The Chronicle of the Norman Conquest Part 16

[Footnote 14: AUMALE or ALBAMALE. See, in the _Archaeologia_ vol. 26, the materials furnished by Mr. Stapleton for the pedigree of the family holding Aumale during the eleventh century. Unless Odo, count of Champagne, was married before this time,--as he probably was,--to Adelidis, niece of the conqueror (and daughter of Enguerrand, count of Ponthieu, and Adelidis his wife, mentioned before, page 44), and was then possessed in her right of Aumale, we know no lord or holder of that fief at the conquest. Is it probable that Guy her uncle, who was released two years after the battle of Mortemer on doing homage to William, held Aumale during her minority, which possibly extended to 1066? Either a.s.sumption implies that Enguerran's widow was then dead, or that she did not hold Aumale, or at least that she did not after her daughter's marriage. The charter printed in the _Archaeologia_ treats the widow as having succeeded to the possession, (whether from having dower in it, or as guardian of her daughter, does not appear), and her daughter as following her. Of course the most likely solution of this difficulty, and of Wace's vague statement, is that he was ignorant of the facts; in which he is not singular; _Ordericus Vitalis_ also is incorrect in his statements as to the family. No particulars of the fief of Aumale are in the Red book; the comes de Albamara being one of those, who 'nec venerunt nec miserunt, nec aliquid dixerunt.']

[Footnote 15: ROUMARE--Rollonis Mara--arrondiss.e.m.e.nt of Rouen. There were three Williams de Romare:--the first was earl of Lincoln; the second was probably the one in possession when Wace wrote: but the name of their ancestor, the lord who must have held at the conquest, was Roger. In the Red book roll, 'Willmus de Romara 14 mil. in Romeis, apud novum mercatum: et si dux mandaverit eum alibi, ibit c.u.m 3 mil. vel c.u.m 4.']

[Footnote 16: LITHAIRE, commune of Haie-du-Puits, in the Cotentin, on the coast opposite Jersey; probably a Roman castellum exploratorium, according to M. de Gerville, _Recherches_, No. 39. He states that Lithaire formed part of the estates of the Albinis; but it appears that after having belonged to Eudo c.u.m capello, (before, p. 103) it pa.s.sed to the Haies and Orvals in succession, or possibly to the latter at once; see subsequent notes on those names. Possibly M. de Gerville's error arose from the family connection between the Haies and Albinis; Ralf de Haya having married the daughter of William de Albini, pincerna.]

[Footnote 17: TOUQUES, arrondiss.e.m.e.nt of Pont l'Evesque, at the mouth of the river so called. In the _Monasticon_ are found the names of Jourdain, Roger, Robert, and Henry de Touques.]

[Footnote 18: Probably HUGH DE LA MARE. The family remained both in Normandy and England; and is supposed to have sprung from the fief of la Mare, in the commune of Autretot, near Ivetot. A charter of St. Louis, of 1259, gives to Jumieges all that had fallen to that prince of the tenement of William de la Mare, knight, and of other tenements in the valley of la Mare; but the historian of the abbey is ignorant where that valley was. A.L.P. Mr. Stapleton observes, in correction of this statement, that the great fief of La Mare was at St. Opportune, arrondiss.e.m.e.nt of Pont Audemer; the castle being built upon piles near the lake, still called Grand-mare.]

[Footnote 19: NEHOU, in the arrondiss.e.m.e.nt of Valognes--Neel's hou or _holm_, (place surrounded by water, or liable to be so, as in this case)--'Nigelli humus' in charters; see _Gallia Christ_, xi. This fief belonged to the Neel or St. Sauveur family, and afterwards pa.s.sed to that of Reviers, and Reviers-Vernon; with whom it remained till the end of the thirteenth century; see M. de Gerville's _Recherches_, No. 17.

Either the same person is again enumerated below by Wace as Reviers; or some va.s.sal or junior member of the family held one of the fiefs at the conquest. In the Red book roll, 'Richardus de Vernone 10 mil. de honore de Nehalhou, et ad servitium suum 30 mil. in Constant: idem de com.

Mort. 5 mil: idem 16 mil. de honore Vernone, ad custodiam castri de Vernone.']

[Footnote 20: PIROU, near Lessay, in the Cotentin; see M. de Gerville's _Recherches_ No. 48. William de Pirou signs as 'dapifer' in a charter of Hen. I. A charter to Lessay in _Gall. Christ_, (temp. Hen. II. not Hen.

I. as there called) names several lords of Pirou. See _Introd.

Domesday_, ii. 347.]

