FEUDAL BARONAGE large additions thereto. We have already stated that at the date of Domes- day he held lands under Roger of Poitou in cos. Lincoln, Norfolk, and Suffolk, and that he probably succeeded to Nigel's estates in Manchester not long after the date of the survey.^ It is evident from the wording of Roger's charter to St. Martin of Sees in 1094, that Albert Grelley then held a con- siderable estate under him.* He did not share in the forfeitures of 1 102 or 1 106, but by Henry's favour retained his former estates, and perhaps received some addition thereto, so that upon the creation of the honour of Lancaster he apparently became the largest tenant of the honour with a fee held by the service of 1 2 knights, which his descendant held in 1 1 87,' of which 5 J knights represented the service due from Manchester, with its members. He seems to have been still living between 1 1 1 5 and 1 1 1 8 as the tenant under Stephen, count of Mortain, of Hainton, in Lindsey,* where he had been tenant of Roger of Poitou in Domesday. To about the same date we must ascribe the grant by ' Albertus Gredle, senex,' of one knight's fee in Dalton, Par- bold, and Wrightington to Orm son of Ailward in marriage with Albert's daughter Emma, and another grant by ' Albertus Gredle, senior,' to the same Orm and Emma of one carucate of land in Ashton-under-Lyne.' Robert Grelley, son of Albert I., was apparently tenant in chief of Nettleton and Goltho, in Lindsey, between 1 1 1 5 and 1118,° which he had no doubt received from Henry after the fief of Erneis de Burun fell into the king's hand. He was a witness to Stephen's foundation charter to Furness in 1 1 27.^ Three years later he was engaged in a suit in co. Notts with Serlo de Burgh, and in another suit in co. Lincoln with his chief lord, Stephen, count of Mortain.^ In 11 34 he and his son Albert II. founded an abbey of Cistercian monks from Furness at Swineshead, in Lincolnshire, endowing it with the site and lands in cos. Lincoln and Nottingham, including in the latter county the church of Cotgrave and all the land they had there, and in this county the mill of Manchester.' Robert appears to have survived until after 1153, for he was one of the witnesses to William, earl of Warenne's charter of confirmation to Furness^" in 11 54 or 1 155, so that we are probably correct in attributing to him the grant of Heaton in Lonsdale, the remaining part of Ashton-under-Lyne, and other land, to Roger son of Orm (son of Ailward), which was confirmed by his son Albert II. some few years later," as also were Robert Grelley 's gifts to the brethren and nuns of St. Mary at Haverholme in Lincolnshire.^* He died soon after 1 154, times ' grediller,' signifies to shrivel, as parchment does when placed too near the fire. Cf. Littr^, Diet. Frarifaise, s.v. ' gr^le ' and ' gresiller.' Possible, but less probable, derivations are from ' greslet,' ' grailet,' old French, signifying slim of figure ; or on account of harshness of voice, from ' Greille,' ' instrument qui rend un son aigu,' which also appears in the variants grehle, gredle, greille (Ducange, Glossary, ed. 1887, ix. 225^). 1 P. 281 above. ^ Ibid. ^ Finer, Lanes. Pij>e R. 6^. * Gieenstteet, Lindsey Sui-vey, 22. 8 Exch. K.R. Kts. fees, ^, m. 5. The evidence as to the date of this infeudation, and the identity of the grantor with Albert I. rests upon the fact that Albert Grelley II. did not succeed his father, Robert, son of Albert I. until after 11 54, whilst William, son of Roger son of Orm, grandson of Orm son of Ailward, was in possession of his inheritance before 1 1 84, and apparently attested the important charter of the division of Furness Fells about 1 163. (Farrer, Lanes. Pij>e R. 311, 403, 442 ; cf. Furness Coucher (Chetham Soc), 318, 346.) Professor Tait finds difficulty in accepting this identification, on the ground that 'Albertus j^»«V,' elsewhere refers to Albert Grelley II., and also upon some other grounds ; Mediaval Manchester, 127-130. 6 Lindsey Survey, 17, 22. Robert Grelley II. held the land in Nettleton in 1 212 in chief; Testa de Nevill (Rec. Com.), 347. 7 Coucher of Furness (Chetham Soc), 186. ^ Pipe R. 31 Hen. I. (Rec. Com.), 31, 114.
- Mon. Angl. v. 337 ; Thoroton, Hist, of Notts, ed. Throsby, i. 167.
10 Farrer, Lanes. Pipe R. 306. " Ibid. 403. ^^ Lansd. MS. No. 207, A. 207. 327
