William Brewer (justice)
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William Brewer (''alias'' Briwere, Brigwer, etc.) (died 1226) of Tor Brewer in Devon, was a prominent administrator and judge in England during the reigns of kings
Richard I Richard I (8 September 1157 – 6 April 1199) was King of England from 1189 until his death in 1199. He also ruled as Duke of Normandy, Aquitaine and Gascony, Lord of Cyprus, and Count of Poitiers, Anjou, Maine, and Nantes, and was ...
, his brother King John, and John's son Henry III. He was a major landholder and the founder of several religious institutions. In 1204, he acquired the
feudal barony A feudal baron is a vassal holding a heritable fief called a ''barony'', comprising a specific portion of land, granted by an overlord in return for allegiance and service. Following the end of European feudalism, feudal baronies have largely been ...
of Horsley in Derbyshire.


Biography

Brewer's ancestry is unclear, but he was probably the son of Henry Brewer and the grandson of William Brewer, Royal Forester of Bere, Hampshire, who founded the nunnery of Polsloe in
Exeter Exeter () is a city in Devon, South West England. It is situated on the River Exe, approximately northeast of Plymouth and southwest of Bristol. In Roman Britain, Exeter was established as the base of Legio II Augusta under the personal comm ...
. William Brewer, Bishop of Exeter, was one of his nephews. He began his career as Forester of Bere, a hereditary title, and by 1179 had been appointed
Sheriff of Devon The High Sheriff of Devon is the Queen's representative for the County of Devon, a territory known as his/her bailiwick. Selected from three nominated people, they hold the office for one year. They have judicial, ceremonial and administrative f ...
. Under King
Richard I Richard I (8 September 1157 – 6 April 1199) was King of England from 1189 until his death in 1199. He also ruled as Duke of Normandy, Aquitaine and Gascony, Lord of Cyprus, and Count of Poitiers, Anjou, Maine, and Nantes, and was ...
(1189–1199) he was one of the
justiciar Justiciar is the English form of the medieval Latin term ''justiciarius'' or ''justitiarius'' ("man of justice", i.e. judge). During the Middle Ages in England, the Chief Justiciar (later known simply as the Justiciar) was roughly equivalent ...
s appointed to administer the kingdom while the king was on the
Third Crusade The Third Crusade (1189–1192) was an attempt by three European monarchs of Western Christianity (Philip II of France, Richard I of England and Frederick I, Holy Roman Emperor) to reconquer the Holy Land following the capture of Jerusalem by ...
. He was present at
Worms Worms may refer to: *Worm, an invertebrate animal with a tube-like body and no limbs Places *Worms, Germany Worms () is a city in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany, situated on the Upper Rhine about south-southwest of Frankfurt am Main. It had ...
, Germany, in 1193 to aid in the negotiations for the ransom of King Richard. In about 1193 he began his career as a
Baron of the Exchequer The Barons of the Exchequer, or ''barones scaccarii'', were the judges of the English court known as the Exchequer of Pleas. The Barons consisted of a Chief Baron of the Exchequer and several puisne (''inferior'') barons. When Robert Shute was a ...
, an office that he exercised until the reign of King Henry III (1216–1273). Under King
John John is a common English name and surname: * John (given name) * John (surname) John may also refer to: New Testament Works * Gospel of John, a title often shortened to John * First Epistle of John, often shortened to 1 John * Secon ...
