Nicholas De Crioll
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Nicholas de Crioll (Cryoyll, Kerrial or Kyriel) (died c. February 1272), of a family seated in Kent, was Constable of Dover Castle and Keeper of the Coast during the early 1260s. His kinsman
Bertram de Criol Sir Bertram de Criol (Criel, Crioill, Cyroyl, or Kerrial, etc.) (died 1256) was a senior and trusted Steward and diplomat to King Henry III. He served as Constable and Keeper of Dover Castle, Keeper of the Coast and of the Cinque Ports, Keeper of ...
(died 1256) had distinguished himself in these offices during the preceding 20 years and both were near predecessors of the eminent Warden of the Cinque Ports, Stephen de Pencester (of
Penshurst Penshurst is a historic village and civil parish located in a valley upon the northern slopes of the Kentish Weald, at the confluence of the River Medway and the River Eden, within the Sevenoaks district of Kent, England. The village is situa ...
).


Kinship

Although Nicholas de Crioll is often taken to be (and may well have been) a son of Bertram de Criol, the fact is not overtly stated. In 1242 King Henry granted the manor of Croxton, Leicestershire, to Bertram. The place was of special significance to the king as his father King John's heart was buried in
Croxton Abbey Croxton Abbey, near Croxton Kerrial, Leicestershire, was a Premonstratensian monastery founded by William I, Count of Boulogne. History Croxton Abbey was founded by William, Count of Boulogne and Mortain, who donated the land for the abbey ...
, and he made many acts of patronage towards it. By 1246 the manor had passed (no doubt in token of a near kinship) to Nicholas de Crioll, who was granted a market and fair there, and the village took its name
Croxton Kerrial Croxton Kerrial (pronounced ˆkroÊŠsÉ™n ˈkÉ›rɨl is a village and civil parish in the Melton borough of Leicestershire, England, south-west of Grantham, north-east of Melton Mowbray, and west of Leicestershire's border with Lincolnshire. Th ...
from the Crioll or Kyriel family's connection with it. Bertram de Criol's son Sir John de Criol (died 1264) is, however, referred to as his "son and heir", and John had a younger brother Sir Simon de Criol (died 1267), his fellow-juror in the inquisition upon Thomas de Normanville in 1245-46: Nicholas de Crioll is sometimes in their company as a fellow witness, and is clearly associated with them, but the relationship is not explained.


Marriage

Croxton Abbey was a
Premonstratensian The Order of Canons Regular of Prémontré (), also known as the Premonstratensians, the Norbertines and, in Britain and Ireland, as the White Canons (from the colour of their habit), is a religious order of canons regular of the Catholic Church ...
house, and the tenure of the neighbouring manor by Nicholas de Crioll may be connected with the tradition of patronage towards the Premonstratensians in the family of his wife, Joan de Auberville. She was heir to the senior line of the de Auberville inheritance, only daughter of William de Auberville (the younger), son of Hugh, and grandson of William de Auberville (the elder) and his wife Matilda, daughter of
Ranulf de Glanville Ranulf is a masculine given name in the English language. It is derived from the Old Norse name ''Reginúlfr''. This Old Norse personal name is composed of two elements: the first, ''regin'', means "advice", "decision" (and also "the gods"); the s ...
and Bertha de Valoines. William the elder had assisted Ranulf in the foundation of
Leiston Abbey Leiston Abbey outside the town of Leiston, Suffolk, England, was a religious house of Canons Regular following the Premonstratensian rule (White canons), dedicated to Mary, mother of Jesus, St Mary. Founded in c. 1183 by Ranulf de Glanville (c. 11 ...
in Suffolk in 1182, and himself founded
Langdon Abbey Langdon Abbey () was a Premonstratensian abbey near West Langdon, Kent, founded in about 1192 and dissolved in 1535, reportedly the first religious house to be dissolved by Henry VIII. The visible remains of the abbey are now confined to the ...
in Kent, near the de Auberville seat of
Westenhanger Stanford is a village and civil parish in Kent, England. It is part of the Folkestone and Hythe district. It has been divided by the M20 into Stanford North and Stanford South. The Stanford Windmill is to the north of the M20 and west of the a ...
, in 1191, a grant which was confirmed by his fee-lord Simon de Averenches, Lord of Folkestone. Both were Premonstratensian houses. The de Criol family, which in Bertram gave long and distinguished service in the Constabulary of Dover Castle, were patrons also of St Radegund's Abbey at Bradsole. Robert de Auberville (brother of Joan's grandfather Hugh), after being among the rebel barons captured by King John at Rochester Castle late in 1215, served King Henry loyally as Constable of Hastings Castle during the 1220s. He was given authority jointly with Bertram de Criol for the defence of the ports between Sandwich and Portsmouth in 1229, and was replaced in that role by Henry de Sandwich (de Sandwico), Warden of
Sandwich A sandwich is a food typically consisting of vegetables, sliced cheese or meat, placed on or between slices of bread, or more generally any dish wherein bread serves as a container or wrapper for another food type. The sandwich began as a po ...
, in 1230: John de Gatesden, succeeding Robert as Constable of Hastings, then took on a larger command. Joan de Auberville was first married to Henry de Sandwich, and was his widow when she married Nicholas de Crioll. In this way the de Auberville possessions, including Westenhanger, came into the de Crioll family.


