Origins of the Bailiwick of Ennerdale — Forest, Liberty, and Autonomy

From Royal Forest to Three Bailiwicks (1338)

The Bailiwick of Ennerdale began as part of the Forest of Copeland, a royal hunting preserve under direct Crown jurisdiction. In 1338, following the death of John de Multon, last Baron of Egremont, the forest was divided into three administrative bailiwicks:

• Anenderdale or Ennerdale — Approximately 17,000 acres, retaining liberty status with its own bailiff.

• Middleward — Included Kinniside, Nether Wasdale, and Stockdale Moor; reverted to the Crown in 1539.

• Eskdale & Wasdalehead — Passed to the Percy family, as part of the wider Egremont barony.

Each bailiwick operated under its own bailiff, enforced forest law, and maintained local governance systems that regulated grazing, hunting, timber cutting, and the protection of “vert and venison.”

The Earls of Northumbria as Bailiffs of Anenderdale or Ennerdale

In the medieval period, Ennerdale’s bailiffship was vested in the Earls of Northumbria. This meant the governance of the bailiwick and its forest law jurisdiction was carried out not by a replaceable royal officer, but by one of the most powerful nobles in the realm.

The Earldom of Northumbria (Former Kingdom) was a vast semi-autonomous lordship stretching from the River Tees to the Scottish border. It held quasi-palatinate privileges, with the earls exercising judicial, administrative, and military powers in their own right. When the Earls served as bailiffs of Ennerdale, they did so by tenure, not simply by Crown commission. This proprietary character made the bailiwick’s jurisdiction heritable and independent in nature.

The Percy Family Connection

By the later Middle Ages, the mighty Percy family, Earls of Northumberland, had inherited the Earldom of Northumbria. From their strongholds at Alnwick Castle and Warkworth Castle, the Percys became one of England’s most prominent dynasties, wielding influence over much of the north.

Their control of the bailiffship of Ennerdale placed the liberty under palatine-style noble autonomy, enhancing its independence from direct Crown administration. This distinguished Ennerdale from ordinary royal forests and embedded it in the hereditary governance of a great noble house.

Royal Forest & Free Chase Status

Ennerdale’s designation as a free chase meant that many forest prerogatives traditionally reserved to the Crown were exercised locally by the bailiff:

• Holding forest courts for offences and disputes.

• Regulating hunting rights, grazing, and timber use.

• Appointing keepers, wardens, and forest officers.

This combination of forest law powers and liberty status created a uniquely autonomous jurisdiction with its own administrative identity and certain customary exemptions.

Why This Made Ennerdale an Independent Bailiwick

In English law, there was a fundamental difference between:

• Administrative bailiwicks — controlled directly by the Crown and revocable at will.

• Proprietary bailiwicks — held by liberty grant or tenure, heritable and alienable.

Ennerdale’s bailiffship, vested in the Earls of Northumbria and later the Percys, was proprietary. This status ultimately allowed the Crown to sell Ennerdale outright into private hands, creating a liberty in fee simple — a rare occurrence in English legal history.

Institutions and Offices (Historic to Ceremonial)

• Court Leet & Court Baron — Once exercised petty justice and manorial governance; now ceremonial.

• Forest Officers — Bailiff, steward, constable, reeve, keepers of moor and forest, chancellor/clerk of records and seals.

• Liberty Assembly / Forest Parliament — Traditional gatherings for governance and proclamation, preserved today as heritage events.

Cultural Legacy Today

Ennerdale represents a rare survival of three intertwined traditions:

1. Royal Forest Free Chase — Medieval forest law and resource governance.

2. Noble Autonomy — Palatine-style powers under the Earls of Northumbria and the Percy family.

3. Liberty in Fee Simple — A fully alienated and privately held jurisdiction with ceremonial powers intact.

This layered history makes the Bailiwick of Ennerdale one of the most autonomous and historically significant liberties in England.

The historical records indicate that in 1633, Algernon Percy, 10th Earl of Northumberland, was officially appointed as Bailiff of the Liberty of Ennerdale and Keeper of the Forest of Ennerdale en.wikipedia.org+7ennerdalebridge.com+7fiefblondel.com+7. This formal appointment demonstrates that Ennerdale remained a distinct administrative and legal unit under forest law well into the 17th century—governed not by a peripheral Crown officer but by a high-ranking noble exercising proprietary and jurisdictionsal authority.

To summarize:

• Earl of Northumberland (Algernon Percy) in 1633 held the dual roles of Bailiff and Forest Keeper for Ennerdale, underscoring the bailiwick's continued autonomy and legal independence from standard Crown administration lordennerdale.com+3ennerdalebridge.com+3ennerdalebridge.com+3 fiefblondel.com.

The Kingdom of Northumbria was one of the most important early medieval realms in Britain, spanning much of what is now northern England and southeastern Scotland. It was formed in the early 7th century from the union of two smaller Anglo-Saxon kingdoms: Bernicia to the north and Deira to the south.

Timeline Overview

• c. 547 – Bernicia founded by King Ida, with its stronghold at Bamburgh.

• c. 604 – King Æthelfrith unites Bernicia and Deira, creating the Kingdom of Northumbria.

• 627 – King Edwin converts to Christianity; York becomes an ecclesiastical center.

• 634–642 – Reign of King Oswald, noted for alliances with the Celtic Church and victory at Heavenfield.

• 642–670 – King Oswiu expands influence over much of England; Synod of Whitby (664) aligns the Church with Roman practices.

• 8th century – Northumbria’s “Golden Age” under kings like Ecgfrith and cultural leaders such as Bede; flourishing of monastic centers like Lindisfarne and Jarrow.

• 793 – Viking raid on Lindisfarne marks the beginning of Norse pressure.

• 9th century – Viking incursions intensify; the southern part of Northumbria falls to the Great Heathen Army.

• 927 – The kingdom is absorbed into the unified Kingdom of England under King Æthelstan, though northern parts remain contested.

• 11th century – The Earldom of Northumbria becomes a powerful semi-autonomous lordship, retaining influence until the Norman consolidation.

Northumbria’s legacy is one of cultural brilliance, political power, and shifting frontiers, leaving a deep imprint on the medieval identity of northern Britain.