Past and Present

    by Janet McNeilly  © 2002

23 August 2014

de Monmouth

William FitzBaderon de Monmouth

28x great grandfather

William FitzBaderon was an Anglo-Norman nobleman of Breton descent, who was lord of Monmouth between about 1082 and 1125. He was mentioned in the Domesday Book as being responsible for Monmouth Castle and ten other manors in the surrounding region, and was responsible in 1101 for the consecration of the town’s Priory which had been established in 1075 by his uncle Withenoc.

He was the son of Baderon, a nobleman of La Boussac, near Dol in Brittany. Baderon's brother Withenoc (or Gwithenoc) was appointed lord of Monmouth by King William after the disgrace of Roger de Breteuil in 1075, and founded the Priory at Monmouth. The pious Withenoc then gave up his secular responsibilities in about 1082 to become a monk at Saumur, and, because his own son Raterius and his brother Baderon were also monks, the responsibilities fell on Baderon’s son, William. Withenoc's responsibilities initially passed for a short time to Ranulf de Colville, perhaps because William had not yet reached adulthood.

By the time of the Domesday Book in 1086, William had become a major landowner.Besides his castle at Monmouth, he was also lord of Huntley, Longhope, Ruardean, and Siddington, in Gloucestershire; and of Ashperton, Hope Mansell, Munsley, Stretton Grandison, Walsopthorne and Whitwick, in Herefordshire. At Monmouth, he may have been responsible for completing the rebuilding of the original wooden motte and bailey castle in stone.

He and his family, together with his vassals, their wives, and Wihenoc, were present when Monmouth Priory was consecrated in 1101. William was of sufficient eminence to attract to the ceremony such notables as King Henry’s chaplain, Bernard. William granted, to the abbey of Saint Florent at Saumur, the Priory Church of St Mary at Monmouth, "and all their churches, and the tithes of all their lands and of all their tenants, namely, of grain, of stock, of honey, of iron, of mills, of cheeses, and of whatever is tithed. They also gave, near the castle of Monemuda (Monmouth) the land of three ploughs and the mill of Milebroc (?), and a meadow at Blakenalre (?), and land at St. Cadoc (Llangattock-Vibon-Avel), and a meadow beneath their castle, and a virgate of land, namely, Godric's, and at Siddington a hide of land, and in all their woods pannage for swine of the monks' demesne. They also gave all wood required by the monks or their men for building. Lastly, [he] granted seven burgesses in their market-place, free from all toll and from all dues, save offences deserving corporal penalty."

William married Hawise (or Hadwise), and was succeeded as lord of Monmouth by his eldest son, Baderon fitzWilliam of Monmouth, in about 1125. It is not known whether he died at that time, or retreated to a monastic life.

William and Hawise had the following children-

Baderon de Monmouth

27x great grandfather

Baderon of Monmouth (c. 1100 - 1176), also known as Baderon fitzWilliam, was lord of Monmouth between about 1125 and 1176.

Baderon succeeded his father, William fitzBaderon, as lord of Monmouth in about 1125, when his father either died or retired to become a monk. Baderon confirmed the possessions of the Priory at Monmouth granted by his predecessors, and extended them. His sister Margaret, whose son Robert became prior of Monmouth, and whose second husband, Hugh fitzRichard, was a landowner in Worcestershire, made further grants of land to the priory. Baderon also became responsible for Goodrich Castle, which he is believed to have developed and extended.

At some point after 1130 Baderon married Rohese (or Rohesia), the daughter of Gilbert fitzRichard de Clare, and the sister of Gilbert de Clare, who was the lord of Striguil (or Chepstow) and later became Earl of Pembroke. The marriage took place at Chepstow, and brought together the families of the two neighbouring, and sometimes rival, lordships.

He was a contemporary and possible kinsman of Geoffrey of Monmouth, who was born in the same town at around the same date. Baderon died in 1176. He was succeeded as lord of Monmouth by his son Gilbert, who was in turn succeeded by his own son, John of Monmouth, in 1190.

Baderon and Rohese had the following children-

Soucres-

Wikipedia

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