(1199–1216) Brewer was one of the most active figures in government, in terms of the number of royal charters he witnessed, together with Henry Marshal,
Bishop of Exeter The Bishop of Exeter is the ordinary of the Church of England Diocese of Exeter in the Province of Canterbury. Since 30 April 2014 the ordinary has been Robert Atwell.
and
Geoffrey FitzPeter, 1st Earl of Essex Geoffrey Fitz Peter, Earl of Essex (c. 1162–1213) was a prominent member of the government of England during the reigns of Richard I and John. The patronymic is sometimes rendered Fitz Piers, for he was the son of Piers de Lutegareshale (born ...
. During this period he was appointed
Sheriff of Berkshire The High Sheriff of Berkshire, in common with other counties, was originally the King's representative on taxation upholding the law in Anglo-Saxons, Saxon times. The word Sheriff evolved from 'shire-reeve'. The title of High Sheriff#United King ...
,
Sheriff of Cornwall Sheriffs and high sheriffs of Cornwall: a chronological list: The right to choose high sheriffs each year is vested in the Duchy of Cornwall. The Privy Council, chaired by the sovereign, chooses the sheriffs of all other English counties, oth ...
,
Sheriff of Devon The High Sheriff of Devon is the Queen's representative for the County of Devon, a territory known as his/her bailiwick. Selected from three nominated people, they hold the office for one year. They have judicial, ceremonial and administrative f ...
,
Sheriff of Hampshire This is a list of High Sheriffs of Hampshire. This title was often given as High Sheriff of the County of Southampton until 1959. List of High Sheriffs *1070–1096: Hugh de Port "Domesday Book Online" *1105: Henry de Port (son of Hugh) *1129: Wi ...
, Sheriff of Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire, Sheriff of Oxfordshire,
Sheriff of Somerset and Dorset The office of High Sheriff of Somerset is an ancient shrievalty which has been in existence since the 11th century. Originally known as the "Sheriff of Somerset", the role was retitled on 1 April 1974, under the provisions of the Local Government ...
and Sheriff of Sussex and
Sheriff of Wiltshire This is a list of the Sheriffs and (after 1 April 1974) High Sheriffs of Wiltshire. Until the 14th century, the shrievalty was held '' ex officio'' by the castellans of Old Sarum Castle. On 1 April 1974, under the provisions of the Local Go ...
. He was often unpopular with the inhabitants of his counties, and the men of Cornwall, Somerset, and Dorset paid money to the king for his removal. He founded and endowed three
monasteries A monastery is a building or complex of buildings comprising the domestic quarters and workplaces of monastics, monks or nuns, whether living in communities or alone (hermits). A monastery generally includes a place reserved for prayer which ...
: Torre Abbey, which was sited within his manor of Tor Brewer in Devon, in 1196;
Mottisfont Abbey Mottisfont Abbey is a historical priory and country estate in Hampshire, England. Sheltered in the valley of the River Test, the property is now operated by the National Trust. 393,250 people visited the site in 2019. The site includes the histo ...
in Hampshire in 1201; and
Dunkeswell Abbey Dunkeswell is a village and civil parish in East Devon, England, located about north of the town of Honiton. At the 2001 census, the parish had a population of 1,553, reducing to 1,361 at the 2011 Census. There is an electoral ward with the ...
in Devon in 1201. In 1224, he retired from the world to live as a Cistercian monk at Dunkeswell Abbey, where he died in 1226 and was buried with his wife before the high altar.


