Note 2.5
Several of the men chosen by William de Braose to be his tenants in the Rape of Bramber, officers and knights of his household and companions in arms, also appear as witnesses to his charters. Their origins can sometimes be traced through their names to Normandy, particularly around Briouze, where they may also have served William de Braose or been related by marriage. Some are recorded in the Domesday survey of 1086 and a few families continued to serve the Braoses from generation to generation.
The various spellings of names in post-Conquest documents is confusing but reflects that the scribes were wrestling with Saxon English, Norman French and Latin spelling and pronunciation all at the same time.
William de Braose's "men" included:
LE SAUVAGE: Robert "le Sauvage", "Silvaticus", "Salvagius" or "Savage" who held Lancing, Ashington, Broadwater, Durrington, Worthing, Buncton and Sedgwick, with land in Sompting and Angmering, probably came from La Sauvagère, south of Briouze.
DE BUCY: Ralf "de Bucy", "Bocco", "Busci" or "Buceio" was the son of Landreco de Bucy from Boucé, 14 miles east of Briouze. Ralf was William de Braose's Sheriff and may have been related to William's wife, Eve. He held Kingston Buci (now called Kingston-by-Sea), Sompting, Cokeham, Dankton, Heene, Shermanbury, Wantley, West Grinstead, Wiston and land in Woolfly, West Chiltington, Washington and Lancing.
DE CUMBES: Hugh "de Cumbes", "Coombes", "Cumbis" or "Cumba" was the brother of Norman (Normannus) and both appear in Braose charters. William fitz (son of) Norman was the Domesday tenant of Coombes, Applesham and land in Offington in the Rape of Bramber. He was probably the same William fitz Norman who held Kilpeck near Hereford. The Kilpeck branch of this family were hereditary royal foresters in Herefordshire.
DE SAINT OUEN: Guilbert "de St Ouen'", "Sancto Audeono" or "St Odemar" (otherwise Gislebertus de Cleopehan) possibly originated from Saint-Ouen-sur-Maire, near Braose territory at Ecouché and Sevrai. He gained Clapham and land in Washington and Annington.
RICHARD: Difficult to identify except that in Domesday he held Chancton.
FITZ RANULF: William fitz "Ranulph" or "Ralph" held Woodmancote, Ifield, Sakeham and land in Morley, Shoreham and Kingston. Was this William the son of Ralf de Bucy who held Kingston Buci? Simon le Comte or "Comes" later held these lands.
FITZ THEODORIC: Ralph Fitz "Theodoric" or "Tedric", held Cokeham. His gift of a hundred ambrae of salt was recorded by Battle Abbey. Ralph's father may be the Theodoric who held Saxlingham in Norfolk from Peter de Valoines at Domesday and is possibly the same as Theoderic Pointel of Witham, Essex. Peter de Valoines had a daughter, Muriel, whose son 'William filio Theodoric' was William de Bacton (see Rosie Bevan on Gen-Medieval-L Archive). Mansel, Robert and William Pointel all appear in Braose charters. The daughter of William son of Theodoric was received into the abbey of La Trinité at Caen with the gift of the land of Ralph de Billy. Ralph the chamberlain and her parents consented to the gift of their family land, which was made between the founding of the abbey in 1066 and 1082. Pointel is an immediate neighbour to Briouze.
FITZ BONNARD: William Fitz "Bonnard", "Bernard" or maybe "Bonnet" held Hoe and Eatons.
DE SAINT ANDRE: Morin de St André (Morinus de Sancto Andrea) held Thakeham, Muntham and land in Washington. The name "Saint André de la Marche" is associated with Richard Belfou who married Basilia, a daughter of Ralph d'Ivry (died 1011). On the other hand, Saint-André-de-Messey and Saint-André-de-Briouze are both located very close to Briouze in Normandy.
A Gosbert de Braose and Robert, the brother of William de Braose, also appear in charters. Robert has been identified as the Domesday holder of Essage (Shaw in Overton), Wiltshire. Other interesting personalities include Primuldus, the monk from Saint Florent who was William de Braose's Chaplain and dictated his charters; William de Chernella from La Carneille near Briouze, described by William de Braose as his nephew, and Adam de Chernella; Odo Rufus de Fraxineto, possibly from La Fresnaye near Briouze, and an ancestor maybe of the Freyne/French family.
One of the mysteries of William de Braose's charters is the dedication in 1080 for "Radulfi Waldi filii, Radulfique filii sui atque Gausfridi Rufi amima": the soul of Ralf son of Wald, Ralf his son and Geoffrey Rufus.
home back