Origins of the Crown 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:
-
Royal Forest Free Chase — Medieval forest law and resource
governance.
-
Noble Autonomy — Palatine-style powers under the Earls of Northumbria
and the Percy family.
-
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:
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.
Within this large barony of Copeland and later Egremont, Ennerdale existed as a distinct forested liberty or “free chase” — meaning it was not just another
township, but a royal or manorial forested demesne with its own management and sometimes its own
foresters and courts. Ennerdale was recognized as “Copeland Forest” or “Forest of Ennerdale” — an upland tract reserved historically for hunting and
timber. When the Crown Commissioners of Woods and Forests and King George sold off Ennerdale and it's
rights in the 1820s, Ennerdale was described as its own free chase, Crown Bailiwick, Crown Forest Crown
Liberty with Court Leet, though it had originated as part of the Copeland barony.
Bailiwick of Ennerdale Ⓡ̃ Ⓡ̿
Copeland Forest
The upland section of the barony of Copeland or Egremont,
covering the western valleys of the Lake District. The manor of Loweswater was probably part of the forest
before it was separated from the rest of the barony in 1230. The remainder of the forest was partitioned
into three parts in 1338 after the death of John de Multon: Ennerdale (which was never reunited with the rest of
the barony and was forfeited to the Crown in 1554); the ‘Middleward’ (the townships of Kinniside and
Netherwasdale and the empty extra-parochial pasture of Stockdale moor), which descended to the Fitzwalter family
and was sold by the Earl of Sussex to the Crown in 1539 and was thus reunited with the Percy share, which was
then in Crown hands; and Eskdale, Miterdale and
Wasdalehead, which went to the ancestors of the Percies. Copeland forest does not appear as an entity in the MDR
as it did not have the status of a single lordship or manor; records are entered under the name of the
constituent manors. See also outline of Percy estates.
Cumbrian Manorial
Records - Cumberland: directory of baronies and superior manors
Ennerdale was treated as its own jurisdiction,
particularly as a royal forest and later as a manor per
se. The document provides several details that highlight its unique status:
-
Royal Forest: Ennerdale is frequently referred
to as the "Forest of Ennerdale" or the "Manor or Forest of Ennerdale." It was part
of the free chase of Copeland Fell, and the forest was managed by
bailiffs, stewards, and graves. The forest contained red and fallow deer, and there were specific
rules and customs regarding its management and the rights of the tenants.
-
Independent Manor: After coming into the hands
of the Crown in 1554 (following the attainder of Henry Grey, Duke of Suffolk), Ennerdale
was not made part of any duchy, honor, castle, or other manor. Instead, it was always treated as a manor per
se, with its own courts, customs, and administration.
-
Management: The forest and manor were managed by
appointed officials, including bailiffs, stewards, and foresters. These officials oversaw the tenants, enforced the customs of the
manor, and managed the forest's resources, including its game and grazing
rights.
-
Customs and Rights: The tenants of Ennerdale had
specific customary rights, such as tenant-right holdings, grazing rights (e.g.,
"Dalemale"), and obligations to maintain arms for border service. These customs were distinct to Ennerdale and were upheld even
when the Crown attempted to convert the holdings into leasehold or freehold
estates.
In summary, Ennerdale functioned as its own jurisdiction, both as a
royal forest and an independent manor, with unique customs and
governance separate from other nearby manors or jurisdictions.
🏰 Provenance of the Lordship and Bailiwick of Ennerdale
1. Feudal Origins and Ecclesiastical Grants (12th–13th centuries)
The manor of Avenderdale (Ennerdale) was first mentioned in charters of Ranulph Meschin,
who granted it in pure and perpetual alms to the churches of St Mary of York and St Bees.
Though confirmed by Richard I and Edward II, the Priory of St Bees appears to have held only the
chapel and tithes—not the temporal lordship. By 1321–22, Thomas de Multon of Egremont died seized of “Eynerdale within the free chace
of Copeland Fell,” establishing its status as a lay manor.
2. Descent through Feudal Baronies (14th–15th centuries)
Upon the 1334 partition of Multon’s estates, Ennerdale passed by marriage to the
Harringtons of Aldingham, and thence through the Bonville line to the Greys. In 1475, King Edward IV recognized the rights of
Thomas Grey, son of Elizabeth Woodville, Queen Consort, to the
manors of Egremont, Haryngton, Gosford, Enerdale, and related offices of bailiff and
liberty.
3. The Tudor Crown’s Reversion (16th century)
Following the attainder (1554) and execution of Henry Grey, Duke of Suffolk and 3rd Marquis of Dorset, Ennerdale
escheated to the Crown. Under Queens Mary I and Elizabeth I, and
subsequently James I, the manor remained royal demesne, administered by royal bailiffs and
stewards.
4. Stewardship and Bailiwick Administration (16th–17th centuries)
Throughout the Elizabethan and Stuart periods, Ennerdale was alternately termed
the “Manor or Forest of Ennerdale”, the “Liberty of Ennerdale”, or the “Bailiwick of Ennerdale.” The Crown managed it through stewards, seneschals, and bailiffs, among them:
-
Anthony Patrickson (bailiff under the Marquis of Dorset,
1515–1550s);
-
Sir Wilfrid Lawson, Steward (1604–1629);
-
Sir Timothy Fetherstonhaugh, Knt. (Steward by 1633);
-
Richard Tolson, appointed Seneschal and Custodian of the Court Leet by Charles II in
1660.
The bailiffs oversaw forest law, game, and grazing rights; the stewards presided
over the Court Leet and View of Frankpledge, the customary jurisdiction of
the bailiwick.