Marriage and children

Brewer married Beatrice de Vaux (died before 1220), ( Latinised to ''de Vallibus'', "from the valleys", the daughter of Hubert de Vaux and Grecia, who had been the mistress of
Reginald de Dunstanville, 1st Earl of Cornwall {{Infobox noble, type , name = Reginald de Dunstanville , title = Earl of Cornwall High Sheriff of Devon , image = , caption = , alt = , CoA = , more ...
(died 1175) and mother of Henry FitzCount (died 1221). Their children included: * Richard (died 1213/5), who predeceased his father. * William (died 1232), eldest surviving son and heir. He married Joan de Redvers, a daughter of
William de Redvers, 5th Earl of Devon William de Redvers, 5th Earl of Devon (died 10 September 1217) (or de Reviers), of Tiverton Castle and Plympton Castle, both in Devon, was feudal baron of Plympton in Devon. Origins He was the son of Baldwin de Redvers, 1st Earl of Devon by h ...
, but died childless, when his five sisters became his co-heiresses. * Graecia, married
Reginald de Braose Reginald de Braose (19 September 1182 – June 1228) was one of the sons of William de Braose, 4th Lord of Bramber and Matilda, also known as Maud de St. Valery and Lady de la Haie. Her other children included William and Giles. The de Braoses w ...
(died 1227/8). * Isabel, married Baldwin Wake (died 1213), feudal baron of Bourne, Cambridgeshire. * Joan, married
William de Percy, 6th Baron Percy William de Percy (died 1245), sixth feudal baron of Topcliffe, was an English noble. His father Henry de Percy was a son of Joscelin of Louvain and Agnes de Percy, while his mother Isabel de Brus was the daughter of Adam II de Brus, 3rd Lord of ...
(1197–1245), feudal baron of Topcliffe, Yorkshire. The wardship and marriage of William de Percy, who attained his majority of 21 in 1218, son of Henry de Percy (died 1198), had been acquired by her father. * Alice, his fourth daughter, married twice. Her first marriage was to Reginald de Mohun (1185–1213)
feudal baron of Dunster Feudalism, also known as the feudal system, was the combination of the legal, economic, military, cultural and political customs that flourished in medieval Europe between the 9th and 15th centuries. Broadly defined, it was a way of structur ...
, of
Dunster Castle Dunster Castle is a former motte and bailey castle, now a English country house, country house, in the village of Dunster, Somerset, England. The castle lies on the top of a steep hill called the Tor, and has been fortified since the late Anglo- ...
in Somerset, and her second to William Paynel (died 1228),
feudal baron of Bampton The feudal barony of Bampton was one of eight feudal baronies in Devonshire which existed during the mediaeval era, and had its ''caput'' at Bampton Castle within the manor of Bampton. Descent Domesday Book The Domesday Book of 1086 lists ' ...
, Devon. * Margaret (or Margery), married three times: firstly to William de la Ferté (died 1216), secondly to Eudo de Dammartin (died 1225), and thirdly to
Geoffrey de Saye Geoffrey de Saye II (1155–1230), was the Lord of West Greenwich, and a Magna Carta surety. He owned land at Edmonton and Sawbridgeworth. His family bore the arms ''Quarterly, or and gules''. Geoffrey de Saye II was born in 1155 in West G ...
(died 1230) feudal baron of West Greenwich, Kent. Her
moiety Moiety may refer to: Chemistry * Moiety (chemistry), a part or functional group of a molecule ** Moiety conservation, conservation of a subgroup in a chemical species Anthropology * Moiety (kinship), either of two groups into which a society is ...
of the inheritance from her brother was subsequently annexed to the
Duchy of Lancaster The Duchy of Lancaster is the private estate of the Monarchy of the United Kingdom, British sovereign as Duke of Lancaster. The principal purpose of the estate is to provide a source of independent income to the sovereign. The estate consists of ...
.


