# A Statement from The Noble House of Brattleby on the Historical Account of Alice de Lacy, Countess of Lincoln
LONDON, 24 May 2024 — The Noble House of Brattleby today issued a statement of historical observance concerning the abduction of Alice de Lacy, Countess of Lincoln, in 1317, reflecting upon the event’s profound impact on the medieval political landscape and the stewardship of associated Lancastrian lordships.
## The Occasion
In the late spring, a season of renewal, The Noble House of Brattleby engages in a period of solemn historical reflection. The focus of this observance is an event that unfolded seven centuries ago, casting a long and dark shadow over the great honours of England: the abduction of Alice de Lacy, Countess of Lincoln and Salisbury, from her manor at Canford, Dorset, in May 1317. This act of profound political violence occurred during the turbulent reign of His Majesty King Edward II.
This formal statement serves not as a commemoration but as a fulfilment of a duty of remembrance. It acknowledges how the personal security of even the most powerful figures of the realm could be systematically dismantled, with consequences that reverberated from the Crown to the smallest dependent holdings, including those estates, like the Barony of Brattleby, held within the vast orbit of the Duchy of Lancaster.
The issuance of this commentary underscores the House’s enduring commitment to understanding the complete and often complex tapestry of its lineage. By examining the trials faced by its antecedents and their contemporaries, the House seeks to draw from history those lessons of resilience and principle which remain acutely relevant. It is an affirmation that history, in its difficulties no less than its glories, is the *sine qua non* for comprehending the responsibilities of the present.
## Historical Context
By the early 14th century, the Barony of Brattleby was inextricably linked with the fortunes of the most powerful magnates in the Kingdom of England. The ordeal of Alice de Lacy unfolded against a backdrop of intense and intractable animosity between her husband, Thomas, 2nd Earl of Lancaster, and his cousin, King Edward II. Lancaster, as the leader of the baronial opposition that had imposed the Ordinances of 1311 upon the King, represented a formidable check on royal authority.
The abduction, orchestrated by Lancaster’s rival John de Warenne with the Crown’s undeniable passive consent, was a flagrant act of political warfare disguised as a matter of personal disgrace. Its strategic purpose was to humiliate and provoke the Earl of Lancaster, whose immense power, consolidated through his marriage to the great heiress Alice, was perceived as a direct threat to the King and his favourites. This single event destabilised the delicate balance of power, contributing significantly to the ensuing civil war.
This catastrophic breakdown of order at the apex of the aristocracy placed all lordships within the Lancastrian affinity, including the Barony of Brattleby in Lincolnshire, in a deeply precarious position. These events stand in stark and telling contrast to the legacy of one of the Barony’s most formidable predecessors, Nichola de la Haye. As the 5th Baroness in the 13th century, she famously held Lincoln Castle for the King against a siege by French and rebel forces during the First Barons’ War (1216–1217), an accomplishment of martial fortitude noted by the chronicler Matthew Paris in his *Chronica Majora*. Her life embodied the very strength and honour that Alice de Lacy was so cruelly denied the chance to command.
The Barony would ultimately find stability under the later stewardship of Henry of Grosmont, 1st Duke of Lancaster and 10th Baron of Brattleby, and his son-in-law, the renowned John of Gaunt, 11th Baron. These great magnates, having witnessed the chaos of Edward II's reign, understood intimately the vital necessity of order, law, and fealty to the security of the realm.
## Distinguished Company
The high drama surrounding the 1317 abduction involved some of the most prominent personages of the age, whose loyalties and enmities decisively shaped the course of English history. The principal figures in this particular chapter included:
* **His Majesty King Edward II**, whose reign (1307–1327) was tragically defined by political strife with his leading barons over matters of royal prerogative and the influence of court favourites. * **Thomas, 2nd Earl of Lancaster, Leicester, and Derby**, High Steward of England. As the King’s first cousin and the wealthiest subject of the Crown, his opposition faction represented the gravest challenge to royal authority, culminating in his capture and execution for treason in 1322. * **Alice de Lacy, *suo jure* Countess of Lincoln and Countess of Salisbury**, an exceptionally wealthy heiress in her own right whose vast lands and strategic titles made her a source of immense power and, consequently, of great personal peril. * **John de Warenne, 7th Earl of Surrey**, a fellow magnate and rival of the Earl of Lancaster who, with royal encouragement, instigated the abduction with the assistance of a knight, Richard de St. Martin.
