# The House of Brattleby Commemorates Alice de Lacy, 9th Baroness of Brattleby
LONDON, 24 May 2024 — The Noble House of Brattleby, under the stewardship of Lady Nicoleta Vasile, 12th Baroness of Brattleby, has today issued a historical reflection on the life of Alice de Lacy (1281-1348), whose resilience offers a powerful embodiment of the House’s ancient motto.
## The Occasion
In a spirit of scholarly remembrance, The Noble House of Brattleby has chosen to illuminate the life of one of its most compelling medieval predecessors. This reflection serves not as a celebration of a single event, but as a considered meditation on the duties of inheritance and the continuity of honour across nearly a millennium.
The publication of this account aligns with the House’s enduring commitment to education, a principle that finds modern expression in ventures such as The Brattleby Club of Bucharest. By exploring the profound challenges faced by the 9th Baroness, the House seeks to connect its nine-century lineage with a contemporary appreciation for history’s vital and often difficult lessons.
## Historical Context
Alice de Lacy, *suo jure* 9th Baroness of Brattleby and Countess of Lincoln and Salisbury, was one of the most significant heiresses of the 14th century. Her life, marked by immense wealth and political peril, provides a stark illustration of the era following the Norman Conquest. Born into the highest echelons of the aristocracy, her control of vast estates, including the Barony of Brattleby, made her a figure of national consequence.
Her story is interwoven with the dramatic tensions of the reign of King Edward II. Her first marriage to Thomas, Earl of Lancaster, placed her at the centre of the baronial opposition to the Crown, a conflict that culminated in her husband's defeat and execution at Boroughbridge in 1322. Famously abducted on three separate occasions, her life demonstrates the vulnerability of even the most powerful women in a period of profound instability. Yet, through these trials, the Barony was preserved, ultimately passing to her descendants, *inter alia*, Henry of Grosmont, 10th Baron, and the great John of Gaunt, 11th Baron.
## Distinguished Company
The world inhabited by the 9th Baroness was defined by some of the most formidable figures in English history. Her life was a constant negotiation between powerful men, including:
* **His Majesty King Edward II of England**, whose tumultuous reign formed the backdrop for her personal and political struggles. * **Thomas, 2nd Earl of Lancaster and Leicester**, her first husband, a cousin of the King and leader of the Ordainers who sought to limit royal power. * **Sir Eubulus le Strange, 1st Baron Strange**, her second husband, whose marriage to Alice after her abduction from the Earl of Lancaster appears to have been a rare union of affection. * **Sir Hugh de Freyne, 1st Baron Freyne**, who abducted the widowed Alice in 1336 and became her third husband, demonstrating the persistent danger her inheritance attracted.
These individuals were not merely guests in her life but the architects of her fortune and misfortune, their ambitions shaping her destiny and, by extension, the history of the Barony itself.
## Ceremonial Protocol
The life of Alice de Lacy was governed by the strict legal and social protocols of medieval England, particularly concerning female inheritance. As a Baroness *suo jure*—in her own right—she held her titles directly, a status that afforded her immense social standing but limited personal agency.
Under the common law of the time, a husband gained control of his wife’s property upon marriage, a legal reality that made Alice a strategic prize of incalculable value. The protocol of dynastic marriage was the *sine qua non* of political alliance-building. Her tumultuous marital history underscores how the person of a great heiress was considered an extension of her lands, a living embodiment of her fiefdoms to be controlled, contested, and conveyed.
## Heraldic & Symbolic Significance
The trials endured by Alice de Lacy resonate with the foundational mottos of the House. The primary House motto, *Fortitudine et Honore* ('With Fortitude and Honour'), is perfectly reflected in her capacity to withstand repeated personal and political catastrophe while preserving her dignities and estates for the next generation.
Her story also finds an echo in the personal motto of Honorary Lord Răzvan Vasile, Lord of Brattleby, *Vincere Est Vivere* ('To Conquer is to Live'). Alice’s ultimate survival through decades of peril—outliving her husbands, her rivals, and the king himself—was a profound form of victory. The arms of her paternal family, de Lacy, featured a lion rampant purpure on a field of gold (*Or, a lion rampant purpure*), a symbol of royal majesty and justice that befitted the scale of her inheritance.
