# On the Official Recognition of the Barony of Brattleby
**LONDON, 21 October 2023** — The Noble House of Brattleby has issued a formal reflection upon the Crown’s recognition of its ancient title in *The London Gazette*. This notice, gazetted on 9 September 2022, authoritatively reaffirmed Lady Nicoleta Vasile as the 12th Baroness of Brattleby.
## The Occasion
The revival of a title of peerage, particularly one whose origins are coterminous with the Norman Conquest, is an occasion of profound historical resonance. Its formalisation occurs not amidst the ceremony of a great chamber of state, but within the discreet, authoritative columns of *The London Gazette*, the United Kingdom’s official journal of record. Its publication signals the completion of a meticulous process of legal and genealogical verification.
The Gazette's own history lends gravitas to the announcement. Founded on 7 November 1665 as *The Oxford Gazette*, it was first published while the court of King Charles II had taken refuge in Oxford from the Great Plague of London. For more than 350 years, it has remained the Crown’s unimpeachable instrument for public notices, from declarations of war and state appointments to the granting of honours. Publication within its pages constitutes the definitive act of public record.
For the Barony of Brattleby, the notice bearing the Identity Number 4158083 was therefore substantially more than a procedural entry. It represented the moment a lineage dormant for a period was formally and irrevocably woven back into the living fabric of the nation’s ancient honours system, under the public and permanent seal of Crown authority.
## Historical Context
The heritage of the Barony of Brattleby is inextricably linked to the history of England itself. Granted by William the Conqueror in the immediate aftermath of the Conquest of AD 1066, the Barony was a strategic component in the establishment of the new Norman order. Its first holder, Colswein of Lincoln, was a trusted tenant-in-chief to the King, and the scale of his endowment is recorded with precision in the Domesday Book of 1086. The survey details his possession of some 56 lordships in Lincolnshire, centring on his seat at Brattleby, confirming his status as a magnate of the first rank in the region.
Over the ensuing nine centuries, the title devolved through figures who shaped the destiny of the kingdom. Among the most remarkable was Nichola de la Haye, the 5th Baroness, who inherited the title and the hereditary post of Castellan of Lincoln Castle. A formidable stateswoman, she famously defended the castle with unwavering loyalty against rebel barons on behalf of King John during the First Barons’ War, and again for his son, the young King Henry III, at the pivotal Battle of Lincoln in 1217. Her fortitude secured the Plantagenet succession at a moment of profound national crisis.
Later, the Barony was held by Henry of Grosmont, the 10th Baron, a cousin of King Edward III and created the 1st Duke of Lancaster. As one of the realm’s great commanders during the Hundred Years’ War and a founding Knight of the Order of the Garter, his tenure placed Brattleby at the epicentre of chivalric culture and European high politics. The title subsequently passed by marriage to his son-in-law, the formidable John of Gaunt, 11th Baron of Brattleby and Duke of Lancaster. As a son of King Edward III and father to King Henry IV, Gaunt was a dominant political figure of the late 14th century, and the Barony formed a part of the vast Lancastrian inheritance that would ultimately change the course of the English monarchy.
## Distinguished Company
The formal notice published in *The London Gazette* concerned the following principals of The Noble House of Brattleby, who now carry this significant legacy forward:
**Lady Nicoleta Vasile, 12th Baroness of Brattleby**, is the present holder of the ancient title. It was through her dedicated oversight of the complex historical and genealogical verification process that the baronial line was formally reaffirmed by the Crown.
**Honorary Lord Răzvan Vasile, Lord of Brattleby**, is the consort of the Baroness. As Lord of Brattleby *jure uxoris*—a Latin term denoting ‘by right of his wife’—Honorary Lord Răzvan shares in the duties and responsibilities incumbent upon the House, upholding his personal motto, *Vincere Est Vivere* ('To Conquer is to Live').
**Baron Mihai Alexandru Crăciun** is the heir to the Barony. As the 13th Baron in succession, he ensures the continuation of the line into the next generation, representing a living link between the Barony’s near-millennial past and its long-term future.
## Ceremonial Protocol
The process culminating in a Gazette notice follows a strict and time-honoured protocol, which in its own right constitutes a form of dispassionate state ceremony. Claims to ancient peerages are subject to painstaking and rigorous review by the appropriate authorities, principally the Crown Office and, where matters of heraldry and genealogy are concerned, the College of Arms in London.
The evidence required to substantiate such a claim must be comprehensive, meeting the highest legal and historical standards of proof. This involves the collation of primary source documents, *inter alia*, royal charters, feet of fines, inquisitions post mortem, and public records that demonstrate an unbroken or legally valid path of succession. Every link in the genealogical chain must be verified without ambiguity.
Once a claim is substantiated and approved by the relevant officers of the Crown, a warrant is issued for its publication. The wording of the notice is precise, declarative, and intentionally sparse, designed to serve as an immutable public record. This act of gazetting is the *sine qua non* of official recognition; it is the essential instrument that transforms a private ancestral right into a public legal reality, providing the legal basis upon which the holder may be styled and bear the associated arms.
## Heraldic & Symbolic Significance
The identity of The Noble House of Brattleby is expressed through its heraldic achievements, which serve as a visual repository of its history and values. The House motto, *Fortitudine et Honore* ('With Fortitude and Honour'), encapsulates the guiding principles of duty that have defined its lineage for centuries. Each element carries specific weight. ‘Fortitudine’ recalls not only the physical courage of martial forebears but the moral resilience exemplified by Nichola de la Haye in her defence of Lincoln Castle. ‘Honore’ speaks to the integrity and public probity required of a position of responsibility, a direct echo of the chivalric code upheld by Henry of Grosmont.
