made under royal precept, Ralph became the tenant-in-chief, with John de Greystok as tenant holding the barony from Ralph. In 1300 Ralph made some provision for John's brother William Greystok. Falkirk and Caerlaverock Appointed captain of the royal garrisons in Northumberland in July 1297, Ralph was put in charge of Scarborough Castle in October, and for his services against the Scots was thanked in November and appointed one of the captains of the Scottish marches. In 1298 he had superintendence of the expenditure for the campaign against the Scots in Northumberland, upon his mandate or precept received and overseen by Walter de Agmondesham and Robert Heyroun according to the ordinances of John de Warenne, 6th Earl of Surrey. On 8 June he was granted letters of protection to set forth for Scotland with the King, and on 12 June three of his men obtained their letters to accompany him. At the Battle of Falkirk, 22 July, he was among the English knights on the right wing of King Edward's army in the battalion led by Antony Bek, Bishop of Durham: he is listed in the Falkirk Roll of Arms as "Rauf le fiz Willam", his arms burlee dargent et dasur od troys chapeaux de goules. As leader and commander of the forces raised from the county of York, he was summoned continually for military service against the Scots at this time. In 1300 he participated in the siege of Caerlaverock. In the Old French words of the heraldic poem of Le Siege de Karlaverok, his blazon is described (K, verses 196-200): "Rauf le filz Guilleme autrementKe cil de Valence portoitCar en lieu des merlos mettoitTrois chapeaus de rosis vermellesKi bien avienent a mervellez." "Ralph Fitz William bore differentlyThat which de Valence did bear,For in the martlets' place, he woreChaplets of roses, three, vermeilles,Which were becoming, wondrous well." This is the blazon which appears on Ralph FitzWilliam's seal in use in 1301, and until this time it was for the family of Grimthorpe, not of Greystoke: As Ralph FitzWilliam's descendants became the Barons of Greystoke, so the Grimthorpe arms became those associated with Greystoke. The siege of Caerlaverock occurred in July 1300: in the months following, an inquisition was commissioned to appraise Ralph's desire to grant six marks per annum to a chaplain to celebrate divine service daily forever in the chapel of the Blessed Mary of Grymthorpe, for Ralph's soul