Généalogie and Heritage

Source: The de Verdun (1027 - 1316)

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Type	Valeur
Titre	The de Verdun (1027 - 1316)

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BERTRAM I de Verdun

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"Know present and future people that I Rohesia de Verdun, have granted and by this my charter confirmed, to god and St Mary and to the church of the holy trinity of the grace of god at Belton and to the servants of Christ, the nuns in the same church serving god, in pure and perpetual alms, for me and my Heirs, and for the souls of my parents and all my ancestors, and of my husbands all the manor of Belton". So begins the charter of foundation of Gracedieu priory in Leicestershire, confirmed by king Henry III in 1242. The lady who made this seemingly generous gift to the nuns of the order of St Austin was Rohesia de Verdun, the daughter of Nicholas de Verdunand Joan (or Jeanne) Fits-Piers. Some two hundred and fifty years before, the homeland of her ancestors had been the hills of the Ardennes and here her forebears became increasingly important through advantageous marriages with the local ruling families. A descendant of these early de Verduns was Gonthalon count of Verdun and duke of Lower Lorraine. In 1027 he was granted the duchy of Upper Lorraine and in this same year he married Junea, daughter of Berengarius II of Italy, a descendent of Charlemagne. Junea bore her husband three sons; Godfrey, known as “the bearded”, became duke of Lower Lorraine; Gonthalon II became duke of Upper Lorraine and Frederick Junian became a monk at Liege. Duke Godfrey, was ambitious and in 1047, after much activity against the interests of the Holy Roman Emperor Henry III, he was forced into exile. Godfey found employment with his cousin Pope Leo IX, at a time when the papal armies were busy repulsing Norman adventurers in southern Italy. It seems that Frederick, the one time monk of Liege was now in command of several hundred men and though the Papal forces suffered defeat both he and his brother Godfrey covered themselves with personal glory. Frederick soon became a cardinal and Godfrey, who had been married to Ida (or Oda) daughter of Alberic of Namur, now married Beatrice the widow of Boniface of Tuscany and in so doing became marquis of Tuscany in 1053. Beatrice had a nine year old daughter (sired byher previous husband) by the name of Matilda, and Godfrey now married her off to his son Gonthalon III. It was not long before Godfrey and his brother Frederick were again in difficulties. They came once again into conflict with the Holy Roman Emperor this time in northern Italy and were forced to seek refuge for a time at the monastery of Monteccasino Pope Leo died in 1055 and his successor, Pope Victor II made Frederick Junian his papal legate to Constantinople. Two years later Victor died and Frederick was his chosen successor, taking the name of Stephen. Frederick himself died at Florence on 29th March 1058. He was buried in the church of St Reparata. On the succession of Henry IV as Holy Roman Emperor, Godfrey de Verdun was pardoned and allowed to pay homage for his lands in Lower Lorraine. He left Tuscany to live in his castle at Bouillon where he died in 1069. His son, Gonthalon III, succeeded to the family titles and estates but he himself died childless, his wife, the young Matilda, had so loathed him that she left him and never returned. The first mention of the de Verdun family that I have found in England is that of Ida de Verdun the youthful bride of count Eustace II of Boulogne. Eustace's first wife had been Goda, the sister of Edward the Confessor. Goda had obtained the royal manor of Farnham, which had belonged to Queen Edith, prior to the Queen’s fall from favour in 1051. When countess Goda died, Eustace married the fifteen year old Ida de Verdun, daughter of Godfrey the Bearded. The manor of Farnham she received as her dower. It is however with another of the children of Godfrey that our own history must be concerned and my earliest information on this distant ancestor dates from the time of the Norman Conquest of England in 1066 Bertram de Verdun came to England as a retainer of count Robert of Mortain who was one of William the Conqueror's principal commanders at Hastings. Bertram held lands in Mortain, Avranches and, after the conquest; he was given fiefs in England. Later, the lands of Eustace of Boulogne, who vainly rebelled against King William, were confiscated and the manor of Farnham, held by Ida, was given to her brother Bertram. At the time of the great survey of 1086/87 Bertram de Verdun held lands in Buckinghamshire,Staffordshire, Lincolnshire, Leicestershire, and Northamptonshire. Amongst the first of the Leicestershire fiefs were Newbold Verdun, Market Bosworth and Belton. Hamo le Breton conveyed the manor of Lutterworth to Bertram de Verdun as follows: “Know ye that I have granted Bertram De Verdun and his heirs, Lutterworth with all appurtenances to be held by me and my heirs for one Knights fee, and in consideration of this