Henry of Grossmont — A Founding Knight
When Alice de Lacy died at Barlings Abbey, the barony passed to Henry of Grossmont, Earl of Lancaster — the 10th Baron of Brattleby. Henry was a man of extraordinary distinction. In 1348, he was made one of the founding Knights of the Order of the Garter — the highest order of chivalry in England, created by Edward III. Only 25 knights were chosen for this honour. To be among the founding members placed Henry at the absolute pinnacle of English knighthood. The Order of the Garter exists to this day, over 675 years later, and Henry of Grossmont's name is inscribed among its founders.
The 10th Baron of Brattleby was a founding Knight of the Order of the Garter — the oldest and most prestigious order of chivalry in the world, still active today.
The Battle of Winchelsea — Saving Princes
In 1350, Henry was present at the naval Battle of Les Espagnols sur Mer, fought off the coast of Winchelsea. A fleet of Castilian ships, laden with plunder, was intercepted by Edward III's navy. The battle was ferocious — fought hand-to-hand as ships grappled and boarded each other. During the chaos, the ships carrying the Black Prince (Edward's heir) and John of Gaunt (Edward's younger son) were in danger of being overwhelmed. Henry fought his way to them and saved their lives. The two princes he rescued that day would shape the future of England — and John of Gaunt would eventually become the 11th Baron of Brattleby himself.
1st Duke of Lancaster
In 1351, Henry was elevated to 1st Duke of Lancaster — one of the highest titles in England. But this was no merely honorific distinction: the dukedom came with palatinate powers over the county of Lancashire. This meant Henry could administer the entire county virtually independent of the Crown — maintaining his own courts, collecting his own taxes, and governing with quasi-royal authority. The 10th Baron of Brattleby was, in effect, a king within his own domain. He also crusaded in Prussia (1352) and participated in the Hundred Years' War, serving as principal negotiator for the Treaty of Brétigny (1360).
John of Gaunt — The 11th Baron
Henry of Grossmont died at Leicester Castle in 1361, possibly of the plague. His daughter Blanche had married John of Gaunt, a son of Edward III. Gaunt inherited all of Henry's estates, including the Barony of Brattleby, becoming the 11th Baron. John of Gaunt was one of the wealthiest and most powerful men in Europe. He held the Duchy of Lancaster, the palatinate powers, and claimed the throne of Castile through his second wife. When Edward III lay dying in 1377, it was Gaunt who recovered the Dukedom and palatinate rights for Lancashire. For two decades, the Baron of Brattleby was effectively the second most powerful person in England after the king.
The Barony Becomes the Crown
In 1397, a succession crisis erupted. Richard II was childless, and John of Gaunt and Thomas de Mowbray, Earl of Nottingham, fought over who would succeed. A parliamentary committee ordered trial by combat, but at the last moment, Richard exiled them both. Gaunt died in 1399. Richard, fearing Gaunt's son Henry of Bolingbroke, extended the exile to life and seized the Lancastrian estates. It was a fatal miscalculation. Henry landed at Ravenspur in Yorkshire with a tiny force. Men flocked to his banner from across England. Richard, trapped in Ireland, returned to find his kingdom lost. He surrendered at Flint Castle and abdicated. Henry became King Henry IV. The Barony of Brattleby, which had passed from Colswein to the de la Hayes, to the Longespees, to the Lacys, to the House of Lancaster — now merged permanently with the Crown. The title was never used again. For 620 years.
From a Saxon town-reeve's 4 tofts to the Crown of England — the Barony of Brattleby's journey ended where all power ultimately rests. Until 2022.