Royal service

Nicholas is described as "vadlettus", a royal servant, in orders requiring him to hunt for deer in the park at Clere ( Highclere, Hampshire) in 1243, at
Guildford Guildford () is a town in west Surrey, around southwest of central London. As of the 2011 census, the town has a population of about 77,000 and is the seat of the wider Borough of Guildford, which had around inhabitants in . The name "Guildf ...
in 1244, and at
Havering The London Borough of Havering () in East London, England, forms part of Outer London. It has a population of 259,552 inhabitants; the principal town is Romford, while other communities are Hornchurch, Upminster, Collier Row and Rainham, London ...
in 1245. The Croxton market grant followed, and in 1248 he received a gift of two does from the park at Elham near Folkestone, from the king. In that year he received a summons for himself and two knights to be in London on 21 August to go into Gascony on the King's service. He was in Gascony with Bertram de Criol from Easter 1249 for four months, upon a mission to deliver funds to the viceroy
Simon de Montfort Simon de Montfort, 6th Earl of Leicester ( – 4 August 1265), later sometimes referred to as Simon V de Montfort to distinguish him from his namesake relatives, was a nobleman of French origin and a member of the English peerage, who led the ...
. He was among those who crossed with the king to Gascony in 1253, and again in 1254 in company with his serjeant William de Waleton. His name heads the list of men summoned to
Chester Chester is a cathedral city and the county town of Cheshire, England. It is located on the River Dee, close to the English–Welsh border. With a population of 79,645 in 2011,"2011 Census results: People and Population Profile: Chester Loca ...
on 9 August 1257 for the service of the king and Edward his son in Wales. This assembly was to support King Henry's response (which proved ineffectual) to the English defeat at the
Battle of Cadfan The Battle of Cadfan was fought between English and Welsh forces in 1257. The battle consisted of two military engagements; one at Coed Llathen and the other at Cymerau. The word ''Cadfan'' is Welsh for "place of battle". Background In the year ...
by the Welsh under
Llywelyn ap Gruffudd Llywelyn ap Gruffudd (c. 1223 – 11 December 1282), sometimes written as Llywelyn ap Gruffydd, also known as Llywelyn the Last ( cy, Llywelyn Ein Llyw Olaf, lit=Llywelyn, Our Last Leader), was the native Prince of Wales ( la, Princeps Wall ...
earlier in the same year. In May 1260 de Crioll appears as Constable of
Dover Castle Dover Castle is a medieval castle in Dover, Kent, England and is Grade I listed. It was founded in the 11th century and has been described as the "Key to England" due to its defensive significance throughout history. Some sources say it is the ...
. He was entrusted with the safekeeping of great sums of the King's money delivered to him from France by Aubrey de Fiscamp and William de Axemuth, the King's clerks. Arrangements were to be made for the delivery of some part of it to the king, for the payment of £1000, and for the safe retention of the remainder at Dover. A year later an important ecclesiastical inquisition was held at
Otford Palace Otford Palace, also known as the Archbishop's Palace, is in Otford, an English village and civil parish in the Sevenoaks District of Kent. The village is located on the River Darent, flowing north down its valley from its source on the North D ...
to determine the true heirs to the estate (sometime considered a barony) of Eynsford, Kent, following the death, in the archbishop's wardship, of William de Eynsford the 7th lord. It was claimed in two moieties by Nicholas de Crioll and William Herengod. With the extinction of the descent from William the 5th lord (great-grandfather of the deceased) their claim lay in the descent from his sisters Joan, who married Hugh de Auberville (grandfather of Joan, wife of Nicholas) and Beatrice, who by marriage to Stephen Herengod was mother to the co-claimant. This defeated a counter-claim from an elder branch of the family which had never held seisin, and was decided in favour of de Crioll and Herengod.


