Généalogie and Heritage

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(excerpt) Sir Walter de Berkeley married the Lady Eva, daughter of Uchtred of Galloway, and had one son and two daughters. He was a man of great possessions, holding land in different parts of the country. It is recited in a Bull of Pope Alexander III (1175) that he made a grant of land to the Abbey of Holmcultram, in Cumber¬ land. ...He may have held this land through his wife, or possibly the interest of the Lady Eva in the Abbey led to the benefaction. The grant is confirmed by her brother Roland, son of Uchtred, as overlord. The people of Galloway were among the most turbulent of the Scottish vassals, but the allegiance of their Lords seems to have been secured later, as we find both Roland and his son, Alan, in the Royal service. John son of Walter de Berkeley is distinguished by being so described in two instances. In a charter by Alan, son of Walter the Steward of the King of Scotland, the name, par¬ tially obliterated “JOA . . . filio Walteri de Berkeley ” is followed by that of Robert de Berkeley, David, “ the King’s brother,” Gilbert, Earl of Stratherne, William de Morev(ille) the King’s Constable, and other highly placed witnesses. Among those present “in curia regis” in Edinburgh (1189- 1196) we find “John, son of Walter de Berkeley.” His name also occurs in a grant made by his mother, the Lady Eva. It is evident that he predeceased his father. Walter de Berkeley’s eldest daughter succeeded to his estates. Her name has not come down to us, but his “heiress” married Ingelram de Baliol of Barnard Castle in Durham. Her son Henry was, like his grandfather, Lord High Chamber- lain. It is said by Crawfurd, the historian, that the family of de Baliol, one of whom afterwards became King of Scotland, gained their first footing in that country by the marriage with the heiress of Sir Walter de Berkeley, Lord of Redcastle. His younger daughter, Margaret, married Sir Alexander de Seton and was ancestress of the Earls of Eglinton and Winton. Sir Alexander de Seton witnesses a donation for Saher de Quincey, Earl of Winchester, to the Abbey of Dunfermline before 1223. He had one son, Secher de Seton. Sir Walter de Berkeley’s wife, the Lady Eva, survived him and married his old friend and co-witness to many documents, Robert de Quincey, a Northamptonshire Baron. Robert de Quincey had been previously married to Orabilis, daughter of William of Ness, who brought him vast estates in Scotland ; by her he had one son, Saher de Quincey, after¬ wards Earl of Winchester. The date of his second marriage cannot be ascertained. He was Justiciar c. 1175 and went to Jerusalem 1191, when King William remitted part of a debt due by him to Aaron the Jew of Lincoln. Mr. Lindsay was of opinion that he never returned from the Holy Land, but the Northamptonshire Pipe Rolls for 1198 show that he was in England in that year. He was also one of the wit¬ nesses to the foundation charter of Inchaffray. His wife, the Lady Eva, was once more a widow before the close of the reign of William the Lion, in 1214, as is shown by the following grant, which is of peculiar interest as giving the names of both her husbands, her son, her brother and sister. “ To all the sons of Holy Mother Church present and to come, Eva sometime spouse of Robert de Quinci wisheth greeting. Know ye all that I in almsgiving have bought 25 acres of arable land lying adjacent to the Grange of Edmonstone, and give by this my charter and confirm the same in pure and perpetual alms to God and St. Mary of Melros and the Monks there serving God, for the Safety of my Lord King William King of Scotland my own soul and the souls of my father and mother and of my Lords Robert de Quinci and Walter de Berkeley and Roland my brother and John my son and Christian my sister and all the faithful and I have specially assigned the alms for the use of the convent in terms of the per¬ mission of the Abbot and whole convent.” The name of Walter de Berkeley first appears in a petition of Robert de Eskedale to King William the Lion for the confirmation of gifts of certain lands bestowed by him upon the church of St. Mary of Melrose under charter from King Malcolm. In this petition the terms of the original charter are quoted in extenso. “ And of these my gifts, and the charter made in the time of my Lord King Malcolm.

