Bertram de Verdun was the name of several members of the Norman family of de Verdun, native to the

Avranchin Avranchin is an area in Normandy, France corresponding to the territory of the Abrincatui, a tribe of Celts from whom the city of Avranches, the main town of the Avranchin, takes its name. In 867, by the Treaty of Compiègne, Charles the Bald gav ...

. According to the historian Mark Hagger, the de Verdun family lived originally in

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 ...

where they held land, and after the

Norman conquest of England The Norman Conquest (or the Conquest) was the 11th-century invasion and occupation of England by an army made up of thousands of Normans, Norman, Duchy of Brittany, Breton, County of Flanders, Flemish, and Kingdom of France, French troops, ...

they were granted land in England. Members of the family appear in original records in Normandy from at least c.1068-1085 when the first Bertram de Verdun attests a charter of Guillaume fitz-Guimond of Avranches, who makes a donation to the Abbey of

Mont-Saint-Michel Mont-Saint-Michel (; Norman: ''Mont Saint Miché''; ) is a tidal island and mainland commune in Normandy, France. The island lies approximately off the country's north-western coast, at the mouth of the Couesnon River near Avranches and i ...

Bertram I de Verdun

Bertram I de Verdun appears in the

Domesday Book Domesday Book () – the Middle English spelling of "Doomsday Book" – is a manuscript record of the "Great Survey" of much of England and parts of Wales completed in 1086 by order of King William I, known as William the Conqueror. The manusc ...

(1086), holding the land and the manor of

Farnham Royal Farnham Royal is a village and civil parish within Buckinghamshire, England. It is in the south of the county, immediately north of Slough (with which it is contiguous), and around 22 miles west of Charing Cross, Central London. Within the parish ...

in Buckinghamshire, held before the conquest by princess

Goda of England Goda may refer to: Names * a Lithuanian female name meaning “to have a sense, to perceive". Lithuanian word “goda” also means "honor, glory, respect" * Devin Goda (born 1989), an American male model and former professional football pla ...

. In

, Bertram is said to have been in Normandy for William II's business, "''duc est transmare in servicio regis''", and appears in two charters of

William de Saint-Calais William de St-Calais (died 2 January 1096) was a medieval Norman monk, abbot of the abbey of Saint-Vincent in Le Mans in Maine, who was nominated by King William I of England as Bishop of Durham in 1080. During his term as bishop, St-Calais r ...

, bishop of

Durham Durham most commonly refers to: *Durham, England, a cathedral city and the county town of County Durham *County Durham, an English county * Durham County, North Carolina, a county in North Carolina, United States *Durham, North Carolina, a city in N ...

, and King's chief advisor. Bertram's wife's name is unknown, but his son and heir was Bertram II de Verdun (? – c. 1129/30).

Bertram II de Verdun

Bertram II de Verdun continued to amass land in England, and by 1128 also had been granted land in

Staffordshire Staffordshire (; postal abbreviation Staffs.) is a landlocked county in the West Midlands region of England. It borders Cheshire to the northwest, Derbyshire and Leicestershire to the east, Warwickshire to the southeast, the West Midlands Cou ...

and

Leicestershire Leicestershire ( ; postal abbreviation Leics.) is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the East Midlands, England. The county borders Nottinghamshire to the north, Lincolnshire to the north-east, Rutland to the east, Northamptonshire t ...

. Hagger suggests that he also had assumed an administrative position for Henry I, and was possibly sheriff of Yorkshire in 1100.

Bertram III de Verdun

Bertram II's grandson was Bertram III de Verdun, one of the ''familiares'' of king Henry II. His parents are Norman de Verdun, son of Bertram II, and Lesceline de Clinton, daughter of

Geoffrey de Clinton Geoffrey de Clinton (died c. 1134) was an Anglo-Norman noble, chamberlain and treasurer to King Henry I of England. He was foremost amongst the men king Henry "raised from the dust". He married Lescelina. Life Clinton's family origins are a litt ...

