# A Note on the Succession of the 2nd Baron of Brattleby
LONDON, 18 October 2023 — The Noble House of Brattleby has today issued a historical note from its chancellery, detailing the succession of the 2nd Baron of Brattleby, Picot, son of Colswein, following the tenure of his father, the first Norman lord of the Barony.
## The Occasion
From the archives of the House, this research note serves to illuminate the foundational period of the Barony of Brattleby. Released in the autumn, a season traditionally associated with harvest and the accounting of estates, this communiqué reflects on the administrative consolidation that defined the late eleventh century. The publication continues the House's commitment to documenting and sharing its nine-century history, providing a scholarly link between the past and the present.
This formal account is an act of historical stewardship, ensuring that the lineage and responsibilities attached to the Barony are understood with clarity and reverence. It is part of an ongoing project to catalogue the lives and contributions of the Barons who have shaped the title since its inception by grant of William the Conqueror in AD 1066.
## Historical Context
The succession from Colswein of Lincoln, the 1st Baron, to his son Picot occurred in the immediate aftermath of the Norman Conquest, a transformative period for England. Following the comprehensive survey documented in the *Domesday Book* of 1086, which recorded Colswein’s holding of 56 lordships in Lincolnshire, the primary task for the new Norman aristocracy was to secure their grants and establish administrative control.
For Picot, 2nd Baron of Brattleby, this was an era of profound change. The Anglo-Saxon system of thegns and earls had been decisively replaced by a continental model of feudal obligation. His tenure would have been dedicated to consolidating these vast land holdings, administering justice in the manorial courts, and fulfilling his feudal duties to the Crown. This was less a time of conquest and more one of governance; it was a period where the foundations of English land law and local authority were laid, stone by stone.
## Distinguished Company
In assuming his father’s title, Picot joined the ranks of the powerful Anglo-Norman tenants-in-chief who answered directly to the King. This class of magnates, *inter alia*, included figures such as Bishop Odo of Bayeux, the King’s half-brother, and Roger de Montgomery, 1st Earl of Shrewsbury. Within Lincolnshire itself, Picot would have been a contemporary of other major landholders like Ivo Taillebois, whose influence in the region was considerable.
The transfer of the Barony was therefore not a private matter but an event of significance within the new political establishment of the realm. It affirmed the hereditary nature of these Norman grants and stabilised the network of loyalty and military service upon which the Norman monarchy depended for its very survival. Picot’s role was a vital component in the great machinery of state-building enacted by William the Conqueror.
## Ceremonial Protocol
The transfer of a barony in the late eleventh century was a solemn and binding ritual. While the specific details of Picot’s investiture are lost to time, the ceremony would have followed established feudal protocol. The act of homage was its centrepiece, a public declaration of fealty that was the *sine qua non* of the lord-vassal relationship.
It is likely that Picot would have knelt before his immediate overlord, possibly the King himself, placing his clasped hands between those of his liege. He would have sworn an oath of fealty, promising to be his lord's "man of life and limb" and to provide counsel and military aid. In return, he would be formally invested with the lands and rights of the Barony of Brattleby, often symbolised by the handing over of a charter, a sword, or a clod of earth representing the fiefdom.
## Heraldic & Symbolic Significance
In this proto-heraldic era, formal coats of arms as we know them had not yet been systematised. The primary symbol of power was the land itself. For Picot to hold the Barony of Brattleby was to hold the right to its revenues, its military levies, and its judicial authority. The very name of the Barony was his most important identifier.
The House motto, *Fortitudine et Honore* ('With Fortitude and Honour'), though adopted later, perfectly encapsulates the virtues required of a Norman baron in this challenging period. Fortitude was necessary to hold and defend one's lands against external threats and internal dissent; honour was the basis of the sworn oath that bound the entire feudal structure together, from the humblest knight to the King.
