The FitzAlan family claim direct descent from Conan II, Duke of Brittany and Earl of Richmond.

On the Wednesday before St. Martin, 1290, he founded by charter, at Bedale, a chantry which he appropriated to Jervaulx Abbey to pray for the souls of the late Countess of Richmond, of Alan his father and Agnes his mother, Muriel his (first) wife, and Thomas, Robert, and Theobald, his sons, &c.[6] On 20 September 1291, he had a licence to crenellate his house at Killerby, near Catterick, in the wapentake of East Hang, according to Genuki.

He was summoned to parliament from 24 June 1295 to 22 January 1305 by Writs directed to Briano filio Alani whereby he is held to have become Lord FitzAlan.

[10] Maud, as a widow, was still living 10 April 1340, when she granted the advowson of the church of Rokeby, together with a messuage and a bovate and a half of land, to Egglestone Abbey to celebrate services for her good estate during her lifetime, and for her soul after her death, and for the souls of Brian her husband and John de Grey of Rotherfield, their ancestors and heirs, and all the faithful deceased.

It was previously thought that his line was not entitled to succeed him, but it turned out that there was a technicality and so, the Errington assumer of the name Stapleton of Carlton Towers, who had inherited from Lord Lovell's sister, ended up having the titles reversed to him.

Long occupants of Aiskew and recusant supporters of Catholic revival in the 19th century, the FitzScolland, FitzAlan, Stapleton, Grey of Rotherfield, Deincourt, Lovell, Errington, etc.

The most recent time of disruption in the land ownership (which ultimately failed) was when Parliament charged the Stapletons with papacy and the Peirses with malignancy, as a means of purging the Catholic and Anglican stronghold out of this region.