de Lacy

crest of de Lacy

Lacy´s purple lion

de Lacy (Laci, Lacie, Lascy, Lacey) is the surname of an old Norman noble family originating from Lassy (Calvados). The first records are about Hugh de Lacy (1020–1049). Descendent of Hugh de Lacy left Normandy and travelled to England along with William the Conqueror. Walter and Ilbert de Lacy fought in the battle of Hastings. The family took a major role in the Norman conquest of England and Ireland. Up until 1399, the De Lacys held the great northern Lordship of Bowland before it passed through marriage to the Earldom, later Duchy of Lancaster as well as being Lords of Pontefract and later Earls of Lincoln.

The family is linked to the Scottish Royal family; Elizabeth de Burgh, whose great grandfather was Walter de Lacy, married Robert the Bruce. Another link exists to the Royal Windsor family by Sarah Ferguson via Wingfield, Meade, O'Brien, Fitzgerald, De Burgh and therefore back to Walter de Lacy and Hugh de Lacy.

Walter de Lacy (Lascy, Lasci, Laci)

Walter de Lacy (before 1040, lord of Lassy (Normandy) – 27 March 1085, Hereford). He had two sons, Ilbert and Walter, who probably fought at William's side at Hastings (see the Adalae Comitissae (To Countess Adela), by Baudri, abbot of Bourgeuil, who suggest Ilbert led the feint that led to the death of King Harold). There is no record of Walter Jnr fighting at Hastings. Ilbert was a major participant in the Harrying Of The North (1069–70, receiving vast land in West Yorkshire, where he built Pontefract Castle.

His grandson Gilbert de Lacy, lord of Longtown, Weobley and Ludlow became a Templar in the 1150s, and acted as a witness to a charter between the English and French kings in May 1160. He was in the Holy Land in the same year; his name appears as a witness on a letter from Walter of Hereford to Henry II. He granted the Templars Guiting in Gloucestershire.

Gilbert's son Hugh de Lacy (1118-86) also granted the Templars lands, this time in Ludlow and accompanied Henry II on his conquest of Ireland, being made the first constable of Dublin Castle. The family later married into that of the O'Neills, high kings of Ireland, receiving Carrickfergus Castle and building Trim Castle.

Hugh de Lacy had a son Walter de Lacy (before 1170 to 24 February 1240/41). He married secondly Margaret de Braose the daughter of William de Braose, 4th Lord of Bramber, another important Norman dynasty of Marcher Lords. She founded the Convent of Augustinian nuns at Aconbury, which she placed under control of the Hospitallers. Her subsequent attempts to free her foundation from their control involved her in a long dispute involving the Pope.

Clitheroe Castle, founded by Robert de Lacy

Ilbert de Lacy (Laci, Lascie, Lascy)

Ilbert de Lacy (1045, Lassy – 1093, Pontefract) built Pontefract Castle on land granted by William I of England.

Henry de Lacy (Laci, Lacie, Lascy), Baron of Pontefract, 2nd Lord of Bowland

Henry de Lacy (1070, Halton, – 1123) was the grandson of Ilbert de Lacy. Henry de Lacy, Baron of Pontefract, Lord of Bowland and of Blackburnshire, built Kirkstall Abbey.

Robert de Lacy (Lascy, Laci)

Robert de Lacy (? – 1193) founded Pontefract Priory. In addition, legend says he built Clitheroe Castle. He is also thought to have been 3rd Lord of Bowland. The purple lions in the arm of Clitheroe support the legend.

Hugh de Lacy, Lord of Meath

For more details on this topic, see Hugh de Lacy, Lord of Meath.

Hugh de Lacy (before 1135 – 25 July 1186, Durrow, Leinster) was the great-grandson of Walter de Lacy of the Norman Conquest. In 1172, County Meath was granted by Henry II of England to Hugh de Lacy. He was the 1st Lord of Meath.

Hugh de Lacy and his son Walter de Lacy (before 1170 – 1241) built Trim Castle and Kilkea Castle. Hugh de Lacy was killed while supervising the construction of a Motte castle at Durrow, Co. Offaly in 1186 at the instigation of Sinnagh (the Fox) and O'Breen (see Annals of the Four Masters, 1186.5). De Lacy was initially buried at Durrow Abbey. In 1195, the archbishops of Cashel and Dublin disinterred him and buried his body in Bective Abbey in County Meath and his head in St. Thomas’s Abbey in Dublin. In 1205, his body was also interred in St. Thomas's Abbey.

Trim Castle, County Meath, Ireland (De Lacey)

Hugh de Lacy, 1st Earl of Ulster

Hugh de Lacy, 1st Earl of Ulster (before 1179 – after 26 December 1242), was the younger son of Hugh de Lacy, Lord of Meath.
Arms of Hugh de Lacy [1]

John de Lacy (Laci)

John de Lacy (1150, Lincoln, – 1190, Palestine) was the father of Baron Roger de Lacy. He was Lord of Flamborough and Constable of Chester.

Baron Roger de Lacy

Roger de Lacy (1171, Lincoln, – 1212, Pontefract) was commander at Château Gaillard. Roger de Lacy served John of England the younger brother of Richard I of England and defended the Château against Philip II of France. Amongst his other titles, he was the 7th Baron of Halton and 4th Lord of Bowland. Roger de Lacy is buried in Stanlow Abbey.



