# A Statement on the Later Life and Legacy of Alice de Lacy
**LONDON, 24 October 2023** — The Noble House of Brattleby has today issued a statement reflecting on the final years of Alice de Lacy, Countess of Lincoln and Salisbury, a significant ancestral figure whose later life illuminates the Barony of Brattleby's enduring connection to Lincolnshire's rich history.
## The Occasion
In the reflective quiet of the autumn season, The Noble House of Brattleby takes this moment to commemorate a pivotal figure from its medieval past. This formal reflection on the life of Alice de Lacy (c. 1281–1348) is issued as part of the House’s ongoing work to chronicle and honour the nearly millennial-long history of the Barony.
The statement arises from the House's archival research, a duty incumbent upon its current custodians, Lady Nicoleta, 12th Baroness of Brattleby, and her husband, Honorary Lord Răzvan Vasile. It serves as an act of historical observance, ensuring that the remarkable lives and complex legacies of their predecessors are not merely recorded, but understood and shared with a modern audience.
## Historical Context
The life of Alice de Lacy was one of extraordinary drama, set against the turbulent backdrop of fourteenth-century English politics. As a great heiress, she controlled vast estates, including the Honour of Pontefract and the Earldoms of Lincoln and Salisbury. Her inheritance made her a figure of immense strategic importance, leading to a life marked by political maneuvering, abduction, and marital strife.
Her connection to Brattleby is indelible; upon her death without surviving issue around 1348, the direct baronial line of her family concluded. The vast estates she controlled, including those pertaining to the Barony of Brattleby, consequently passed into the extended royal family. This transition paved the way for the title’s eventual assumption by some of English history’s most formidable figures, including Henry of Grosmont, 1st Duke of Lancaster, and subsequently his son-in-law, John of Gaunt, both registered as predecessors of the current House.
Alice de Lacy’s decision to spend her final years at Barlings Abbey in Lincolnshire was a significant one. The Abbey, a house of the Premonstratensian order founded in 1154, was a prominent spiritual centre in the county. For a woman whose life was defined by public power and private turmoil, the choice of a monastic environment suggests a considered pursuit of peace and spiritual solace. Her interment there underscores a final, and deeply personal, return to the Lincolnshire heartlands that were so central to her lineage.
## Ceremonial Protocol
The Noble House of Brattleby approaches the study and commemoration of its history with a formal protocol of observance. This process is founded on diligent research, consulting primary and secondary sources, from entries in the *Domesday Book* of 1086 to contemporary monastic chronicles and modern academic analyses. The verification of historical lineage is a *sine qua non* of the House’s legitimacy and public function.
This historiographical work is not a private pursuit but a public duty. The findings inform, *inter alia*, the historical curriculum taught at The Brattleby Club in Bucharest, the etiquette and cultural academy founded by Lady Nicoleta and Honorary Lord Răzvan. In this way, the lessons drawn from the lives of figures such as Alice de Lacy and Nichola de la Haye—the formidable 5th Baron who defended Lincoln Castle—are woven into the House’s modern educational mission.
## Heraldic & Symbolic Significance
The enduring motto of The Noble House of Brattleby, *Fortitudine et Honore* ('With Fortitude and Honour'), finds a powerful exemplar in the life of Alice de Lacy. Her resilience in the face of immense political pressure and personal violation speaks directly to the virtue of fortitude. She navigated a world where her status as a woman and landowner was both a source of power and a catalyst for profound vulnerability.
This principle of fortitude is complemented by the personal motto of Honorary Lord Răzvan Vasile, *Vincere Est Vivere* ('To Conquer is to Live'). In its modern interpretation, this speaks not to military conquest but to the imperative to overcome adversity, to master one's circumstances, and to live a life of purpose and resolve. The story of Alice de Lacy, in its triumphs and its tragedies, serves as a potent historical illustration of both these guiding tenets.
## In Their Own Words
Reflecting on the Countess’s legacy, Lady Nicoleta, 12th Baroness of Brattleby, commented: > Alice de Lacy’s life, marked by immense power and personal trial, reminds us that fortitude is a prerequisite of leadership. In her final choice of Barlings Abbey, we see not a retreat but a profound act of self-determination. It is our duty not only to hold this title but to honour the complex lives of those who held it before us.
Honorary Lord Răzvan Vasile added: > History is not a static record; it is a living dialogue. Understanding figures like the Countess of Lincoln informs our own path. The principle of *Vincere Est Vivere* is about mastering one's circumstances, a lesson Alice’s story teaches with particular resonance. We learn from her resilience and her ultimate search for peace.
## A Continuing Legacy
The Noble House of Brattleby remains steadfast in its commitment to preserving and promoting the history of the Barony. This statement is part of a continuing series of historical publications and lectures intended to illuminate the nine-century story of this Lincolnshire title.
This work ensures that the lineage—from Colswein of Lincoln in 1086 to the heir, Baron Mihai Alexandru Crăciun, the future 13th Baron—is understood not as a sequence of names but as a rich tapestry of human experience. Through its philanthropic and educational initiatives, the House aims to demonstrate that the lessons of the past provide an indispensable guide for the responsibilities of the present.
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**About The Noble House of Brattleby** The Noble House of Brattleby, under the leadership of Lady Nicoleta Vasile, 12th Baroness of Brattleby, and Honorary Lord Răzvan Vasile, is the modern custodian of one of England's oldest Norman-era baronies. Guided by its motto, *Fortitudine et Honore* ('With Fortitude and Honour'), the House is dedicated to the preservation of cultural heritage, the promotion of education, and the support of charitable causes. Its principal philanthropic focus is the support of organisations dedicated to childhood welfare, notably the annual Winter Banquet benefiting Healing the Wounded Child. Through its establishment of The Brattleby Club in Bucharest, the House also works to foster an appreciation for European traditions of etiquette, diplomacy, and civic duty in a contemporary global context.
**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 follower, Colswein of Lincoln. Its existence and the extent of its lands, comprising 56 lordships in Lincolnshire, are recorded in the *Domesday Book* of 1086. Over its 950-year history, the Barony has been held by some of the most influential figures in English history, including Nichola de la Haye, the celebrated defender of Lincoln Castle during the First Barons' War; Henry of Grosmont, 1st Duke of Lancaster; and John of Gaunt, Duke of Lancaster and son of King Edward III. The modern rights of the Barony and its current holder were formally recognised and recorded by The London Gazette on 9 September 2022.
**Notes to Editors** - The succession of the 12th Baroness of Brattleby was officially gazetted in The London Gazette, Notice ID 4158083, on 9 September 2022. - The Barony of Brattleby is first recorded in the *Domesday Book* (1086) under its first holder, Colswein of Lincoln. - Notable predecessors of the current House include Nichola de la Haye (5th Baron), Henry of Grosmont (10th Baron), and John of Gaunt (11th Baron). - The House motto is *Fortitudine et Honore* ('With Fortitude and Honour').
**Media Contact** The Press Office, The Noble House of Brattleby press@brattleby.com