Ref:

(1) Chronicon Monasterii de Abingdon- J. Stevenson, Ed., London, 1858- Vol. II, p. 1
(2) Historia et Cartularium Monasterii Sancti Petri Gloucestriae- W. H. Hart, London, 1863- Vol. I, p. lxxvi
(3) Ibid- Vol. I, p. 81
(4) Ibid- Vol. I, LXXV, p. 188
(5) Ibid- Vol. I, CCCXLVII, p. 349

Domesday People- K.S.B. Keats-Rohan, Boydell Press, 1999- p. 451
Domesday Descendants- K.S.B. Keats- Rohan, Boydell Press, 2002- p. 480
Tim Powys-Lybbe's web page at: http://www.tim.ukpub.net

m. BERTA- possibly related to Hamelin de Ballon, Lord of Abergavenny
d. 1129

The Domesday Book states that Walter FitzRoger held Cerney, Gloucestershire. A charter by William the Conqueror, dated 1086, confirms the donations to Gloucester St. Peter by Walter, including land in Westwood for the souls of his parents.(1) In 1101 Water donated Westwode to the monastery for the soul of his brother Herbert.(2)

Abergavenny Castle

Brien, son of the "comitis de Insula", earl of the Isle, grandson of his sister Lucy, granted the lordship of Abergavenny to Walter, Constable of England, his kinsman.(3) The exact nature of the relationship is unknown at this point. Because of this passage the "Complete Peerage" suggests that Berthe was a relative of Hamelin de Ballon, Lord of Abergavenny, however, it is Walter, not his son, who is called "consanguineo" of Brien which implies that the relationship must be through Walter's parents, not his wife. Besides there is doubt as to the relationship between Brien and Hamelin. There is an undated charter where William de Braose confirmed donations to the Priory of Abergavenny by Hamelin de Ballon and Brien FitzCount and Walter de Hereford and Henry de Hereford which certainly implies a close relationship, however, the connection is still not known. (7)

Church of St. Luke- Ullingswick

King Henry I confirmed the grant to Walter of Gloucester and his heirs to Little Hereford and Ullingswick by the Bishop of Hereford in 1121.(4) By an undated charter Walter of Gloucester, with the assent of his son Miles and his wife Bertha, donated the churches of Cernay and Saint Helen and the land of Westwode to Gloucester St. Peter.(5)

Walter de Gloucester was Sheriff of Gloucestershire in 1097 and again from 1104 until about 1121. He was constable of Gloucester Castle and made improvements to its fortifications before 1112. The family held the castle until 1155 when it was retained by the Crown. The castle kept in repair until the reign of Richard III when it was then used as a county jail until the remains of the castle was torn down in 1787.

Gloucester Castle- 18th Century

King Henry I granted the lands of Edric, son of Chetel to Walter de Gloucester by a charted dated June 1123. Also in that year Walter granted Little Hereford in fee to his nephew Willem de la Mare.(6)

Church of St. Mary Magdalene- Little Hereford- 1898

Issue-

Ref:

(1) Historia et Cartularium Monasterii Sancti Petri Gloucestriae- W. H. Hart, London, 1863- Vol. I, CCCXVI, p. 334
(2) Ibid- Vol. I, p. 118
(3) Dugdale's Monasticon IV- Priory of Bergavenny in Monmouthshire- Cartae I, p. 615
(4) Regesta Regem Anglo-Normannorum- C. Johnson & H. A. Cronne, Ed., Oxford, 1956- Vol. II, CXXXIV, p. 341
(5) Historia et Cartularium Monasterii Sancti Petri Gloucestriae- W. H. Hart, London, 1863- Vol. I, CLXVII, p. 246
(6) Ancient Charters Royal and Private Prior to A.D. 1200- J. H. Round, Ed., London, 1888- Part I, 10, p. 18; 11, p. 19
(7) See "The Complete Peerage"- Vol. VI, pp. 451-2, footnote g as well as Dugdale's Monasticon IV- Priory of Abergavenny, Monmouthshire- III, p. 616

Dictionary of National Biography- Leslie Stephen, Ed., Oxford University Press
The Complete Peerage- St. Catherine Press, London- Vol. VI, p. 451
Domesday People- K.S.B. Keats-Rohan, Boydell Press, 1999- p. 451
Domesday Descendants- K.S.B. Keats- Rohan, Boydell Press, 2002- pp. 479, 938
English Baronies- I.J. Sanders, Oxford University Press, 1963- p. 7
Tim Powys-Lybbe's web page at: http://www.tim.ukpub.net

m. 1121 SYBYL de NEUFMARCHE (d. after 1143, bur. Llanthony Priory, Gloucestershire)
d. 24 Dec. 1143
bur. Llanthony Priory

Arms of Miles FitzWalter, Earl of Hereford

The marriage contract was made 10 Apr./29 May 1121 between Miles of Gloucester and Sybil, daughter of Bernard of "Novo Mercato". The dowry was all her parents possessions. The history of Brecknock priory states that the founder "Bernard de Nefmarche, Norman married Neste qe fut apele Agnes, la file Griffin le fiz Lewelin cruel tyrant de Gales" by whom he had Mael a "noble chevalier" whom, he claimed was not his son and was deprived of Brecknock in favor of "la file de Neste, Sibile wife of Miles fiz Watir le conestable de Gloucestre e de Hereford".(6)