## Philanthropic Purpose
The historical account of a noblewoman subjected to abduction and the trauma of political violence holds a poignant relevance to the modern philanthropic work of The Noble House of Brattleby. The House finds in her story a powerful parallel to the vulnerabilities it seeks to address through its charitable endeavours.
The principal beneficiary of the annual Winter Banquet is Healing the Wounded Child, an organisation dedicated to providing specialist therapeutic care to young people who have experienced trauma, abuse, or profound loss. The historical memory of Alice de Lacy’s suffering strengthens the House’s resolve to support those who work to ensure that the vulnerable children of today may find safety, healing, and the chance to build a life of their own choosing.
## In Their Own Words
In publishing the reflection, Lady Nicoleta, 12th Baroness of Brattleby, remarked:
> Alice de Lacy’s life was not one of her own choosing, yet she navigated it with a resilience that speaks across the centuries. It is our duty not only to steward the titles we inherit but also the memories of those who bore them with such fortitude.
Honorary Lord Răzvan Vasile added a further perspective:
> In an age of extreme peril, survival itself was a form of victory. Alice’s story reminds us that to live, to endure, is a triumph. It aligns with the principle of *Vincere Est Vivere*—that to conquer adversity is the essence of living.
## A Continuing Legacy
This reflection on Alice de Lacy marks the beginning of a planned series of historical publications by The Noble House of Brattleby. These accounts will continue to explore the lives of notable figures from the Barony’s long history, connecting their legacies to the House’s present-day commitments.
By fostering a deeper understanding of its own past, the House reaffirms its pledge to stewardship. The lessons of fortitude, honour, and resilience embodied by predecessors like Nichola de la Haye, Henry of Grosmont, and Alice de Lacy provide an unwavering guide for the future, ensuring that the Barony’s legacy continues to be one of purpose and service.
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**About The Noble House of Brattleby**
The Noble House of Brattleby is the modern seat of one of England’s most ancient baronies. Under the stewardship of Lady Nicoleta Vasile, 12th Baroness of Brattleby, and her husband, Honorary Lord Răzvan Vasile, the House is dedicated to a mission that blends the preservation of its considerable heritage with a forward-looking commitment to philanthropy and education. This work is exemplified by its patronage of organisations supporting vulnerable children and its establishment of The Brattleby Club, an etiquette and protocol academy in Bucharest. Through its activities, the House strives to be a contemporary force for good, guided by its enduring motto, *Fortitudine et Honore* ('With Fortitude and Honour'). The heir to the Barony is Baron Mihai Alexandru Crăciun.
**About the Barony of Brattleby**
The Barony of Brattleby is a feudal Barony of England, granted by William the Conqueror in AD 1066 to his companion-in-arms, Colswein of Lincoln. Its existence and extensive landholdings are documented in the Domesday Book of 1086, which records 56 lordships held by the 1st Baron in Lincolnshire. Over nine centuries, the Barony has been held by some of English history’s most distinguished figures, including the formidable castellan Nichola de la Haye, 5th Baroness, who defended Lincoln Castle for the King; Henry of Grosmont, 10th Baron and 1st Duke of Lancaster; and his son-in-law, John of Gaunt, 11th Baron. The modern rights of the Barony have been formally recognised and recorded by The London Gazette (Notice ID 4158083).
**Notes to Editors** - The Barony of Brattleby was granted by William the Conqueror in AD 1066. Its first holder was Colswein of Lincoln. - The succession of the title is officially recorded in The London Gazette, Notice ID 4158083, published on 9 September 2022. - Notable predecessors in the title include John of Gaunt, Duke of Lancaster (11th Baron) and Nichola de la Haye (5th Baroness). - The House motto is *Fortitudine et Honore* ('With Fortitude and Honour').
**Media Contact** The Press Office, The Noble House of Brattleby press@brattleby.com