[Footnote 21: BEAUFOY, Beaufou, or Belfai--Bellus f.a.gus. The scite of the caput of this barony is in the environs of Pont l'Evesque. The lords of Beaufou descended in the female line from Ralf, count d'Ivry, uterine brother of duke Richard I. The Beaufou of the conquest is called Robert both in _Wace_ and _William of Poitiers_, but Raoul in contemporary doc.u.ments; so also in Domesday we find Radulf de Bellof.a.go; see _Introd.

Domesday_, i. 379, 380. In the Red book, 'Richardus de Belphago 2 mil.

et ad servitium suum 6 mil. et tres partes.']

[Footnote 22: FULK D'AUNOU, one of the numerous family of Baudry-le-Teuton, by a daughter of Richard de Bienfaite, mentioned below. The place in question is probably Aunou-le-Faucon (or Foulcon?), arrondiss.e.m.e.nt of Argentan. See _d.u.c.h.esne_, 1046; and some observations on the pedigree, in the additional notes on Wace at the end of M.

Raynouard's observations. Aulnay is a distinct fief, and will be found afterwards. There was also in earlier times (see _d.u.c.h.esne_, p. 1083) a Fulk de Aneio, or Aneto; who was of the Vernon family (the son of Osmund de Centumvillis, and of one of Gunnor's sisters), and derived his name from Anet, a little south of Ivry. The two Fulks or their families seem to have been sometimes confounded; they are so by M. Le Prevost, in his additional notes. In the Red book roll, 'Fulco de Alnou 4 mil. et ad servitium suum 24 mil. et dim.' The fiefs Danet and de Alneto appear there also separately.]

[Footnote 23: The lord of TANCARVILLE, in the arrondiss.e.m.e.nt of Havre, hereditary chamberlain of Normandy. His presence is vouched by no other authority. M. Le Prevost rather inconclusively observes that Ralf having been William's guardian was too old, and his children too young to be so engaged. Three sons have, however, been commonly reputed to have been at Hastings; from one of whom the Clintons have claimed descent, but probably without sufficient evidence. Ralf's age is hardly of itself a competent contradiction to Wace's statement; for his charter, giving the church of Mireville to Jumieges, shows that he was living in 1079.

William, his son and successor as chamberlain, so appears in 1082. See as to this family M. Deville's _St. Georges de Bocherville_, p. 100. In the Red book, 'Camararius de Tankervill 10 mil. et ad servitium suum 94 et 3 partes.']

[Footnote 24: There are two ETOUTEVILLES; the one meant appears to be near Ivetot, not that near Cailli. The received opinion is that it was Robert, the first of the name, called also Grand-Bois, who was at Hastings. He must have been young, if he was the same as fell forty years after at Tenchebrai, according to _Ordericus Vit_. 817. The Etoutevilles were established in England; princ.i.p.ally in Yorks.h.i.+re.

A.L.P. In the Red book, 'In ballia Willi de Malepalet,' there are two of the name, 'Nichus de Stotevill 1 mil. de fdo de Logis, et pco, et 7 hospit. quos habet apud Fiscan;' and 'Willmus de Stotevill 1 mil. de fdo de Dodearvill;' among those who made no appearance or return is 'Robertas de Estotevill.']

[Footnote 25: EUSTACE OF ABBEVILLE. There is a commune so named in the arrondiss.e.m.e.nt of Lisieux, but M. Le Prevost thinks it more probable that Abbeville in Ponthieu is intended. Is it clear that Wace did not mean,--however incorrect the geography,---Eustace of Boulogne? It would be singular that he should not at all mention so important a person; yet he does not, unless he is intended here. Eustace of Boulogne appears in Domesday; see _Introduction_, i. 416.]

[Footnote 26: JEFFERT DE MAGNEVILLE, in the arrondiss.e.m.e.nt of Valognes, --whose name became in England Mandeville,--was constable of the tower of London, and earl of Ess.e.x. See M. de Gerville's _Recherches_, No. 15; and _Introd. Domesday_, i. 450. In the Red book, 'Rogerus de Magnevill 2 mil. et dim. et ad serv. suum 3 mil.']

[Footnote 27: WILLIAM CRESPIN I. lord of Bec Crespin, in the pays de Caux. See our former note, and the pedigree; which is at variance with the a.s.sumption in M. Le Prevost's notes, that Turstain Fitz-Rou was not connected with this family. Dugdale, _Baronage_, i. 413, seems to know only one William Crespin. William II. was in the battle of Tenchebrai, opposed to Henry I.]

