GEN-MEDIEVAL-L Archives

Archiver > GEN-MEDIEVAL > 1998-03 > 0889000475


From: Reedpcgen< >
Subject: Re: Discovering The Identity of William Longespee's Mother
Date: 4 Mar 1998 08:34:35 GMT


I have not had a chance to run down the grant of Appleby, co. Lincoln, in 1188
yet, but on 5 Feb. 1191 King Richard sent to the chancellor and the justiciars
from Messina ordering them to give the manor of Kirton in Lin[d]sey to his
brother William [Longespee], "Teste me ipso."
_The Itinerary of King Richard I..._ by Lionel Landon (London, 1935) [Pipe Roll
Society], 46 (No. 350). There are other references to WIlliam in this work on
pp. 120, 122, 128-30, 133, 134 bis, 141, 142 ter.

From these references it would seem that William was an adult and active
dureing the early reign of his brother Richard I. Richard made two charters
for "Reynold count of Boulogne confirming to him the forest of Lillebonne and
the inheritance in England and in Normandy of his wife Ida de Boulogne, as
count Matthew held it, and all the inheritance of his father count Aubrey de
Dammartin," dated at La Roche d'Andely 29 Oct. 1198 (Ibid., 137, nos. 526,
526a).

This "Reginald de Dammartin," count of Boulogne, had also obtained the manor of
Ryhall, co. Rutland. "He had been despoiled of the county of Boulogne, which
he held in right of his wife Ida, by Philip king of France and in 1212 came
over to England and swore fealty to John, who restored to him manors claimed by
the countess and appears to have given him Ryhall also.... The count of
Boulogne had held the vill until he was taken in Flanders, while in the service
of King John." This from William Farrer's _Honors and Knights' Fees..._
(London, 1924) 2:392. There was certainly a close relationship with the counts
of Boulogne and the kings of England in John's reign, and seemingly in Richard
I's reign as well.

An inquiry into escheats in the reign of Henry III stated that Acton was an
escheat of the Honour of Peverel... and that Henry II gave it to "William
Lungespeye senior". _Rotuli de dominabus et pueris et puellis de xii
comitatibus [1185]_ (London, 1913) [Pipe Roll Society].

If William Longespee were an adult by about 1188, he would be born by 1167,
maybe not that much earlier. It is very believable that his brother Richard
would given him a young heiress as bride. That was the easiest way to obtain
large landholdings and peerage without granting away crown lands.

Does anyone have access to R. W. Eyton's _Court, Household and Itinerary of
King Henry II (1878)? It would be interesting to have a realistic assessment
of how much time Henry spent in France, if any of it was at Boulogne, and what
interaction he may have had with the Bigods, Earls of Norfolk, especially ca.
1163-7.

pcr

This thread: