Hart

Formerly owned by Robert the Bruce King of Scotland

The Lordship of Hart is situated about four miles north of Hartlepool in the Ward of Stockton, and comprises about 2,895 acres.

William the Conqueror granted the Lordship of Hart to Robert de Brus one of his followers at the Conquest and “a noble knight of Normandy”.

The second Robert Brus fought at the battle of the Standard against the Scots. His son, a third Robert Brus was the founder of the Royal line of Scotland.

His father gave him Annandale in Scotland, and being thus a liegeman of the Crown of Scotland, he was taken prisoner in fair battle by his own father, who sent him to the English Monarch, and he, struck probably with the extraordinary situation of the parties and pleased with the good faith of the father, placed his captive once more at the disposal of his own parents. The young Lord of Annandale complained that his valley of Ann afforded no wheaten bread and his father, to compensate for this privation gave him the wheat-producing Manor of Hart.

Robert Brus, who paid a hundred shillings scutage in 1171, was succeeded as lord of the Manor of Hart by a son of the same name, who was in turn succeeded by William. William was followed by another Robert, of Hart and Annandale, who married Isabel, daughter of David, Earl of Huntingdon and granddaughter of Henry, Prince of Scotland, the source of the royal blood in the Bruce family.

The next Robert (sixth of the name) adhered firmly to King Henry III in the Barons’ War and was one of the principal agents in the successful assault on the rebellious barons at Northampton. Commanding the Scottish auxillaries he was, however, taken prisoner at Lewes. The victory of Evesham restored him to his honours and to his northern government at Carlisle.

The sudden death of King Alexander III of Scotland, followed by that of his grandchild, Margaret of Norway, six years later, opened the Scottish succession to a crowd of competitors. Of these John Baliol, Robert Bruce and John Hastings were all direct vassals of the English Crown and two were Barons of the Palatinate.

King Edward I, appointed arbiter, decided in favour of Baliol. Robert Bruce died in his castle at Lochmaben, and his cause was taken up by his son Robert Bruce the 8th, who acknowledged Baliol in 1293 and remained loyal to England. He died in 1304, Lord of the Manor of Hart, and was succeeded by the 9th Robert Bruce, who, when Scotland was under invasion by the English, asserted his claim to the throne.

He was crowned King of Scotland on 27th March 1306. Within a year he was, however, in exile in Ireland. He survived, to win the battle of Bannockburn, and to continue to rule Scotland, seeing that his son David, who succeeded him as King, married Joan the daughter of King Edward I.

On the coronation of Robert Bruce as King of Scotland, the lordship of Hart was seized and granted to Robert Clifford, who had faithfully served against the Scots in the war. Robert Clifford fell at Bannockburn, leaving a son and heir Roger Clifford, who was then under age. Bishop Kellaw asserted the rights of his See to the wardship and committed the Manor of Hart to the custody of William de Elmeden. Roger Clifford joined the Earl of Lancaster against King Edward II and was wounded and taken prisoner at Boroughbridge. Soon afterwards he was beheaded at York.

The Lordship of Hart escheated to the Crown. King Edward II granted Hart to John of Bretagne, Earl of Richmond. He was soon after surprised and taken prisoner by King Robert Bruce at Byland Abbey. After two years of detention in Scotland he fled to France, never to return to England. In 1330 Robert Clifford, brother and heir of Roger was restored to all the honours and estates of his family.

In 1344 Robert Clifford died Lord of the Manor of Hart. The Clifford family continued to hold the lordship for three more centuries.

George Clifford, Third Earl of Cumberland was obliged to alienate several portions of his inheritance to defray the expenses of his nine voyages to the West Indies. In 1586 he conveyed the lordship of Hart to John, Lord Lumley, ancestor of the Earl of Scarborough.

In 1772 Richard, Earl of Scarborough sold the lordship to Sir George Pocock. Sir George died lord of the manor in 1793 and was succeeded by his only son, another George. From the Pocock family the Lordship of Hart passed to an ancestor of the present owner.

Rights, customs and incidents

Bishop Kellaw asserted the rights of his See to the wardship and committed the Manor of Hart to the custody of William de Elmeden.

Associated manorial documents / archive references

• 1 Feet of fines receipts 1198, 1200
• 2 Charter 1288
• 3 Royal charter King Edward I 1306
• 4 Royal Letter Patent, King Edward I 1306
• 5 Royal charter, King Edward II 1322

Historical holder / succession information

1. Robert Clifford
   granted_to · historical_holder_or_transferee
   Source wording: On the coronation of Robert Bruce as King of Scotland, the lordship of Hart was seized and granted to Robert Clifford, who had faithfully served against the Scots in the war.
2. an ancestor of the present owner [source claim requiring identity review]
   passed_to · historical_holder_or_transferee
   Source wording: From the Pocock family the Lordship of Hart passed to an ancestor of the present owner.