The Dacre Legacy

  The Dacres were a family long established in the county of Cumberland, where they were considered as one of the 'De'ils Dozen' and "famous for their exploits in checking or avenging the depredations of the Scots". Taking their name from the manor of Dacre in Cumberland they were, together with the families of Neville and Percy, one of the powers of the time in the north of England. Randolf's grandfather William de Dacre of Dacre (died c.1258) had been a Sheriff of Cumberland and then Yorkshire, as well as holding the office of Governor of Carlisle. Randolf in turn also became the Sheriff of Cumberland and Governor of Carlisle and was summoned to Parliament on the 15^th of May 1321 "by writs directed Ranulph de Dacre whereby he is held to have become Lord Dacre".

 Randolf, who died in 1339, was succeeded in turn by three of his sons. First there was William, who having fought at the battle of Neville's Cross in 1346 and served as sheriff of Dumfries in 1467, died without issue on the 18^th of July 1361. Second there was Randolf who having served as Warden of the West Marches on several occasions was murdered in his bed at Halston on the 17^th or 18^th of August 1375. Finally, there was Hugh, prime suspect in his brother's murder, on which charge he was held in the Tower of London. Despite the widely held belief that Hugh was indeed responsible for his brother's death, he was released from the Tower on the 2^nd of July 1376 and allowed to enter into possession of the Dacre estates. He died on the 24^th of December 1383 and was succeeded by his son William the 5^th Baron, who is said to have married a Joan Douglas, daughter of James Douglas, 2^nd Earl of Douglas, although many doubt this. The 5^th Baron died on the 20^th of July 1399 and was succeeded by his son Thomas, born 27^th of October 1387 at Naworth Castle.

 Thomas de Dacre, the 6^th of his line, married Philippa Neville one of the many offspring of Ralph Neville, 1^st Earl of Westmorland who bore him two sons Thomas and Randolf. However, when 6^th Baron died on the 5^th of January 1458, his eldest son Thomas had predeceased him some years previously leaving only a daughter named Joan. Thus, whilst the 6^th Baron's nearest male heir was his second son Randolf, his heir general was his grand-daughter Joan. The 6^th Baron had anticipated these events by entailing the majority of his estates in favour of his surviving son Randolf, who thus inherited Irthington, the caput of his barony, and much else besides and in 1459 a writ of summons was despatched to Randolf as a matter of course to attend the House of Lords as the Baron Dacre.

 However Joan had married a Richard Fiennes or Fenys, the eldest son of Roger Fiennes of Herstmonceaux, and on the 7^th of November 1458, this Richard Fiennes was issued a patent confirming his position as "Lord Dacre and one of the barons of our realm", and thus Richard Fiennes also received a writ of summons to attend the parliament of 1459 as the Baron Dacre. Richard's father Roger Fiennes was a veteran of the battle of Agincourt and former member of parliament for Sussex who was sufficiently wealthy to spend £3,800 transforming his manor house at Herstmonceaux into "one of the splendours of fifteenth century architecture". What was more to the point was that the Fiennes were amongst the leading supporters of Margaret of Anjou and the Duke of Somerset who were keen to build up their party in their struggle with Richard Plantagenet, Duke of York. (of War of the Roses).

 Although it had been Richard Fiennes who had been named as the Baron Dacre in the patent of 1459, it is his wife Joan who is in the words of the Complete Peerage "according to modern doctrine suo jure Baroness Dacre” and is thus now regarded as the 7^th of her line rather than her husband. After her death in 1486 she was succeeded by her grandson Thomas, who was Constable of Calais in 1493 and fought at the battle of Blackheath in 1497, and was later locked up in the Fleet prison on a charge of harbouring felons.

 

Source: English Ancestors olypen.com/zob/genealogy/