Bertram has given me 13 marks, a coat of mail and grieves and three horses”. In 1100, the year in which William the Conquerors heir, William Rufus died in mysterious circumstances in the New Forest, Bertram de Verdun was in York. In this same year he became sheriff of that county but it seems that soon after he himself was fined for breaking forest laws. Bertram's second wife may have been a Saxon noblewoman for it is believed that on her death the manor of Alton in Staffordshire passed to Bertram who later conferred it upon his son Nicholas (the Norman) de Verdun. Nicholas was a chamberlain to King Henry I. He married Laceline de Clinton, whose father Geoffrey was the king’s treasurer and is perhaps best remembered as the builder of Kenilworth castle. It was in 1130 that Nicholas was acknowledged as lord of Alton. Nine years later he paid 100 shillings for Lutterworth and a further sum for livery of his lands at Belton. In 1135 began the 19 year reign of King Stephen and much has been written about the chaos that ensued. The powerful barons seized the opportunity to build castles without licence from the crown. On the accession of Stephen's successor Henry Plantagenet five hundred of the eleven hundred castles built during the previous reign were pulled down. During the anarchy of Stephen’s reign, Nicholas had fortified Brandon castle, a stone motte and bailey fortress Located on the north bank of the river Avon 6 mileseast of Coventry. Nicholas was allowed to retain Brandon as a mark of the new king’s trust. Nicholas died in 1159 leaving his son Bertram as his heir. This Bertram would, in the course of his life, hold very high office. He married Maud the daughter of Robert de Ferrers 2nd earl of Derby. Maud was a minor and it is unlikely that the marriage was ever consummated; in any event she died young without progeny. Soon after, Bertram married Rohese de Salford who gave her husband eight children In 1169 Bertram became sheriff of Warwickshire. Four years later he rebuilt in stone his house at Alton, which had, up to that time, been little more than a wooden hall. At the beginning of the reign of Henry II a papal bull was obtained authorizing the King to conquer Ireland and bring the Irish church in line with the rest of Europe. Henry had not found the time to act upon it but, in 1169, Dermot MacMurrough the expelled king of Leinster, together with Richard Fits-Gilbert (Strongbow) earl of Pembroke and Clare landed in Ireland. Dublin was taken and held against both Norse and Irish attacks. Henry II decided to go to Ireland to clarify his own position as Strongbow'sliege Lord. Bertram de Verdun was appointed seneschal for the undertaking, that is to say he was responsible for provisions and stores. The expedition left for Waterford on October 16th 1171. From 1172, Bertram was one of the king’s”Justices in Eyre” (circuit judges) along with William Basset of Sapcote ( see chapter 3 The Bassets ). Later, in 1175 he became one of the regular members of the Curia Regis. By 1173, it appears that William Basset of Sapcote was sheriff of Warwickshire. Basset was accused of misappropriation of treasury monies and Bertram de Verdun, who was at that time with the king in Caen, was sent, together with Richard de Humet, to investigate. It seems that Bertram was later given the two shrievalties of Warwickshire and Leicestershire. Henry II had undertaken policies to put the kingdom into good order after the anarchy of the previous reign. This however did not meet with everyone's approval and many of the powerful barons rebelled against the crown. The French were not slow in attempting to gain an advantage from the situation and neither were the Scots. Bertram de Verdun, whose lands were in the main surrounded by rebel lords, supported the king and successfully defended Kenilworth. He also fought at Alnwick against the Scots. Here William the Lion, the Scottish King was taken and shortly afterwards the rebellion was finally put down. Henry Plantagenet was now able to devote his time to completing his reforms in England. Bertram de Verdun was sheriff of Leicestershire until 1183, but I am unsure as to whether he held this office continually. He spent a good deal of his time in both Ireland and Normandy where he founded or endowed many monastic houses not to mention his patronage in England. He was a close friend of his sovereign Henry II and it is likely that he was with the king in France when Henry became ill in 1189. The king retired to Chinon, where he died on July 6th. On the death of Henry II, his son Richard became king without opposition. Richard's wish was to lead a crusade and gain glory in the holy land. Bertram de Verdun set sail with king Richard on what has come to be known as the third crusade, and after manydelays (including the king’s marriage to Berengaria of Navarre) finally reached Acre in 1191. The Christians lay siege to the city which soon fell and Bertram together with Stephen Longchamp was appointed governor. On August 25th 1192, St Bartholomew's day in the old calendar. Bertram died at Jaffa three days before the ..

