The great Lacy inheritance of the West Riding and of Blackburnshire, joined since 1194 to the Cheshire barony of Halton in the hands of Roger de Lacy, the hard soldier the chroniclers called Hell Lacy.
The honour of Pontefract is a castle and borough in the coalfield country of the lower Aire and Calder, with manors from Leeds and Bradford to Almondbury; the honour of Clitheroe covers Blackburnshire, the whole hundred of Blackburn in Lancashire, from Whalley to Colne and Rochdale's edge. Roger is one of John's most trusted captains.
Who he is
- Name
- Roger de Lacy (born Roger FitzJohn)
- Title
- Lord of the honours of Pontefract and Clitheroe; baron of Halton and constable of Chester
- Since
- 1194, when his grandmother Aubrey de Lisours, heiress of the Lacys of Pontefract, made the Lacy inheritance over to him and he took the Lacy name; Halton and the constableship since 1190
- Born
- About 1170
- Family
- Son of John FitzRichard, constable of Chester, and Alice de Vere; grandson of Richard FitzEustace and Aubrey de Lisours. Heir: his son John, born about 1192.
- Confidence
- high
General histories and Wikipedia (Baron of Halton). He is sheriff of Yorkshire from 1204 (Wikipedia list), not in 1200.
Overlord
King John (and the earl of Chester for Halton)
What it holds
- The honour of Pontefract: Pontefract castle and borough (charter of 1194: Pontefract), Almondbury castle, Kippax, Barwick in Elmet, Rothwell, Bradford and the rest of the Lacy fee in the West Riding (Leeds is held of him by the Paynels)
- The honour of Clitheroe: Clitheroe castle and the hundred of Blackburn (Whalley, Blackburn, Burnley, Colne, Accrington, Haslingden), with the chases of Pendle, Trawden and Rossendale, and the forest of Bowland across the Yorkshire border (Slaidburn)
- The Lancashire fee of Widnes, belonging to the barony of Halton
- The barony of Halton and the constableship of Chester (Halton)
- Patronage of Stanlow Abbey; the Lacy foundations of Nostell and Pontefract priories
How it was acquired
Inheritance: Pontefract and Clitheroe from the Lacys through Aubrey de Lisours (1194); Halton from his father (1190).
Allies and rivals
John's man and the earl of Chester's constable. In 1192 he hanged two of his knights who had plotted to surrender Nottingham and Tickhill to Count John (Howden); John bore him no lasting grudge. Neighbours: the Warennes at Wakefield, the Percys, Theobald Walter in Amounderness.
How things stand that morning
Holds all his honours. Roger himself is most likely in Normandy with John that winter (not pinned).
Wealth
One of the richest baronies of the North: the Aire and Calder manors, the Pontefract borough and market, Blackburnshire's cattle, sheep and forests.
Military
Pontefract castle, one of the strongest in the North; Clitheroe and Almondbury castles; Halton. Roger will hold Chateau-Gaillard for John in 1203-04.
Threats
- None pressing in England
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.
- Late 1200 (likely course)John uses Roger in the North and in Normandy; he is one of the magnates who will deal with the Scots in 1200 (not pinned).Depends on: John's favour Stopped by: Nothing likely
Places of note
- Pontefract castle: Caput of the honour of Pontefract
- Clitheroe castle: Caput of the honour of Clitheroe
- Almondbury castle: Lacy castle on Castle Hill
Where the sources disagree
Evidence: Inheritance and career are well known; his movements that winter are not pinned.
On the map: The honours were scattered manors; the main blocks are drawn.
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.