The Constable of Chester was a mediaeval hereditary office held by the

Barons of Halton The Barony of Halton, in Cheshire, England, comprised a succession of 15 barons and hereditary Constable of Chester, Constables of Chester under the overlordship of the Earl of Chester. It was not an English feudal barony granted by the king but ...

. The functions of the Constable are unclear, possibly they related to the custody of Chester Castle (built in 1070 by

Hugh d'Avranches, 1st Earl of Chester Hugh d'Avranches ( 1047 – 27 July 1101), nicknamed ''le Gros'' (the Large) or ''Lupus'' (the Wolf), was from 1071 the second Norman Earl of Chester and one of the great magnates of early Norman England. Early life and career Hugh d'A ...

), as was the main function of most mediaeval

constable A constable is a person holding a particular office, most commonly in law enforcement. The office of constable can vary significantly in different jurisdictions. ''Constable'' is commonly the rank of an officer within a police service. Other peo ...

s, but Sanders (1960) says the office-holder was constable for the entire

County Palatine In England, Wales and Ireland a county palatine or palatinate was an area ruled by a hereditary nobleman enjoying special authority and autonomy from the rest of a kingdom. The name derives from the Latin adjective ''palātīnus'', "relating t ...

Creation of office

In 1071, Hugh d'Avranches, Earl of Chester (c. 1047–1101), (also known as "Hugh Lupus"), received from his maternal half-uncle King

William the Conqueror William the Conqueror (Bates ''William the Conqueror'' p. 33– 9 September 1087), sometimes called William the Bastard, was the first Norman king of England (as William I), reigning from 1066 until his death. A descendant of Rollo, he was D ...

the whole of the

of Chester (excluding episcopal lands) "to hold as freely by the sword as he (the king) himself held the Kingdom of England by the crown" and was appointed

Earl of Chester The Earldom of Chester () was one of the most powerful earldoms in medieval England, extending principally over the counties of Cheshire and Flintshire. Since 1301 the title has generally been granted to heirs apparent to the English throne, ...

and

Count Palatine A count palatine (Latin ''comes palatinus''), also count of the palace or palsgrave (from German ''Pfalzgraf''), was originally an official attached to a royal or imperial palace or household and later a nobleman of a rank above that of an or ...

. Hugh is believed to have appointed eight hereditary barons to serve under him, one of whom was William fitz Nigel, Baron of Halton, Hereditary Constable and Marshal.Cokayne, '' Complete Peerage'', new ed., Vol.III, p.165, note (b) Many sources place Nigel of Cotentin (fl.c. 1071–1080), the father of William fitz Nigel, as the first Hereditary Constable of Chester. Before the end of the 14th century the office changed to Governor of Chester, a military officer responsible for the garrison at Chester Castle, later assisted by a Lieutenant-Governor.

List of Constables

The list of Hereditary Constables of Chester is as follows:

Nigel of Cotentin (fl.c. 1071–1080)

Nigel of Cotentin (fl.c. 1071/80), from the

Cotentin Peninsula The Cotentin Peninsula (, ; ), also known as the Cherbourg Peninsula, is a peninsula in Normandy that forms part of the northwest coast of France. It extends north-westward into the English Channel, towards Great Britain. To its west lie the Gu ...

in Normandy, of Halton Castle in Cheshire (situated on the

River Mersey The River Mersey () is a major river in North West England. Its name derives from Old English and means "boundary river", possibly referring to its having been a border between the ancient kingdoms of Mercia and Northumbria. For centuries it h ...

, 13 miles (21 km) north-east of Chester Castle), is believed to have been the first Constable of Chester and was the 1st Baron of Halton, one of the feudal baronies of the County Palatine of Chester established by Hugh d'Avranches, 1st Earl of Chester. In 1077 Nigel fought against the Welsh at the Battle of Rhuddlan, as part of the Earl's campaign to conquer North Wales, the mountainous terrain to the west of Chester. It was almost certainly he who built the

motte-and-bailey A motte-and-bailey castle is a European fortification with a wooden or stone keep situated on a raised area of ground called a motte, accompanied by a walled courtyard, or bailey, surrounded by a protective ditch and palisade. Relatively eas ...

castle A castle is a type of fortification, fortified structure built during the Middle Ages predominantly by the nobility or royalty and by Military order (monastic society), military orders. Scholars usually consider a ''castle'' to be the private ...

on Halton Hill.

