Shrimpsvoices

The unit of society was the Freemen or Free Necked Men, who bowed the head to none. His arms were a spear and a Sword, with which if need be, he had to take his place at once in the fighting line. He was first and foremost a skilled soldier, and secondly a settler. Together with all the members of his family, he lived in a Ham or little township and the head of the Hess family, gave the name to Heysham (Hessam). Each little township was presided over by the Town Reeve, who summoned the Freemen to the Town Mote. One hundred such townships made the hundred of Lonsdale. Each hundred was presided over by 100 elder, and a group of hundreds made a Shire presided over by the Eldermen who had the help of the Kings representative, the Shire Reeve. A group of Shires made the kingdom governed by the King at his Witena Gernot. This was composed of the King, Princes, Eldermen, Shire Reeves and Bishops; also the Thegus who were members whilst acting as honorary servants to any of the above. Thus it was easy for the King to muster his Army. There were 7 Kings in the Anglo - Saxon Heptarcy it was not surprising that the whole country was devasted by warfare. Shortly before the Norman Conquest, Heysham was governed by the Earl of Northumberland named Tostig, who lived at Halton. He was expelled from Northumbria in 1065 and 3 days before William landed from Normandy in 1066 Tostig was slain in the Battle of Stomford Bridge, which was won by his brother Harold.

For nearly 500 years , Heysham had been under this system of government, when things were altered by the defeat of King Harold at the Battle of Hastings. Just as the Celts had called on the Angles for help against the Picts, so now the Angles in Northumbria called on the Danes for help against the Normans, and together might well have kept the Normans out of the North of England. William the Conqueror ,however, seemed never at a loss for ideas. In 1069 he marched to York and bought off the Danes, thus making the task easier of thoroughly ravaging the district, which in 1072 was portioned off to his brother - pirates ; the domain which had been under Tostig fell to the lot of Roger of Poitou, the son of Montgomery. This Lietenant robber was not satisfied , and trying to gain still more, lost all , in 1101.

In Stephens reign (1135 - 1154) the district became Crown Land, but in 1200 (Johns reign) . Heysham belonged to Adam Gernet or Adam Hessayne or Hessam. He was the son of Sir Brian de Hessam. The word was spelt in a variety of ways after the compilation of the Domesday Book; but for at least 150 years it has been pronounced Hee-sham. In 1210, a baron Dacre came back from the crusades and brought a sapling of the " Cedars of Lebanon". He planted it at his house in Higher Heysham, "The Grange", the remnants of which can be seen at the top of the lane going up to the Heath.

Sir Brian and his son,Adam de Hessam occupied the Manor House at Heysham Head; it was built mainly of wood with a thatched roof, partially surrounded by a moat crossed by a drawbridge. Adam met a violent death in 1210, and his son Thomas Gernet held the manor until 1221. His grandson held it until 1246. Roger, the son of Vivian, sold the manor to Randal de Dacre and he with Joan his wife held it from 1290 - 1297, when Joan the widow, held it in her own right, together with Bare and Over Kellet. Edmund de Dacre owned it in 1309 and his son Thomas in 1356. This is an interesting date from the fact that the Battle of Poitiers (Black Prince) was marked by the brilliant shooting of the English Archers, whilst the factory in Heysham was famed for the excellence of its bows and arrows marked "Grange" (Gradwell).

His grandson , Thomas de Dacre died in 1419 and left a daughter Elizabeth who carried the Manor to Sir Thomas Harrington, whence it came into the possesion of the Lords Monteagle.

In 1513, Sir Edward Stanley lived at Hornby Castle, with his vassals, which included the Lonsdale Archers, commanded the Left wing at the Battle of Flodden Field. The Lonsdale Archers carried the day, this was the Stanley of Sectts "Marmion", who fell on the field shouting "On Stanley, on ". For his services that day, Sir Edward Stanley was created Lord Monteagle, whose badge was an Eagles claw, and motto Glav,et Gant. He died in 1524. His great- grandaughter Elizabeth married Lord Morley. Their son William Thomas Parker sold Heysham Manor in 1587. It was he, who in 1605, received the mysterious letter which led to the discovery of the Gunpowder Plot. For this service, King James created him 4th Lord Monteagle. Thus, Heysham has a link with the Gunpowder Plot.