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Tuesday, June 28, 2011

Lord Thomas de Berkeley & Joan de Somery

9994832. Lord Thomas de Berkeley & 9994833. Joan de Somery

~1175, Thomas born in England, s/o 19989664. Maurice FitzRobert FitzHarding & 1998966. Alice de Berkeley.

11/3/1189, Richard I crowned king of England.

~1197, Joan born in England, d/o 973530512. Ralph de Someri & 973530513. Margaret le Gros.

5/27/1199, John crowned king of England.                                                                    

1210, Joan’s father died. (S) Hearld and Genealogist, V5, Nichols, 1870, P105.

By 1216, Thomas agreed to marry a daughter of William Briwerre. [Which would cause problems later.]

5/12/1216, Prince Louis [future VIII] of France, after a successful landing, crowned King of England in London. In June, Louis captured Winchester and controlled half of England.

6/1216, Thomas’ older brother and family heir had joined the rebellion against King John. During King John's counter-attack Berkeley Castle was siezed and placed under a royal castellan.

10/19/1216, Henry III, age 9, succeeded John as King of England. Louis of France also claimed the throne.

[––Thomas & Joan––]

1216-17, Thomas obtained the support of William Marshall (94559174), earl of Pembroke, by agreeing to marry one of his nieces [through Margaret le Gros a sister of William], Joan [grand-neice], daughter of Ralph de Somery, and in return Pembroke was to arrange for the king to take Thomas's homage and restore to him his brother’s barony and lands, to discharge him of a debt of 210 marks which Robert owed to the earl of Salisbury, to have Berkeley Castle delivered to him, and to arrange for him to ‘be freed of the king's justiciar and of William Briwerre.’

2/1217, Robert’s brother restored to his lands for a fine of 1450 marks, but not to the castle of Berkeley.

1219-20, Witnesses: Sir Nicholas Poinz, Sir Hugh his son, Sir Adam son of Nigel, Sir Thomas de Berkeley, … (S) UKNA.

5/13/1220, Thomas heir to his older brother Robert. [Leaving Thomas with considerable debts.] . When the sheriff of Gloucestershire went to Berkeley Castle to take it into the king's hands, the Earl of Salisbury, who had been granted custody of it, refused to hand it over without an express order by the king, on the grounds that his niece Lucy [wife of Robert] was with child. Thomas sought help from his wife’s cousin, the Earl of Pembroke, who wrote to the Justiciar, Hubert de Burgh, asking for justice for Thomas. [Lucy did not produce an heir, but held lands in dower for 14 years.]

8/9/1220, Thomas of Berkeley, brother and heir of Robert of Berkeley , owes the king £100 for his relief of the lands formerly of Robert, and he has given the king surety at Oxford for the relief. (S) FRsHIII. [Thomas at this time did not receive seisin of Berkeley castle. He paid the expenses of the Royal Keepers to cover the debts he owed the King.]

1220-43, Thomas de Berkeley, at the request of Thomas de Tyringeham, has granted to Hugh his freedom, … For this Thomas de Tyringeham has given to Thomas de Berkeley 3 marks and a measure of wine, and to Joan his wife 4s. (S) UKNA.

1220, Thomas with Hubert de Burgh at the siege of Bytham castle, Lincolnshire. [Effectively ended baronial opposition to King Henry.]

1221, Thomas granted to William Briwere (189118346) the marriage of his son and heir Maurice, on condition that he would be married to the daughter of Richard FitzRoy and Rose of Dover. Rose was a granddaughter of Briwerre; she brought the barony of Chilham to FitzRoy. [This settlement was because Thomas had previously agreed to marry one of William’s daughters.] It was also agreed that Briwerre would acquit Thomas of 200 marks which he owed to the king, and that Thomas would make over to Briwerre his manors of Portbury and Arlingham for a term of 15 years.

1221-2, Joan de Somery, wife of Thomas de Berkeley, styled "neptem" by William Marshal the younger, Earl of Pembroke. (S) Eyre Roll of 5 Henry III.

