Thursday, August 19, 2010

OF ESSEX

Saltwood Castle ca. 1830
"Engraving of "Saltwood Castle, Kent" from Ireland's History of Kent, Vol. 2, 1831. It
appears between pages 214 and 215. Drawn by G. Sheppard, engraved by H. Adlard."
22:02, 14 June 2006   Brian0918

Saltwood Castle
"Origins The castle was probably erected on a Roman site, though Bronze Age implements and copper ingots discovered in Hayne's Wood, 1874, show the site had long been inhabited.[1]
The castle's website traces its history back to 488 CE, when Aesc, the son of Hengist and the King of Kent, built a castle on the site.[2] It first appears, however, on a charter of King Egbert in 833. The manor of Saltwood was granted to the priory of Christ Church in Canterbury by a deed dated 1026. Under William the
Conqueror, Saltwood, held by the Archbishop of Canterbury and let, under knights’ service, to Hugo de Montfort,[3] formed part of the string of large fiefs granted from Hithe to the New Forest, along the south coast of England.[4] The structure was replaced by a twelfth century Norman structure, with work extending over the
next two centuries. It became home for a period to Henry d' Essex, constable of England." Local History".

Saltwood Church of England Primary School. http://www.saltwood.kent.sch.uk/local%20history.htm. Retrieved 2006-06-12.

Saltwood Castle - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saltwood_Castle
Tuesday, December 29, 2009



29
Aubrey III DE VERE - 1st Earl of Oxford and 1st Earl of Essex
"Master Chamberlain of England"
born - 1110
died - England - Colne Piory, Essex 26 DEC 1194
married - 1162 - 63
Agnes of Essex
born - 1151 - 1152
died - England - Colne Piory, Essex After 1206
Children
1. Ralph DE VERE
2. Henry DE VERE
3 .Aubrey IV DE VERE - 2nd Earl of Oxford
4. Alice\Adeliza DE VERE b: AFT 1163
5. Robert DE VERE - 3rd Earl of Oxford
6. Cecilia DE VERE

RootsWeb's WorldConnect Project: Ancestors of Alexandra Catlin Vaut, et al:
http://wc.rootsweb.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?op=GET&db=gregv&id=I10613
Updated: 2009-09-19 21:45:34 UTC (Sat) Contact: Gregory
Satu9day, December 26, 2009



Raleigh Castle wikipedia

"Rayleigh Castle was a masonry and timber castle built near the town of Rayleigh in Essex,
England in the 11th century shortly after the Norman conquest. All that exists today are the
earthwork remains of its large motte-and-bailey.
The castle was built by Swein (c.1045, Theydon Mount, Ongar, Essex - after 1086, Rayleigh,
Essex) (other spellings are Sweyn, Sweyne, Suen), son of Robert FitzWimarc and a wealthy
landowner, sometime between the Norman conquest of 1066 and the completion of the
Domesday Book in 1086. It is one of the few castles mentioned in the book and as such
considered one of the earliest Norman castles in England. It may have been built on the site
of an earlier Roman fortification since fragments of Roman bricks have been found on the
site. On his death it passed to his son Robert de Essex (c.1085, Rayleigh, Essex - before
1159, Theydon Mount, Ongar, Essex) and thence to his grandson Henry d'Essex. Around 1140
the motte was covered in stone rubble."

Rayleigh Castle - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rayleigh_Castle
Wednesday, December 30, 2009

29
Aubrey III DE VERE
Agnes of ESSEX
"daughter of Henry de Essex of Rayleigh, Sheriff of Buckinghamshire and Bedford
Agnes of Essex, countess of Oxford (c. 1151 – c. 1212) was the daughter of Henry of Essex and
his second wife. She was betrothed at age three to Geoffrey de Vere, brother of the first earl of
Oxford. Raised by the Veres from the age of three, she later rejected the match with Geoffrey
and by 1163 had married his brother Aubrey de Vere III, the earl (d. 1194), as his third wife.
After her father's disgrace and forfeiture of lands and offices in that year, the earl sought to have
his marriage annulled. Agnes fought the action. On May 9, 1166, she appealed her case from
the court of the bishop of London to the pope (the archbishop of Canterbury, Thomas Becket,
being in exile at the time). While the case was pending in Rome, the earl kept Agnes confined
in one of his three castles, for which the bishop of London Gilbert Foliot reprimanded Aubrey.
Pope Alexander III ruled in her favor, thus establishing the right and requirement of consent by
females in betrothal and the sacrament of marriage. The couple may have co-operated in the
founding of a Benedictine nunnery near their castle at Hedingham, Essex. Having survived her
husband, Countess Agnes paid the crown for the right to remain unmarried in 1198 and died
sometime in or after 1206.
Many have followed the mistake of antiquarians in believing the third wife of earl Aubrey to have
been named Lucia. A woman of this name was prioress of the nunnery at Castle Hedingham.
On Lucia's death, a mortuary or roll was carried to many religious houses in the region
requesting prayers, and in the preface of that document Lucia is called the foundress of the
priory. As the countess presumably cooperated with her husband in the founding of the house,
the erroneous assumption was made that the prioress was in fact the earl's widow.
Agnes bore her husband four sons and a daughter, including two future earls of Oxford: Aubrey
IV and Robert I. Her daughter Alice married 1) Ernulf de Kemesech, 2) John, constable of
Chester. (Wikipedia)"