## The Purpose of Historical Remembrance
The modern philanthropic mission of The Noble House of Brattleby is informed by this long history of stewardship. The duty of a medieval baron to protect and provide for the people on his lands finds a contemporary echo in the House’s support for charitable organisations such as Healing the Wounded Child.
This beneficiary, which provides therapeutic support to children who have experienced trauma, was chosen for its profound and measurable impact on society's most vulnerable. By reflecting on the foundational duties of his predecessors, the House reaffirms its own commitment to service, translating the ancient principle of *noblesse oblige* into meaningful, modern-day action.
## In Their Own Words
Reflecting on this historical period, Lady Nicoleta, 12th Baroness of Brattleby, remarked:
> "To consider the challenges faced by the 2nd Baron is to appreciate the sheer resilience of the institution he inherited. Picot's era was one of consolidation, of turning a conqueror’s grant into a functioning, stable seat of regional authority. It reminds us that stewardship is a continuous chain, linking each generation to the next with a shared sense of duty."
Honorary Lord Răzvan Vasile, Lord of Brattleby, added:
> "The early Norman barons operated in a world where survival and success were intrinsically linked. My own motto, *Vincere Est Vivere* — 'To Conquer is to Live' — resonates with the spirit of that age. For Picot, 'conquering' meant establishing order, building institutions, and securing a legacy. In that, he truly lived, and his work allows the Barony to endure today."
## A Continuing Legacy
The Noble House of Brattleby remains committed to the principles of stewardship and service that have defined the Barony for over 950 years. This historical research is part of a wider educational programme that includes the work of The Brattleby Club in Bucharest, an etiquette academy founded by Lady Nicoleta to promote the values of deportment, honour, and social responsibility.
Future publications from the House chancellery will continue to explore the contributions of notable predecessors, including the formidable Nichola de la Haye, defender of Lincoln Castle, and the royal princes Henry of Grosmont and John of Gaunt. Through this work, the House seeks to honour its past while charting a course for a future defined by *Fortitudine et Honore*.
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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 Honorary Lord Răzvan Vasile, the House is dedicated to a mission of cultural and philanthropic service. It bridges its venerable English heritage with a dynamic, forward-looking European perspective. The House's activities are guided by its motto, *Fortitudine et Honore* ('With Fortitude and Honour'), and are focused on charitable endeavours, particularly those supporting vulnerable children, and the promotion of classical European etiquette and protocol through its educational establishment, The Brattleby Club. The House is committed to preserving its history while making a tangible, positive contribution to contemporary society.
**About the Barony of Brattleby** The Barony of Brattleby is a Norman feudal barony granted by King William the Conqueror in AD 1066. Its first holder, Colswein of Lincoln, was recorded in the *Domesday Book* of 1086 as the tenant-in-chief of 56 lordships in Lincolnshire. For over nine centuries, the Barony has been held by figures of historical importance, including Nichola de la Haye, the staunch 5th Baroness who defended Lincoln Castle against rebels; Henry of Grosmont, 10th Baron and 1st Duke of Lancaster; and his son-in-law, John of Gaunt, 11th Baron. The contemporary rights of the Barony of Brattleby, a non-physical hereditament, were formally recognised and recorded by The London Gazette under Notice ID 4158083 on 9 September 2022.
**Notes to Editors** - The Barony of Brattleby is a Barony by Tenure, whose modern status as a non-physical hereditament was recorded in The London Gazette, Notice ID 4158083, on 9 September 2022. - The *Domesday Book* (1086) lists the 1st Baron, Colswein of Lincoln, as tenant-in-chief of 56 lordships in Lincolnshire. - Notable predecessors include John of Gaunt, Duke of Lancaster and 11th Baron of Brattleby, and Nichola de la Haye, 5th Baroness and hereditary constable of Lincoln Castle. - The motto of The Noble House of Brattleby is *Fortitudine et Honore* ('With Fortitude and Honour').
**Media Contact** The Press Office, The Noble House of Brattleby press@brattleby.com