Withenoc or Guihenoc de La Boussac (also spelled in other ways, including Wihenoc, Gwethenoc and Withenock) (c. 1035 – after 1101) was a nobleman and monk of
Breton origin, who was lord of
Monmouth between 1075 and 1082 and was responsible for founding the
Priory
A priory is a monastery of men or women under religious vows that is headed by a prior or prioress. Priories may be houses of mendicant friars or nuns (such as the Dominicans, Augustinians, Franciscans, and Carmelites), or monasteries of ...
at Monmouth.
Life
Withenoc was the son of Caradoc de
La Boussac, a nobleman with estates near
Dol in
Brittany
Brittany (; french: link=no, Bretagne ; br, Breizh, or ; Gallo: ''Bertaèyn'' ) is a peninsula, historical country and cultural area in the west of modern France, covering the western part of what was known as Armorica during the period ...
. He first appears in the records as an adult in 1055. He married a daughter of the
Archbishop of Dol, and had a younger brother, Baderon, and a son, Ratier (or Raterius), who both became
monk
A monk (, from el, μοναχός, ''monachos'', "single, solitary" via Latin ) is a person who practices religious asceticism by monastic living, either alone or with any number of other monks. A monk may be a person who decides to dedica ...
s.
Following the
Norman Conquest
The Norman Conquest (or the Conquest) was the 11th-century invasion and occupation of England by an army made up of thousands of Norman, Breton, Flemish, and French troops, all led by the Duke of Normandy, later styled William the Con ...
of
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...
in 1066,
William fitzOsbern
William FitzOsbern, 1st Earl of Hereford, Lord of Breteuil ( 1011 – 22 February 1071), was a relative and close counsellor of William the Conqueror and one of the great magnates of early Norman England. FitzOsbern was created Earl of Hereford ...
was appointed
Earl of Hereford
The title of Earl of Hereford was created six times in the Peerage of England. Dates indicate the years the person held the title for.
Earls of Hereford, First Creation (1043)
* Swegen Godwinson (1043–1051)
''earldom forfeit 1051–1052''
Earl ...
, and established the first
castle at Monmouth, overlooking the rivers
Wye and
Monnow
The River Monnow ( cy, Afon Mynwy) marks the England–Wales border for much of its length. After flowing through southwest Herefordshire, England, and eastern Monmouthshire, Wales, its confluence with the River Wye is approximately south of ...
at the southernmost tip of the area then known as
Archenfield
Archenfield (Old English: ''Ircingafeld'') is the historic English name for an area of southern and western Herefordshire in England. Since the Anglo-Saxons took over the region in the 8th century, it has stretched between the River Monnow and R ...
in the
Welsh Marches. William fitzOsbern was killed in battle in 1071, and his son
Roger
Roger is a given name, usually masculine, and a surname. The given name is derived from the Old French personal names ' and '. These names are of Germanic origin, derived from the elements ', ''χrōþi'' ("fame", "renown", "honour") and ', ' ( ...
was disgraced in 1075.
King William then gave the lordship of Monmouth to Withenoc.
[ It has been suggested that Bretons who supported the Normans in their conquest were given responsibility for areas in the borders of ]Wales
Wales ( cy, Cymru ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is bordered by England to the east, the Irish Sea to the north and west, the Celtic Sea to the south west and the Bristol Channel to the south. It had a population in ...
because, at that time, the two Brythonic languages
The Brittonic languages (also Brythonic or British Celtic; cy, ieithoedd Brythonaidd/Prydeinig; kw, yethow brythonek/predennek; br, yezhoù predenek) form one of the two branches of the Insular Celtic language family; the other is Goidelic. ...
of Breton and Welsh were sufficiently mutually comprehensible to allow communication with the Welsh people
The Welsh ( cy, Cymry) are an ethnic group native to Wales. "Welsh people" applies to those who were born in Wales ( cy, Cymru) and to those who have Welsh ancestry, perceiving themselves or being perceived as sharing a cultural heritage and ...
to take place.[ Michael A. Faletra, Introduction, in ''The history of the kings of Britain'']
by Geoffrey of Monmouth
Geoffrey of Monmouth ( la, Galfridus Monemutensis, Galfridus Arturus, cy, Gruffudd ap Arthur, Sieffre o Fynwy; 1095 – 1155) was a British cleric from Monmouth, Wales and one of the major figures in the development of British historiography ...