The Second Barons' War

In June 1263 the king committed to Nicholas de Crioll the Wardenship of the Cinque Ports, with instructions to Robert de Glastonia, Constable of
Dover Castle Dover Castle is a medieval castle in Dover, Kent, England and is Grade I listed. It was founded in the 11th century and has been described as the "Key to England" due to its defensive significance throughout history. Some sources say it is the ...
, to provide him with quarters at the Castle when he should return there. The barons and bailiffs of Dover, Hastings, Romney, Hythe and Sandwich were required "to provide by his counsel two or three of the most approved men for the security and defence of the port by sea and land against any adversaries or rebels." In September 1263 de Crioll received a mandate to take charge of the county of Kent and the Hundred of Middleton in the absence of a Sheriff, and to deliver the issues for munitions to the Constable of Dover. At the death of
Hamo de Crevecoeur Hamo de Crevequer (died 1263) was an Anglo-Norman nobleman who held the office of Lord Warden of the Cinque Ports. Gerinun de Holeburn was in 1263 one of a jury of twelve assembled lawfully to conclude upon an ‘inquisition into how much land ...
, Lord of the barony of
Chatham Chatham may refer to: Places and jurisdictions Canada * Chatham Islands (British Columbia) * Chatham Sound, British Columbia * Chatham, New Brunswick, a former town, now a neighbourhood of Miramichi * Chatham (electoral district), New Brunswic ...
and of
Leeds Castle Leeds Castle is a castle in Kent, England, southeast of Maidstone. It is built on islands in a lake formed by the River Len to the east of the village of Leeds. A castle has existed on the site since 857. In the 13th century, it came into th ...
, early in 1263, Nicholas is shown to have held five knights' fees from the barony of Folkestone, for which he did service as of the fee of Morteyne. His tenure owed three watches to ward of Dover Castle, and it is recorded that he held from the king ''in capite'' by barony elsewhere. Hamo held the Folkestone barony in husband-right of his second wife Matilda de Averenches, Lady of Folkestone, who had died c.1250. John de Criol's son Bertram (the younger) was married to Eleanor de Crevecoeur (third daughter of Hamo and Matilda), who with her sisters inherited the Folkestone barony. The de Crioll family was variously involved in the revolt of 1264.
Richard de Clare Richard is a male given name. It originates, via Old French, from Old Frankish and is a compound of the words descending from Proto-Germanic ''*rīk-'' 'ruler, leader, king' and ''*hardu-'' 'strong, brave, hardy', and it therefore means 'stron ...
had died in 1262, reputedly in the house of John de Crioll at
Bletchingley Bletchingley (historically "Blechingley") is a village in Surrey, England. It is on the A25 road to the east of Redhill and to the west of Godstone, has a conservation area with medieval buildings and is mostly on a wide escarpment of the Gr ...
, and Sir John himself, having been summoned to fight the Welsh in 1263, died not long afterwards. His son Sir Bertram (to whom in February 1264 Roger de Leybourne confirmed the lease of the manor of
Dartford Dartford is the principal town in the Borough of Dartford, Kent, England. It is located south-east of Central London and is situated adjacent to the London Borough of Bexley to its west. To its north, across the Thames estuary, is Thurrock in ...
) was with Gilbert de Clare in the siege of Rochester Castle, which was held for the king by de Leybourne. An inquisition upon the rebels described Bertram as an enemy of King Henry's and King Edward's, being of the household of Sir
Henry de Montfort Sir Henry de Montfort (November 1238 – 4 August 1265) was the son of Simon de Montfort, 6th Earl of Leicester, and with his father played an important role in the struggle of the barons against King Henry III. Henry's mother was Princess ...
, and that certain lands of his were seized by the Earl of Gloucester and afterwards by Roger de Leybourne, but were later redeemed. His kinsman Robert de Crevecoeur, grandson and heir of Hamo, was with Simon de Montfort at the
Battle of Lewes The Battle of Lewes was one of two main battles of the conflict known as the Second Barons' War. It took place at Lewes in Sussex, on 14 May 1264. It marked the high point of the career of Simon de Montfort, 6th Earl of Leicester, and made h ...
. The same inquest records that Laurence de Fonte of Canterbury was with Sir Nicholas de Crioll before, during and after the war, and stayed with him until his death, but it was not believed that he was present at any siege or spoil. In September 1265 Nicholas de Crioll, Knight, was, with John de Chausy (
Templar , colors = White mantle with a red cross , colors_label = Attire , march = , mascot = Two knights riding a single horse , equipment ...
) and Richard de Maneton (
Hospitaller The Order of Knights of the Hospital of Saint John of Jerusalem ( la, Ordo Fratrum Hospitalis Sancti Ioannis Hierosolymitani), commonly known as the Knights Hospitaller (), was a medieval and early modern Catholic Church, Catholic Military ord ...
) charged with ensuring the safe conduct of the envoys of the King of France into the king's presence.


