EARLS OF

LINCOLN  . The first earl of Lincoln was probably William de Roumare (c . 1095-c . 1155), who was created earl about r 14o, although it is possible that William de Albini, earl of Arundel, had previously held the earldom . Roumare's grandson, another William de Roumare (c . I150-c . 1198), is sometimes called earl of Lincoln, but he was never recognized as such, and about 1148 King Stephen granted the earldom to one of his supporters, Gilbert de Gand (d . 1x56), who was related to the former earl . After Gilbert's death the earldom was dormant for about sixty years; then in 1216 it was given to another Gilbert de Gand, and later it was claimed by the great earl of Chester, Ranulf, or Randulph, de Blundevill (d . 12j2) . From Ranulf the title to the earldom passed through his sister Hawise to the family of Lacy, John de Lacy (d . 1240) being made earl of Lincoln in x232 .

He was son of

Roger de Lacy (d . 1212), justiciar of England and constable of Chester . It was held by the Lacys until the death of Henry, the 3rd earl . Henry served Edward I. in Wales, France and Scotland, both as a soldier and a diplomatist . He went to France with Edmund, earl of Lancaster, in 1296, and when Edmund died in June of this year, succeeded him as commander of the English forces in Gascony; but he did not experience any great success in this capacity and returned to England early in 1298 . The earl fought at the battle of Falkirk in July 1298, and took some part in the subsequent conquest of Scotland . He was then employed by Edward to negotiate successively with popes Boniface VIII. and Clement V., and also with Philip IV. of France; and was present at the death of the English king in July 1307 . For a short time Lincoln was friendly with the new king, Edward II., and his favourite, Piers Gaveston; but quickly changing his attitude, he joined earl Thomas of Lancaster and the baronial party, was one of the " ordainers " appointed in 1310 and was regent of the kingdom during the king's absence in Scotland in the same year . He died in London on the 5th of February 1311, and was buried in St Paul's Cathedral . He married Margaret (d . 1309), granddaughter and heiress of William Longsword, 2nd earl of Salisbury, and his only surviving child, Alice (1283-1348), became the wife of Thomas, earl of Lancaster, who thus inherited his father-in-law's earldoms of Lincoln and Salisbury . Lincoln's Inn in London gets its name from he earl, whose London residence occupied this site .

He founded

Whalley Abbey in Lancashire, and built Denbigh Castle . In 1349 Henry Plantagenet, earl (afterwards duke) of Lancaster, a nephew of Earl Thomas, was created earl of Lincoln; and when his grandson Henry became king of England as Henry IV. in 1399 the title merged in the crown . In 1467 John de la Pole (c . 1464-1487), a nephew of Edward IV., was made earl of Lincoln, and the same dignity was conferred in 1525 upon Henry Brandon (1516-1545), son of Charles Brandon, duke of Suffolk . Both flied without sons, and the next family to hold the earldom was that of Clinton .