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Wednesday, December 30, 2009

30
Henry of ESSEX
Alice DE MONTFORT
"Henry of Essex (died c. 1170) was a Norman noble who held the manor of Rayleigh, Essex,
Haughley (by right of his 2nd wife Alice de Montfort).(Wikipedia)"

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Wednesday, December 30, 2009

30
Henry of ESSEX
Alice DE MONTFORT
Interesting link -
Full text of "The trial by combat of Henry de Essex and Robert de Montfort at Reading Abbey"
http://www.archive.org/stream/trialbycombatofh00hurruoft/trialbycombatofh00hurruoft_djvu.txt

30
Henry of ESSEX - Constable of England
Alice DE MONTFORT
"Henry de Essex of Rayleigh, Sheriff of Buckinghamshire and Bedford and royal constable to
1163.
Henry d'Essex (died c. 1170) was a Norman noble who held the manor of Raleigh in Essex and
the offices of Constable of England and Lord Warden of the Cinque Ports during the reign of
King Henry II.
Hythe, in Kent, one of the Cinque Ports, was once of such significance that it was defended by
two castles, s Saltwood and Lympne. Saltwood Castle derives its name from the village in its
shadow, and was the home of Henry d'Essex, Baron of Raleigh and Royal Standard Bearer.
The surviving structure of Saltwood Castle is considered to be the work of Henry d'Essex from
1154, particularly the 'curtain wall' which it has been claimed was begun during the reign of
Henry I.(d 1135). (The de Montforts lost possession of Saltwood Castle early in the twelfth
century).
Henry d'Essex was however 'disgraced on the battlefield', and fell from grace. The reason is
unknown, but it seems probable Essex was implicated in Thomas Becket's argument with
Henry II, since he enjoyed his rule at Saltwood as a tenant of the archbishop of Canterbury.
King Henry II transferred the castle to Henry de Broc as a 'reprisal for the treason of Henry de
Essex', which further aggravated Becket's quarrel with the King.
"When Henry of Essex was deposed and forced into a monastery by the king, the archbishop's
claim to the castle was not acknowledged."
Henry d'Essex is thought to have died the same year as Becket, in 1170 (Andrew J. Müller and
Roy Barton 2001).
Henry of Essex is mentioned in the Chronicle of Jocelin of Brakelond. The monk details Henry’
s trial by battle with Robert de Montfort (relation to Henry) in 1163 on an island in the River
Thames at Reading. They fought over Henry’s alleged cowardice at the pass of Coleshill during
the Welsh war in 1157. Henry is accused of abandoning Henry II’s standard upon hearing the
mistaken news of the king’s death. During the contest Henry of Essex is struck down and
thought dead, only to revive later in the company of the monks about to bury him. He decides
to join them in their monastic life. Jocelin notes that it was Roger de Clare, 3rd Earl of Hertford
who took up Henry II's standard to prevent defeat in that battle. In Reading today, there are two
roads, named De Montfort Road and De Bohun Road named after the protagonists. (Wikipedia)
Henry of Essex (died c. 1170) was a Norman noble who held the manor of Rayleigh, Essex,
Haughley (by right of his 2nd wife Alice de Montfort), and the office of Constable of England
during the reigns of Kings Stephen and Henry II. That office included the duty of holding the
royal standard to indicate the location of the king.
Henry was the son and heir of Robert fitz Swein of Essex and grandson of Swein, who
constructed Rayleigh Castle during the reign of Edward the Confessor. He is mentioned in
several chronicles, including the Chronicle of Jocelin of Brakelond. Henry of Essex is thought
to have died the same year as Becket, in 117 (Wikipedia)"

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Wednesday, December 30, 2009

