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THE LORDS OF THE MANOR

The people of Ilkeston have seen a succession of Lords of the Manor stretching back to the Conquest. In the four centuries from Domesday of 1086 through to the Battle of Bosworth in 1485, the manor was held by related members of just a few families,  passing from one generation to the next, either through blood ties or by marriage.

In 1086 the manor of  Ilkeston (spelt as 'Tilchestune' in Domesday) was part of the land of the Gilbert of Ghent, a Flemish Knight, no doubt handed to him as reward for his support for William Duke of Normandy's invasion and subsequent conquest of Saxon England in 1066.
Gilbert held land in 15 other English counties, from Berkshire northwards and according to Domesday, Ilkeston was held for him by someone by the name of Malgar, possibly one of his vassals, in return for military service. Following Gilbert's death in 1094 his estates became the property of his son and heir, Walter de Ghent and therefore it is likely that Ilkeston likewise passed into his hands.

Walter died in or around 1135. Whether through marriage, blood ties, or other means, it appears that the manor passed into the hands of the Muskham family. During the rest of the 12th century, the manor passed from one Robert de Muskham (said to be the founder of St.Mary's) to his son Hugh. From Hugh it then passed to his own son - another Robert. Some accounts once claimed that this Robert died without an heir and the manor passed to Isabell, the daughter and heir of his brother Hugh. However, The Henry III Fine Rolls Project (www.finerollshenry3.org.uk) has published images of the original documents along with their English translations, including an entry from July 3rd 1219 which clearly states that Isabell was in fact the daughter of Robert de Muskham

Either way, through Isabell's marriage to Ralph de Gresley, the manor became the possession of her husband. In or around 1228, Ralph, said at the time to be "languid", passed possession of the manor into the hands of his daughter Agnes and therefore into the hands of her husband - Hugh Fitz Ralph. It was this Hugh who was granted Ilkeston's market charter in 1252.

After the Battle of Bosworth on August 22nd 1485, and having effectively 'backed the wrong side', the Zouches were dispossessed of their lands and the manor sold by Henry VII, the victor of Bosworth, to his ally Sir John Savage. This finally brought this unbroken line to an end.
For the next 123 years the manor remained the property of the Savage family, until in 1608 when it was sold to Sir John Manners, ancestor of the present Duke of Rutland, who is still titular Lord of the Manor today.

Right - Lincoln Cathedral and the tomb of Nicholas de Cantelupe son of William and Eva, died 1355. (Photograph Stephen Flinders).

Time Line.

1066 - Norman invasion and conquest of England.
1067 - Gilbert of Ghent present at the siege of York.
1086 - Domesday records that Gilbert holds Tilchestune (Ilkeston).
1094 - Death of Gilbert of Ghent.
1139 - Death of Walter of Ghent, Gilbert's son and Heir.
1139 - (c) Manor passes into the hands of Robert de Muskham.
1216 - (c) Manor becomes the property of Ralph of Gresley.
1228 - (c) Manor passes to Ralph's daughter Agnes, the wife of Hugh Fitz Ralph of Selston.
1252 - King Henry III grants market charter to Hugh Fitz Ralph.
1261 - (c) Marriage of Eustacia to Nicholas de Cantelupe.
1262 - Birth of William, son of Nicholas and Eustacia.
1265 - (c) Death of Nicholas de Cantelupe (buried at Ilkeston St.Mary's).
1268 - Marriage of Eustacia to William de Ros of Ingmanthorpe.
1290 - (c) Death of William de Cantelupe's first wife Matilda.
1292 - Marriage of William to Eva de Boltby.
1293 - Birth of William, son of William and Eva.
1299 - William called to Parliament by King Edward I.
1300 - (c) Birth of Nicholas, son of William and Eva.
1308 - Death of William (buried at Ilkeston St.Mary's).
1321 - Death of William, son of William and Eva.
1321 - William's younger brother Nicholas inherits manor of Ilkeston and other estates.
1322 - Nicholas accompanies King Edward II on campaign in Scotland.
1326 - Birth of William, son of Nicholas and his first wife Typhane/Typhonia.
1341 - Following the death of Typhane (date unknown), Nicholas married Joan.
1346 - Nicholas present at the Battle of Cressy.
1355 - Death of Nicholas (buried at Lincoln Cathedral). His estates were left to his two grandsons, Nicholas and William, sons of William.
1358 - Joan, widow of Nicholas, founds the Cantelupe Chantry at Lincoln Cathedral.
1371 - Death at Avignon of Nicholas, eldest son of William and grandson of
            Nicholas.

1375 - Death of William, younger son of William and brother of Nicholas.
William died in mysterious circumstances. He was said to have been murdered in his bed and his body found some distance away. Several members of his household were implicated, including his wife Maud.
Two members of his household were condemned. Maud was acquitted through the influence of Sir Thomas de Kydale, Sheriff of Lincoln, whom she married shortly after, thus adding much mystery to the circumstances surrounding William's death.

1376 - With the death of both Nicholas and William, neither of whom produced heirs, the estates revert back to their father William, who died shortly after his two sons.

1378 - With no direct heirs, the manor passed into the hands of a distant cousin, William la Zouche. He was a descendant of William de Cantelupe, brother of Nicholas.

1485 - Battle of Bosworth and subsequent death of John la Zouche - great, great, grandson of the above William la Zouche.

1485 - King Henry VII, the victor of Bosworth sells the manor to Sir John Savage.
1492 - Death of Sir John Savage at the siege of Boulogne. His son and heir, John Savage, inherits the manor.
1516 - John Savage senior, and his son John Savage junior, are accused of involvement in the murder of John Pauncefote, Justice of the Peace for Gloucester. They are pardoned on condition they pay a fine of £2666 - 13s - 4d.
1526 - Death of Sir John Savage senior.
1528 - Death of Sir John Savage junior. Following his death, his widow Elizabeth, married William Brereton. William becomes the guardian of Sir John Savage's estates and of his son and heir, John Savage, who was only a child at the time of his father's death.
1547 - Sir John Savage is given leave to occupy his rightful inheritances, including the manor of Ilkeston. However, during the mid to late 1580s, Sir John Savage began disposing of some of his estates. His son John Savage, appealed to his uncle, Sir John Manners, for help in preventing this process.
1570 - Death of Elizabeth Savage, wife of Sir John Savage (Elizabeth was the sister of the above Sir John Manners).
1597 - Death of Sir John Savage. His son John Savage never became lord of the manor as  it is probable that negotiations to sell the manor of Ilkeston to the above Sir John Manners began some time before this date.
1608 - Sir Thomas Savage, Sir John Savage's grandson, completed the sale of  the manor to the above Sir John Manners. He become the new Lord of the Manor.
1611 - Death of Sir John Manners. Buried at Bakewell, Derbyshire.
1625 - Death of Sir George Manners, son of Sir John Manners. Buried at Bakewell.
1679 - Death of John Manners, (son of Sir George Manners).
1711 - Death of John Manners, (son of the above John Manners). Created 1st Duke of Rutland and Marquess of Granby in 1703.
1721 - Death of John Manners, 2nd Duke of Rutland (son of John Manners) .
1770 - Death of John Manners, son and heir of John Manners.
1779 - Death of John Manners, 3rd Duke of Rutland (son of John Manners).
1779 - Charles Manners, son of John Manners, succeeds his Grandfather John Manners as 4th Duke of Rutland.
1787 - Death of Charles Manners.

Our thanks to Elizabeth Sanderson for material relating to the Cantelupe family and the mysterious death of William de Cantelupe in 1375.