William fitz Nigel (d. 1134)

William fitz Nigel (d. 1133/4), son and heir, of Halton Castle, 2nd Baron of Halton, 2nd Constable of Chester. From his wife, believed to have been the eldest daughter and heiress of Yorfid, baron of

Widnes Widnes ( ) is an Industrial city, industrial town in the Borough of Halton, Cheshire, England, which at the 2021–2022 United Kingdom censuses, 2021 census had a population of 62,400. Historic counties of England, Historically in Lancashire, ...

he inherited the

Lancashire Lancashire ( , ; abbreviated ''Lancs'') is a ceremonial county in North West England. It is bordered by Cumbria to the north, North Yorkshire and West Yorkshire to the east, Greater Manchester and Merseyside to the south, and the Irish Sea to ...

manors of Widnes, Appleton, Cronton and Rainhill. In 1115 he founded Runcorn Priory of the Augustinian Order of

Canons Regular The Canons Regular of St. Augustine are Catholic priests who live in community under a rule ( and κανών, ''kanon'', in Greek) and are generally organised into Religious order (Catholic), religious orders, differing from both Secular clergy, ...

, 1.5 miles west of Halton (which his son later moved to Norton), which the foundation charter states to have been done at the suggestion of Robert de Limesey, Bishop of Chester, and with the consent of Richard d'Avranches, 2nd Earl of Chester (1094–1120). He was buried at Chester.

William fitz William (d. 1149/50)

William fitz William (d. 1149/50), son, of Halton Castle, 3rd Baron of Halton, 3rd Constable of Chester. In 1134 he moved Runcorn Priory 2.2 miles (3.5 km) to the east at Norton, when it became Norton Priory, making it 0.9 miles north-east of Halton Castle. The move was done "at the request and on the advice of" Roger de Clinton, Bishop of Lichfield and Coventry (whose diocese then covered Chester), probably to provide the canons with a larger and healthier site. He died in Normandy,Starkey, p.30 without issue, when his titles and offices passed to his brother-in-law Eustace fitz John, husband of his sister Agnes.

Eustace fitz John (died 1157)

Eustace fitz John (died 1157), ''

jure uxoris ''Jure uxoris'' (a Latin phrase meaning "by right of (his) wife"), citing . describes a title of nobility used by a man because his wife holds the office or title '' suo jure'' ("in her own right"). Similarly, the husband of an heiress could beco ...

'' 4th Baron of Halton, 4th Constable of Chester, was a powerful

magnate The term magnate, from the late Latin ''magnas'', a great man, itself from Latin ''magnus'', "great", means a man from the higher nobility, a man who belongs to the high office-holders or a man in a high social position, by birth, wealth or ot ...

northern England Northern England, or the North of England, refers to the northern part of England and mainly corresponds to the Historic counties of England, historic counties of Cheshire, Cumberland, County Durham, Durham, Lancashire, Northumberland, Westmo ...

during the reigns of Henry I,

Stephen Stephen or Steven is an English given name, first name. It is particularly significant to Christianity, Christians, as it belonged to Saint Stephen ( ), an early disciple and deacon who, according to the Book of Acts, was stoned to death; he is w ...

and

Henry II Henry II may refer to: Kings * Saint Henry II, Holy Roman Emperor (972–1024), crowned King of Germany in 1002, of Italy in 1004 and Emperor in 1014 *Henry II of England (1133–89), reigned from 1154 *Henry II of Jerusalem and Cyprus (1271–1 ...

. He was a son of

Domesday Book Domesday Book ( ; the Middle English spelling of "Doomsday Book") is a manuscript record of the Great Survey of much of England and parts of Wales completed in 1086 at the behest of William the Conqueror. The manuscript was originally known by ...

landholder John fitzRichard. King William II (1087-1100) granted Eustace custody of

Bamburgh Castle Bamburgh Castle, on the northeast coast of England, by the village of Bamburgh in Northumberland, is a Grade I listed building. The site was originally the location of a Celtic Britons, Celtic Brittonic fort known as ''Din Guarie'' and may have ...

in Northumberland, which he rebuilt in stone and in 1130 Eustace acquired the

fee farm A fee is the price one pays as remuneration for rights or services. Fees usually allow for overhead, wages, costs, and markup. Traditionally, professionals in the United Kingdom (and previously the Republic of Ireland) receive a fee in contrad ...

of the feudal barony of

Knaresborough Knaresborough ( ) is a market and spa town and civil parish on the River Nidd in North Yorkshire, England. It is east of Harrogate and was in the Borough of Harrogate until April 2023. History The Knaresborough Hoard, the largest hoard of ...

