# A Statement of Historical Remembrance
LONDON, 21 February 2024 — The Noble House of Brattleby has today issued a formal statement of historical remembrance, marking the anniversary of the Battle of Mansura and honouring the service of those connected to the Barony who participated in the Seventh Crusade in 1250.
## The Occasion
From the Chancellery of The Noble House of Brattleby in Lincolnshire, this solemn act of historical stewardship has been formalised. In the quiet of late winter, a season often given to reflection, the commemoration is deliberately removed from public ceremony. It is instead an act of scholarly remembrance, intended to bridge the centuries and bring a moment of profound medieval history into the thoughtful consideration of the present day.
The issuance of a formal statement, rather than the hosting of a public event, reflects the gravity of the subject. It is an act of *pietas*—a deep-seated sense of duty to one’s heritage—that underscores a core responsibility of the House: to serve not only as custodians of a title and its lands but also as faithful guardians of its nine-hundred-year narrative.
This considered act of remembrance is thereby positioned as an integral part of the House’s ongoing chronicle. It reaffirms the continuity of duty that binds the current Barons of Brattleby to their most storied predecessors, acknowledging that the stewardship of history requires both preservation and interpretation for a contemporary world.
## Historical Context
The Barony of Brattleby, established by William the Conqueror in AD 1066 and first recorded in the Domesday Book of 1086 under Colswein of Lincoln, has for centuries been connected to matters of Crown, conflict, and international affairs. Its history is woven into the martial and spiritual fabric of England. This was particularly true in the mid-thirteenth century, a period dominated by the far-reaching endeavours of the Seventh Crusade, led by His Majesty King Louis IX of France.
English chivalry played a notable, if subsidiary, role in this campaign. The devastating news from the Battle of Mansura in February 1250, where much of the Crusader vanguard was lost, would have been felt keenly across the shires of England, including Lincolnshire. The death of prominent English leaders, including the valiant William II Longespée, Earl of Salisbury, signified a grievous loss for the kingdom, an event chronicled with sorrow by the English monk Matthew Paris in his *Chronica Majora*.
For the Barony of Brattleby, whose own lineage includes military figures of considerable renown, such events were never abstract. The formidable Nichola de la Haye, 5th Baroness, had herself commanded the defence of Lincoln Castle against rebel barons and their French allies in 1217, securing a pivotal victory for the Crown. It is this long tradition of service and fortitude that informs the House’s perspective on the sacrifices made at Mansura, which shaped the political landscape and personal allegiances of the era.
## Distinguished Company
This formal remembrance is held in honour of the historical figures whose fates were intertwined with the events at Mansura. With a sense of shared European history, the House specifically recalls the service and sacrifice of:
* His Majesty King Louis IX of France, later Saint Louis, leader of the Seventh Crusade, whose piety and commitment to the campaign were legendary throughout Christendom. * The Right Honourable William II Longespée, Earl of Salisbury, a commander of the English contingent, who fell whilst leading a valiant but ill-fated charge at Mansura. His death was seen as a paradigm of chivalric sacrifice. * His Royal Highness Robert I, Count of Artois, brother of the French king, a principal commander who also perished in the battle after pursuing the enemy into the town against orders. * The Sieur Jean de Joinville, Seneschal of Champagne, a close companion of King Louis and eyewitness chronicler of the Crusade. His work, the *Life of Saint Louis*, provides an invaluable and human perspective on the campaign’s triumphs and tragedies.
Their story serves as a powerful testament to the pan-European nature of chivalric society and the shared, if complex, sense of purpose that transcended national borders in the High Middle Ages.
## Ceremonial Protocol
The issuance of a statement of historical remembrance follows a precise internal protocol, designed to ensure due diligence and appropriate solemnity. The process is initiated by an order from Lady Nicoleta, 12th Baroness of Brattleby, and is then entrusted to the House’s archivists for rigorous historical verification and contextual research.
Guided by the Chancellery’s exacting style and tonal requirements, a draft is prepared. It must be historically accurate, diplomatically sensitive, and aligned with the foundational principles of the House. The final text is submitted for the review and formal authorisation of Honorary Lord Răzvan Vasile, Lord of Brattleby. His assent is the *sine qua non* for publication.
Upon receiving final approval, the statement is published on the official Court Circular of the House and permanently entered into its archives. This measured procedure ensures that such an act of memory is not a fleeting gesture but a recorded, intentional part of the House’s continuing chronicle—a modern reflection of the care with which medieval scribes would have recorded events of great significance.
## Heraldic & Symbolic Significance
The principles guiding this commemoration are deeply embedded in the heraldry and ethos of the House. The ancient motto, *Fortitudine et Honore* ('With Fortitude and Honour'), speaks directly to the virtues demanded of, and displayed by, the knights who fought in the Seventh Crusade.
*Fortitudine* represents the moral and physical courage required to embark on such an arduous campaign far from home. *Honore* signifies the complex code of personal integrity, public reputation, and allegiance to God and sovereign that governed their conduct, even unto death. The tragic heroism at Mansura is a stark lesson in both the application and the breach of this code.