5. The Queen’s Jointure and Restoration Grants (1665–1764)
On 13 June 1665, Charles II granted the Manor and Forest of Ennerdale to Queen Catherine of Braganza as part of her jointure. During her
lifetime and afterward, the Crown leased it successively to:
-
Charles North, Lord Grey of Rolleston,
-
Francis, 2nd Lord Holles,
-
Denzil, 3rd Lord Holles,
-
John Holles, Duke of Newcastle, and
-
Thomas Holles Pelham, Duke of Newcastle, through whom it
passed by descent.
6. Sale into Private Freehold (1765–1822)
On 3 January 1765, the manor, forest, and mineral rights were leased by
the Crown to Sir James Lowther for three lives. Later, on 26 September 1822, the Crown sold the Lordship and Bailiwick of Ennerdale outright for £2,500 to William, Earl of Lonsdale, whose descendants retained the title and
estate until eventually acquired by the Seigneur of Fief Blondel George Mentz Esq.
7. Modern Characterization
After its sale, the manor was recognized as a liberty and bailiwick distinct from any duchy or castle honor,
holding ancient rights of:
-
Court Leet and Court Baron jurisdiction,
-
Forest and game stewardship, and
-
Tenant-right customs (copyhold and dalemale pasture
dues).
Thus, the Lordship of the Bailiwick of Ennerdale represents a rare survival of a feudal liberty alienated directly from the Crown
by royal sale, transitioning from ecclesiastical alms to baronial possession, royal demesne,
and finally private freehold lordship.
🕯️ Summary Line of Title
| Period |
Holder |
Title or Tenure |
| 12th century |
Ranulph Meschin → St Bees Priory |
Spiritual tithes |
| 1321 – 1334 |
Thomas de Multon, Baron of Egremont |
Seised in chace of Copeland |
| 14th – 15th c. |
Harringtons → Bonvilles → Greys |
Feudal inheritance |
| 1554 – 1624 |
The Crown |
Royal demesne and bailiwick |
| 1624 – 1649 |
Prince of Wales → Parliament → Restoration |
Crown trust and seizure |
| 1665 – 1764 |
Queen Catherine and Holles/Newcastle families |
Leasehold under jointure |
| 1765 – 1822 |
Sir James Lowther → Earl of Lonsdale |
Lease, then purchase |
| 1822 – Present |
Earls of Lonsdale |
Freehold lordship and bailiwick |
After the sale, the manor was recognized as a distinct liberty and bailiwick (i.e. exempt from some county jurisdiction), retaining ancient
rights of Court Leet, Court Baron, forest and game stewardship, and customary tenurial
obligations.
Legal Citation
All of the above deed details and legal ownership by Earl Lonsdale and
Baron's Whitehaven of Ennerdale is drawn from “The Bailiwick or Liberty of Ennerdale, Cumberland” by Col. R. P.
Littledale, Transactions of the Cumberland & Westmorland Antiquarian & Archaeological
Society, Vol. 31, 1931. See the article in the Archaeology Data Service archives:
https://archaeologydataservice.ac.uk/archiveDS/archiveDownload?t=arch-2055-1/dissemination/pdf/Article_Level_Pdf/tcwaas/002/1931/vol31/tcwaas_002_1931_vol31_0021.pdf
Citation (full form):
Littledale, R. P. “Ennerdale.” Transactions of the Cumberland and Westmorland Antiquarian and Archaeological
Society, New Series, Vol. 31 (1931), pp. 156–177.
Relevant Extracts and Explanatory Citations:
-
Earliest grant and ecclesiastical reference (c. 1135 AD)
“Though in three deeds in the Saint Bees Chartulary Ranulph Meschin grants to
the churches of Saint Mary of York and Saint Bees the manor of Avenderdale in pure and perpetual
alms … if these places are correctly identified with Ennerdale—it is doubtful whether the Priory
ever held more there than the chapel and the tithes.”
(Littledale 1931, p. 156).
-
First appearance within the Free Chace of Copeland
(1321–1322)
“In 1321–2 Thomas Multon of Egremont died seised of Eynerdale within the free
chace of Coupland fell, parcel of the manor of Egremont.”
(Littledale 1931, p. 157).
-
Partition and lay manorial descent (post-1334)
“On the partition in 1334 of the estates of John Multon … Ennerdale passed by
marriage to the Harringtons of Aldingham, and so, by the well-known descent, through the
Bonvilles to the Greys.”
(Littledale 1931, p. 157).
-
Formal definition of the two bailiwicks
“… the office of bailiff between Eyne and Derwent and between Eyne and Dodyn
in Cumberland.”
(Littledale 1931, p. 157; De Banco Easter 15 Ed. IV fo.
369).
— This confirms the two bailiwicks of the Free Chase of Copeland, with Ennerdale located in the
northern one (“between Ehen and Derwent”).
-
Recognition of Ennerdale as a distinct manor
“Prior to 1554 Ennerdale is generally described as being in the free chace of
Copeland, or as parcel of the manor of Egremont. But after it came into the hands of the Crown
it was not made part of any duchy, honour, castle or manor, but was always treated as a manor
per se. Sometimes it is called the Manor of Ennerdale, at others the Liberty of Ennerdale or the
Forest of Ennerdale, but more usually ‘the Manor or Forest’ of Ennerdale.”
(Littledale 1931, p. 159).
Summary Reference for Use
Littledale, R. P. (1931). “Ennerdale.” Transactions of the Cumberland and Westmorland Antiquarian and Archaeological
Society, New Series Vol. 31, pp. 156–159. This source documents the transformation of
Ennerdale from part of the Free Chace of Copeland (recorded 1321–22) into an independent manor
and bailiwick under Crown jurisdiction after 1554.
|
