The Gherardini and 'Other' Connections

Medieval Bendings

The Gherardini and 'Other' Connections - page 2


Walter fitz Other was granted twenty two manors in England, by King William, and was still holding these at the time of the Domesday Survey (1086):- In Berkshire Bucklebury Chiltone (Chilton) Hagbourne Wallington Wokesfield Wildehall (No extant village, site - Wildhall Farm, Alton) In Hampshire: Malshanger Gerlei (Church Oakley) Winsflet (Winchfield) In Surrey Chingstone (Kingston) Cortone (Compton) Homers (Hurtmore) Orselei (West Horsley) Piperherge (Pepper Harrow) Woking In Middlesex Hatton Bedfont Stanmore In Buckinghamshire Burnham Ettone (Eton) Hardmead Hortune (Horton) Walter also owned a town house at Wallingford, a fortified town on the River Thames, between Reading and Oxford. It was customary for the King to grant plots of land, within the towns, to noblemen and churchmen, in return for the acceptance of responsibility concerning the defence of the town. The plots were then, either leased to burgesses to offset the cost of defence, or town houses were built. Other holders of such houses at Wallingford were; the Archbishop of Canterbury, the Bishop of Winchester, the Bishop of Salisbury, Hugh de Ferrers, Walter Giffard, and Miles Crispin; all members of the Curia Regis (KIng's Council), which leads one to speculate that Walter fitz Other may also have been a member of this body, although no record of this has been seen. It is likely that Gwaldys, his wife, and his children when young, lived in Wallingford, rather than on any one of his manors, where life would have been far less comfortable. None of his sons showed any disposition towards manorial life, and it is likely that manors were under the control of bailiffs appointed by Walter. Walter was married to Gwladys, the daughter of Rhiwallon ap Cynvyn, one of the Welsh princes. (More detail concerning Rhiwallon is needed). He had four children: William de Windsor, the eldest, Gerald de Windsor, Robert de Windsor, and his only daughter, Delicia. William de Windsor William was the eldest son of Walter fitz Other, and was the founder of the Windsor family. He married Agnes de Valogne, and by her had three sons: William de Windsor (the eldest), Stephen de Bendig, Hugh de Horsley.		In his youth he was known as William fitz Walter, but assumed the name of Windsor during the reign of Henry I, and was the progenitor of the line of Windsors, lasting to the present day; the mainstream of the family, becoming the Earls of Plymouth in1659. To this day, the eldest son is named Other, in remembrance of that distant ancestor. William was a powerful baron in the reign of Henry II, and in 1165, upon the assessment of the marriage portion of Henry's daughter, he held 16 1/2 knight's fees (1);. In 1173, he attended the king in his expedition to Normandy, to counter the revolt by Henry's sons, against their father. Here William raised the seige of Verneuil by King Louis of France, who supported the rebels. He was Castellan of Windsor Castle and Warden of the Forests of Berkshire. These positions, both held by his father, Walter, were confirmed upon him by the Empress Maud (2). William died between 1194 and 1198 Gerald de Windsor At the time of the Conquest, Wales was divided into three principalities; North, South and mid-Wales. William I anticipating the total conquest of Wales, established aggressive Norman followers, including Gerald, in key castles along the border. In the Northern and Central principalities he met with success, but in the South this success was offset by the powerful ruler, Rhys ap Tewdyr (Tudor). William, after a show of strength, agreed to the continuance of Rhys ap Tewdyr as ruler, a compromise reached between them that the Welsh 'king' should acknowledge William as his overlord. Gerald married Nest (sometimes spelled Nesta) the daughter of Rhys ap Tewdyr. The marriage may have been arranged by the two rulers, since Gerald was Constable of Pembroke Castle at the time. Gerald had four children by Nest, and she had five more children, out of wedlock, by various fathers, including Henry fitz Roy, by Henry I. Gerald is the ancestor of the Fitzgerald families, in both England and Ireland, and is also the ancestor of the Earls of Kildare, the Earls of Leinster and the Earls of Offaly. Giraldus Cambrensis, Gerald of Wales, was the grandson of Gerald and Nest. He was the Archdeacon of Brecon, and wrote some seventeen books, including The Journey through Wales. He had hoped to succeed his uncle, David Fitzgerald, the son of Gerald and Nesta, as Bishop of St David's, when he would have tried to free the see of St David's from subservience to Canterbury. Henry II, aware of Gerald's intentions, appointed Peter de Leia as Bishop. Note added by John Bending

