The Bailiwick of Ennerdale Est 1251 - Hon. George Mentz JD MBA CWM

 

 

Ennerdale’s emergence as its own bailiwick within the Egremont barony is tied to the administrative partitioning that followed the death of John de Multon in 1338. Here's a breakdown of the relevant timeline and jurisdictional logic: 

Historical Context and Bailiwick Formation 

• Pre-1338 : The barony of Egremont (or Copeland) encompassed a large swath of western Cumberland, including Ennerdale, but operated as a unified feudal jurisdiction under the baronial authority. 
• 1338 Partition : Upon the death of John de Multon, the last baron of Egremont, the barony was divided. This partitioning laid the groundwork for more localized administrative units. 
• Post-1338 to mid-16th century : Two-thirds of the barony passed to the Percy family, who administered their holdings from Cockermouth Castle. During this period, the barony was subdivided into two bailiwicks for estate administration: 
• • “Between Ehen and Derwent” (northern section) 
  • “Between Ehen and Duddon” (southern section) 

Ennerdale’s Bailiwick Status 

• Ennerdale lies between the River Ehen and the River Duddon, placing it squarely within the southern bailiwick. 
• While the text doesn’t explicitly name Ennerdale as a bailiwick, the geographic division implies that Ennerdale was part of the southern bailiwick created during or after the 1338 partition. 
• The jurisdictional shift from unified baronial control to bailiwick-level administration suggests that Ennerdale’s recognition as a distinct administrative unit likely dates from the mid-14th century, specifically post-1338. 

Legal and Ceremonial Implications 

• The emergence of bailiwicks reflects a move toward localized governance, often with their own bailiffs and courts. 
• Ennerdale’s inclusion in the southern bailiwick would have granted it distinct administrative oversight, possibly evolving into a ceremonial or quasi-autonomous bailiwick over time—especially if it developed its own court or customary practices. 

Queen Lady Jane Grey’s properties, including Ennerdale, were ceded to the Crown in 1554, following her execution and the forfeiture of her family’s estates.  

Soon thereafter, the Earls of Northrumbia who was Algernon Percy’s  was appointed Bailiff of Ennerdale in 1633 which strongly affirm that the Bailiwick Ennerdale functioned as its own royal forest bailiwick, distinct from the broader Egremont barony. Here's how the roles clarify its status: Ennerdale as a Royal Forest Bailiwick  

Titles held by Algernon Percy in 1633:  

• Bailiff of the Liberty of Ennerdale  
• Keeper of the Forest of Ennerdale  
• Conductor of Tenants  

These titles are not feudal ownership roles—they are Crown appointments, which legally indicates: 

• Royal Forest Status : “Keeper of the Forest” was a formal Crown office tied to royal forests, which were subject to forest law and distinct from manorial jurisdictions. 
• Bailiwick Liberty Administration : “Bailiff of the Liberty” indicates Ennerdale had its own bailiwick, jurisdiction, and liberty—a jurisdiction with privileges separate from the surrounding barony, often exempt from certain baronial or county controls. 
• Tenant Oversight : “Conductor of Tenants” suggests Percy was managing tenant relations and obligations on behalf of the Crown, not as a private landlord. 

Legal and Ceremonial Implications 

This confirms that by 1633, Ennerdale was: 

• A Crown-managed liberty and forest , not merely a sub-unit of Egremont barony. 
• Administered through its own Bailiwick , with distinct legal and ceremonial identity. 
• Functionally autonomous , with its own forest jurisdiction, separate from Egremont’s manorial court. 

Strategic Takeaways 

This 1633 precedent offers clear historical legitimacy for treating Ennedale  as: 

• A royal forest bailiwick with its own liberty and administrative identity. 
• A Crown-recognized jurisdiction, distinct from feudal ownership. 
• A ceremonial entity with roots in forest law and liberty governance. 
• A Moeity of the original Copeland Barony which is larger than any Scottish Barony. 
• A Bailiwick protected by the Northumbian overlords of the ancient borderlands of England 

 

 

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:

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.

 

The Bailiwick Location Historically

Ennerdale is historically identified as the Bailiwick between the Rivers Ehen and Derwent — the northern division of the ancient Forest or Free Chase of Copeland (Coupland Fell) in Cumberland.

Here’s how we know that in clear historical terms:

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🏞️ Geographical Evidence

• The River Ehen rises from Ennerdale Water and flows westward through Cleator Moor to the sea near Egremont.

• The River Derwent runs farther north, draining Crummock Water and Bassenthwaite Lake to the Irish Sea at Workington.

• The tract of upland between these two rivers forms the northern sector of the old Forest of Copeland, encompassing:

  • Ennerdale

  • Lamplugh

  • Arlecdon

  • parts of St Bees

Thus, by location alone, Ennerdale literally lies within the Ehen–Derwent belt.

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📜 Historical Records

• The Manorial Records of Cumberland (University of Lancaster project) note that the Barony of Egremont (Copeland) “for some aspects of estate administration was divided into two bailiwicks — that between Ehen and Derwent covering the northern section, and that between Ehen and Duddon the southern.”

• In the Inquisition post mortem of 1321/22, Thomas de Multon is recorded as holding

  “Eynerdale within the free chace of Coupeland fell.”
  (Cumberland IPM 16 Edw. II)
  — confirming that Ennerdale was the administrative nucleus of that northern chase.

• By the 1330s, after the Multon estates were divided, sources mention that the forest was organised into three bailiwicks, the first being Anenderdale (Ennerdale) — directly aligning with the northern section “between Ehen and Derwent.”

The “Directory of Baronies and Superior Manors — Cumberland” (University of Lancaster) states:

“The remainder of the forest was partitioned into three parts in 1338 after the death of John de Multon: Ennerdale (…); the ‘Middleward’ (…); and Eskdale, Miterdale & Wasdalehead.” Lancaster University

 

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.

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Relevant Extracts and Explanatory Citations:

1. 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).

2. 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).

3. 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).

4. 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”).

5. 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).

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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.