, chamberlain of king

Henry I Henry I may refer to: 876–1366 * Henry I the Fowler, King of Germany (876–936) * Henry I, Duke of Bavaria (died 955) * Henry I of Austria, Margrave of Austria (died 1018) * Henry I of France (1008–1060) * Henry I the Long, Margrave of the ...

. Bertram would, in the course of his life, hold very high office. He married Matilda (otherwise 'Maud') the daughter of Robert de Ferrers 2nd Earl of Derby. Matilda was a minor and it is unlikely that the marriage was ever consummated; in any event she died young without children. Soon after, Bertram married Rohese and they had eight children. Rohese's parentage is unknown, but some have postulated that she was Rohese de Salford - this is a hypothesis that is likely have arisen from a suggestion that a ''Rose de Verdun'' who claimed seven virgates of land in Willen (Buckinghamshire) against Hugh de Salford in 1203 ''was possibly the daughter of Roger de Salford'', who had died before then. Bertram III de Verdun's widow Rohese is recorded as enjoying dower in Kirkby (Lincolnshire), Wiles (Buckinghamshire) and Lutterworth (Leicestershire) The 'Wiles' that Hagger mentions is clearly 'Willen' in Buckinghamshire, and it appears subsequently to have descended with the de Verdun manor of Farnham Royal. Another suggestion of the identity of Rohese is provided by Mark Hagger in a pedigree chart within the 1998 PhD that preceded his 2001 book on the de Verduns - it shows Bertram III de Verdun's 2nd wife's name as ''Rohais d’Amundeville'', but this is likely to have been a textual error, arising from Nicholas de Verdun's daughter

Roesia de Verdun Roesia de Verdun (c1204 - 10 February 1247), also spelled ''Rohese'' and ''Rose'', was a Norman femme sole and one of the most powerful women of Ireland in the 13th century. Biography Very little is known about the early life of Roesia de Ve ...

’s daughter Matilda marrying 1stly John FitzAlan and after his death 2ndly Richard d’Amundeville. The suggestion that this was an error in the PhD may be confirmed by the fact that Hagger does not give Rohais's name as d'Amundeville in the updated pedigree chart or elsewhere in his later book. In "The Origins of Some Anglo-Norman Families", it could be read : "In 1166 Bertram de Verdun held two knights' fees in chief. In a return of the knights of Le Mont St-Michel in 1172 there is the entry "''Radulfus de Fulgeriis debet unum militem de medietate de Buillun et de Chavei et de quadam parte Olivi. Istud autem servicium debet facere pro eo Bertramnus de Verdum, filius Normanni.''" The places are

Bouillon Bouillon can refer to: Food * Bouillon (broth), a simple broth ** Court-bouillon, a quick broth * Bouillon (soup), a Haitian soup * Bouillon (restaurant), a traditional type of French restaurant **Bouillon Chartier, a bouillon restaurant foun ...

(

Manche Manche (, ) is a coastal French département in Normandy, on the English Channel, which is known as ''La Manche'', literally "the sleeve", in French. It had a population of 495,045 in 2019.Avranches Avranches (; nrf, Avraunches) is a commune in the Manche department, and the region of Normandy, northwestern France. It is a subprefecture of the department. The inhabitants are called ''Avranchinais''. History By the end of the Roman period, t ...

, cant. Granville) and

Chavoy Chavoy () is a commune in the Manche department in Normandy in north-western France. See also *Communes of the Manche department The following is a list of the 446 Communes of France, communes of the Manche Departments of France, department of ...

(arr. and cant.

Avranches Avranches (; nrf, Avraunches) is a commune in the Manche department, and the region of Normandy, northwestern France. It is a subprefecture of the department. The inhabitants are called ''Avranchinais''. History By the end of the Roman period, t ...

)." The third place is very likely

Lolif Lolif () is a commune in the Manche department in Normandy in northwestern France. See also *Communes of the Manche department The following is a list of the 446 Communes of France, communes of the Manche Departments of France, department of ...