[Footnote 28: This may be WALTER DE SAINT MARTIN, brother of William Martel. Many communes bear this name; the one in question may be that in the pays de Caux or Brai. Roger de St. Martin occurs in the _Monasticon_ in 1119, and one of the family founded Robertsbridge in 1176. But M. Le Prevost thinks the more probable opinion is, that the party here meant was Jeffry, son of Rainauld, lord of St. Martin-le-Gaillard, in the arrondiss.e.m.e.nt of Dieppe, mentioned in the charter of foundation of Treport; see _Gallia Christ._ xi.]

[Footnote 29: WILLIAM, lord of MOULINS-LA-MARCHE,--Molendina,--in the arrondiss.e.m.e.nt of Mortagne, was son of Walter de Falaise. The duke, in reward of his services, gave him in marriage Alberee, daughter and heiress of Guitmond, lord of Moulins-la-Marche. After having two sons, William and Robert, he repudiated her; and married the daughter of Valeran de Meulan, being thus brother-in-law to Roger de Beaumont. He was in 1075 one of those sent to the relief of Jean la Fleche; see _Ordericus Vit_. 533, 577, 890. The English family of this name seems to have come from Limousin. A.L.P.]

[Footnote 30: FULK DU PIN is, in a charter to St. Pierre-sur-Dive, quoted as contemporary with the conqueror. _Ordericus Vitalis_ mentions a Morin du Pin as living in 1080. This family, which had property in England, and occurs in the _Monasticon_,(see Dunstaple), appears to have been from Pin-au-Haras, near Argentan. A.L.P.]

[Footnote 31: HUGH DE GRENTE-MESNIL, now Grandmesnil, arrondiss.e.m.e.nt of Lisieux, had been banished in 1063. He became sheriff of Leicesters.h.i.+re, and had other honours and many lands, and was a.s.sociated with bishop Odo and William Fitz-Osbern as justiciars. See _Introd. Domesday,_ i.

408--429.]

[Footnote 32: JEFFRY DE MAINE. Although there were Manceaux in the army, it is hardly to be supposed that 'Giffrei li sire de Meaine,' (_Wace_, vol. ii. 85), the active enemy of William, (even if the t.i.tle of sire de Meaine could then be applied to him) is the person meant here, as accompanying him to England. It has been supposed that the true reading should be Mortagne; and in fact _William of Poitiers_ and _Ordericus Vitalis_ mention a Jeffery son of Rotro, count of Mortagne (comes Moritoniae) as present at Hastings. d.u.c.h.esne's MS. reads Marreigne.

A.L.P. But see Dugdale's _Baronage_, i. 510.]

[Footnote 33: BOHUN, arrondiss.e.m.e.nt of St. Lo, in the Cotentin; where are still St. Andre and St. Georges de Bohon. The mound of the old castle remains visible. The Bohuns long after the conquest were hereditary constables of England, and subsequently earls of Hereford, Ess.e.x, and Northumberland. See the _Recherches_ of M. de Gerville, and _Introd. Domesday_, i. 383. Ilbert de Chaz, whose tombstone is at Layc.o.c.k, was a va.s.sal of Bohun, and came from Chaz, now Cats, in the neighbourhood of Bohun; _Gent.'s Mag._ Oct. 1835. In the Red book, 'Engelger. de Boun 2 mil. et 6m. partm. et ad servitium suum 7 mil. in Constant.' and Humphridus de Boun 2 mil. et ad serv. suum 2 mil. in Constant.']

[Footnote 34: CARTERET, arrondiss.e.m.e.nt of Valognes. The family has remained in Jersey and England; _Recherches_, No. 14. In the Red book, 'in balliva Osberti de Hosa'--'Philippus de Cartr.']

[Footnote 35: WILLIAM WARREN, named from the fief of Varenne, in St.

Aubin-le-Cauf, arrondiss.e.m.e.nt of Dieppe. His English history as earl of Surrey is well known; _Introd. Dom_. i. 506. M. Le Prevost expresses his opinion that William was not son of Walter de St. Martin, as _d.u.c.h.esne_ stiles him, but of Ralf de Warren,--a benefactor of the abbey of la Trinite du mont about the middle of the eleventh century,--by a niece of the d.u.c.h.ess Gunnor; Roger de Mortemer, the first of the name, being another son. In a charter to St. Wandril by the conqueror, there is subscribed as witness, 'S. Rogerii filii Rodulfi de Warena.' A Gilbert de Warena witnesses a charter to Jumieges in 1088. A.L.P. We have good authority for observing that the hamlet of Varenne in St. Aubin never belonged to the Warrens, but to a family named Neville or Neuville, the adjoining hamlet. The river was anciently called Varimna, and there was a town of the same name, which appears to have been changed to that of Bellencombre--Bellus c.u.mulus--from the lofty mound on which stood the castle of the Warrens, their caput baroniae. Warren is in the Red book one of the defaulters.]