Landholdings

Brewer was adept at acquiring lands, and obtained a substantial
feudal barony A feudal baron is a vassal holding a heritable fief called a ''barony'', comprising a specific portion of land, granted by an overlord in return for allegiance and service. Following the end of European feudalism, feudal baronies have largely been ...
from relatively humble beginnings. By 1219 he was assessed for
scutage Scutage is a medieval English tax levied on holders of a knight's fee under the feudal land tenure of knight-service. Under feudalism the king, through his vassals, provided land to knights for their support. The knights owed the king military s ...
on over sixty
knight's fee In feudal Anglo-Norman England and Ireland, a knight's fee was a unit measure of land deemed sufficient to support a knight. Of necessity, it would not only provide sustenance for himself, his family, and servants, but also the means to furnish him ...
s scattered over several shires. According to
Risdon Risdon is a surname and also a first name, and may refer to: ; Given name * Risdon Beazley (1904–1979), British businessman ; Surname * Dustin Risdon (born 1981), Canadian professional golfer * Elisabeth Risdon (1887–1958) English film act ...
, the lands of William Brewer in Devon formed a
feudal barony A feudal baron is a vassal holding a heritable fief called a ''barony'', comprising a specific portion of land, granted by an overlord in return for allegiance and service. Following the end of European feudalism, feudal baronies have largely been ...
, but this does not appear on the list of baronies given by
Pole Pole may refer to: Astronomy *Celestial pole, the projection of the planet Earth's axis of rotation onto the celestial sphere; also applies to the axis of rotation of other planets *Pole star, a visible star that is approximately aligned with the ...
(died 1635), nor is it recognised by Sanders (1960). Risdon stated that Brewer held close to thirty
knight's fee In feudal Anglo-Norman England and Ireland, a knight's fee was a unit measure of land deemed sufficient to support a knight. Of necessity, it would not only provide sustenance for himself, his family, and servants, but also the means to furnish him ...
s (usually synonymous with manors) in Devon, and that his barony ("
honour Honour (British English) or honor (American English; American and British English spelling differences#-our, -or, see spelling differences) is the idea of a bond between an individual and a society as a quality of a person that is both of socia ...
") was "incorporated to the crown" together with the Dukedom of Lancaster, by King Henry IV. His Devonshire landholdings included: *
Buckland Brewer Buckland Brewer is a village and civil parish in the Torridge district of Devon, England, 4.7 miles south of Bideford. Historically the parish formed part of Shebbear Hundred. According to the 2001 census it had a population of 777, increasin ...
* Tor Brewer, later called Tor Mohun, the inheritance of his daughter Alice, wife of Reginald de Mohun (1185–1213), and their descendants. *
Holsworthy Holsworthy is a market town and Civil parishes in England, civil parish in the Torridge District, Torridge district of Devon, England, some west of Exeter. The River Deer, a tributary of the River Tamar, forms the western boundary of the paris ...
, which descended to his daughter Margaret, wife of William de la Ferté (died 1216), and their descendants. "William de Feritate" ( Latinized form) *
Ugborough Ugborough () is a village and civil parish in South Hams in the English county of Devon. It lies south of Dartmoor, from the A38 road, near to the town of Ivybridge. The parish, which had a population of 1,884 in 2011, includes a number of se ...
the inheritance of his daughter Alice, wife of Reginald de Mohun (1185–1213), and their descendants. * Bradworthy He gave part of this manor to his foundation of Torre Abbey. The remainder was the inheritance of his daughter Alice. * Wolborough, which he gave to his foundation of Torre Abbey.


In popular culture

William Brewer is a possible original for the Sheriff of Nottingham in the Robin Hood legends. He was portrayed as one of King John's enforcers in the television series ''
Robin of Sherwood ''Robin of Sherwood'' is a British television series, based on the legend of Robin Hood. Created by Richard Carpenter, it was produced by HTV in association with Goldcrest, and ran from 28 April 1984 to 28 June 1986 on the ITV network. In th ...
'' (Episode: The Time Of The Wolf, written by Richard Carpenter, 1985), played by John Harding. He also appeared as a minor character in
Richard Kluger Richard Kluger (born 1934) is an American author who has won a Pulitzer Prize. He focuses his writing chiefly on society, politics and history. He has been a journalist and book publisher. Early life and family Born in Paterson, New Jersey, in Se ...
's 1992 novel ''The Sheriff of Nottingham'', and he is mentioned in Wilson Harp's 2013 novel ''The Ghost of Sherwood'' as the High Sheriff of Nottinghamshire, Derbyshire and the Royal Forests, but the acting sheriff in his name in the story is a fictional brother named Robert Brewer.


Notes


References

* * * * * * * * * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Brewer, William 1226 deaths 12th-century English judges 13th-century English judges New Forest folklore High Sheriffs of Berkshire High Sheriffs of Cornwall High Sheriffs of Devon High Sheriffs of Hampshire High Sheriffs of Nottinghamshire High Sheriffs of Derbyshire High Sheriffs of Oxfordshire High Sheriffs of Somerset High Sheriffs of Dorset High Sheriffs of Sussex High Sheriffs of Wiltshire Year of birth unknown