(excerpt) Sir Walter de Berkeley married the Lady Eva, daughter of Uchtred of Galloway, and had one son and two daughters. He was a man of great possessions, holding land in different parts of the country. It is recited in a Bull of Pope Alexander III (1175) that he made a grant of land to the Abbey of Holmcultram, in Cumber¬ land. ...He may have held this land through his wife, or possibly the interest of the Lady Eva in the Abbey led to the benefaction. The grant is confirmed by her brother Roland, son of Uchtred, as overlord.

The people of Galloway were among the most turbulent of the Scottish vassals, but the allegiance of their Lords seems to have been secured later, as we find both Roland and his son, Alan, in the Royal service.

John son of Walter de Berkeley is distinguished by being so described in two instances. In a charter by Alan, son of Walter the Steward of the King of Scotland, the name, par¬ tially obliterated “JOA . . . filio Walteri de Berkeley ” is followed by that of Robert de Berkeley, David, “ the King’s brother,” Gilbert, Earl of Stratherne, William de Morev(ille) the King’s Constable, and other highly placed witnesses.

Among those present “in curia regis” in Edinburgh (1189- 1196) we find “John, son of Walter de Berkeley.” His name also occurs in a grant made by his mother, the Lady Eva. It is evident that he predeceased his father.

Walter de Berkeley’s eldest daughter succeeded to his estates. Her name has not come down to us, but his “heiress” married Ingelram de Baliol of Barnard Castle in Durham. Her son Henry was, like his grandfather, Lord High Chamber- lain. It is said by Crawfurd, the historian, that the family of de Baliol, one of whom afterwards became King of Scotland, gained their first footing in that country by the marriage with the heiress of Sir Walter de Berkeley, Lord of Redcastle.

His younger daughter, Margaret, married Sir Alexander de Seton and was ancestress of the Earls of Eglinton and Winton. Sir Alexander de Seton witnesses a donation for Saher de Quincey, Earl of Winchester, to the Abbey of Dunfermline before 1223. He had one son, Secher de Seton.

Sir Walter de Berkeley’s wife, the Lady Eva, survived him and married his old friend and co-witness to many documents, Robert de Quincey, a Northamptonshire Baron. Robert de Quincey had been previously married to Orabilis, daughter of William of Ness, who brought him vast estates in Scotland ; by her he had one son, Saher de Quincey, after¬ wards Earl of Winchester. The date of his second marriage cannot be ascertained. He was Justiciar c. 1175 and went to Jerusalem 1191, when King William remitted part of a debt due by him to Aaron the Jew of Lincoln. Mr. Lindsay was of opinion that he never returned from the Holy Land, but the Northamptonshire Pipe Rolls for 1198 show that he was in England in that year. He was also one of the wit¬ nesses to the foundation charter of Inchaffray.

His wife, the Lady Eva, was once more a widow before the close of the reign of William the Lion, in 1214, as is shown by the following grant, which is of peculiar interest as giving the names of both her husbands, her son, her brother and sister. “ To all the sons of Holy Mother Church present and to come, Eva sometime spouse of Robert de Quinci wisheth greeting. Know ye all that I in almsgiving have bought 25 acres of arable land lying adjacent to the Grange of Edmonstone, and give by this my charter and confirm the same in pure and perpetual alms to God and St. Mary of Melros and the Monks there serving God, for the Safety of my Lord King William King of Scotland my own soul and the souls of my father and mother and of my Lords Robert de Quinci and Walter de Berkeley and Roland my brother and John my son and Christian my sister and all the faithful and I have specially assigned the alms for the use of the convent in terms of the per¬ mission of the Abbot and whole convent.”

The name of Walter de Berkeley first appears in a petition of Robert de Eskedale to King William the Lion for the confirmation of gifts of certain lands bestowed by him upon the church of St. Mary of Melrose under charter from King Malcolm. In this petition the terms of the original charter are quoted in extenso.

“ And of these my gifts, and the charter made in the time of my Lord King Malcolm.