[Footnote 36: HUGH, lord of GOURNAY, who occupied the frontier district of Brai; an important post for the defence of Normandy. See before, p.

49. We find 'Hugo senex,' in a charter of Hen. I., who retired to and died at Bec; but this was probably a son of the one at Mortemer and Hastings. We may well expect to find him characterised as 'old Hue,'

when we see Jehan de Flagy--or whoever wrote the old romance of Garin le Loherain, just published by M. Paris--boldly introducing 'Hues qui Gournay tient,' with 'Anjorrans li sires de Couci,' and 'de Toartois le vis-quens Haimeris,' as meeting 'la pucelle Blancheflors au cler vis,'

at the court of Pepin, 'a la cit de Paris.' We find Hugh de Gournay,--probably the son,--a landholder in Ess.e.x, _Introd. Domesday_, i. 431; in the Red book roll is 'Hugo de Gurnayo 12 mil. et omnium reliquorum ad Marchiam.' See the history of this family, and of the junior branches which remained in England, in Burke's _English Commoners_, i. 484.]

[Footnote 37: ENGERAND DE L'AIGLE, appears to have been the son of Fulbert, the founder of the castle de l'Aigle, on the Rille, arrondiss.e.m.e.nt of Mortagne. He was killed in the pursuit after the battle of Hastings; but his children had Pevensey and large estates. In the Red book, 'Richardus de Aquila 5 mil. et dim. de fdo de Crepon in Cadomo;' and among the defaulters stands, 'Richerus de Aquila nisi pro fdo de Crepun.']

[Footnote 38: AIMERI viscount of THOUARS has appeared before.]

[Footnote 39: It is generally understood that not RICHARD D'AVRANCHES, in the Cotentin, (though living at the time), but his son HUGH LUPUS accompanied the conqueror; receiving in 1070 the earldom of Chester, to hold 'tam libere ad gladium sicut ipse rex tenebat Angliam per coronam.'

See _Ordericus Vitalis_, 787, and _Introd. Domesday_, i. 437. In the Red book, 'comes Cestriae 10 mil. de Sancto Severo et de Bregesard; et ad serv. suum 51 mil. et dim. et 4m. et 8m. Idem de fdo Morton,' In the inquest of Bayeux knights 'comes Cestriae tenet 5 mil. de episcopo fdum,' of which the particulars are given. Of Hugh Lupus _Gaimar_ draws a striking portrait: as well as of others of these fortunate leaders. In speaking of an enormous guard of honour that William kept about him when going from England to Normandy, he says;

Il les tenoit ne sai pur quoi Car nule guerre il n'avoit, Ne de nul horn ne se cremoit: Mes par sa grant n.o.bilite Avoit cele gent od soi mene.

Qe dirroie de ses barons?

Quieus homs estoit li quens Huons!

L'empereur de Lumbardie Ne menoit pas tiele compaignie Come il fesoit de gent privee.

Ja sa [tiel] meson ne tut vee A gentil home ne a franc.

Ewe en viver u en estanc Ert plus legier a espucher Que n'iert son beivre ne son manger.

Touz tens avoit richesce a.s.sez; Ja tant n'eust le jor donez Qe lendemain li sovenist, E q'autretant ne departist.

Conte de Cestre estoit clame; Od grant gent est au roi ale.]

[Footnote 40: LES BIARDS, canton d'Isigny, arrondiss.e.m.e.nt of Mortain.

William Avenel is probably meant, who in 1082 was a benefactor to the abbey of St. Pierre-de-la-Couture at Mans; _Gallia Christiana,_ ix.

Instr. 107. See the Avenels again below, and our note there.]

[Footnote 41: SUBLIGNY, near Avranches. There was a bishop of Avranches of this house in the twelfth century. Sublignys appear in Cornwall, Devon, and Somerset See M. de Gerville's _Recherches_, No. 83. In the Red book, 'Joannes de Soligneio 1 mil. et ad servitium suum 3 mil;' and 'in ballia de Tenerchebraio--Joannes de Solegneio 1 mil. de honore de Gilleb'vill. et sibi 4 mil.']

[Footnote 42: D'AUBIGNY, near Periers, in the Cotentin; where there are now two parishes, St. Martin and Christopher d'Aubigny. As to the chateau, and that of Lithaire, see M. de Gerville's _Recherches_, No.

