William Marshal and King John's suspicions: 12th century dark deeds

Today's research snippet. 

Back to King John's letters today, and at least one concerning William Marshal that shows John's paranoia and the tensions between the men. John obviiously suspects William of plotting against him. These are a series of letters from August 1212 when John was planning his campaign against the Welsh, a campaign that was aborted following threats to his life where he received secret information that he was to be assassinated in Wales. Was this a murky unknown moment in William Marshal's career. Was he part of the plot to overthrow John, or was John, beset by shadows, seeing even more of them than existed? 

The King to Ranulf Earl of Chester, greeting. We command you to maintain and protect Madoc ap Griffin and that you offer not, nor suffer to be offered to him or his, any injury or grievance; for when Llewelyn withdrew from us, to him would we recur as to our son. Witness ourself at Shrewsbury on the 3rd of August

The Bishop of Winchester is commanded to send the King the iron caparisons, which he gave him, so that he have them at a Nottingham by the Sunday next after the feast of Saint Lawrence. (12 August).

The Sheriff of Hereford is ordered to surrender to the King two pair of iron caparisons, the two coats of mail, and one hauberk, as Peter le Burgess deliver them to him, so that the King have them at Nottingham on the Sunday next after the feast of Saint Laurence. Teste 5th August at Woodstock. The King arrived at Nottingham on the 14th.

The Sheriff of Oxford is ordered to cease his demand upon William de Mesnil-Neuf for the supply of men with spades and hatchets, for the said William is summoned to go with the King in his army into Wales. Attested by the King at Woodstock, 6th August.

Know that we have granted to all the family of Llewelyn permission to come to us at Chester, on the Sunday next after the ensuing Assumption of the Blessed Mary (19th of August), or before, to give us security for his faithful service, namely, such a that he cannot hear after receive from his allegiance. And in testimony hearof &C. Witness ourself at Lamport, on the 11th of August in the 14th year of our reign.
The King to William Marshal Earl of Pembroke, &C. We command you that together with John Lord Bishop of Norwich and other our lieges of Ireland, ye be with us at Chester on the Sunday next after the ensuing Assumption of the Blessed Mary (19th of August).

The sheriffs of England are commanded to summon all whom hold of the King by serjeantry, to be ready at Chester with horses and arms to go into the King’s Service (19th of August).

The King to Brian de Insula &co. We command you to send to us at Nottingham all the oxen and cows which you should have sent to Chester for the supply of our army. Witness ourself at Northampton on the 16th of August.

The King to all his earls and barons who shall see these letters. We return you our thanks for that you shall have come so powerfully in our service to Chester, but since we cannot at present to go thither, by reason of certain affairs which have recalled us, we inform you that you may return to your respective homes, with your knights and people whom you brought with you, for which our thanks to you are manifold. Witness ourself at Nottingham on the 16th of August in the 14th year of our reign.
The King to Geoffrey de Lucy &C. We command you, immediately upon sight of these, to send eighteen of our galleys by Chester, round the coast of Llewellyn’s land, to destroy the ships, galleys and boats of our Welsh enemies, and to do them injury in every possible way, but be always on your guard lest harm should come to you from the land or power of William Earl Marshal; and send to Bristol two galleys with our provisions, and some persons who can conduct them, and send us word when they arrive at Bristol; and if you are in need 
of money let us know it. Witness ourself at Nottingham on the 17th of August.

FRIDAY LIKES

Friday Likes is the day I post 3 things that enhance my life in some way.

1. The long summer evenings of May and June when everything is green and new and you can smell things growing.  I love going out for long walks with the dogs at this time of year.

Jack-dog in silhouette on evening walk. Early May 2013

2. Parcels of books!  This one arrived this morning.

3. The Web Gallery of Art.  I could spend days in here if I had the time!   Wonderful for leisure, very useful for research.http://www.wga.hu/

Pembroke Castle

I’ve just come across this in medieval writings on Secular Women.  It shows what an extraordinary woman Isabelle de Clare, wife of William Marshal was.  Within a few weeks of William’s death, she was in Normandy seeing to affairs there in order to pave a clear way for the inheritance of her sons.  I did not realise this at the time I was writing The Scarlet Lion, although it would probably only have changed the ending by a couple of sentences.

