Person Page 365

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Not far from Ossington, on the Retford side, is the pleasant village of Laxton, or Lexington, which, though possessing few features of antiquarian interest to-day, may truly be said to be an historic village. What an eminent list of owners it has had, and what famous men have borne to the forefront the honoured name of Lexington! For a century after the Conquest the manor was owned by stalwart men of Norman descent, bearing the name De Cauz, of whom Robert, a baron of the time of Henry II., made Laxton the site of his principal mansion and head of his barony. From this family it passed by the marriage of Matilda de Cauz to the Birkins and thence to the Everinghams, who were amongst the most powerful and warlike nobles of their day. Adam de Everingham, temp. Henry III., took up arms with Simon de Montfort, Earl of Leicester, and fought at the battle of Evesham. His grandson, Adam, was a still more famous soldier, for he accompanied Prince Edward throughout the Scottish wars, and was created Knight of the Bath. On the accession of the Prince as Edward II., he was summoned to Parliament as a baron, and remained high in the Royal favour until he rebelled and became a partisan of Thomas Earl of Lancaster. At the battle of Boroughbridge he was taken prisoner, and had to pay a heavy fine to save his life. The village saw a good deal of him, for it waa his principal seat, and when he died he made it entailed property, with a view of preserving it in the Everingham family. The manor was holden of the Archbishop of York by the service of performing the office of butler in the prelate's housf on the day of his enthronisation. Under this curious tenure it passed to another Adam de Everingham, who was summoned to Parliament as "Adam de Everingham de Laxton," on the 8th January, 1371. Like his predecessors, he was a brave soldier, and left the quietude of his house at Laxton to participate in the glories of Cressy. On his demise, in 1371, he was succeeded by his grandson, who died without issue, and the barony fell into abeyance (1).