, (''Olivi'' in Latin, close to

). In 1168 William Basset of Sapcote was Sheriff of Warwickshire and was accused of misappropriation of treasury monies. Bertram, who was at that time with the king in

Caen Caen (, ; nrf, Kaem) is a commune in northwestern France. It is the prefecture of the department of Calvados. The city proper has 105,512 inhabitants (), while its functional urban area has 470,000,Richard de Humez (otherwise 'du Hommet'), Constable of Normandy and

Sheriff of Rutland This is a list of sheriffs and high sheriffs of the English county of Rutland. The sheriff is the oldest secular office under the Crown: there has been a Sheriff of Rutland since 1129. Formerly the sheriff was the principal law enforcement off ...

(1155, 1159, 1163 and 1166), to investigate with the result that Bertram was in 1169 given the dual shrievalty of Warwickshire and Leicestershire in Basset's place. Four years later he rebuilt in stone his house at

Alton Alton may refer to: People *Alton (given name) *Alton (surname) Places Australia *Alton National Park, Queensland * Alton, Queensland, a town in the Shire of Balonne Canada * Alton, Ontario *Alton, Nova Scotia New Zealand * Alton, New Zealand, ...

, which had, up to that time, been little more than a wooden hall. In 1179 Bertram founded the Cistercian abbey of

Croxden Croxden is a village in the county of Staffordshire, England, south of Alton and north of Uttoxeter. The population of the civil parish as taken at the 2011 census was 255. The village is the site of Croxden Abbey, founded in 1176 by the Cister ...

in Staffordshire, settled by monks from abbey of Aunay in Normandy. At the beginning of the reign of Henry II a papal bull had been obtained authorizing the King to conquer Ireland and bring the Irish church in line with the rest of Europe. Henry had not found the time to act upon it but, in 1169,

Dermot MacMurrough Diarmait Mac Murchada ( Modern Irish: Diarmaid Mac Murchadha), anglicised as Dermot MacMurrough, Dermod MacMurrough, or Dermot MacMorrogh (c. 1110 – c. 1 May 1171), was a King of Leinster in Ireland. In 1167, he was deposed by the High King ...

, the expelled king of Leinster, together with Richard FitzGilbert (Strongbow) Earl of Pembroke and Clare landed in Ireland. Dublin was taken and held against both Norse and Irish attacks. Henry II decided to go to Ireland to clarify his own position as Strongbow's liege Lord. Bertram de Verdun was appointed

Seneschal The word ''seneschal'' () can have several different meanings, all of which reflect certain types of supervising or administering in a historic context. Most commonly, a seneschal was a senior position filled by a court appointment within a royal, ...

for the undertaking, that is to say he was responsible for provisions and stores. The expedition left for Waterford on 16 October 1171. Further to this campaign, Bertram received a royal grant of land in

Louth Louth may refer to: Australia *Hundred of Louth, a cadastral unit in South Australia * Louth, New South Wales, a town * Louth Bay, a bay in South Australia **Louth Bay, South Australia, a town and locality Canada * Louth, Ontario Ireland * Cou ...

, in Ireland, where he held the towns of

Drogheda Drogheda ( , ; , meaning "bridge at the ford") is an industrial and port town in County Louth on the east coast of Ireland, north of Dublin. It is located on the Dublin–Belfast corridor on the east coast of Ireland, mostly in County Louth ...

-in-

Uriel Uriel or Auriel ( he, אוּרִיאֵל ''ʾŪrīʾēl'', " El/God is my flame"; el, Οὐριήλ ''Oúriēl''; cop, ⲟⲩⲣⲓⲏⲗ ''Ouriēl''; it, Uriele; Geʽez and Amharic: or ) is the name of one of the archangels who is mentio ...

and

Dundalk Dundalk ( ; ga, Dún Dealgan ), meaning "the fort of Dealgan", is the county town (the administrative centre) of County Louth, Ireland. The town is on the Castletown River, which flows into Dundalk Bay on the east coast of Ireland. It is h ...

and several castles. From 1172 Bertram was one of the king's "Justices in Eyre" (circuit judges) along with William Basset. Later, in 1175, he became one of the regular members of the Curia Regis. Henry II had undertaken policies to put the kingdom into good order after the anarchy of the previous reign. This however did not meet with everyone's approval and many of the powerful barons rebelled against the crown. The French were not slow in attempting to gain an advantage from the situation and neither were the Scots. Bertram de Verdun, whose lands were in the main surrounded by rebel lords, supported the king and successfully defended

Kenilworth Kenilworth ( ) is a market town and Civil parishes in England, civil parish in the Warwick (district), Warwick District in Warwickshire, England, south-west of Coventry, north of Warwick and north-west of London. It lies on Finham Brook, a ...

