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Source: Wikiwand: Urse d'Abetot

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Titre	Wikiwand: Urse d'Abetot

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Urse d'Abitot 1st Baron de Salwarpe

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Urse d'Abetot (c. 1040 – 1108), first feudal baron of Salwarpe in Worcestershire, was a Norman who followed King William the Conqueror to England, and served as Sheriff of Worcestershire in about 1069. Little is known of his origins. Although Urse's feudal overlord in Normandy was present at the Battle of Hastings in 1066, there is no evidence that Urse himself took part in the invasion. Urse built the earliest form of Worcester Castle in Worcester, which encroached on the cathedral cemetery there, earning him a curse from the Archbishop of York. Urse helped to put down a rebellion against King William I in 1075, and quarreled with the Church in his county over the jurisdiction of the sheriffs. He continued in the service of William's sons after the king's death, and was appointed constable under William II and marshal under Henry I. Urse was known for his acquisitiveness, and during William II's reign was considered second only to Ranulf Flambard, another royal official, in his rapacity. Urse's son succeeded him as sheriff but was subsequently exiled, thus forfeiting the office. Through his daughter, Urse is an ancestor of the Beauchamp family, who eventually became Earls of Warwick. Background Norman conquest of England Main article: Norman conquest of England On 5 January 1066 Edward the Confessor, King of England, died. Edward's lack of children meant there was no clear legitimate successor, leading eventually to a succession dispute. Some medieval writers state that shortly before Edward's death he named hisbrother-in-law, Harold Godwinson, Earl of Wessex, as his heir. Others claim that Edward had promised the throne to his cousin, William, Duke of Normandy, a powerful autonomous ruler in northern France. Harold, the most powerful English noble, took the initiative and was crowned king on 6 January. William, lacking Harold's proximity to the centres of English royal government, gathered troops and prepared an invasion fleet. He invaded England in October, and subsequently defeated and killed Harold at the Battle of Hastings on 14 October 1066. William was crowned on Christmas Day at Westminster, becoming William I. Between his coronation and 1071, William consolidated his hold over England, defeating a number of rebellions that arose particularly in the north and west of the country. Immediately after Hastings, only those English noblemen who fought in the battle lost their lands, which were distributed to Normans and others from the continent who had supported William's invasion. The rebellions of the years 1068 to 1071 led to fresh confiscations of English land, again distributed to William's continental followers. By 1086, when William ordered the compilation of Domesday Book to record landholders in England, most of the native English nobility had been replaced by Norman and other continental nobles. Sources The main sources for Urse's life are English documents such as charters and writs which mention his activities. Often these are contained in collections of such documents, known as cartularies, which were assembled by monasteries and cathedral chapters todocument their landholdings. Cartularies frequently contain documents from landholders surrounding a monastery, which is the case with many of the documents mentioning Urse. Other sources of information on Urse are Domesday Book, which mentions his landholdings in 1086, and a number of chronicles, including William of Malmesbury's Gesta pontificum Anglorum, Florence of Worcester's Chronicon ex chronicis, and Hemming's Cartulary, a mixed chronicle and cartulary from Worcester Cathedral. There are also mentions of Urse in Norman sources, such as charters for Saint-Georges de Boscherville Abbey. Family and early life Urse came from an undistinguished family, and made his way on military reputation. He was probably born in about 1040, but the exact date is unknown. He was from St Jean d'Abbetot in Normandy, where his family had lands, and where he himself was a tenant of the lords of Tancarville. Other tenants of the Tancarville lords included Robert d'Abetot and his wife Lesza, who held lands close to St Jean d'Abbetot in the early 12th century; despite the name, it is not certain that Robert d'Abetot was related to Urse. Urse had a brother usually called Robert Despenser, sometimes known as Robert fitz Thurstin, who also became a royal official. The historian Emma Mason suggested that Urse may have been a nickname rather than a forename, perhaps given on account of his tenacious temperament. Urse's usual last name derives from his ancestral village in Normandy. His brother's usual last name of Despenser derives from his office, that of dispenser, in the royal household. Ralph, the Lord of Tancarville during the reign of King William I of England and Urse's overlord in Normandy, fought at the Battle of Hastings, but there is no evidence that Urse himself was present. He is probably the same person as the "Urse d'Abetot" who was a witness to a charter of William before the invasion of England. The historian Lewis Loyd refers to Urse as "in origin a man of no importance who made his way as a soldier of fortune." Service to William I

Urse d'Abetot (c. 1040 – 1108), first feudal baron of Salwarpe in Worcestershire, was a Norman who followed King William the Conqueror to England, and served as Sheriff of Worcestershire in about 1069. Little is known of his origins. Although Urse's feudal overlord in Normandy was present at the Battle of Hastings in 1066, there is no evidence that Urse himself took part in the invasion.