, Broadview Press, 2008, , p.10
One of Withenoc's first acts at Monmouth was to found a Benedictine
, image = Medalla San Benito.PNG
, caption = Design on the obverse side of the Saint Benedict Medal
, abbreviation = OSB
, formation =
, motto = (English: 'Pray and Work')
, foun ...
priory
A priory is a monastery of men or women under religious vows that is headed by a prior or prioress. Priories may be houses of mendicant friars or nuns (such as the Dominicans, Augustinians, Franciscans, and Carmelites), or monasteries of ...
in the town. In so doing, he called upon William of Dol - perhaps a relative - who had been appointed in 1070 as abbot
Abbot is an ecclesiastical title given to the male head of a monastery in various Western religious traditions, including Christianity. The office may also be given as an honorary title to a clergyman who is not the head of a monastery. The ...
of Saint Florent at Saumur. This was a great abbey
An abbey is a type of monastery used by members of a religious order under the governance of an abbot or abbess. Abbeys provide a complex of buildings and land for religious activities, work, and housing of Christian monks and nuns.
The con ...
on the banks of the Loire
The Loire (, also ; ; oc, Léger, ; la, Liger) is the longest river in France and the 171st longest in the world. With a length of , it drains , more than a fifth of France's land, while its average discharge is only half that of the Rhône ...
, which was destroyed in the sixteenth century. William sent a prior and monks to inaugurate the new priory at Monmouth, and, in turn, the priory and its endowments were granted to the abbey of Saint Florent. This arrangement continued until the fourteenth century, with the priors of Monmouth coming from Saumur, and part of its revenue, as an alien priory, being sent back to France
France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans. Its metropolitan area ...
.[ The founding charter of the priory has been transliterated as follows: Charles Heath, ''Historical and descriptive accounts of the ancient and present state of the town of Monmouth....'', 1804]
/ref>"Wihenoc de Monmouth, to all men, his friends and neighbours, to all the faithful sons of the holy mother church, as well present as future, wishes health. Be it known unto you that I, Wihenoc, being moved by divine impulse, the advice of God, and my soldiers and vassals requiring that from me, for the honour of God, and the holy Virgin at St. Florentius, for the health of my soul, and my parents, have built a church in my castle of Monmouth, and have granted it for ever to St. Florentius de Salmure, from whence I have invited monks to inhabit the said church; and that there they may live, regularly serving God, I have granted unto them certain possessions, as well in lands as in churches and tenths, viz. the church of St. Cadoc near my castle, in my manor, where first the aforesaid monks, before the church of Monmouth was finished, some time inhabited: the church of St. Wingatoll; the church of Bockeville, the church of Llangradoc, the church of Welch Bicknor, the church of Eililde Hopa (Long Hope), with the chapel of Hently, the church of Toberton, the church of Stretton, with the chapel of Hasperton, and three carucates of land near the castle of Monmouth, and one carucate in Llancadock, and one carucate in Suentona, and two parts of all the tythes of my manor, as well as in my own possessions, as in the possession of my vassals, and the tenths of all mills, and the tenths of all my taxes. I confirm these donations under my present writing, to be by them to be possessed for ever. Witness my brother Baderon, &c."
After about seven years at Monmouth, Withenoc gave up his secular responsibilities in 1082 and retired, as a monk, to the abbey at Saumur. He was succeeded as lord of Monmouth by his brother's son, William fitzBaderon
William fitzBaderon (c. 1060/65? – before 1138) was an Anglo-Norman nobleman of Breton descent, who was lord of Monmouth between about 1082 and 1125. He was mentioned in the Domesday Book as being responsible for Monmouth Castle and ten ...
. Withenoc returned to visit Monmouth in 1101, when the priory which he had established was formally consecrated.[ It has been suggested that he may have been related to ]Geoffrey of Monmouth
Geoffrey of Monmouth ( la, Galfridus Monemutensis, Galfridus Arturus, cy, Gruffudd ap Arthur, Sieffre o Fynwy; 1095 – 1155) was a British cleric from Monmouth, Wales and one of the major figures in the development of British historiography ...
, who was born in the town in about 1100, the son of another Breton nobleman, Arthur, but there is no confirmation of this.[
]
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Withenoc
11th-century Breton people
French monks
History of Monmouthshire
Date of death unknown
Date of birth unknown
1030s births
12th-century deaths