Walter fitz Other was granted twenty two manors in England, by King William, and was still holding these at the time of the Domesday Survey (1086):-

In Berkshire Bucklebury Chiltone (Chilton) Hagbourne Wallington Wokesfield Wildehall (No extant village, site - Wildhall Farm, Alton)

In Hampshire: Malshanger Gerlei (Church Oakley) Winsflet (Winchfield)

In Surrey Chingstone (Kingston) Cortone (Compton) Homers (Hurtmore) Orselei (West Horsley) Piperherge (Pepper Harrow) Woking

In Middlesex Hatton Bedfont Stanmore In Buckinghamshire Burnham Ettone (Eton) Hardmead Hortune (Horton)

Walter also owned a town house at Wallingford, a fortified town on the River Thames, between Reading and Oxford.

It was customary for the King to grant plots of land, within the towns, to noblemen and churchmen, in return for the acceptance of responsibility concerning the defence of the town. The plots were then, either leased to burgesses to offset the cost of defence, or town houses were built.

Other holders of such houses at Wallingford were; the Archbishop of Canterbury, the Bishop of Winchester, the Bishop of Salisbury, Hugh de Ferrers, Walter Giffard, and Miles Crispin; all members of the Curia Regis (KIng's Council), which leads one to speculate that Walter fitz Other may also have been a member of this body, although no record of this has been seen.

It is likely that Gwaldys, his wife, and his children when young, lived in Wallingford, rather than on any one of his manors, where life would have been far less comfortable.

None of his sons showed any disposition towards manorial life, and it is likely that manors were under the control of bailiffs appointed by Walter.

Walter was married to Gwladys, the daughter of Rhiwallon ap Cynvyn, one of the Welsh princes. (More detail concerning Rhiwallon is needed). He had four children: William de Windsor, the eldest, Gerald de Windsor, Robert de Windsor, and his only daughter, Delicia.

William de Windsor

William was the eldest son of Walter fitz Other, and was the founder of the Windsor family. He married Agnes de Valogne, and by her had three sons: William de Windsor (the eldest), Stephen de Bendig, Hugh de Horsley.

In his youth he was known as William fitz Walter, but assumed the name of Windsor during the reign of Henry I, and was the progenitor of the line of Windsors, lasting to the present day; the mainstream of the family, becoming the Earls of Plymouth in1659. To this day, the eldest son is named Other, in remembrance of that distant ancestor.

William was a powerful baron in the reign of Henry II, and in 1165, upon the assessment of the marriage portion of Henry's daughter, he held 16 1/2 knight's fees (1);. In 1173, he attended the king in his expedition to Normandy, to counter the revolt by Henry's sons, against their father. Here William raised the seige of Verneuil by King Louis of France, who supported the rebels. He was Castellan of Windsor Castle and Warden of the Forests of Berkshire. These positions, both held by his father, Walter, were confirmed upon him by the Empress Maud (2).

William died between 1194 and 1198

Gerald de Windsor

At the time of the Conquest, Wales was divided into three principalities; North, South and mid-Wales. William I anticipating the total conquest of Wales, established aggressive Norman followers, including Gerald, in key castles along the border. In the Northern and Central principalities he met with success, but in the South this success was offset by the powerful ruler, Rhys ap Tewdyr (Tudor). William, after a show of strength, agreed to the continuance of Rhys ap Tewdyr as ruler, a compromise reached between them that the Welsh 'king' should acknowledge William as his overlord.

Gerald married Nest (sometimes spelled Nesta) the daughter of Rhys ap Tewdyr. The marriage may have been arranged by the two rulers, since Gerald was Constable of Pembroke Castle at the time. Gerald had four children by Nest, and she had five more children, out of wedlock, by various fathers, including Henry fitz Roy, by Henry I. Gerald is the ancestor of the Fitzgerald families, in both England and Ireland, and is also the ancestor of the Earls of Kildare, the Earls of Leinster and the Earls of Offaly.

Giraldus Cambrensis, Gerald of Wales, was the grandson of Gerald and Nest. He was the Archdeacon of Brecon, and wrote some seventeen books, including The Journey through Wales. He had hoped to succeed his uncle, David Fitzgerald, the son of Gerald and Nesta, as Bishop of St David's, when he would have tried to free the see of St David's from subservience to Canterbury. Henry II, aware of Gerald's intentions, appointed Peter de Leia as Bishop. Note added by John Bending

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