. He also fought at

Alnwick Alnwick ( ) is a market town in Northumberland, England, of which it is the traditional county town. The population at the 2011 Census was 8,116. The town is on the south bank of the River Aln, south of Berwick-upon-Tweed and the Scottish bor ...

against the Scots. Here

William the Lion William the Lion, sometimes styled William I and also known by the nickname Garbh, "the Rough"''Uilleam Garbh''; e.g. Annals of Ulster, s.a. 1214.6; Annals of Loch Cé, s.a. 1213.10. ( 1142 – 4 December 1214), reigned as King of Scots from 11 ...

, the Scottish King, was taken and shortly afterwards the rebellion was finally put down. Henry Plantagenet was now able to devote his time to completing his reforms in England. Bertram de Verdun was sheriff of Leicestershire until 1183 but it is unclear as to whether he held this office continually. He spent a good deal of his time in both Ireland and Normandy where he founded or endowed many monastic houses not to mention his patronage in England. He was a close friend of his sovereign Henry II and it is likely that he was with the king in France when Henry became ill in 1189. The king retired to

Chinon Chinon () is a commune in the Indre-et-Loire department, Centre-Val de Loire, France. The traditional province around Chinon, Touraine, became a favorite resort of French kings and their nobles beginning in the late 15th and early 16th centuri ...

, where he died on 6 July. Undignified by any great office yet close to the king, but ready for any kind of business, Bertram was sometime custodian of

Pontorson Pontorson () is a commune in the Manche department in north-western France. On 1 January 2016, the former communes of Macey and Vessey were merged into Pontorson. Geography Pontorson is situated about 10 kilometres from the Mont Saint-Michel, ...

sheriff A sheriff is a government official, with varying duties, existing in some countries with historical ties to England where the office originated. There is an analogous, although independently developed, office in Iceland that is commonly transla ...

Warwickshire Warwickshire (; abbreviated Warks) is a county in the West Midlands region of England. The county town is Warwick, and the largest town is Nuneaton. The county is famous for being the birthplace of William Shakespeare at Stratford-upon-Avon an ...

and

from 1169 to 1184,

itinerant justice An eyre or iter, sometimes called a general eyre, was the name of a circuit travelled by an itinerant justice in medieval England (a justice in eyre), or the circuit court over which they presided, or the right of the monarch (or justices acting ...

, sent to a mission to Spain in 1177, despatched to clear up dangerous muddle in Ireland in 1185, guardian of the heir to the earldom of

Chester Chester is a cathedral city and the county town of Cheshire, England. It is located on the River Dee, close to the English–Welsh border. With a population of 79,645 in 2011,"2011 Census results: People and Population Profile: Chester Loca ...

. Clearly he was a man of many parts (he was put in charge of Acre 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 ...

and died in Jaffa); but again, when not entrusted with a special task, he was to be found constantly with the king Henry II and numbered among his most intimate

counsel A counsel or a counsellor at law is a person who gives advice and deals with various issues, particularly in legal matters. It is a title often used interchangeably with the title of ''lawyer''. The word ''counsel'' can also mean advice given ...

ors. After Henry's death Bertram III remained an influential figure with 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 overl ...

. He became a

castellan A castellan is the title used in Medieval Europe for an appointed official, a governor of a castle and its surrounding territory referred to as the castellany. The title of ''governor'' is retained in the English prison system, as a remnant o ...

of the king, and went on crusade to 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 ...

with him. Richard's wish was to lead a crusade and gain glory in the Holy Land by re-taking Jerusalem. Bertram de Verdun set sail with Richard on what has come to be known as the Third Crusade and after many delays (including the king's marriage to

Berengaria of Navarre Berengaria of Navarre ( eu, Berengela, es, Berenguela, french: Bérengère; 1165–1170 – 23 December 1230) was Queen of England as the wife of Richard I of England. She was the eldest daughter of Sancho VI of Navarre and Sancha of Ca ...