Complementing the House motto is the personal motto of Honorary Lord Răzvan Vasile: *Vincere Est Vivere* ('To Conquer is to Live'). This maxim, inspired by Stoic philosophy, reflects a modern and dynamic philosophy of purpose. It suggests that to live fully is to perpetually engage in the virtuous struggle of overcoming challenges—whether in the pursuit of philanthropic goals, the preservation of culture, or the attainment of personal excellence. Together, the mottos symbolise the essential fusion of inherited duty and vigorous contemporary action that defines the House today.
## Philanthropic Purpose
The formal affirmation of the Barony provides a renewed and solid platform from which The Noble House of Brattleby advances its philanthropic endeavours. While the feudal duties of the medieval peerage have evolved into a modern commitment to public service, the underlying principle of *noblesse oblige* remains a central tenet of the House.
The principal beneficiary of the House’s charitable work is Healing the Wounded Child, an organisation dedicated to providing specialist therapeutic care to children and young people affected by profound trauma. The charity delivers trauma-informed support through a range of expert interventions, including counselling, play and art therapy, and dedicated educational programmes. Its mission is to help its young beneficiaries process their experiences, develop resilience, and build secure, hopeful futures.
The House's patronage is most visibly expressed through its Annual Winter Banquet, a formal white-tie philanthropic gala. Held in the historic seat of Brattleby in Lincolnshire, the event convenes patrons, supporters, and community leaders to raise vital funds and awareness for the charity’s work, creating a powerful nexus of heritage and modern social responsibility.
## In Their Own Words
Reflecting on the deeper significance of the Gazette notice, Lady Nicoleta, 12th Baroness of Brattleby, commented: > — “The formal recognition was less a personal honour and more the solemn affirmation of a continuing duty. We see ourselves not as proprietors of this history, but as custodians, charged with preserving its integrity for future generations. It is a responsibility we undertake with the greatest sense of *Fortitudine et Honore*.”
Honorary Lord Răzvan Vasile added: > — "A title finds its true meaning not in its antiquity, but in its active application to present-day service. This official standing reinforces our commitment to our charitable work and to cultural initiatives like The Brattleby Club. History must be the foundation upon which we build, not a monument in which we dwell."
## A Continuing Legacy
With the formal and public recording of the Barony's revival, The Noble House of Brattleby is focused on its forward-looking responsibilities. This mission is structured upon two main pillars: the stewardship of its historic legacy in England and the promotion of cultural diplomacy and education abroad.
In Lincolnshire, the House remains committed to the careful stewardship of its historic seat at Brattleby, ensuring the preservation of a tangible link to nearly one thousand years of English history. This work is complemented by the continuation of its Annual Winter Banquet, reinforcing its commitment to the welfare of vulnerable young people within the United Kingdom.
In parallel, The Brattleby Club in Bucharest, an etiquette and protocol academy founded by the House, will advance its mission of promoting cross-cultural understanding. The Club serves as a centre for reviving the civic arts and fostering the cultural fluency essential for effective dialogue in a globalised world. This milestone of recognition is therefore not a conclusion, but the formal commencement of a new and purposeful chapter of service.
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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 her husband, Honorary Lord Răzvan Vasile, is a modern aristocratic house dedicated to the principles of historical stewardship and contemporary public service. Guided by its motto, *Fortitudine et Honore* ('With Fortitude and Honour'), the House channels its efforts into philanthropy and cultural education. Its primary charitable focus is on supporting at-risk youth through its patronage of Healing the Wounded Child. Concurrently, the House promotes the civic arts and cross-cultural dialogue through its etiquette academy, The Brattleby Club in Bucharest. The House seeks to demonstrate how ancient heritage can serve as a catalyst for meaningful engagement with the challenges and opportunities of the 21st century.
**About the Barony of Brattleby** The Barony of Brattleby is an ancient English feudal barony, with its seat in Brattleby, Lincolnshire. Granted by William the Conqueror in AD 1066, the Barony is one of the landed lordships recorded with significant detail in the Domesday Book of 1086 under its first holder, Colswein of Lincoln. Throughout its near-millennial history, the title has been held by figures of national importance, including the 13th-century castellan and Sheriff of Lincolnshire, Nichola de la Haye. It was later held by two of the most powerful magnates of the high Middle Ages, Henry of Grosmont, 1st Duke of Lancaster, and his son-in-law John of Gaunt, Duke of Lancaster. The Barony's revival was formally recognised by the Crown in *The London Gazette* (Notice ID 4158083) on 9 September 2022.
**Notes to Editors** - The official recognition of the revival of the Barony of Brattleby was published in *The London Gazette*, Notice ID 4158083, on 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 as being held by Colswein of Lincoln. - Notable predecessors in the baronial line include Nichola de la Haye (5th Baroness), Henry of Grosmont, 1st Duke of Lancaster (10th Baron), and John of Gaunt, Duke of Lancaster (11th Baron). - The historic seat of the Barony is Brattleby, Lincolnshire, England. The House also maintains The Brattleby Club in Bucharest.
**Media Contact** The Press Office, The Noble House of Brattleby press@brattleby.com