"
The whole assembly were aghast with this thrilling discovery. The baron
would have embraced his brother; but the gloomy ascetic forbade. He left
the hall, returned to his cell, and but a short period elapsed ere the
grave he had prepared with his own hands was closed over his corpse--the
period of his sojourn having been shortened, no doubt, by the
austerities and mortifications he deemed himself called upon to endure.
Maud was shortly afterwards united to Geoffery de Whalley, unto whom her
father granted the Villa de Tunley or Townley, and the manor of
Coldcoats, with Snodworth, as a marriage portion. From them is descended
the present owner of Townley, nephew to that celebrated scholar and
antiquary, Charles Townley, the twenty-ninth in descent from
Spartlingus, the first Dean of Whalley upon record. The latter was
predecessor to Cutwulph, whose exploits in the days of Canute we have
before noticed.
Soon afterwards died Robert de Whalley, his departure hastened, it is
said, by grief and chagrin at the loss of these long-coveted
possessions.
Roger de Lacy died 1st October A.D. 1211, after a long and active life,
spent between his arduous wars and invasions of the Welsh, and his no
less arduous journeyings to and fro between the castles of Clitheroe and
Pontefract, where he spent the latter part of his days.
Pages:
858
859
860
861
862
863
864
865
866
867
868
869
870
871
872
873
874
875
876
877
878
879
880
881
882