A young shire, separated from the land 'between Ribble and Mersey' (once counted with Cheshire) and from Amounderness and Lonsdale (once with Yorkshire); it accounts as a county from the reign of Henry II.
Almost all of it is the honour of Lancaster, John's own as count of Mortain and now the king's, with Lancaster castle as the shire castle. Inside it lie the honour of Clitheroe (Lacy), Theobald Walter's Amounderness, the baronies of Manchester, Hornby, Newton, Warrington and Widnes, and north of the sands the abbey of Furness and the priory of Cartmel.
Who holds it
- Name
- Theobald Walter (probable): sheriff from 1194 to Christmas 1198 and again after John's accession (Wikipedia article on him)
- Title
- Sheriff of Lancashire
- Since
- 1199, not pinned to a date
- Confidence
- low
Overlord
King John
How things stand that morning
Held for the king. Theobald Walter's accounts are under scrutiny: in early 1200 he is deprived of all his offices and lands.
Sheriff in 1200
Theobald Walter (probable): sheriff from 1194 to Christmas 1198 and again after John's accession (Wikipedia article on him). 1199, not pinned to a date
Answers for
The farm of the county and of the honour of Lancaster; the profits of justice; custody of Lancaster and West Derby castles and of the forest of Lancaster.
Hundreds
- West Derby
- Salford
- Leyland
- Blackburn (the Lacy honour of Clitheroe)
- Amounderness
- Lonsdale (with Furness and Cartmel north of the sands)
Forests
- Royal: the forest of Lancaster (Quernmore, Wyresdale, Bleasdale, Myerscough, Fulwood, Toxteth, Croxteth, Simonswood)
- Private: Pendle, Trawden and Rossendale (Lacy); the Furness fells (disputed between the barons of Kendal and Furness Abbey)
Castles
- Royal: Lancaster, West Derby
- Baronial: Clitheroe, Hornby, Penwortham, Warrington (mottes)
Liberties
The honour of Clitheroe; Amounderness; Furness Abbey's liberty; Cartmel Priory.
What the year holds
What happened next, if nothing in play changes it. Each event carries what it depends on and what would stop it.
- Early 1200Theobald Walter loses the shrievalty and his lands (Wikipedia).Depends on: John's audit Stopped by: Hubert Walter's intercession
- 1200 (after Theobald's fall)Richard de Vernon becomes sheriff (Wikipedia list: 1200-1204).Depends on: Royal appointment Stopped by: Nothing likely
Places of note
- Shire town and castle: Seat of the sheriff and the county court
Where the sources disagree
- The Wikipedia list of sheriffs gives Robert de Tattershall for 1199-1200 and names Theobald only for 1194; the Wikipedia article on Theobald says he was sheriff again after John's accession until early 1200. The names listed for 1194-99 (Benedict Garnet, Robert Vavasour, Nicholas le Boteler, Stephen of Thornham) look like Theobald's deputies. Not resolved: the campaign may prefer Robert de Tattershall as the sheriff that morning.
Evidence: The sheriff that winter is uncertain; the shire and the honour are certain.
On the map: Historic county including Furness and Cartmel; rough outline.
Primary sources for England
Chronicles, registers, sagas and inscriptions written in or near 1200 that cover this entry. Each has its own page with editions, translations and where to read it.
- Chronicle of Jocelin of Brakelond, Jocelin of Brakelond (about 1198 to 1203). An inside account of Bury St Edmunds under Abbot Samson, written while the events were fresh. Read online
- Chronicle of Melrose, Anonymous (monks of Melrose abbey) (about 1173 to 1270, in many hands; the 1200 entries are near contemporary). The main Scottish annal for the year, kept at a Cistercian house on the Tweed. Read online
- Chronicle of Roger of Howden, Roger of Howden (about 1192 to 1201). The fullest single narrative for the year. Read online
- Chronicle of the Princes, Anonymous (Welsh translation of a lost Latin chronicle kept at Strata Florida) (Latin original to about 1282, compiled from contemporary annals; Welsh versions about 1300 and later). The native Welsh record of the year. Read online
- Chronicle; Deeds of the Kings, Gervase of Canterbury (Chronica about 1188 to 1199; Gesta Regum about 1199 to 1210). The Chronica stops in 1199, so for 1200 the witness is the briefer Gesta Regum, which notes John's peace with Philip, the coronation of Isabella at Westminster on 8 October 1200, and matters touching Canterbury: the archbishop Hubert Walter as chancellor, the cathedral priory's quarrel with him, and the Lambeth college dispute lately settled by the pope. Read online
- English Chronicle of Ralph of Coggeshall, Ralph of Coggeshall (about 1200 to 1224, in stages). Short but independent entries for 1200 from a Cistercian house in Essex: John's levy on the Cistercians and the carucage, the peace with Philip, the king's new marriage and the queen's coronation, and the death of Hugh of Lincoln. Read online
- Flowers of History, Roger of Wendover (about 1220 to 1235 at St Albans). For 1200 Wendover is mostly Howden rewritten, so he is a second witness only where he adds St Albans material: a long account of Hugh of Lincoln's last months, death and funeral, and anecdotes about John's conduct toward the Cistercians and his new queen. Read online
- Images of History, Ralph de Diceto (about 1188 to 1202). A London view of the year from the dean of St Paul's, who knew the justiciar and the bishops personally. Read online
22 more in the sources library for The British Isles.
Sources and studies
Last revised 4 November 2026. Published 4 November 2026. Suggest a correction on the OMNIA Discord.