1222-3, Thomas granted livery of the castle of Berkely and the town. The King had as “pledges” [aka hostages], 2 of Thomas’ sisters sons “soe that by it noe damage should arise to the King.”

1224, Thomas arranged to pay the debts he owed to the King at £80 annually. Thomas received 20 marks annually as Keeper of Berkeley Castle.

1224, Thomas came to an arrangement with the Exchequer to repay the debts of himself and his late brother at £80 a year.

Bef. 1230, Thomas recovered 3 Somerset hundreds from his cousin Maurice de Gaunt. [Maurice died in 1230.]

9/20/1230, The king has committed the hundreds of Bedminster, Hartcliffe and Portbury , which Maurice de Gant held of Thomas of Berkeley , to William [de] Putot. (S) FRsHIII.

11/2/1233, To Thomas de Berkele. The king is sending into his parts Emericus de Sacy together with some other knights to keep the peace of those parts … (S) CPRs.

11/10/1233, Mandate to Thomas de Berkele to deliver his castle of Berkele to Emericus de Sacy and his fellows. (S) CPRs.

Aft. 1/18/1234, Thomas received the dower lands of his brother’s wife Lucy.

5/26/1236, Sir Thomas de Berkeley and St. Augustine's Abbey. Settlement of suit between them concerning the tithes of pannage, fisheries and mills, and concerning the manor of Arlingham, the land of Bray, the land of Lorewinge, … Witnesses: …, Sir Henry de Berkele, Sir William de Berkeley, Maurice son of Maurice de Berkeley, … (S) UKNA.

1236, Thomas at parliament when the issue of inheritance of children born before marriage was addressed.

7/26/1236, From Thomas of Berkeley , of his fine for licence to make concord with the abbot of St. Augustine’s, Bristol , 50m.  (S) FRsHIII.

1238, Thomas de Berkelay, son of Sir Thomas de Berkeley, … Thomas has granted to the abbey all his wood in the manor of Symundeshale, …; doing the services to Sir Thomas de Berkeley, his father, as in his charter to Thomas the younger, viz. 8d. at Christmas each year for the souls of Thomas his father and Joan his mother. (S) UKNA.

1241-42, Fines Militum … Scutagia … “Thomas de Berkeley .lx. m. de esidem”. (S) Great Roll of the Pipe, 1241-42, 1918, P256.

11/29/1243, Thomas “the Observer” died; buried at St. Augustines, Bristol. 

[––Joan––]

1244, IPM of Lord Tho’ de Berkeley. “Also, they say he held all the aforesaid Lands by the Service of 5 Knights of the old Feoffment, whereof Sir Robert de Gurnay ought to acquit him of One Knight’s Fee and an Half, and Sir Nicholas Fitz Roger of Half a Fee; also they say that Maurice de Berkeley his Son is his next Heir, …” (S) Journals of the House of Lords, V60, 1828, P493. [Joan’s dower lands valued at £212 12s. 11d.]

5/12/1244, Covenant for lease from Dom. Maurice de Berkele to Perte de Wike … excepting the portion of land which belongs to his mother, Joan de Berkele, by right of dower. (S) Desriptivie Catalogue of The Charters …, Berke, 1892, P95.

1244, Joan, Lady of Watton [her residence] and her sister Margery sought an assize of novel disseizin at Gloucester against her son Maurice.

1246, Joan’s dower settled, she held the manors of Wotton, Cam, Coaley, Hurst, Alkington and Hinton.

1247-48, Joan’s lands valued at £200 annually.

7/29/1252, Joan of Berkeley gives the king 20s. of gold for a charter to have a warren, market and fair, which she is to pay in his Wardrobe … Later, she paid those 20s. of gold in the king’s Wardrobe at the aforesaid term and is quit. (S) FRsHIII.

8/2/1252 at Woodstock, Grant by Hen. III. to Joan de Berkeley, for life, and Maurice de Berkeley her son, of free warren in their manors of Wotton and Kamme, a weekly market at Wotton on Fridays, and a yearly fair of 3 days. (S)

 Ancient Deeds: V1, 1890.

