I’ll be using this page to write about some of the history of the de Lacy family.
In early records the name is spelt as Laci, Lacy, and Lascy and it derives from a place now called Lassi, in the department of Calvados in Normandy.
There were two men named de Lacy who came from Normandy with William the Conqueror and his army. Ilbert de Lacy who came in the train of the Conqueror himself and Walter de Lacy who came in the train of William fitz Osbern. They fought at the Battle of Hastings and they both received lands as a reward.
My main interest is in the descendants of Ilbert de Lacy who was given 170 lordships, in Yorkshire, Nottinghamshire, and Lincolnshire, including the honour of Pontefract.
His son Robert also received the honour of Clitheroe and became lord of Bowland and of Blackburnshire.
The de Lacy family held vast areas of land in England until the death of Henry de Lacy (2) in 1311 after which they reverted to the crown following the execution of Alice de Lacy’s first husband, Thomas, earl of Lancaster.
The following pages explore the stories of some of the de Lacy family in more detail.
Hello Elizabeth,
I am descended from the DeLacy family. My grandparents came to Massachusetts from England in the 1900s. They have long since passed away and now that I am older, I have so many questions about my intriguing family history. I visited Clitheroe Castle and that’s been the extent of my historical knowledge.
Why did you choose to research the DeLacy family? Do you have any suggestions for me in gaining info of my bloodlines??? I read the DeLacy Inheritance, which I enjoyed, and now I would like the real story.
Thanks so much for bringing history to life!
Lynne DeLacy Flanagan
4 Spring Meadow Drive
Southborough, MA 01772
Hello Lynne,
How nice to hear from someone who is descended from the de Lacy family. I’ve emailed you with the contact details of some other de Lacy descendants who I think will be able to help you with your research.
I’m very interested in the de Lacy family because so much of the history of Lancashire and Yorkshire stems from them. As you know Clitheroe Castle was built by them, as were many churches and abbeys in the district – and the remains of these can still be seen.
Whalley Abbey was founded by Henry de Lacy and I think that some of the family were buried there after their remains were moved from Stanlow Abbey. I’m researching Henry and his daughter Alice at the moment for a novel about their stories.
I’m very pleased that you enjoyed The de Lacy Inheritance and I hope you manage to learn more about your family.
Do check back here from time to time as I shall be adding to the information about the early members of the de Lacy family.
It looks as if Lynne and I are cousins! I too am descended from the De Lacys! Looking forward to more wonderful on this branch of my family.
I would love to know living descendants of the de Lacy family and any other publications and information.
Thanking You and Happy New Year!
Sharon
Thank you, Sharon. I feel slightly guilty that I haven’t had time to add more information to these pages recently. At the moment I am in the final stages of a novel about the life of Alice de Lacy, countess of Lincoln, and when that is finished I will spend some time adding what I know about the early members of the de Lacy family to this site.
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i am related to the delacy fmaily and would like as much information
on them, from 1200 1400. what castles did they own. what is there
history. thank you patricia
Thanks for your interest Patricia. It’s always nice to hear from descendants of the de Lacys. My research is an ongoing project so more information will be added as time passes. My main interest is the descendants of Ilbert de Lacy who owned Pontefract Castle in Yorkshire. Do bookmark the page and check back later or subscribe to the blog so that you’ll be alerted to any updates.
Hello,
My great-grandfather just passed away, the last person in my immediate family with the last name Lacy. My grandmother and myself have done some digging and we’re pretty sure we’re descendants of either Walter or Ilbert.
Any information on their descendants that ended up in colonial America, specifically Virginia would be amazing.
Hello Jordan,
I’m sorry to hear about your loss. I can’t be sure but I think that most of the de Lacy family in the USA are descended from Walter de Lacy. Walter and his descendants had lands in Ireland and many people travelled from there to make new lives in the Americas.
Lots of de Lacys find their way to my pages so someone from your area might see your message. Good luck with your research.
