Scrivelsby is a village and ecclesiastical parish in the East Lindsey district of the County of Lincolnshire, England.
Historically the manor was held by grand serjeanty,[1] a form of feudal tenure which required the performance of a ceremonial service rather than a money payment – in this case as the King's Champion.
[6] Robert Marmion held the manor of Scrivelsby by grand serjeanty on condition that he should perform the duty of King's Champion.
[4] The Marmions had historically been Champions to the Dukes of Normandy and King Henry I wanted to re-establish that relationship for his English crown.
[9][4] His fourth daughter Joan Marmion (d.1341),[10] whose quarter share of her paternal inheritance included the manor of Scrivelsby, married Sir Thomas de Ludlow,[4] by whom she had a son John de Ludlow, who died without issue, and a daughter[4] or great-granddaughter[11] Margaret de Ludlow, who married Sir John Dymoke, who thereby inherited the manor of Scrivelsby and the feudal duty of acting as King's Champion.
The duty of the King's Champion was to ride fully armed into the coronation banquet at Westminster Hall and challenge anyone who doubted the new monarch's right to the throne.
It was completely restored in 1860 by Sir Henry Dymoke (who added a small tower with spire), in greenstone, and in Perpendicular and Early English style.