49--36. Lithaire however appears not to have belonged to this family; see our note. Dugdale, Blomfield, and most of our genealogists are extremely inaccurate as to the early history of this family. Almost all state William d'Aubigny, or de Albineio, pincerna of Hen. I., who did not die till 1139, to have come with the conqueror in 1066; to have been _his_ butler, and to have received his estates from _him_. From contemporary doc.u.ments, particularly the charters of Lessay in the _Monasticon_ and _Gall. Christiana_, the known pedigree commences with a William d'Aubigny, or de Albini, who married the sister of the traitor Grimoult del Plesseiz; see the Bayeux Inquest, and our note p. 30. They had a son Roger, who married Amy Moubray, sister of Jeffery the bishop, and of Roger de Moubray. These had several children,--bom probably about or soon after the conquest,--namely William, pincerna of Hen. I., who married Maud Bigot, and was father of the first earl of Arundel; Richard, abbot of St. Albans (see _Mat. Paris_); Nigel, whose son took the name and estates of Moubray; Humphry; and Rualoc or Ralf. The subsequent pedigree of the Albini earls is correctly given by Mr.

Tierney in his _Hist. of Arundel_. Wace anachronizes in calling his d'Aubignie--boteillers. If one of the family was at Hastings, it must have been the eldest William or his son Roger. At _Domesday_, however, Nigel, younger son of Roger, was of age and a landholder; having perhaps succeeded to the English estates of his father or grandfather; probably both then dead, as they are not mentioned. William pincerna, his brother, (the founder of Wymondham), probably inherited the Norman estates, which were considerable; he appears to have had none in England, till for his services to Hen. I. he was enfeoffed, about 1106, of the barony of Buckenham, (see Heame's _Liber Niger_), to hold in grand serjeantry by the butlery; an office now discharged by the dukes of Norfolk his descendants, holders of part of the barony. If William the grandfather survived Roger, the confusion between the two Williams may have occasioned the errors of genealogists. In the Red book the earl of Arundel is a defaulter; and we find only his Bayeux fee, acquired by the marriage of his ancestor with Grimoult's sister; and 'Willus de Albigneio in Barbavill,' without further particulars.]

[Footnote 43: ROBERT, lord of VITRE or Vitry, in Brittany, was, according to the Breton historians, in William's expedition, and is probably here meant. There is, however, a Vitray-sous-l'Aigle, arrondiss.e.m.e.nt of Mortagne; and as the name occurs again below, it is probable that one at least does not refer to a Norman lord. In the Red book roll we find, 'Robertus de Vitreio medietatem de Ria in Baiocasino, et Trungeium et Caignoles et Duxeium in Boscagio.']

[Footnote 44: La.s.sY, arrondiss.e.m.e.nt of Vire. Walter de Lacy was the conqueror's attendant, and Ilbert de Lacy is also said to have been present. Roger, son of Walter also is in Domesday; _Introd. Dom._ i.

431, 432; ii. 345. Lacie occurs again below. In the Bayeux Inquest we find 'feodum de Lacey in Campellis (Campeaux in the Bocage) 2 mil. scil.

Guilleberti et Henrici.']

[Footnote 45: VAL DE SAIRE is the name of a district in the Cotentin, arrondiss.e.m.e.nt of Valognes; 'la tut dreit u Sarre en mer chiet;' _Wace_, i. 318.]

[Footnote 46: TRACY, in the arrondiss.e.m.e.nt of Caen, where are still remains of the castle. It was probably Turgis de Tracy who was at the battle. _Orderic. Vit_. 532. In _Gallia Christ_, xi. Instrum. 107, we find in 1082 William and Gilbert de Tracy. A natural son of Hen. I. was afterwards called William de Tracy. Henry de Tracy received from Stephen the barony of Barnstaple. A.L.P. In the Red book, 'Turgillus de Traseio 2 mil. et ad servit. suum 8 mil.' He subsequently occurs as 'Turgis de Traceio,' besides 'Willmus de Traceio,' and 'Oliverus de Traceio.']

[Footnote 47: HUGH DE MONTFORT, noticed above.]

[Footnote 48: EPINAY is a common name in Normandy. M. Le Prevost thinks that Epinay-sur-Duclair, arrondiss.e.m.e.nt of Rouen, was meant here. Its lords appear in the charters of Jumieges. In the Bayeux inquest we have 'Enguerandus de Espineto tenet de Episcopo feodum v militum;' and this would rather lead us to look nearer Bayeux. It seems by Hardy's _Rot.