"Know present and future people that I Rohesia de Verdun, have granted and by this my charter confirmed, to god and St Mary and to the church of the holy trinity of the grace of god at Belton and to the servants of Christ, the nuns in the same church serving god, in pure and perpetual alms, for me and my Heirs, and for the souls of my parents and all my ancestors, and of my husbands all the manor of Belton".

So begins the charter of foundation of Gracedieu priory in Leicestershire, confirmed by king Henry III in 1242. The lady who made this seemingly generous gift to the nuns of the order of St Austin was Rohesia de Verdun, the daughter of Nicholas de Verdunand Joan (or Jeanne) Fits-Piers. Some two hundred and fifty years before, the homeland of her ancestors had been the hills of the Ardennes and here her forebears became increasingly important through advantageous marriages with the local ruling families.

A descendant of these early de Verduns was Gonthalon count of Verdun and duke of Lower Lorraine. In 1027 he was granted the duchy of Upper Lorraine and in this same year he married Junea, daughter of Berengarius II of Italy, a descendent of Charlemagne. Junea bore her husband three sons; Godfrey, known as “the bearded”, became duke of Lower Lorraine; Gonthalon II became duke of Upper Lorraine and Frederick Junian became a monk at Liege.

Duke Godfrey, was ambitious and in 1047, after much activity against the interests of the Holy Roman Emperor Henry III, he was forced into exile. Godfey found employment with his cousin Pope Leo IX, at a time when the papal armies were busy repulsing Norman adventurers in southern Italy. It seems that Frederick, the one time monk of Liege was now in command of several hundred men and though the Papal forces suffered defeat both he and his brother Godfrey covered themselves with personal glory. Frederick soon became a cardinal and Godfrey, who had been married to Ida (or Oda) daughter of Alberic of Namur, now married Beatrice the widow of Boniface of Tuscany and in so doing became marquis of Tuscany in 1053. Beatrice had a nine year old daughter (sired byher previous husband) by the name of Matilda, and Godfrey now married her off to his son Gonthalon III.

It was not long before Godfrey and his brother Frederick were again in difficulties. They came once again into conflict with the Holy Roman Emperor this time in northern Italy and were forced to seek refuge for a time at the monastery of Monteccasino

Pope Leo died in 1055 and his successor, Pope Victor II made Frederick Junian his papal legate to Constantinople. Two years later Victor died and Frederick was his chosen successor, taking the name of Stephen. Frederick himself died at Florence on 29th March 1058. He was buried in the church of St Reparata.

On the succession of Henry IV as Holy Roman Emperor, Godfrey de Verdun was pardoned and allowed to pay homage for his lands in Lower Lorraine. He left Tuscany to live in his castle at Bouillon where he died in 1069. His son, Gonthalon III, succeeded to the family titles and estates but he himself died childless, his wife, the young Matilda, had so loathed him that she left him and never returned.

The first mention of the de Verdun family that I have found in England is that of Ida de Verdun the youthful bride of count Eustace II of Boulogne. Eustace's first wife had been Goda, the sister of Edward the Confessor. Goda had obtained the royal manor of Farnham, which had belonged to Queen Edith, prior to the Queen’s fall from favour in 1051. When countess Goda died, Eustace married the fifteen year old Ida de Verdun, daughter of Godfrey the Bearded. The manor of Farnham she received as her dower. It is however with another of the children of Godfrey that our own history must be concerned and my earliest information on this distant ancestor dates from the time of the Norman Conquest of England in 1066

Bertram de Verdun came to England as a retainer of count Robert of Mortain who was one of William the Conqueror's principal commanders at Hastings. Bertram held lands in Mortain, Avranches and, after the conquest; he was given fiefs in England. Later, the lands of Eustace of Boulogne, who vainly rebelled against King William, were confiscated and the manor of Farnham, held by Ida, was given to her brother Bertram. At the time of the great survey of 1086/87 Bertram de Verdun held lands in Buckinghamshire,Staffordshire, Lincolnshire, Leicestershire, and Northamptonshire. Amongst the first of the Leicestershire fiefs were Newbold Verdun, Market Bosworth and Belton. Hamo le Breton conveyed the manor of Lutterworth to Bertram de Verdun as follows:

“Know ye that I have granted Bertram De Verdun and his heirs, Lutterworth with all appurtenances to be held by me and my heirs for one Knights fee, and in consideration of this Bertram has given me 13 marks, a coat of mail and grieves and three horses”.