Urse built the earliest form of Worcester Castle in Worcester, which encroached on the cathedral cemetery there, earning him a curse from the Archbishop of York. Urse helped to put down a rebellion against King William I in 1075, and quarreled with the Church in his county over the jurisdiction of the sheriffs. He continued in the service of William's sons after the king's death, and was appointed constable under William II and marshal under Henry I. Urse was known for his acquisitiveness, and during William II's reign was considered second only to Ranulf Flambard, another royal official, in his rapacity. Urse's son succeeded him as sheriff but was subsequently exiled, thus forfeiting the office. Through his daughter, Urse is an ancestor of the Beauchamp family, who eventually became Earls of Warwick.

Background
Norman conquest of England
Main article: Norman conquest of England

On 5 January 1066 Edward the Confessor, King of England, died. Edward's lack of children meant there was no clear legitimate successor, leading eventually to a succession dispute. Some medieval writers state that shortly before Edward's death he named hisbrother-in-law, Harold Godwinson, Earl of Wessex, as his heir. Others claim that Edward had promised the throne to his cousin, William, Duke of Normandy, a powerful autonomous ruler in northern France. Harold, the most powerful English noble, took the initiative and was crowned king on 6 January. William, lacking Harold's proximity to the centres of English royal government, gathered troops and prepared an invasion fleet. He invaded England in October, and subsequently defeated and killed Harold at the Battle of Hastings on 14 October 1066. William was crowned on Christmas Day at Westminster, becoming William I.

Between his coronation and 1071, William consolidated his hold over England, defeating a number of rebellions that arose particularly in the north and west of the country. Immediately after Hastings, only those English noblemen who fought in the battle lost their lands, which were distributed to Normans and others from the continent who had supported William's invasion. The rebellions of the years 1068 to 1071 led to fresh confiscations of English land, again distributed to William's continental followers. By 1086, when William ordered the compilation of Domesday Book to record landholders in England, most of the native English nobility had been replaced by Norman and other continental nobles.

Sources
The main sources for Urse's life are English documents such as charters and writs which mention his activities. Often these are contained in collections of such documents, known as cartularies, which were assembled by monasteries and cathedral chapters todocument their landholdings. Cartularies frequently contain documents from landholders surrounding a monastery, which is the case with many of the documents mentioning Urse. Other sources of information on Urse are Domesday Book, which mentions his landholdings in 1086, and a number of chronicles, including William of Malmesbury's Gesta pontificum Anglorum, Florence of Worcester's Chronicon ex chronicis, and Hemming's Cartulary, a mixed chronicle and cartulary from Worcester Cathedral. There are also mentions of Urse in Norman sources, such as charters for Saint-Georges de Boscherville Abbey.

Family and early life
Urse came from an undistinguished family, and made his way on military reputation. He was probably born in about 1040, but the exact date is unknown. He was from St Jean d'Abbetot in Normandy, where his family had lands, and where he himself was a tenant of the lords of Tancarville. Other tenants of the Tancarville lords included Robert d'Abetot and his wife Lesza, who held lands close to St Jean d'Abbetot in the early 12th century; despite the name, it is not certain that Robert d'Abetot was related to Urse. Urse had a brother usually called Robert Despenser, sometimes known as Robert fitz Thurstin, who also became a royal official. The historian Emma Mason suggested that Urse may have been a nickname rather than a forename, perhaps given on account of his tenacious temperament. Urse's usual last name derives from his ancestral village in Normandy. His brother's usual last name of Despenser derives from his office, that of dispenser, in the royal household.

Ralph, the Lord of Tancarville during the reign of King William I of England and Urse's overlord in Normandy, fought at the Battle of Hastings, but there is no evidence that Urse himself was present. He is probably the same person as the "Urse d'Abetot" who was a witness to a charter of William before the invasion of England. The historian Lewis Loyd refers to Urse as "in origin a man of no importance who made his way as a soldier of fortune."

Service to William I