in Yorkshire. By his first marriage to the heiress Beatrice de Vesci he acquired Malton Castle in Yorkshire and Alnwick Castle in Northumberland, and became ''

feudal baron A feudal baron is a vassal holding a heritable fief called a ''barony'', comprising a specific portion of land, granted by an overlord in return for allegiance and service. Following the end of European feudalism, feudal baronies have largely be ...

of Alnwick. He founded Malton Priory and Watton Priory.Cokayne, ''Complete Peerage'', new ed., Vol.XII, part 2, pp. 269-272 He had a son by Beatrice de Vesci, namely William de Vesci I (d.1183), who took his mother's surname and succeeded her as feudal baron of

Alnwick Alnwick ( ) is a market town in Northumberland, England, of which it is the traditional county town. The population at the 2011 Census was 8,116. The town is south of Berwick-upon-Tweed and the Scottish border, inland from the North Sea ...

Northumberland Northumberland ( ) is a ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in North East England, on the Anglo-Scottish border, border with Scotland. It is bordered by the North Sea to the east, Tyne and Wear and County Durham to the south, Cumb ...

.Sanders, p.103 He served jointly with Walter Espec as

justiciar Justiciar is the English form of the medieval Latin term or (meaning "judge" or "justice"). The Chief Justiciar was the king's chief minister, roughly equivalent to a modern Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. The Justiciar of Ireland was ...

of the North. From about 1144 he became one of the main followers of Ranulf de Gernon, 4th Earl of Chester (1099–1153), from whom he gained much land. He married as his second wife Agnes, the elder of two daughters of William fitz Nigel of Halton, and on the childless death of her brother William fitz William, Eustace received much of the inheritance, including the barony of Halton and Chester constableship, as well as the manor of Donnington in Leicestershire, where he built Donington Castle.Nichols, History of Leicester, vol.III, p.770 quoted in Farnham & Thompson, ''The Castle and Manor of Castle Donnington'', pp.32-

/ref>

Richard fitz Eustace (d. circa 1163)

Richard fitz Eustace (d. circa 1163), of Halton Castle, 5th Baron of Halton, 5th Constable of Chester, son of Eustace fitz John by his second wife Agnes de Halton, heiress of Halton. He married as his second wife Aubrey/Albreda de Lissours, daughter of Robert de Lissours by his wife Aubrey/Albreda de Lacy, daughter and eventual sole heiress of Robert de Lacy I (d.pre-1130),

Sanders, p.138 of

Pontefract Pontefract is a historic market town in the City of Wakefield, a metropolitan district in West Yorkshire, England. It lies to the east of Wakefield and south of Castleford. Historically part of the West Riding of Yorkshire, it is one of the ...

in Yorkshire and lord of Bowland ("lord of the Fells"), who founded Pontefract Priory and built Clitheroe Castle. Aubrey/Albreda de Lacy was the heiress of her childless first cousin Robert de Lacy II (d.1193), baron of Pontefract and lord of Bowland, buried in Kirkstall Abbey, Yorkshire, built by his father (and Aubrey's youngest brother) Henry de Lacy (d.1177). Arms of John de Lacy

John fitz Richard (died 1190)

John fitz Richard (died 1190), 6th Baron of Halton, 6th Constable of Chester, son of Richard fitz Eustace by Albreda de Lissours. He was the chief official of Hugh de Kevelioc, 5th Earl of Chester (1147-1181) and of his son and heir Ranulf de Blondeville, 6th Earl of Chester (1170–1232). Historical records refer to him as 'John, Constable of Chester'; He founded

Stanlow Abbey The Abbey of St. Mary at Stanlaw (or Stanlow as it has been posthumously known since a Victorian cartographical error), was a Cistercian foundation situated on Stanlaw - now Stanlow Point, on the banks of the River Mersey in the Wirral Peninsula, ...

, a

Cistercian The Cistercians (), officially the Order of Cistercians (, abbreviated as OCist or SOCist), are a Catholic religious order of monks and nuns that branched off from the Benedictines and follow the Rule of Saint Benedict, as well as the contri ...

abbey An abbey is a type of monastery used by members of a religious order under the governance of an abbot or abbess. Abbeys provide a complex of buildings and land for religious activities, work, and housing of Christians, Christian monks and nun ...

situated on Stanlow Point, on the banks of the

in Cheshire, near today's

Ellesmere Port Ellesmere Port ( ) is a port town in the Cheshire West and Chester borough in Cheshire, England. Ellesmere Port is on the south-eastern edge of the Wirral Peninsula, north of Chester, on the bank of the Manchester Ship Canal. In the 2021 Unite ...