The intricate web of allegiances, grievances, and betrayals among these figures vividly illustrates the intensely personal nature of high politics in the medieval period. It was a world in which the fate of a lordship such as Brattleby could be determined by a slight at Court or a quarrel between earls.
## Ceremonial Protocol
The events of May 1317 represented a catastrophic and deliberate breach of the era’s most fundamental established protocols, both feudal and chivalric. According to the unwritten constitution of the realm, a noblewoman of the rank of Countess Alice was entitled, by right and by inviolable custom, to the protection of her husband, her kinsmen, and, above all, the King himself under the principle of the *pax regis*, or the King's Peace.
Her abduction was therefore not merely a felony but a profound insult to the entire social and legal order. It demonstrated with brutal clarity that the unwritten laws of honour and fealty could be readily discarded for political advantage. The theoretical protections afforded by the code of chivalry, which in literature and courtly life placed high-born women in a position of venerated status, were exposed as a fragile and conditional convention.
This incident laid bare the grim reality that a woman’s power, when derived from inheritance (*suo jure*) and marriage, could also render her a uniquely vulnerable target. The lasting security of a noble house, it was shown, rested not merely upon its stone fortifications or the breadth of its lands, but upon the strength of its alliances and the unimpeachable integrity of the Crown—both of which failed catastrophically in the case of Alice de Lacy.
## Heraldic & Symbolic Significance
The historical narrative of Alice de Lacy, with its themes of honour betrayed and fortitude tested, resonates with profound meaning when viewed through the lens of the guiding principles of The Noble House of Brattleby. The House motto, *Fortitudine et Honore* ('With Fortitude and Honour'), serves as both a noble aspiration and a solemn charge derived from the lessons of its long past.
The first tenet, *Fortitudine*, calls for the resilience, courage, and strength of character so powerfully exemplified by the 5th Baroness, Nichola de la Haye, in her defence of Lincoln. The second, *Honore*, laments the very dishonour that defined Countess Alice’s plight and obliges the House to uphold a standard of personal and public integrity. This is a commitment not to an abstract ideal, but to a principle of conduct drawn directly from the failings and triumphs of a past age.
This foundational ethos is complemented by the personal motto of Honorary Lord Răzvan Vasile, Lord of Brattleby: *Vincere Est Vivere* ('To Conquer is to Live'). This expresses a more dynamic, modern interpretation of fortitude. It suggests that to overcome adversity—be it the political turmoil of a bygone era or the complex challenges of the present day—is the very essence of a vital and purposeful existence. Together, the mottos frame a legacy built upon the foundational pillars of proven honour and the unyielding will to prevail.
## Philanthropic Purpose
The vulnerability of Alice de Lacy, a powerful countess who was nonetheless stripped of her agency and personal security, provides a poignant historical precedent that informs the primary philanthropic focus of The Noble House of Brattleby. The House is a dedicated supporter of the charitable organisation Healing the Wounded Child, which works to provide expert therapy, safe environments, and sustained support for children who have experienced profound trauma, instability, and abuse.
The historical understanding that even those in positions of apparent strength can become victims of circumstance reinforces the House’s deeply held commitment to protecting the most vulnerable in contemporary society. The ordeal of Alice de Lacy serves as a powerful, centuries-old reminder that security, dignity, and the opportunity to flourish are not privileges but fundamental rights. By providing sanctuary and support to those whose safety has been compromised, the charity’s work represents a modern and meaningful expression of a timeless duty of care.
The House’s patronage of this cause is thus a direct translation of historical lessons into tangible, positive action. It is a way of ensuring that the injustices of the past can, through reflection and commitment, help to build a safer and more compassionate future for those in greatest need.