) finally reached Acre in 1191. The Christians lay siege to the city, which soon fell and Bertram together with Stephen Longchamp was appointed as the city's governor. Roger of Howden tells us that Bertram died at

Jaffa Jaffa, in Hebrew Yafo ( he, יָפוֹ, ) and in Arabic Yafa ( ar, يَافَا) and also called Japho or Joppa, the southern and oldest part of Tel Aviv-Yafo, is an ancient port city in Israel. Jaffa is known for its association with the b ...

in 1192 and the Chronicle of Croxden Abbey records that in that year ''Bertram de Verdun of pious memory founder died and on St. Bartholomew's day was buried at Acre''. Hagger, in his history of the de Verdun family, gives the date of St. Bartholomew's Day as 24 August; others give the date at that time as 25 August.page 44: ''The de Verdun Family in England, Ireland and Wales, 1066-1316: A Study'' - Mark Hagger, A Thesis Submitted for the Degree of PhD at the University of St. Andrews (1998) This was a few days before the signing of the treaty allowing free passage to

Jerusalem Jerusalem (; he, יְרוּשָׁלַיִם ; ar, القُدس ) (combining the Biblical and common usage Arabic names); grc, Ἱερουσαλήμ/Ἰεροσόλυμα, Hierousalḗm/Hierosóluma; hy, Երուսաղեմ, Erusałēm. i ...

for pilgrims. Bertram's death also occurred soon after the battle for Jaffa, which began with Saladin laying siege to the town at the end of July 1192. His forces then stormed the walls and took all of the town with the exception of its citadel. Having received news of Saladin's siege, King Richard took a squadron of ships with a small force of soldiers by sea from Acre to relieve the siege, whilst another force headed south overland. Richard landed at a critical juncture, repelled Saladin's forces who attempted to stop him from landing and re-took Jaffa. Saladin's army returned on 4 August to make a counterattack. The Battle of Jaffa took place on 5 August 1192, in which King Richard's forces gained a victory over those of Saladin. This was the last battle of the Third Crusade. It was later, on 1st or 2 September 1192 that the Treaty of Jaffa was agreed. It is possible, if not likely, that Bertram de Verdun arrived at Jaffa from Acre with King Richard, and the chronology of these events may (or may not) have had a bearing on the timing of Bertram's death.

Filiation

Bertram I de Verdun, († v. 1100) │ └>Bertram II de Verdun,

York York is a cathedral city with Roman origins, sited at the confluence of the rivers Ouse and Foss in North Yorkshire, England. It is the historic county town of Yorkshire. The city has many historic buildings and other structures, such as a ...

, († v. 1120 │ └>Norman de Verdun,

Chamberlain Chamberlain may refer to: Profession *Chamberlain (office), the officer in charge of managing the household of a sovereign or other noble figure People *Chamberlain (surname) **Houston Stewart Chamberlain (1855–1927), German-British philosop ...

of king

Henry I of England Henry I (c. 1068 – 1 December 1135), also known as Henry Beauclerc, was King of England from 1100 to his death in 1135. He was the fourth son of William the Conqueror and was educated in Latin and the liberal arts. On William's death in ...

,(† v. 1153} │ └>Bertram III de Verdun, crusader and castellan of

Richard I of England 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 ...

, († 1192) │ └>Nicholas de Verdun, (? – 1231)

References

*''The Fortunes of a Norman Family: the de Verduns in England, Ireland & Wales, 1066–1316'', by Mark S. HAGGER, p. 34–57. *''Verdun family at Medieval Lands Project'' *''Cartulary of Mont-Saint-Michel Abbey'', p. 83 – 84. *''Page about the De Verdun family'

*''Page about Bertram III de Verdun'

{{DEFAULTSORT:Bertram De Verdun Manche Families of French ancestry Normans in England