7/8/1253, Simple protection for 7 years, for Margery de Sumery [Joan’s niece.]. The like for Joan de Berkele. (S) CPRs.

1253, Joan created a borough at Wotton manor.

1255, Joan and her son Maurice entertained King Henry III at Berkeley castle.

1256, Dosthill, the first time called a manor, was held in dower by Joan de Berkele of the inheritance of Robert de Grendon as ½ knight's fee. (S) A Hist. of the Co. of Warwick, V4, 1947.

8/1269, Agreement between the lady Joan de Berkeley (9994833) and Sir Roger de Sumery (486765256), of the one part, … William de Camvile (s/o Richard de Kamvill), and Joan his wife, of the other part, … viz. that the said William and Joan shall receive the manor of Torre Brione, with the advowson of the church, for part of the dower of all the lands which formerly belonged to Sir Guy de Briona (94567466) in the parts of Devon; reserving 2 parts of 5 foreign fees belonging to the said [Sir Roger de Su]mery in the said parts. Witnesses:—Sirs Walter de Vernun … (S) Ancient Deeds, Devon, V3, 1900, D.214.

3/23/1274, IPM of Thomas fitz Otto: Gloucester … All the service which the said Thomas owed … are assigned to Dame Joan de Berkele in the name of her dower. (S) The Index Library, V30, 1903, P90.

Bef. 1276, “Joan de Berkeley [Joan de (Somery), widow of Thomas Lord Berkeley … Joan has quitclaimed to the abbey whatever she has in the manor of Oslewrth … Witnesses: Sir Maurice de Berkeley, Joan's son, …” (S) UKNA.

(S) Plantagenet Ancestry, P96. (S) Berkeley Manuscripts: Abstracts and Extracts, Fosbroke, 1821. (S) UKNA, Berkeley Castle Muniments.

Family notes:

·         All 5 younger sons died without legitimate issue.

Children of Thomas and Joan: [6 sons, 2 daughters]

i. Margaret de Berkeley, born ~1217 in England.

Margaret married John Fitz Matthew [d.1261], receiving half the manor of Uley from her father.

Aft. 1287, Margaret died.

ii. Maurice de Berkeley (4997416), born 1218 in England.

iii. Thomas de Berkeley, born ? in England.

1243-47, Thomas died holding Bray manor in Devon.

iv. Robert de Berkeley, born ? in England.

v. Henry de Berkeley, born ? in England.

Henry de Berkeley granted lands within the lordship at Billow, Wotton and Cam by his father, and by his mother a messuage and virgate in Bradley, with reversion to his brother Richard.

Henry died, younger brother Richard his heir, passing the properties of Bradley.

vi. Richard de Berkeley, born ? in England.

Richard acquired other lands within the lordship, in Nibley from his mother, and in Uley, Huntingford and Wick by purchase.

1265-1280, Richard granted a holding in Cam to his sister Margaret and Anselm Basset.

1268-69, Richard initiated a suit against a substantial free tenant of the lordship, Robert de Stone, for a half-virgate in Cam.

3/1271, Richard witnessed a Berkshire charter of his uncle, Sir Roger de Somery (d.1273).

1271-72, Richard stood as surety for his younger brother William.

vii. William de Berkeley, born ? in England.

William, was granted a holding in Bradley, and 2 holdings amounting to 2½ virgates in Cam by his father, and the manor house at Bradley and 2 other holdings there, in tail, by his mother.

By 10/1256, William married Avice, widow of Robert de Blackford [d.1253], heir of 4 Devon manors.

1261, William alienated [illegally] 3 of the 4 manors held of his wife to Ralph de Geoges. [With the death of Avice, her son John de Blackford was found to be the heir to all the manors.]

1271-72, Older brother Richard stood as surety for William. [Having caused a breach of the peace, William promised the king to join the Hospitallers or Templars, and to leave the kingdom.]

By 6/1272, William died.

viii. Isabel de Berkeley, born ? in England.

Bef. 1307, Daughter Isabel died unmarried, holding the manor of Ham.


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