I, Isabelle, Countess of Pembroke, one-time wife of Lord William Marshal, announce to all present to scrutinise these writings, namely that I have an agreement with the lord King. The lord King (Philip Augustus) has given to me and to my sons our land in Normandy, which my Lord William marshal had been seised with on the day he died, save for his rights and services.  Let it be known  that the lord King has given permission to my sons, William and Richard, to enter and leave France, as they wish, with five knights and their followers in such a manner that they as well as the knights swear to the lord King that they will not harm him or his kingdom through themselves or through others, and that if they know anyone who would, they will let the lord King know as soon as possible.  Also they who guard my fortresses at Longueville and elsewhere in Normandy should swear to the lord King that they themselves – or by their order – will return them to him by great or small force.  I pledge my land in Normandy to my lord the King as surety for firmly keeping these agreements.  In order that this may be a firm and stable agreement I confirm the present letters with the authority of my seal.  Enacted near Pont de L’Arche in the month of July in the year 1219.

What price a gold ring? 12thC English legal business:

3 gold rings 12th and 13th centuries - British \Museum

Today's research snippet. This is being added to my ongoing research concerning John Marshal. It's a rather dry piece of legal speak concerned with a land grant, but it's interesting that John advised the young woman concerned in the dispute. It's also interesting to note the involvement on the sidelines of William Martel who was one of Stephen's big cheeses - his steward and spymaster. I do wonder what happened to Emma. She was old enough to give her pledge, but unmarried, and that was an unusual state of affairs for the time. I hope she had enough left to live on and I wonder why the Martels were claiming the land and why John Marshal had advised her as he did. Everytime you find a piece of a historical jigsaw puzzle, it leads to a lot more missing pieces!

Stephen, King of the English, greets the archbishops, bishops, abbots, earls, justices, barons, sheriffs, ministers and all his faithful men of all England.
May you know that Emma, daughter of Grimbald the physician, has before me and with my consent, quit-claimed and handed back to me all the land that belonged to her father, the latter of which she was seised, as well as the land that was hers by right and of which she was not seised. And, in her presence and with her consent, I have given and granted all that land to Walter Martel in fief and as inheritance for him and his heirs after him, and she pledged that she will warrant it for him everywhere as far as possible; and as far as those lands are concerned of which she is not seised, and which Walter will claim, she will support him as far as is possible to deraign that land at Walter’s expense. She confirmed in the hand of William Martel that she and her heirs hold the land without guile. (That means by putting her hand in William Martel’s as a pledge of good faith that she had not held onto the lands fraudulently).
And in return for this grant Walter gave Emma in my presence one ring of gold, and John Marshal, on whose advice she did this, confirmed for his part that she held this without guile, and Grimbald’s wife, Atselina, will hold the land which she holds in peace from Walter as long as she lives, and afterwards the land will return to Walter’s demesne (no mention as to whether she is Emma's mother or stepmother). I therefore will and firmly command that he shall hold it well and in peace and freely and quietly in all things and places with soke, sake, toll, team and infangthief ( a technical formula for handing over various rights that come with the holding of the land). And all the freedoms belonging to it, with which Grimbald ever most freely held it or somebody else before him.

Witnesses: Waleran count of Meulan; Robert , Earl of Leicester; William Martel; Aubrey de Vere, Robert de Vere, Hugh Bigod; Geoffrey de Mandeville; and Eustace FitzJohn. At Worcester. (circa 1137/8).

Pawning the silver - monks in a muddle

Candlestick commissoned for Gloucester
Abbey by Abbot Peter. Early 12th C
Gilded base metal, niello and glass beads

From the Chronicle of the Abbey of Bury St. Edmunds by Jocelin of Brakelond - late 12th century. On matters of debt and mismanagement:

Abbot Hugh had grown old and was losing his sight.  A gentle and kind man, he was a good and devout monk, but lacked ability in business matters.  He was too dependent on those around him and too ready to believe them, relying more on the opinions of others than on his own judgment.  Although discipline, worship and everything connected with the rule flourished within the cloister, external affairs were badly managed. 

Every employee, seeing that the abbot was naïve and elderly, ignored his duty and did as he pleased.  The abbot’s villages and all the hundreds were leased out, the Woodlands were destroyed, the manorial houses were about to collapse, and from day to day everything grew steadily worse.  

The abbot sought refuge and consolation in a single remedy: that of borrowing money, to maintain at least the dignity of his household.  In the last eight years of his life (1173-80) sums of 100 pounds for 200 pounds were regularly added to the debt every Easter and Michaelmas.  The bonds were always renewed, and further loans were taken out to pay the growing interest.

This infections spread from the top downwards, from the ruler to the ruled, so that before long each obedientiary had his own seal and pledged himself in debt as he chose, to both Jews and Christians.  Silk copes, gold vessels, and other church ornaments were often pawned without the consent of the convent.  I saw a bond made out to William son of Isabel, for £1,040, and another to Isaac son of Rabbi Joce for £40, but I never discovered what lay behind these transactions.  However, I do know the full story relating to a third bond that I saw, in favour of Benedict the Jew of Norwich,  for £880. 