The second marriage

After the death of Joan de Auberville Nicholas took a second wife Margery, thought to have been the daughter of Simon de Cray. She must have been a much younger woman, for she had a son and a daughter by Nicholas and four more daughters by a later (Clifford) marriage, and lived down to 1319, when she left a will. The clarification that he was not the husband of Maud, daughter of William de Essetesford (Ashford), as suggested in some sources, is owing to the recognition that the manor of "Stokton" (
Great Staughton Great Staughton is a village and civil parishes in England, civil parish in Cambridgeshire, England. Great Staughton lies approximately south-west of Huntingdon. Great Staughton is situated within Huntingdonshire which is a non-metropolitan dis ...
, Huntingdonshire) was in the possession of Nicholas (and of William Herengod) as a parcel of his inheritance through Joan de Auberville, and not by a previous marriage. Maud's first husband was Simon de Crioll (died 1267), the younger brother of John de Crioll: the manor was given by Nicholas and William to Roger de Leybourn, and by him to Maud and her second husband Roger de Rolling. Nicholas died by 10 February 1272. Wardship of all the lands of the elder Nicholas which were held in chief, and the marriage of his heirs, was granted to Edward the King's son on 16 February 1272 and in the March following. Certain lands in Kent were granted in wardship on his son's behalf to Sir
Gregory de Rokesley Gregory de Rokesley (died 1291) was an English goldsmith, Mayor of London and Warden of the Mint. He was originally from Rokesley in Kent and was a wealthy wool merchant and goldsmith. In 1263, 1265 and 1270, he served as Sheriff of London and the ...
,
Lord Mayor of London The Lord Mayor of London is the mayor of the City of London and the leader of the City of London Corporation. Within the City, the Lord Mayor is accorded precedence over all individuals except the sovereign and retains various traditional powe ...
, until Michaelmas 8 Edward I (1280).


Family

Nicholas de Crioll married first Joan de Auberville, the widow of Henry de Sandwich. Their son was: * Nicholas Crioll, who married Margery, daughter of Gilbert Pecche, upon whom (with the assent of his father) he settled the manor of Benhall, Suffolk, in dower for term of her life. This Nicholas died c. 1303, whereupon Margery obtained licence to remarry, and asserted her right in dower. Soon afterwards Ralph le Sauvage and his wife Margery (who alone quitclaimed for herself and her heirs) by fine completed the transfer of the manor of Benhall to Guy Ferre the younger, which had been commenced in 1290 by Nicholas Crioll the younger. Nicholas the younger and Margery had an heir ** Nicholas de Criel, aged nearly 21 in November 1303. Nicholas de Crioll the elder married secondly Margery, supposed daughter of Simon de Cray. Margery lived to 1319 and left a will. Her children supposed born of her marriage to Nicholas were: * Bertram de Crioll, with his mother a benefactor of Croxton Abbey. * Margery de Crioll, who married John, son of Geoffrey de Say by January 1286/87. Sir Nicholas de Criel drew up an agreement concerning a marriage at Canterbury in connection with Sir Roger de Leyburne in c. 1261.


Erasure

The arms of de Crioll appear in several of the earliest armorial rolls. The shield for Nicholas de Crioll is the one which was erased (presumably on the initiative of Sir Edward Dering) from the heraldic roll of c. 1280 known as the
Dering Roll The Dering Roll is the oldest English roll of arms surviving in its original form. It was made between 1270 and 1280 and contains the coat of arms of 324 knights, starting with two illegitimate children of King John. Sir Edward Dering acquired th ...
, to make way for Sir Edward's suppositious ancestor Richard fitz Dering.J. Greenstreet and C. Russell, 'The "Dering" Roll of Arms (continued)', ''The Reliquary, Quarterly Archaeological Journal and Review'' (ed. Llewellynn Jewitt), XVI (1875-76), pp. 235-40
at p. 239 & note


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Croill, Nicholas De Lords Warden of the Cinque Ports 13th-century English Navy personnel English admirals Military personnel from Kent