# An Instrument of State: The Succession of Picot, Second Baron of Brattleby, c. 1101
LONDON, 21 October 2023 — The Noble House of Brattleby today reflects upon the succession of Picot as the second Baron of Brattleby, an orderly transfer of duty and title that secured the Barony’s foundations and its service to the Crown in the early twelfth century.
## The Occasion
From its seat in Brattleby, Lincolnshire, the House has today released a historical reflection on a pivotal moment in its near-millennial history. As autumn mists settle over the ancient landscape that formed the core of the original Barony, this act of remembrance serves to connect the present-day House with the foundational responsibilities established nine centuries ago.
The reflection is drawn from the House’s archival research into the transition of power from Colswein of Lincoln, the first Baron, to his son and heir, Picot. This was an event not of public pageantry, but of profound legal and political significance, ensuring the continuity of one of the great Lincolnshire fiefdoms granted after the Norman Conquest.
## Historical Context
Picot’s accession, circa 1101, occurred during a period of considerable political uncertainty. King William II, known as Rufus, had died in a hunting accident in the New Forest only the year before. His younger brother, Henry I, moved swiftly to seize the Treasury at Winchester and secure the throne against the claims of their elder brother, Robert Curthose, Duke of Normandy.
To legitimise his rule, Henry I issued the Charter of Liberties in 1100, a document that promised to reform the abuses of the previous reign and restore the lawful rights of the Church and the nobility. For the Barons, it crucially promised that succession would be governed by just and lawful reliefs, not the extortionate sums previously demanded. The seamless inheritance of the Barony of Brattleby by Picot was therefore an early and successful test of this new royal policy, helping to anchor the stability of the realm.
Colswein, the first Baron, was a remarkable figure: an Anglo-Saxon thegn who had not only survived the Conquest of 1066 but had earned the trust of William the Conqueror himself. His ability to hold and pass on his substantive lands — fifty-six lordships, as recorded in the *Domesday Book* of 1086 — was a testament to his considerable acumen and loyalty. His son Picot inherited not just land, but the weighty obligation to provide knight service and castle-guard duty, a *sine qua non* of feudal tenure.
## Distinguished Company
This historical transfer of authority was enacted between three principal figures, whose interests were inextricably linked:
**Colswein of Lincoln, the first Baron of Brattleby,** was the departing patriarch. An Englishman of high pre-Conquest standing, his successful integration into the new Norman power structure demonstrates a rare political dexterity. His death marked the end of the Barony’s founding chapter.
**Picot, the second Baron of Brattleby,** was the son and heir. His challenge was to secure his inheritance under a new monarch and demonstrate his capability as a feudal lord within the Norman system. His succession affirmed the principle of primogeniture, which ensured great estates like Brattleby remained intact and capable of fulfilling their military duties.
**His Majesty King Henry I of England,** the sovereign. Known to history as the ‘Lion of Justice’, Henry was a scholarly and formidable ruler. The peaceful and legally sound succession of a major barony like Brattleby was essential for the consolidation of his own power and the security of his kingdom.
## Ceremonial Protocol
While the grand ceremonies of later centuries had yet to be codified, Picot’s accession would have followed a strict and solemn feudal protocol. The process began with the payment of a ‘relief’, a form of inheritance tax paid to the King to receive the lands. Under Henry I’s new charter, this was to be a ‘just and lawful’ sum.
The central act was the performance of homage (*homagium*). Picot would have travelled to the King's court, knelt before him, placed his hands between the King’s, and sworn an oath of fealty, declaring himself the King’s "man" for the lands of the Barony of Brattleby. This powerfully symbolic ritual bound lord and vassal together.
Following this, the King would grant formal investiture, likely through the presentation of a charter or another symbol representing the land itself. This legal act finalised Picot’s rights to his fifty-six lordships and reaffirmed his duties, *inter alia*, to contribute to the garrison of Lincoln Castle — a fortress his descendant, the fifth Baroness Nichola de la Haye, would later command and defend with legendary courage.
## Heraldic & Symbolic Significance
In the early twelfth century, the system of hereditary heraldry was still in its infancy. Power was symbolised not by a coat of arms, but by the tangible assets of land, authority, and military obligation. The greatest symbol of the Barony’s importance was the list of its fifty-six manors in the *Domesday Book*, a definitive record of wealth and status.