Arms of Roger de Lacy [2]

Walter de Lacy (Laci, Lacie, Lascy)

Walter de Lacy (before 1170 – 24 February 1241) was Lord of Meath, Longtown, Weobley and Ludlow. His daughter Egidia de Lacy, by his wife Margaret de Braose, married Richard de Burgh (before 1200 to 17 February 1241/42) Lord of Connaught and Strathearn. The pedigree spawns from Walter de Burgh (c.1230 - 1271), Richard Og de Burgh (2nd Earl of Ulster) (1259 - 26 July 1326) to Lady Elizabeth de Burgh the wife of Robert the Bruce.

Jean (John) de Lacy (Lacie, Laci)

John de Lacy (1192 – 22 July 1240), son of Roger, became 1st Earl of Lincoln, 8th Baron of Halton and 5th Lord of Bowland. He and his cousin Robert de Vere, Earl of Oxford, signed Magna Carta. John de Lacy was buried in Stanlow Abbey.
Arms of Jean de Lacy [3]

Maud de Lacy, Countess of Lincoln

Maud de Lacy, Countess of Lincoln (1223–1287) was the daughter of John de Lacy, Earl of Lincoln (1192–1240) and Margaret de Quincy (1208–1266). She married Richard de Clare, 5th Earl of Hertford. Their known children were:
1) Isabel de Clare (1240–1270), who married William of Montferrat;
2) Gilbert de Clare, 6th Earl of Hertford;
3) Thomas de Clare (1245–1287), who married Juliane FitzGerald;
4) Bogo de Clare (1248–1294);
5) Margaret de Clare (1249–1313), who married Edmund, Earl of Cornwall;
6) Rohese de Clare (1252-after 1299), who married Roger de Mowbray; and
7) Eglentina de Clare, who died in infancy in 1257.

Edmund de Lacy

For more details on this topic, see Edmund de Lacy, 2nd Earl of Lincoln.

Henry de Lacy, 3rd Earl of Lincoln

For more details on this topic, see Henry de Lacy, 3rd Earl of Lincoln.

Alice de Lacy

Main article: Alice de Lacy, 4th Countess of Lincoln

Alice de Lacy (25 December 1281, Denbigh Castle – 2 October 1348, Barlings Abbey) married Thomas, 2nd Earl of Lancaster on 28 October 1294. She and Thomas were divorced about 1318, because she was convicted of adultery with the Earl of Surrey's squire, Sir Ebulo Lestrange, Lord Strange, a Shropshire Baron,^{[citation needed]} after being abducted 1317 at the instance of John de Warenne, 7th Earl of Surrey. Her husband continued to hold the title of Earl of Lincoln, having been left the right to bear it in the Will of the previous Earl of Lincoln, her father. He kept his divorced wife Alice in custody in Lancaster.^{[citation needed]}

However, upon the execution of the Earl of Lancaster, the Earl of Surrey seized the Countess from Lancaster - much to her delight - to prevent her title being claimed by her brother-in-law, Henry of Lancaster.^{[citation needed]}. She then married Sir Ebulo Lestrange before 10 November 1324, although she was considered too old to bear children. She married Hugh de Freyne, Baron Freyne, before 23 March 1336, and died childless in 1348, her titles becoming extinct upon her death.

Peter Count de Lacy

Main article: Peter Lacy

Peter Count de Lacy (26 September 1678 – 11 May 1751), was born in Killedy, Ireland, and became one of the most successful European commanders of his time. He died at Riga, of which he for many years served as governor.

Franz Moritz Count de Lacy

Main article: Franz Moritz von Lacy

arms of Count Lacy, photo taken in his crypt in Vienna

Francois Maurice Count de Lacy (21 October 1725, St. Petersburg – 24 November 1801, Vienna) served Maria Theresia and was a famous field marshal. Francois Maurice was a close friend to Joseph II, Holy Roman Emperor, and became one of his advisers.

Lacy of Ampton Hall

Lacy Baronets

Source

• Lacy Forum with rich informations
• http://awt.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?op=GET&db=jtom7290&id=I58235
• http://mctiernan.com/prestonh.htm
• http://www.infokey.com/hall/magna.htm
• http://www.renderplus.com/hartgen/htm/de-lacy.htm
• http://wwwa.britannica.com/eb/article-9051695
• http://www.heritageireland.ie/en/HistoricSites/East/TrimCastleMeath/
• http://www.booksulster.com/library/articles/DeLacyIrishNation/index.php
• http://www.zedler-lexikon.de/blaettern/einzelseite.html?id=151240&bandnummer=16&seitenzahl=0084&supplement=0&dateiformat=1
• http://www.zedler-lexikon.de/blaettern/einzelseite.html?id=151241&bandnummer=16&seitenzahl=0085&supplement=0&dateiformat=1
• http://www.sangreal-lineage.net/delacy.html
• http://www.baronage.co.uk/2003a/stanbury.html
• Remfry, P.M., Longtown Castle, 1048 to 1241 (ISBN 1-899376-29-1)
• Remfry, P.M., The Castles of Ewias Lacy, 1048 to 1403 (ISBN 1-899376-37-2)

Further reading

These sources relate to the de Lacys who were also Barons of Halton.

• Starkey, H. F. Old Runcorn, Halton Borough Council, 1990.
• Whimperley, Arthur. Halton Castle: An Introduction & Visitors' Handbook, 1981.
• Whimperley, Arthur. The Barons of Halton, MailBook Publishing, Widnes, 1986.
• de Lacy family history, 1000’s 1100’s 1200’s, Ewyas Lacy Study Group http://www.ewyaslacy.org.uk/doc.php?d=rs_ewy_0201

Coordinates: 48°14′53″N 16°16′55″E / 48.24806°N 16.28194°E / 48.24806; 16.28194