The Gatehouse website record of a licence to crenellate for Up Holland granted on 1308 March 24

Comments

Sir Robert de Holland, became one of the leading men in the county, being a favourite official of Thomas, Earl of Lancaster, from whom he secured an alteration in the tenure of Upholland, which does not seem to have been permanent. He extended his possessions by a marriage with Maud, daughter and co-heir of Alan de la Zouch, and had many grants from his patron the earl; some of these were held to be invalid. He was summoned to Parliament as Lord Holland from 1314 to 1321. He took part in the earl's rebellion, and all his lands were forfeited; he himself was murdered in October 1328, it is said by followers of the earl who regarded him either as a coward or a traitor. Among his other acts was the foundation of the priory at Upholland in 1310 to 1317. This was practically the conclusion of the family's active interest in the manor. (VCH)

Original source is;

Lyte, H.C. Maxwell (ed), 1894, Calendar of Patent Rolls (1307-13) p. 57 online copy

(In fact, the original source given is usually a transcription/translation of what are precious medieval documents not readily availably. It should be noted that these transcription/translations often date to the nineteenth or early twentieth centuries and that unwitting bias of transcribers may affect the translation. Care should also be taken to avoid giving modern meaning to the medieval use of certain stock words and terms. Licentia is best translated as 'freedom to' not 'permission'.)

Significant later sources are;

Emery, Anthony, 1996, Greater Medieval Houses Vol. 1 (Cambridge) p. 263
Farrer, Wm, and Brownbill, J. (eds), 1911, 'Townships: Upholland' VCH Lancashire Vol. 4 p. 91-7
Turner, T.H. and Parker, J.H., 1859, Some account of Domestic Architecture in England (Oxford) Vol. 3 part 2 p. 405 online copy

Holland, Sir Robert (c.1283–1328)

Robert was a close friend and chief agent of Thomas, earl of Lancaster.

Holland's linkage with the most powerful noble of his generation, and the scale of his consequent enrichment, made his career in some respects sui generis. In another way, however, it typified one of the main routes to social advancement in the middle ages: through service in the following of a great man. (Maddicott, 2004)

John Charlton, the King's Chamberlain, was to later have considerable dispute with Thomas, earl of Lancaster. Quite what his relationship with Robert Holland was is unclear although both men were soldiers in Scotland c. 1300.

Biographical source include;

Farrer, Wm, and Brownbill, J. (eds), 1911, 'Townships: Upholland' VCH Lancashire Vol. 4 p. 91-7 online transcription
J. R. Maddicott, 2004, ‘Holland, Sir Robert (c.1283–1328)’ Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (Oxford University Press) online copy (subscription may be needed), accessed 20 Nov 2007)
Maddicott, J.R., 1971 July, 'Thomas of Lancaster and Sir Robert Holland: A study in Noble Patronage' The English Historical Review Vol. 86 No. 340 p. 449-472 online copy (subscription may be needed)
J. F. A. Mason, 2004, ‘Charlton, John, first Lord Charlton of Powys (d. 1353)’ Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (Oxford University Press) online copy (subscription may be needed)

More information about licences to crenellate can be found here.

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