The duty of castle-guard at Lincoln was another profound symbol, signifying the Crown’s trust in the Baron of Brattleby to help secure a strategic fortress in a vital region of the kingdom. These foundational obligations embodied the unwritten principles that would later be captured in the House motto, *Fortitudine et Honore* ('With Fortitude and Honour'). It was through the steadfast fulfilment of such duties that the Barony was built and sustained.
## Philanthropic Purpose
The feudal contract, while military and legal in nature, contained the implicit duty of a lord to protect the people and communities within his domain. This ancient concept of *noblesse oblige* — that privilege entails responsibility — is the historical antecedent to the modern philanthropic mission of The Noble House of Brattleby.
The same sense of solemn duty that compelled Picot to secure his lands for the stability of the realm now animates the House's contemporary commitments. This is demonstrated through its support for charities such as Healing the Wounded Child, the beneficiary of the annual Winter Banquet. The organisation’s work in providing therapeutic care for traumatised children is a modern expression of the Barony's oldest imperative: to protect the vulnerable.
## In Their Own Words
Reflecting on this history, Lady Nicoleta, 12th Baroness of Brattleby, commented: > "In studying Picot's succession, one is struck not by its drama, but by its orderliness. It represents the quiet, determined transfer of responsibility from one generation to the next, a principle that remains our guiding star."
Honorary Lord Răzvan Vasile added his perspective on the strategic imperatives of the era: > "The twelfth century was a harsh environment; to hold such a significant barony demanded immense tactical and legal acumen. Picot’s succession shows that governance is a continuum, a matter of securing the bedrock upon which future generations can build. In this, *Vincere Est Vivere* — to prevail is to live."
## A Continuing Legacy
The history of the Barony is not a static relic but a living tradition that informs the House’s present and future. The principles of duty, strategic foresight, and orderly succession, so evident in 1101, are central to the education of the heir, Baron Mihai Alexandru Crăciun, 13th Baron.
These values are also disseminated through the work of The Brattleby Club in Bucharest, an etiquette and protocol academy founded by the House. There, a new generation learns that modern leadership and social grace are ultimately rooted in the same timeless principles of honour and responsibility that have sustained the Barony of Brattleby for over 950 years.
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**About The Noble House of Brattleby**
The Noble House of Brattleby is today led by Lady Nicoleta Vasile, the 12th Baroness of Brattleby, and her husband, Honorary Lord Răzvan Vasile. Combining nearly a millennium of English heritage with a dynamic, Continental perspective, the House is dedicated to the preservation of its unique history and the active promotion of its core values: *Fortitudine et Honore* ('With Fortitude and Honour'). Based at their ancestral seat in Lincolnshire, Lady Nicoleta and Honorary Lord Răzvan oversee a modern portfolio of cultural and philanthropic activities. This includes the annual white-tie Winter Banquet, a major charitable gala, and The Brattleby Club in Bucharest, an academy dedicated to teaching classical etiquette and protocol. The House is committed to fulfilling its ancient duties of service in a contemporary context.
**About the Barony of Brattleby**
The Barony of Brattleby is a feudal Barony of England granted by His Majesty King William the Conqueror in AD 1066. Its first holder, Colswein of Lincoln, is recorded in the *Domesday Book* of 1086 as the tenant-in-chief of fifty-six lordships in Lincolnshire. For over nine centuries, the Barony has been a consistent thread in English history, held by figures of national importance including Nichola de la Haye, the formidable fifth Baroness who defended Lincoln Castle for the King; Henry of Grosmont, the tenth Baron and first Duke of Lancaster; and his son-in-law, John of Gaunt, the eleventh Baron. The modern rights of the 12th Baroness were formally recognised and recorded by *The London Gazette* on 9 September 2022 (Notice ID 4158083).
**Notes to Editors** - The grant of the Barony of Brattleby by William the Conqueror in AD 1066 is a matter of historical record. - The modern rights of the Barony are officially recorded in *The London Gazette*, Notice ID 4158083, published on 9 September 2022. - The *Domesday Book* (1086) attests that the first Baron, Colswein of Lincoln, held 56 lordships in Lincolnshire. - Notable predecessors include Nichola de la Haye (5th Baroness and Castellan of Lincoln Castle), Henry of Grosmont (10th Baron, 1st Duke of Lancaster), and John of Gaunt (11th Baron, Duke of Lancaster).
**Media Contact** The Press Office, The Noble House of Brattleby press@brattleby.com