Our treasury building was in a dilapidated condition, and William the sacrist was determined to restore it, come what may.  He secretly borrowed 40 marks at interest from Benedict the Jew, to whom he gave a bond sealed with the seal that used to hang on the shrine of Saint Edmund and was normally used for sealing documents of guilds and fraternities.  Afterwards, but too late, this seal was destroyed by order of the convent.  When the sum owed had risen to £100, the Jew arrived with a letter from the King concerning the sacrist’s debt, and in this way the secret was revealed to the abbot and convent.  

The abbot was furious, and would have deposed the sacrist, claiming that he had authority from the Pope to dismiss him when he wished.  But someone went to the abbot, and speaking on the sacrist’s behalf, so deceived him that he allowed another bond to be made out for Benedict the Jew, this time for £400  to be paid at the end of four years.  This was for the £100  already accumulated at interest and another £100 which the Jew  lent the sacrist for the abbot’s use.  The sacrist undertook in full chapter to repay the whole debt, and a bond was drawn up which was sealed with the conventual seal, because the abbot would not use his own, pretending that the debt was not his affair.  Four years later when the obligation could not be met, a new bond was issues for £880, to be paid off at fixed terms at £80.00 per annum.  The same Jew held several other bonds for smaller debts and one that was for 14 years, so that all together he was owed £1200, excluding the compound interest.

…  At that time the cellarer, like the other officials, borrowed money from Jurnet the Jew, without consulting the convent, in a bond sealed with the seal I mentioned previously.  But when the debt had grown to £60, the convent was summoned to pay the cellarer’s debt.  He was deposed, although he alleged that on the abbot’s orders he had for the last three years entertained in the guesthouse, whether the abbot was at home or not, all those guests who, according to abbey custom, ought to have been entertained by the abbot himself. 

Master Denis replaced him, and by careful management brought the debt of £60.00 down to £30.00…  Two days after Master Denis became cellarer, three knights with their squires were brought into the guesthouse to be entertained there, although the abbot was at home and in his lodgings.  When that high-minded Achilles heard this, not wishing to fail in his office as others had done, he sprang up, and taking the keys of the cellary with him, escorted the knights into the abbot’s hall and said, ‘Father, you are well aware that it is the abbey custom that knights and lay men are received in the abbot’s house, if he is at home.  I cannot and will not entertain your guests.  If you cannot accept this, take back the keys of the cellary and appoint another cellarer as you think fit.’ When the abbot heard this, he received those knights whether he liked it or not, and ever afterwards accommodated knights and laymen according to the ancient custom.  They are still so received when the abbot is at home.

Friday Likes

1. One of my bookmarked research sites - some wonderful photographs of the churches in the South of France.  Useful for my research and just to browse through. Click here:
Paradox Place


2. Me Before You.  My best read of the last 6 months and not in the historical genre.  The subject matter sounds daunting, but JoJo Moyes handles the issue with just the right touch and it becomes a very uplifting book.  Ignore the girly cover.  It's not chick-lit.

3. New season's asparagus - yum!  I cook mine upright in an old stainless steel coffee pot!

WHAT A DONZEL!

Detail from a parade shield in
the British Museum 15thC so a bit
late for my period, but I thought it suited.

Today's research snippet: The Donzel

A familiar medieval word now defunct, and referring to a particular sort of person was 'donzel'. Should you be insulted if you were referred to as a donzel?

Fortunately, mostly not, although occasionally it could have a slight edge. William Marshal referred to Louis Dauphin of France as a 'donzel' during the negotians for Louis to leave England following the battles of Lincoln and Sandwich in 1217.

A donzel was a young aristocratic male who had yet to come into his own. It runs the gamut of ages from five to thirty. Often it referred to young men who were full of the joys of youth and lived for war and tourneying. William Marshal had been a donzel in his time and the Young King was still one when he died. Generally the term is a very positive one and describes a man of noble birth before his prime who has the qualities of courtliness, largesse and prowess in battle. A young man light and agile and full of promise. When a donzel is killed on the battlefield, or dies untimely, the feeling is one of wasted youth.

A donzel might have duties at court such as serving at table, fetching and carrying and delivering messages, but he was not expected to muck out the stables or act as any sort of horse boy. He might deal with the hawks or make announcements, or attend on a lord as a follower to bolster that lord's prestige. In some ways that kind of service was the same as the female attendants for a high born lady. 'Donzel' and 'Demoiselle' are linked.

When William Marshal used it to the future Louis VIII of France, he was paying him a compliment, and at the same time stating the difference between a young sprig and seasoned oak!