Hello,
I too am a decendant of the de lacy family, and have decided to continue the research into my family history that my grandmother started before she sadly died a few years ago. I think its wonderful you are so interested in my families history, I cant quite believe how many stories there are surrounding the family! If you have any information that would help me in tracing back my heritage I would be eternally greatful!
Hello Alice,
Thanks for your message. Alice seems to be a common name in the family and I’m currently researching the story of Alicia de Lacy who was the last of the heirs of Ilbert de Lacy of Pontefract. There will be a novel (or two) about her in the future!
I’ve neglected my blog whilst finishing the first draft of my current novel but I have some photos of the church at Swaveton where there is an effigy of a lady who must be connected with Alicia. I’ll be posting about it in the next few weeks so keep an eye on the pages.
My great great grandfather…Aretus Lacey was born in Tioga County (Broome County), NY…3/5/1805, he died 1865, possibly in IL. He married Hannah Van Duyn Auten 2/5/1825 in Chili, Monroe, NY. They had five children: Eunice, Maria, Harriet, Margaret, and Fayette (who is my great grandfather and fought in the Civil War). I am trying to find info about his birth family. His fathers last name was possibly DeLacey. I have checked and there are no birth or marriage records in NY that early. I am trying to locate his fathers name so I can continue my search but have been unsuccessful. Do you have any suggestions where I might possibly find this information?
My research and current knowledge is limited to the direct descendants of Ilbert de Lacy in Yorkshire and Lancashire from the Norman conquest to 1348 when the legitimate line came to an end with the death of Alice de Lacy. Although your family research sounds interesting I’m not a genealogist and so I can’t offer any advice about finding your family records. You could try posting your question on a genealogy forum where other de Lacys are researching. http://genforum.genealogy.com/delacy/
Thank you for your response. I know I was grasping at straws but I am following every possible lead. I will check out the suggested site.
I am fascinated by the life of Alice de Lacy and when she was ostensibly ‘abducted’ by John de Warenne and taken to Reigate Castle, do you know where she went from there?
Yes, I do Fran and I’ve written about it in a yet to be published novel. Briefly, she was taken to the castle at York where she was ‘persuaded’ by Hugh le Despenser on behalf of King Edward to sign over most of what she owed to the crown in return for her freedom which comprised virtual house arrest on one of her Lincolnshire manors.
Wasn’t that after Thomas of Lancaster’s execution? Where did she go for the years before his death?
She remained under the care of John de Warenne and so may have remained at Reigate or possibly been taken to another of the de Warenne castles. It seems that Thomas made no concerted attempt to get her back even though he used the matter as an excuse not to attend court, accusing the king of being party to the ‘abduction’.
Strange that John de Warenne was the one to help Alice given that he was heavily involved in trying to extricate himself from a marriage to a Plantagenet. Have you found any specific reason for his involvement or was it simply to thwart Thomas of Lancaster because he had tried to stop his divorce?
Oh! By the way have you any dates for publication?
I think it was mainly to get revenge on Thomas. It’s hard to know if Alice went willingly or not. There is so much nonsense written about the incident that it’s hard to pick out the truth. The de Lacy family had been on good terms with the Warennes for most of the time since the Conquest and there had been some intermarriage so maybe John was genuine in his attempt to offer her his protection – although his grandfather had fallen out with her father, Henry, over land some years before.
I find it interesting that she had left Pickering Castle to go to her house in Canford before the ‘abduction’ took place. It was far away from Thomas and made it easier, though whether it was pre-planned we’ll never know for sure.
I don’t have a publication date for the book as yet. My agent remarked that it might be hard to sell as Alice is a victim and has little chance to be pro-active. Sadly, that is a reflection of her real life. Although I think she had tremendous strength of character she was at the mercy of powerful men and I can’t re-write what really happened to her.
Sometimes an author has to follow their own creative instincts, why not self publish?
Bye the way, have you read ‘Alesia de Lacy’ by J G Ruddock?
