Picot of Cambridge (c. 1022–after 1090) was a Norman landowner and Sheriff of Cambridgeshire. Born in Saye,

Normandy Normandy (; french: link=no, Normandie ; nrf, Normaundie, Nouormandie ; from Old French , plural of ''Normant'', originally from the word for "northman" in several Scandinavian languages) is a geographical and cultural region in Northwestern ...

, Picot rose from obscurity to become Sheriff of Cambridgeshire as early as 1071 until at least 1090. He treated

Cambridge Cambridge ( ) is a university city and the county town in Cambridgeshire, England. It is located on the River Cam approximately north of London. As of the 2021 United Kingdom census, the population of Cambridge was 145,700. Cambridge bec ...

(then known as Cantebrigge or Grentebrige) as his own, knocking down 27 houses to build

Cambridge Castle Cambridge Castle, locally also known as Castle Mound, is located in Cambridge, Cambridgeshire, England. Originally built after the Norman conquest to control the strategically important route to the north of England, it played a role in the conf ...

(probably initially of wood), confiscating land, building mills, seizing goods and raising taxes. The

Abbot of Ely The Bishop of Ely is the ordinary of the Church of England Diocese of Ely in the Province of Canterbury. The diocese roughly covers the county of Cambridgeshire (with the exception of the Soke of Peterborough), together with a section of north- ...

described him as "A hungry lion, a ravening wolf, a cunning fox, a dirty pig and an impudent dog". Picot married Hugolina de Gernon. When she thought she was dying, she made a vow to build a foundation to St Giles, which Picot subsequently honoured, building St Giles' Church near his castle in Cambridge. After Picot's death, the canons were moved to nearby Barnwell to found

Barnwell Priory Barnwell Priory was an Augustinian priory at Barnwell in Cambridgeshire, founded as a house of Canons Regular. The only surviving parts are 13th-century claustral building, which is a Grade II* listed, and remnants found in the walls, cellar and ...

. Picot's son and heir Robert became implicated in a conspiracy against King Henry I, and fled the country. His estates were forfeit and given to Pain (or Paganus) Peveril who had been the standard bearer to

Robert Curthose Robert Curthose, or Robert II of Normandy ( 1051 – 3 February 1134, french: Robert Courteheuse / Robert II de Normandie), was the eldest son of William the Conqueror and succeeded his father as Duke of Normandy in 1087, reigning until 1106. ...

in the

Holy Land The Holy Land; Arabic: or is an area roughly located between the Mediterranean Sea and the Eastern Bank of the Jordan River, traditionally synonymous both with the biblical Land of Israel and with the region of Palestine. The term "Holy ...

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Picot of Cambridge Normans in England High Sheriffs of Cambridgeshire and Huntingdonshire 1020s births Year of death uncertain