In 1100, the year in which William the Conquerors heir, William Rufus died in mysterious circumstances in the New Forest, Bertram de Verdun was in York. In this same year he became sheriff of that county but it seems that soon after he himself was fined for breaking forest laws.

Bertram's second wife may have been a Saxon noblewoman for it is believed that on her death the manor of Alton in Staffordshire passed to Bertram who later conferred it upon his son Nicholas (the Norman) de Verdun. Nicholas was a chamberlain to King Henry I. He married Laceline de Clinton, whose father Geoffrey was the king’s treasurer and is perhaps best remembered as the builder of Kenilworth castle. It was in 1130 that Nicholas was acknowledged as lord of Alton. Nine years later he paid 100 shillings for Lutterworth and a further sum for livery of his lands at Belton.

In 1135 began the 19 year reign of King Stephen and much has been written about the chaos that ensued. The powerful barons seized the opportunity to build castles without licence from the crown. On the accession of Stephen's successor Henry Plantagenet five hundred of the eleven hundred castles built during the previous reign were pulled down. During the anarchy of Stephen’s reign, Nicholas had fortified Brandon castle, a stone motte and bailey fortress Located on the north bank of the river Avon 6 mileseast of Coventry. Nicholas was allowed to retain Brandon as a mark of the new king’s trust. Nicholas died in 1159 leaving his son Bertram as his heir. This Bertram would, in the course of his life, hold very high office. He married Maud the daughter of Robert de Ferrers 2nd earl of Derby. Maud was a minor and it is unlikely that the marriage was ever consummated; in any event she died young without progeny. Soon after, Bertram married Rohese de Salford who gave her husband eight children

In 1169 Bertram became sheriff of Warwickshire. Four years later he rebuilt in stone his house at Alton, which had, up to that time, been little more than a wooden hall.

At the beginning of the reign of Henry II a papal bull was obtained authorizing the King to conquer Ireland and bring the Irish church in line with the rest of Europe. Henry had not found the time to act upon it but, in 1169, Dermot MacMurrough the expelled king of Leinster, together with Richard Fits-Gilbert (Strongbow) earl of Pembroke and Clare landed in Ireland. Dublin was taken and held against both Norse and Irish attacks. Henry II decided to go to Ireland to clarify his own position as Strongbow'sliege Lord. Bertram de Verdun was appointed seneschal for the undertaking, that is to say he was responsible for provisions and stores. The expedition left for Waterford on October 16th 1171.

From 1172, Bertram was one of the king’s”Justices in Eyre” (circuit judges) along with William Basset of Sapcote ( see chapter 3 The Bassets ). Later, in 1175 he became one of the regular members of the Curia Regis. By 1173, it appears that William Basset of Sapcote was sheriff of Warwickshire. Basset was accused of misappropriation of treasury monies and Bertram de Verdun, who was at that time with the king in Caen, was sent, together with Richard de Humet, to investigate. It seems that Bertram was later given the two shrievalties of Warwickshire and Leicestershire.

Henry II had undertaken policies to put the kingdom into good order after the anarchy of the previous reign. This however did not meet with everyone's approval and many of the powerful barons rebelled against the crown. The French were not slow in attempting to gain an advantage from the situation and neither were the Scots. Bertram de Verdun, whose lands were in the main surrounded by rebel lords, supported the king and successfully defended Kenilworth. He also fought at Alnwick against the Scots. Here William the Lion, the Scottish King was taken and shortly afterwards the rebellion was finally put down. Henry Plantagenet was now able to devote his time to completing his reforms in England.

Bertram de Verdun was sheriff of Leicestershire until 1183, but I am unsure as to whether he held this office continually. He spent a good deal of his time in both Ireland and Normandy where he founded or endowed many monastic houses not to mention his patronage in England. He was a close friend of his sovereign Henry II and it is likely that he was with the king in France when Henry became ill in 1189. The king retired to Chinon, where he died on July 6th.

On the death of Henry II, his son Richard became king without opposition. Richard's wish was to lead a crusade and gain glory in the holy land. Bertram de Verdun set sail with king Richard on what has come to be known as the third crusade, and after manydelays (including the king’s marriage to Berengaria of Navarre) finally reached Acre in 1191. The Christians lay siege to the city which soon fell and Bertram together with Stephen Longchamp was appointed governor. On August 25th 1192, St Bartholomew's day in the old calendar. Bertram died at Jaffa three days before the ..