The Gatehouse website record of a licence to crenellate for Brierley Hallsteads granted on 1479 May 26

Comments

In 1479, Sir James Harrington was granted a licence to crenellate his house and enclose and empark all his lands. Joint with Farleton.
The suggestion is that the licence may have been applied for to confirm ownership in a contested inheritance although rewards for long service to the crown is another factor.

Original source is;

Lyte, H.C. Maxwell (ed), 1901, Calendar of Patent Rolls (1476-85) p. 151 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. 422

Harington, Sir James (1430-87)

Harington, Sir James (1430-87); Knight of the Body 1479-85 MP Lancashire 1467-4, 1478, ?1483, ?1484. Sheriff Yorkshire 1466-7. Soldier involved in the capture of Henry VI in 1465, for which he was financial rewarded. (Wedgewood)

John (Harrington) left two daughters from his marriage to Matilda Clifford, but in 1463 the feoffees who had been appointed by Thomas (Harrington) in 1459 handed over all the land to John's eldest surviving brother, James Harrington (d. 1485?), who, according to a later claim, kept his two nieces in custody. In October 1466 Thomas, Lord Stanley, intervened, securing a grant of the Harrington lands and of the two girls. In 1468 a commission found that the girls were indeed the heirs to the estates, but the dispute dragged on until 1475, when Edward IV imposed a compromise. Both James and his brother Robert Harrington were in the service of Richard, duke of Gloucester, and his accession raised their hopes of reopening the case. By 1485 Richard may have been sufficiently mistrustful of the Stanleys to countenance the idea, but his death at Bosworth supervened. Both Harringtons were attainted for their part in the battle, and the family tradition was that James died there. This may well have been true, for the only firm references to a James alive after 1485 are to Robert's son. (Horrox)

Biographical source include;

Rosemary Horrox, 2004, ‘Harrington family (per. c.1300–1512)’ Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (Oxford University Press) online copy (subscription may be needed)
Wedgewood, J.C., 1936, History of Parliament Biographies of the Members of the Commons House 1439-1509 (HMSO) Vol. 2 p. 423-4