I do have a copy of that book. I tracked it down to an Oxfam bookshop. I haven’t read beyond the first few pages though. As for my own book – it will be coming out with a conventional publisher, but that route does take time. Keep a look out for my latest news.
Note you call Alice’s second husband Eble le Strange, I live a few miles from a ruined castle owned by the le Strange family, Cheswardine Castle, and in Shropshire he is known as Eubolo!
The Shropshire connection is how I became interested in Alice de Lacy and I like to think that she found happiness with Eubolo and may have visited the favourite residence which was used as a hunting lodge.He has been described as ‘the lame knight’ have you any further information on whether he was born lame or sustained a wound which caused his lameness?
He is referred to as Eubolo, Ebulo and Obolus in official records. But these records are ‘Latinised’ so that John became Johannes, Richard became Ricardus just as a couple of examples.
I hated the name Eubolo because it sounds like a disease so I tried to discover whether he really was called that. What I found was that his grandfather (the father of his mother Alianora) was Sir Eble de Montz, the constable of Windsor Castle. So it appears that he was named after him.
I also tracked down a document where he signs his name and he signs as Eble. He is also referred to as Eble in this petition regarding income from Lincoln Castle: http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/documentsonline/details-result.asp?queryType=1&resultcount=1&Edoc_Id=7715680
So that seems fairly convincing evidence that Eble was his given name.
There is no evidence that he was lame. The story of the ‘lame knight’ appears to refer to a man named Richard de St Martin who is credited as the person who kidnapped Alicia on behalf of John de Warenne. But I suspect that he may be a Victorian invention .
I wonder if he was any relation to Joan Martin, Alice’s stepmother!
According to my references Eubolo’s mother was Maud of Walton d’Eiville his father was John le Strange [V]. Alianore had three sons by John [iV],John, Fulke, and Robert her second husband was Bogo de Knovill and they had no issue..
Yes, I’m aware that there are different claims for Eble’s parentage. I looked into them all when I was writing this novel, which is a while ago now, so I would need to go and search out all the references again.
But these links may interest you if you haven’t seen them:
http://homepages.rpi.edu/~holmes/Hobbies/Genealogy/ps15/ps15_495.htm
http://www.archive.org/stream/lestrangerecords00lestuoft/lestrangerecords00lestuoft_djvu.txt
The second contains this:
The Complete Peerage* on the authority of Blore’s Rutland
(p. 228), makes Eubulo the son of a second wife of John, ist
Lord Strange of Knockin, viz. daughter and heiress of Eubulus
de Montibus, of Ketton, Co. Rutland, and says that from the
name it seems likely ; but I know of no other authority for
the existence of this second wife.
So the geneology is very cloudy, but it was the name that made me decide that the probability was he had a grandfather whom he was named after.
Regarding Richard de St Martin and Joan Martin – I had the same thought, but couldn’t find any evidence for a relationship.
Hi
My farthers name was Thomas Lacy…..he told me that he was related to the de lacy;s from France ….and that they were the 1st barons of Northern Ireland …..could this information be true ? Best Wishes …….Patricia Lacy Parkin
Yes, it could well be true, Patricia. If it is then you are descended from Walter de Lacy who built Ludlow Castle. His descendants had land in Ireland and many people with the surname Lacy are related to them.
I have contacted your before about my Great Great Grandfather Aretus Lacey. I am still searching for his parents and came across some new information. I found this through Google but I actually do not know where this came from or if it is accurate. It lists the father as:
LaFayette DeLacey – Born circa 1775 – at some point lived in Lasse, Aquitaine, France
It lists the son as Aretus Lacey was born in 1805 in New York. (which is correct)
It also correctly lists Aretus’s wife Susannah (Hannah) and their 1st son Fayette Lacey.
Please let me know if you have any information on LaFayette DeLacey…or can give me any leads to follow.
Thanks….Melodi
I’m sorry I can’t help you with this, Melodi. My knowledge is limited to the years 1066 to 1348.
Thanks.