Roger de Derby of Formby

Roger de Derby, theghn of Formby. Has son Richard, and is involved with land transactions with Hugh de Corona. (See Hugh sources). Hugh is stated as using his mother's name, which was important in Chesire (Ormerod). It seems that his sister, Avice, is a half sister.

Coat of Arms: Formby of Formby. Argent, a lion rampant gules, on a chief azure two doves argent.

About Formby: In 1066 there were in FORMBY proper three manors, held by three thegns, the land being assessed as four plough-lands and said to be worth 10s. beyond the customary rent. (fn. 13) A quarter of Formby, or one plough-land, was after the Conquest granted to or retained by a family of thegns who also held Bootle and Woodplumpton. (fn. 14) Richard, son of Roger, son of Ravenkil, died in 1200, when his lands were divided between his four daughters. One of these, Quenilda, wife of Jordan de Thornhill, was tenant in 1212. (fn. 15)

The remainder was probably taken into the demesne of West Derby; (fn. 16) but a second of the four ploughlands was granted by Henry I, or perhaps by Stephen, when count of Mortain, as a serjeanty to be held by the service of escorting or conducting the king's treasury from the southern confines of the county as far as Blackbrook; it was held in 1212 by Quenilda de Kirkdale as heir of her father Roger. Roger had enfeoffed William son of Norman of this plough-land, and William in turn had granted it to Quenilda, wife of Jordan de Thornhill; (fn. 17) she was thus in possession of half the vill though by different tenures. It descended like her other lands to the Stockport and Beetham families; (fn. 18) the one moiety descending through the Eatons to the Warrens, (fn. 19) and the other by confiscation in 1487 came into possession of the earls of Derby. (fn. 20) John Warren in 1561 by fine released his fourth part of the manor to Henry Halsall of Halsall, (fn. 21) and two years later Edward, earl of Derby, sold his fourth share to the same Henry Halsall. (fn. 22) The other moiety of Formby was granted by John, count of Mortain, to Richard son of Roger, thegn of Woodplumpton, who held it until the rebellion of 1193–4, when he was dispossessed for adhering to the cause of his chief lord. (fn. 23) Formby was expressly excluded when Richard's daughters and coheirs obtained a confirmation of their father's lands in Amounderness, (fn. 24) and in 1203 was granted to Richard de Meath, one of the king's clerks, son of Gilbert de Walton. (fn. 25) Three years later it was taken into the king's hands, (fn. 26) and in 1208 granted to Hugh de Moreton, who had married Margaret, one of the daughters of Richard son of Roger. (fn. 27) Taking part against the king, Hugh was dispossessed, and in August, 1215, Richard de Meath was again put into possession. (fn. 28) A year later Hugh de Moreton, who had made his peace with the king, was reinstated, (fn. 29) but in 1221 Richard de Meath succeeded in obtaining Henry III's mandate to the sheriff to put him in seisin of this and other manors granted to him by King John. (fn. 30) Richard granted it to his brother Henry de Walton for life, with a provision, which took effect, that should Henry survive him, the estate should descend to Henry's heirs; this arrangement was confirmed by the king in 1227. (fn. 31) The lordship of this moiety descended with Walton until 1489, when Roger Walton died, leaving daughters as heirs; after which it does not seem traceable. (fn. 32) It had, however, been early granted out to several tenants; partly to the Blundells whose share was given to the Norrises, (fn. 33) descending with the West Derby and Speke branches until 1543, when Sir William Norris exchanged it for other lands of Sir William Molyneux of Sefton, (fn. 34) the latter's son in 1561 selling it to Henry Halsall; (fn. 35) partly to a local family, who assumed Formby as a surname, and have retained their share of the manor, now called a quarter, to the present day; and partly to others whose holdings cannot be clearly traced. (fn. 36)

Thus by the year 1564 three parts of the manor had come into the possession of Henry Halsall, from whom the estate descended to Sir Cuthbert Halsall; he in 1631 sold it to Robert Blundell, (fn. 37) in whose descendants it has descended, in the same manner as Ince Blundell, to Mr. Charles Weld-Blundell, the present lord of this share.

The remaining portion, traditionally seven oxgangs out of the thirty-two, was the share of the Form by family. It appears that Master Roger de Derby held seven oxgangs in Formby, five of Henry de Walton, and two of William de Lee, the latter in turn probably holding of the same Henry. To Hugh de Corona, son of Master Roger, Henry de Nottingham granted these seven oxgangs, with the principal messuage and all his men, as well free as others, at a rent of 15s. 2d. a year and a pair of white gloves. (fn. 38) This Hugh de Corona is no doubt the Hugh de Formby (fn. 39) whose son Adam de Formby held seven oxgangs here in 1327. (fn. 40) From that time only fragmentary notices are obtainable of the family, (fn. 41) except in the sixteenth century, (fn. 42) until the eighteenth century when Richard Formby (fn. 43) was lord of this part of Formby and also curate of the chapel. He died in 1832, and was succeeded by his son John Formby of Maghull Hall, (fn. 44) whose son the Rev. Lonsdale Formby was, like his grandfather, lord of the manor and incumbent of the chapel. Mr. John Formby, his only son, is the present lord of this portion of the manor.

Source: British Online Encyclopedia http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.aspx?compid=41288#n39