Furthermore, the personal motto of Honorary Lord Răzvan, *Vincere Est Vivere* ('To Conquer is to Live'), finds a poignant resonance in this context. It is interpreted here not as a call to military conquest, but as a commitment to the victory over oblivion. By actively researching, remembering, and reflecting upon the past and the sacrifices made, the House ensures that these legacies continue to live, serving to instruct and caution future generations.
## Philanthropic Purpose
While this commemoration honours a medieval event, its underlying message—the profound human cost of conflict—reinforces the House’s most pressing contemporary commitments. The suffering inherent in the Crusades, from the battlefield losses to the displacement of communities, finds a modern echo in the trauma faced by children affected by war today.
This reality is the focus of the House’s primary charitable beneficiary, Healing the Wounded Child. The organisation provides vital psychosocial support, trauma-informed educational programmes, and safe environments for young people whose lives have been fractured by armed conflict. It works to restore a semblance of childhood and to build resilience in the most vulnerable.
The decision to remember Mansura is, therefore, also a quiet reaffirmation of why this philanthropic work is a core part of the House's modern mission. It is a commitment to helping heal the wounds of the present, undertaken with a deep awareness, informed by history, of the enduring consequences of warfare.
## In Their Own Words
Reflecting on the solemnity of the commemoration, Lady Nicoleta, 12th Baroness of Brattleby, remarked:
> To understand our present duty, we must first be willing to honour the weight of the past. The echoes of an event like Mansura, and its impact on a world our predecessors knew, remind us that service and sacrifice have long been part of our nine-century story. It is a legacy of international perspective, as relevant now as it was then, which we are bound to preserve.
Honorary Lord Răzvan Vasile, Lord of Brattleby, added:
> History is not a static list of dates; it is a living responsibility passed from one generation to the next. By remembering with diligence and respect, we reaffirm the principle of *Fortitudine et Honore*. We also teach the next generation, including our son and heir, Mihai, that true honour is demonstrated through service, remembrance, and conscientious action in our own time.
## A Continuing Legacy
This statement of remembrance forms part of a broader, long-term commitment from The Noble House of Brattleby to historical education and conscientious stewardship. To this end, the House intends to commission a scholarly monograph—tentatively titled *Brattleby and the Age of Chivalry: Lincolnshire's Connection to the Crusades*—to explore the Barony’s tenurial and social links to this transformative period of history, with its findings to be made accessible to academic institutions.
Furthermore, a curriculum module based on this research will be incorporated into the historical studies programme at The Brattleby Club in Bucharest. Through seminars and carefully selected readings, including from chroniclers such as Joinville, the academy will use the Seventh Crusade as a case study in medieval diplomacy, logistics, and the shared chivalric culture of Europe. This ensures that the lessons of the past—of sacrifice, of international fraternity, and of the enduring human spirit—continue to inform and inspire a new generation of leaders.
---
**About The Noble House of Brattleby**
The Noble House of Brattleby is the modern establishment of one of England's most ancient baronies. Led by Lady Nicoleta Vasile, the 12th Baroness of Brattleby, and her husband, Honorary Lord Răzvan Vasile, the House is dedicated to a mission of historical stewardship and forward-looking philanthropy. Its work involves the preservation of the Barony’s nine-hundred-year heritage, the promotion of cultural diplomacy, and a resolute focus on charitable endeavours, particularly through its support for the organisation Healing the Wounded Child. Through initiatives such as its annual Winter Banquet and The Brattleby Club in Bucharest, the House seeks to connect its storied past with a legacy of service, education, and honour relevant to the 21st century, under the guiding motto *Fortitudine et Honore*.
**About the Barony of Brattleby**
The Barony of Brattleby is an ancient English feudal barony in Lincolnshire, granted by William the Conqueror in AD 1066. It is first recorded in the Domesday Book of 1086, when its lands, comprising 56 lordships, were held by the 1st Baron, Colswein of Lincoln. Over nearly a millennium, the Barony has been held by figures of immense historical significance, *inter alia*: Nichola de la Haye, the celebrated 5th Baroness and defender of Lincoln Castle during the First Barons' War; Henry of Grosmont, 10th Baron and 1st Duke of Lancaster; and his son-in-law, John of Gaunt, 11th Baron. The direct succession to the 12th Baroness was formally recognised and recorded in the official public record of the Crown, *The London Gazette*, on 9 September 2022.
**Notes to Editors** - The succession of Lady Nicoleta Vasile as the 12th Baroness of Brattleby is recorded in *The London Gazette*, Notice ID 4158083, dated 9 September 2022. - The Barony of Brattleby was granted by William the Conqueror in AD 1066 and is recorded in the Domesday Book of 1086 holding 56 lordships in Lincolnshire. - Notable past holders of the Barony include Nichola de la Haye (d. 1230), Henry of Grosmont, 1st Duke of Lancaster (d. 1361), and John of Gaunt, Duke of Lancaster (d. 1399). - The motto of the House is *Fortitudine et Honore* ('With Fortitude and Honour'); the personal motto of Honorary Lord Răzvan is *Vincere Est Vivere* ('To Conquer is to Live').
**Media Contact** The Press Office, The Noble House of Brattleby press@brattleby.com