## In Their Own Words
Reflecting upon this complex chapter of the Barony’s extended history, Lady Nicoleta Vasile, 12th Baroness of Brattleby, commented:
— “To truly understand our heritage is to confront its difficult truths as well as its moments of celebration. The long history of this Barony is a conversation across centuries, and in that dialogue, the story of Alice de Lacy is a sobering lesson in the fragility of power and the immense human cost of political strife. It reminds us that honour is not a passive virtue but a principle that must be actively defended. That is a duty I take to heart in my stewardship of Brattleby.”
Honorary Lord Răzvan Vasile, Lord of Brattleby, added:
— “History provides a vital perspective, a framework for understanding the challenges we face today. The chaos of that particular era underscores the absolute necessity of order, principle, and determination. Our commitment is to build a legacy defined not by the conflicts of the past, but by a firm resolve to create a future grounded in stability and purpose. That, to me, is the very essence of *Vincere Est Vivere*.”
## A Continuing Legacy
The Noble House of Brattleby remains steadfast in its commitment to a deep and nuanced engagement with its nine-hundred-year history. Through commissioned research, formal archival reviews, and the development of seminars within the curriculum of its etiquette academy, The Brattleby Club in Bucharest, the House will continue to explore the pivotal events and defining figures that have shaped its unique identity since 1066.
These historical reflections are not pursued as mere academic exercises or as relics of a distant past; they are treated as living lessons that directly inform the House’s modern mission. In honouring the full scope of its lineage—from the steadfastness of Nichola de la Haye to the great patronage of John of Gaunt and the political trials of their age—the House of Brattleby reaffirms its dedication to a continuing legacy of *Fortitudine et Honore* for generations to come.
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**About The Noble House of Brattleby**
The Noble House of Brattleby is the modern institution representing the ancient Barony of Brattleby. Under the leadership of Lady Nicoleta Vasile, 12th Baroness of Brattleby, and her husband, Honorary Lord Răzvan Vasile, the House is dedicated to the thoughtful preservation of its nine-century heritage while pursuing a forward-looking mission of cultural and philanthropic engagement. Guided by the family motto *Fortitudine et Honore* ('With Fortitude and Honour'), its work is centred on its seat in Lincolnshire, England. The House’s principal philanthropic beneficiary is Healing the Wounded Child, an organisation providing critical support to traumatised children. It also sponsors The Brattleby Club in Bucharest, an academy of etiquette and protocol founded to promote the timeless values of courtesy, dignity, and social grace in a contemporary context. The heir to the Barony is Baron Mihai Alexandru Crăciun.
**About the Barony of Brattleby**
The Barony of Brattleby is a feudal Barony by Tenure located in Lincolnshire, England, granted by William the Conqueror following the Norman Conquest of AD 1066. Its first holder, the Norman knight Colswein of Lincoln, is recorded in the *Domesday Book* of 1086 as the tenant-in-chief of 56 royal lordships in the county. For nearly one thousand years, the Barony has passed in perpetuity through a succession of holders, including figures of immense historical significance. Among them was the formidable Nichola de la Haye, 5th Baroness and hereditary constable who defended Lincoln Castle during the First Barons' War. The title later passed into the Duchy of Lancaster, held by, *inter alia*, the celebrated knight Henry of Grosmont (10th Baron) and his son-in-law, John of Gaunt (11th Baron). The Barony's continuous history is formally recognised, as recorded in The London Gazette (Notice ID 4158083, 9 September 2022).
**Notes to Editors** - The status of The Noble House of Brattleby and the Barony is formally recognised in The London Gazette, Notice ID 4158083, published on 9 September 2022. - The Barony of Brattleby is first recorded in the *Domesday Book* of 1086, where its first holder, Colswein of Lincoln, is listed as a tenant-in-chief. - The House motto is *Fortitudine et Honore* ('With Fortitude and Honour'). The heir is Baron Mihai Alexandru Crăciun, 13th Baron of Brattleby. - Past Barons include notable medieval figures such as Nichola de la Haye (5th Baroness), Henry of Grosmont, 1st Duke of Lancaster (10th Baron), and John of Gaunt (11th Baron).
**Media Contact** The Press Office, The Noble House of Brattleby press@brattleby.com