hold, in addition to Radcliffe, twelve oxgangs in Edgeworth and two oxgangs in Little Lever, which presumably, had come to him from his second wife, a lady named Eugenia. She was possibly the daughter of Alexander, son of Uvieth, to whom Albert Grelley the younger, about 1180, granted to oxgangs in Little Lever. She may have been a widow, or a ward of the King, for she is recorded as rendering 40d. to the King from lands in Salford Hundred, which she held in her own right. In the following year Eugenia sued her hudand's son, Adam, for her dower in a third part of Radeclive, Edgeworth and Little Lever, including lands in Entwistle and Quarlton, assessed as one ploughland for the annual service of 10s. The boundaries of these lands were subject to continuous litigation. Jordan de Quickandlow dispossessed Eugenia, and held the estate until 1246, when Eugenia recovered it on Jordan's failure to appear to anser the suit.

William had three sons, Adam, the heir; Geoffry, who married a daughter of Adam de Bury, from whom he had a grant of lands in Bury, as well as a holding in Radclliff under the will of his father; and Hugh, the youngest, to whom his father gave the manor of Hartshead. Hugh increased his position by his marriage to Margery, daughter of Richard de Pennington, by whom he had two sons, Richard and William, who shared between them the manors of Hartshead and Pennington.

~The Book of the Radclyffes, pp. 5-7

• Background Information: ¹⁰⁴⁴
William de Radecliffe was deputy to Theobald Walter, high sheriff of Lancaster in 6 Edward I, 1278. In the records of fees held in the reigns of John and Henry III, as exhibted in the Testa de Nevil, William de Radeclive occurs in the Inquisicio Conitatus Lancaster, fol. 401-405, where he is said to hold by 6s. a caruacate of land of the fee of Ranulf Fitz Roger's heir, a ward in custody of Eustace Fitz Moreton, for the King, besides twelve bovated of land in Edgworth.

~ History of the Borough of Bury and Neighbourhood in the County of Lancaster, p. 225

• Background Information: ^1530a
The pedigree of the family that assumes a "de Radeclive" anterior to the reign of Henry II., and the name of Henry de Radeclive appears among the witnesses to the charter of Robert de Lathom, on the foundation of Burscough Priory, in the rein of Richard I. [Cartular de Burscough, fo. 56a, in Duchy Office] In 6 Richard I. (1194/5), William de Radeclive, who married Cecilia de Montbegon, lady of
Kirkland, a daughter of the great feudal family of Montbegon, barons of Hornby, was deputy to Theobald Walter, high-sheriff of the county of Lancaster; but it appears that before this time Simon de Radeclive, brother of Henry named in the foundation charter of Burscough, and supposed to be the uncle of William, demised lands in this lace for a term of years to Henry de Oswaldtwissel.

The parish of Radcliffe, in Salford hundred, doubtless gave name to the family of Radcliffe before that lace was in the possession of the Earls of Chester. In the record of fees held in the reigns of John and Henry III., as exhibited in the Testa de Nevvill, William de Radeclive occurs in the Inquisicio Comitatus Lancastr', [fo. 401-405], where he is said to hold by 6s. a carucate of land of the fee of Ranulf Fitz-Roger's heir, a ward in the custody of Eustace Fitz-Moreton, for the king, besides twelve bovates of land in Edgworth.

"Radcliffe Parish," The History of the County Palatine and Duchy of Lancaster, Volume II, p. 421

William married Cecilia de Montbegon Lady of Kirkland, daughter of Adam de Montbegon and Matilda Fitz Swain.