32
Swein FITZROBERT
unknown
"Rayleigh Castle was a masonry and timber castle built near the town of Rayleigh in Essex,
England in the 11th century shortly after the Norman conquest. All that exists today are the
earthwork remains of its large motte-and-bailey.
The castle was built by Swein (c.1045, Theydon Mount, Ongar, Essex - after 1086, Rayleigh,
Essex) (other spellings are Sweyn, Sweyne, Suen), son of Robert FitzWimarc and a wealthy
landowner, sometime between the Norman conquest of 1066 and the completion of the
Domesday Book in 1086. It is one of the few castles mentioned in the book and as such
considered one of the earliest Norman castles in England. It may have been built on the site of
an earlier Roman fortification since fragments of Roman bricks have been found on the site.
On his death it passed to his son Robert de Essex (c.1085, Rayleigh, Essex - before 1159,
Theydon Mount, Ongar, Essex) and thence to his grandson Henry d'Essex. Around 1140 the
motte was covered in stone rubble.
Henry was accused of cowardice in battle in 1163 and subject to a trial by combat which he
lost. The castle and its estates were confiscated to become the property of the king, Richard I.
Extensive alterations were made to it in 1172 and in 1183-4, and the property given by King
John to Hubert de Burgh in around 1200 who probably used it as a source of building
materials for the castle which he started building in 1230 5 km away at Hadleigh.
On the death of Hubert's son in the latter half of the 13th century, ownership of the castle
reverted to the monarch. Documents dating between 1279 and 1303 refer to the motte as
being used for pasture, which probably means that the castle was no longer used as a
fortification. In 1394 King Richard II gave permission for the townspeople of Rayleigh to use the
foundations of the castle as a source of stone. Since the foundations are explicitly mentioned in
the document giving permission, it is unlikely that any other masonry structures remained by
then.
The site of the castle was used for grazing sheep after it fell into disuse. Photos taken in the
1920's show the mount free from any large trees or shrubs as the grazing prevented their
growth, however since the grazing stopped, large trees have grown on the site. The National
trust has no plans to remove them for fear of disturbing any potential archeology below.
The castle is known now as Rayleigh Mount and is managed by the National Trust. (Wikipedia)"

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Wednesday, December 30, 2009

33
Robert FITZWIMARC
Unknown
born -
"Robert FitzWimarc (c.1015, Moyaux, Calvados, Normandy - before 1075, Theydon Mount,
Ongar, Essex) was a kinsman of both Edward the Confessor and William of Normandy, and
was present at Edward's death bed.
Born in Normandy, his mother Wimarc (c.990-c.1016) was a well-connected noblewoman and
his father, Ansfrid de Normandy (born c.987), a rising noble. Brought to England by Edward he
had a successful career and was rewarded with numerous lands in various parts of the country..
He had a special interest in Essex and set up his main base at Clavering. It was to Clavering
that many of Edward's Norman favourites fled when they were ousted from political power in
1052, before taking ship into exile.Despite being a Norman, Robert stayed in England and
found further favour with Edward, and possibly with Harold Godwinson after him.
Robert was later made Sheriff of Essex and was described as regalia palatil stabilitor - high
officer or sometimes staller - of the royal palace. When Edward died in January 1066, Robert
was one of the four inner councillors present at his death bed, along with the Queen, Edith of
Wessex, Earl Harold Godwinson and Archbishop Stigand, an event captured on the Bayeux
Tapestry.
Robert seems to have acquiesced with Harold's succession to the throne, but also seems to
have kept in touch with his homeland. When William landed at Pevensey it was Robert who
contacted him to advise a retreat back to France. The advice was, apparently, that William had
neither the strength or numbers to win a battle against Harold, particularly as Harold was
bouyed by his victory against the Norwegians at Stamford Bridge.
Robert clearly remained in favour with William after his victory at Hastings, and subsequent
succession, as he retained his estates, and was further rewarded with others. He left his
extensive estates to his son Suen, who went on to build Rayleigh Castle.
Robert FitzWimarc seems to have been a prudent man, with a fair degree of wisdom who
helped to ease the transition from Saxon to Norman England..
He is remembered in Rayleigh, Essex, where one of the town's secondary schools is named
The FitzWimarc School. (Wikipedia)
Robert FitzWimarc was a Norman by birth, though it is highly probable that his mother was a
Breton. His blood was noble, and we are told that he was a kinsman both to the English king,
Edward the Confessor, and to Duke William of Normandy. He was brought to England by
Edward and flourished mightily, holding lands in many parts of the country. He had a special
interest in Essex, in his manor at Clavering and in the good sheep country of the salt-marshes
of the south-east. When the Norman favourites of Edward were ousted from political power in
1052, it was to Clavering that they fled on their way to the sea and to exile. Robert stayed, found
further favour with Edward and possibly with Harold after him. His interests were local and
national. He was Sheriff of Essex. He was described also as regalia palatil stabilitor, or high
officer, of the royal palace. He was one of the four inner councillers present at the death bed of
Edward the Confessor and as such is portrayed in the Bayeux Tapestry in the company of the
Queen, Earl Harold Godwinson, and Archbishop Stigand. He certainly acquiesced in Harold's
succession, but seems to have kept in touch with his homeland. When William the Conqueror
landed at Pevensey, it was Robert FitzWimarc who advised him as kinsman and friend, to
return to Normandy, arguing that William had neither the strength nor the numbers to risk battle
against Harold, fresh from his triumph against the Norwegians at Stamford Bridge. William's
army would be beaten like many miserable curs (despectabiles canes). These were strong
words to use to a man like Duke William, and we suspect that the Norman chronicler may have
embroidered them for artistic purposes. Robert was, in fact, as well favoured by William as he
had been by the Confessor, and left his extensive estates in Essex to his son, Suen, who built
the famous Castellum at Rayleigh. (The FitzWimarc School)"

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Wednesday, December 30, 2009

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