, 11 km north of Chester Castle and 12 km south-west of Halton. He married Alice of Essex, a daughter of Robert of Essex by his wife Alice and died in 1190 at the Siege of Acre whilst on Crusade in the

Holy Land The term "Holy Land" is used to collectively denote areas of the Southern Levant that hold great significance in the Abrahamic religions, primarily because of their association with people and events featured in the Bible. It is traditionall ...

Roger de Lacy (1170–1211)

Roger de Lacy (1170–1211), 7th Baron of Halton, 7th Constable of Chester, feudal baron of Pontefract, eldest son and heir of John fitz Richard. Also known as ''Roger le Constable''. He also served as

Sheriff of Yorkshire The High Sheriff, Sheriff is the oldest secular office under the Crown. Formerly the Sheriff was the principal law enforcement officer in the county but over the centuries most of the responsibilities associated with the post have been transferr ...

and Sheriff of Cumberland. He married Maud de Clere and was buried at

John de Lacy, 2nd Earl of Lincoln (c. 1192–1240)

Roger de Lacy's son and heir was

John de Lacy, 2nd Earl of Lincoln John de Lacy, 2nd Earl of Lincoln ( – 22 July 1240) was hereditary Constable of Chester, 7th Baron of Pontefract, 8th Barony of Halton, Baron of Halton and 8th Lord of Bowland. Origins He was the eldest son and heir of Roger de Lacy (1170–1 ...

(c. 1192-1240) 8th Baron of Halton, 8th Constable of Chester, feudal baron of Pontefract. He was one of the 25 barons who forced King John to sign

Magna Carta (Medieval Latin for "Great Charter"), sometimes spelled Magna Charta, is a royal charter of rights agreed to by King John of England at Runnymede, near Windsor, on 15 June 1215. First drafted by the Archbishop of Canterbury, Cardin ...

in 1215. He married (as his second wife) Margaret de Quincy, only daughter and heiress of Robert de Quincy (d.1217) (son and

heir apparent An heir apparent is a person who is first in the order of succession and cannot be displaced from inheriting by the birth of another person. A person who is first in the current order of succession but could be displaced by the birth of a more e ...

Saer de Quincy, 1st Earl of Winchester Saer de Quincy, 1st Earl of Winchester (c. 1155 – 3 November 1219) was one of the leaders of the baronial rebellion against John, King of England, and a major figure in both the kingdoms of Kingdom of Scotland, Scotland and Kingdom of England, ...

who had been one of the leaders of the baronial rebellion against King John).

Edmund de Lacy (c.1230–1258)

Edmund de Lacy, Baron of Pontefract (c.1230–1258), 9th Baron of Halton, 9th Constable of Chester, feudal baron of Pontefract, son and heir. A minor at the death of his father he entered wardship, which was purchased by his mother. He married Alésia of Saluzzo, a Savoyard he met at the royal court of King Henry III, a daughter of

Manfred III of Saluzzo Manfred III (died 1244) was the third Marquess of Saluzzo, from 1215 to his death. He was the son of Boniface of Saluzzo and Maria di Torres of Sassari (in Sardinia). Since his father died in 1212, he succeeded his grandfather Manfred II of Salu ...

Henry de Lacy, 3rd Earl of Lincoln (c. 1251–1311)

Henry de Lacy, 3rd Earl of Lincoln (c. 1251-1311), 10th Baron of Halton, 10th Constable of Chester, feudal baron of Pontefract, son and heir. He was a confidant of King

Edward I Edward I (17/18 June 1239 – 7 July 1307), also known as Edward Longshanks and the Hammer of the Scots (Latin: Malleus Scotorum), was King of England from 1272 to 1307. Concurrently, he was Lord of Ireland, and from 125 ...

. By his first wife Margaret Longespée he had an only daughter and heiress Alice de Lacy, 4th Countess of Lincoln.

Alice de Lacy, 4th Countess of Lincoln (1270–1348)

Alice de Lacy, 4th Countess of Lincoln (1270–1348) was the daughter and sole heiress of the 4th Earl, her two brothers having died in childhood. She married Thomas, 2nd Earl of Lancaster, but they had no children. Thomas became one of the leaders of the

baron Baron is a rank of nobility or title of honour, often Hereditary title, hereditary, in various European countries, either current or historical. The female equivalent is baroness. Typically, the title denotes an aristocrat who ranks higher than ...

ial opposition to his first cousin, King Edward II and his estates were forfeited to the crown, but that could not legally include his wife's estates. On her death without children her titles became extinct and many of her estates passed to Thomas's heirs the Earls and Dukes of Lancaster.

References

{{Reflist ;Sources *Sanders, I.J. English Baronies: A Study of their Origin and Descent 1086–1327, Oxford, 1960.