The transcription of the The Destruction of Troy by Thomas Chetham, a bailiff in the service of the Stanley family in the early sixteenth century, and the name of Elizabeth Booth of Dunham Massey in the margin of St. Erkenwald has focused some attention on the Stanley family as possible patrons of the Gawain-Poet.

The family of James Cottrell were closely associated with the Stanley family, the Chethams, Elizabeth Booth and the Dunham Massey estate;  William Chantrell (died 1439), was Sergeant-at-law to Thomas Stanley in 1433, and held land in Dunham Massey, whilst the Elizabeth Booth, daughter of George Booth of Dunham, mentioned in the manuscript of St. Erkenwald was married to William Chantrell de Bache [VISITCHESH].  The Chantrell family held a fourth part of Dunham Massey between 1434 and 1586  The background history of Dunham Massey and the Chauntrells is summarised in Appendix C.  John Chetham of Nuthurst to whom the transcription of The Destruction of Troy was bequeathed by his father Thomas (in the service of the Stanleys,) had a son Henry who married a daughter of Sherburne of Stonyhurst near Whalley, whose brother, Robert had married Dorothy Catterall, of the family of James Cottrell and daughter and heiress of Thomas Catterall of Litle Mitton in 1569 [WHITAKER72].