De Lancaster, William II

   Another name for William was William of Warwick.

  General Notes:

William II de Lancaster or William de Lancaster II are convenient modern names to distinguish him from his father and grandson.
In his own time he was referred to by various names such as William de Loncastre or William fitz William (with various spellings).

Born approximately 1155. This date has been adopted based on Charter from Henry II which records that "primus Willielmum de Lancaster, baronem de Kendale, qui prius vocabatur de Tailboys" married "Gundredam comitissam Warwic" and that she was th e mother of his son William; thus born after 1153. This Charter is cited in MedLands. The same source also cites charters dated to the same time where "Willelmus de Lancastre" (the father) donated property to Leicester, St Mary de Pré, with the co nsent of "Willelmi filii mei et hæredis et Gundredæ uxoris meæ". Take care with this. This does not mean that William, this Profile and stated as son and heir, witnessed the charter it only suggests that he had been born. Notice of the actual Char ter would be necessary to determine whether he was of age. The Charter by Henry II, the incumbent King at the time is clearly designed to legitimise the lineage.

Died 1184, and was buried at Furness Abbey. "Willielmus de Lancastre", his grandson, donated property to Furness Abbey for the soul of "Agnetis sponsæ meæ" by charter 6 Nov 1240 stating, "avi mei…Willielmi de Lancastre" was buried in abbey.

William de Lancaster II is chiefly noted as the founder of the Premonstratensian Hospital at Cockersand, which was erected into an abbey in 1190.
He confirmed to the monks of St. Bees his father's and uncle's grants to that place.
To the hospital of St. Leonard of York he gave land called Dochergh (now Docker, par. of Kendal) in exchange for land in Kendal, which had been given to the hospital by Ketel, son of Eldred, and land in Bartonhead which his father gave.
He was a liberal benefactor to the canons of Conishead, to whom he gave land between Ulverston and Bardsea, the church of Ulverston and the estate of Gascow, near Ulverston.

He died in 1184, and was buried in the presbytery at Furness. Robert of Torigni describes him as 'magnas honestatis et possessionis vir.'

William and his father lived through the chaos of the English anarchy and the connected invasion of Scotland into his region.
Perhaps somehow this led to the situation in 1179 when there was to be a duel against Gospatrick fitz Orme, a cousin who had done a major land swap with his father.
Ragg suggests that the period must have led to "complications" for the whole region "arising out of the confusion", with all the various changes in overlordships, William having been overlord to Gospatrick at some point it seems.
Jackson suspects that one pressure on people such as Gospatrick would be a suspicion of too much closeness to the Scots.
Gospatrick was never heard of again, so perhaps William killed him in the duel, and William himself lived only a few more years. Both were apparently relatively old.

Family
Married Helwise de Stuteville, daughter of Robert de Stuteville and Helwise

1.) Hawise de Lancaster m. Gilbert fitz Roger fitz Reinfrid, son of Roger FitzReinfrid (d.1216/20).

Unknown mother. Illegitimate Issue:
1.) Gilbert de Lancaster of Sockbridge

2.) Jordan de Lancaster. P

William had a relationship with Helewise De Stuteville. (Helewise De Stuteville was born in 1155 in Penrith, Cumberland, England, died on September 29, 1226 in Cottingham, Yorkshire, England and was buried after September 29, 1226 in Barrow-In-Furness, Lancashire, England.)