Brecknock Castle

Miles succeeded his father as Sheriff of Gloucester c.1121 and was also the Justiciar for Gloucestershire. (1) He was in the service of King Henry I and was Constable of England. After Henry's death he was a supporter of King Stephen and was constable under him in 1136. Stephen granted him the honor of Gloucester and Brecknock in 1136. In 1139 when Matilda came on the scene, Miles declared for her and placed the city of Gloucester at her disposal. He then sacked the city of Worcester and attacked King Stephen's siege works at Wallingford Castle. By his actions Miles retained his job as Constable under the Empress and on 25 July 1141 at Oxford he was granted the Earldom of Hereford and Abergavenny Castle. Brien FitzCount and his wife transferred the honor of Abergavenny to Miles in 1141.(3) He continued to be loyal to Matilda even after her defeat at Winchester later in that year.

Miles founded the Llanthony Secunda Priory in Gloucester in 1136 naming his predecessors Roger of Gloucester and Walter "constabularius". He gave another donation to the Priory the following year jointly with his wife Sybil and his sons Roger, Walter and Henry.(2)

Llanthony Secunda Priory- Gloucester

An interesting story about Llanthony Secunda is that during the Siege of Gloucester during the Civil War a cannon was sent from Holland to Bristol and then to Gloucester and mounted on the walls of Llanthony Secunda and pointed towards the city walls of Gloucester. King Charles I hoped that the cannon would help break the siege and win control of the city for the Royalist forces. Unfortunately, the cannon misfired and exploded on the first shot giving rise to the Humpty Dumpty nursery rhyme.

At the time of the siege in 1643 "humpty dumpty" referred to a drink of brandy boiled with ale. In the 18th century a "humpty dumpty" referred to a short, clumsy person.

The "Gesta Stephani Regis" states that Milo of Gloucester was killed by an arrow while hunting.(4) "Milo... Erle of Herforde, Lord of Bricone and of all the Forest of Done, and also Constable of England... Sibbill wiff of the seid Milo... Roger his first begotten sonne... Henri his brother Lord of Bricone... Michel Lord of Bricone... Ladi Margaret the furst begotton daughter of the said Milo... married to Humfre of Bohun the third... Luce the third daughter of the seid Milo Erle" were buried at Llanthony Priory.(5)

Llanthony Priory- Samuel Lysons- 1803

The "Historia Fundationis cum Fundatoris Genealogia" of Abergavenny Priory names Margaret, Bertha and Lucy as the three daughters of Miles and adds that Margaret married Humphre de Bohun and that Bertha married Philip de Braose [which is an error as it it stated in other primary sources that Bertha married Philip's son William (8)] and also that Lucy married Herbert FitzHerbert and inherited the forest of Dean and other lands in England. It also state that the five sons of Miles were Roger, Henry, Walter, Mahel and William and that Roger, Mahel, William and Walter died childless. (7)

Ref:

(1) The Complete Peerage- Vol. VI, p. 452, footnote b
(2) Dugdale's Monasticon VI- Lanthony Abbey, Gloucestershire, III, p. 136
(3) The Complete Peerage- Vol. VI, p. 453
(4) Gesta Stephani, Regis Anglorum et Ducis Normannorum- R. C. Sewell, London, 1846- Vol. I, p. 15; Vol. II, pp. 93, 101
(5) Collectanea Topographica et Genealogica- Vol. I, XX, p. 168
(6) Ancient Charters Royal and Private Prior to A.D. 1200- J. H. Round, Ed., London, 1888- Part I, 6, p. 8; Dugdale's Monasticon III- Brecknock Priory I, Quaedam de Loco et Dominis eius Historica- p. 263; see also Monasticon IV- Priory of Abergavenny, Monmouthshire, Cartae I, p. 615
(7) Dugdale's Monasticon IV- Priory of Abergavenny, Monmouthshire, Cartae I, p. 615
(8) William de Braose confirmed the donations to the church of Saint Gervais de Braose by Philip de Braose his father, witnessed by Bertha, his wife and his brother Philip- Chartes normandes de l�abbaye de Saint-Florent pr�s Saumur, in "M�moires de la Soci�t� des Antiquaires de la Normandie"- M.P. Marchegay, Ed.- Vol. XXX (1880), 20 bis, p. 680

"Miles de Gloucester, 1st Earl of Hereford" at: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Miles_de_Gloucester,_1st_Earl_of_Hereford
Dictionary of National Biography- Leslie Stephen, Ed., Oxford University Press- Vol. I, p. 19
The Complete Peerage- St. Catherine Press, London- Vol. VI, pp. 193-4, 451-4
Domesday People- K.S.B. Keats-Rohan, Boydell Press, 1999- p. 451
Domesday Descendants- K.S.B. Keats- Rohan, Boydell Press, 2002- pp. 232, 480
English Baronies- I.J. Sanders, Oxford University Press, 1963- p. 7
Women of the English Nobility and Gentry: 1066-1500- Jennifer Ward, Manchester University Press, 1995- p. 107
Tim Powys-Lybbe's web page at: http://www.tim.ukpub.net