The Gherardini and 'Other' Connections

Medieval Bendings

The Gherardini and 'Other' Connections - page 3


Stephen de Bending c1160 Stephen was the son of William of Windsor and Agnes de Valognes. There are no records concerning the dates of his birth or death, any knowledge that we have, comes from documents to which he was a witness, or in which he is mentioned. Nothing is known of his exact place in society, but it seems logical from the little we know, that he was a member of the Royal Household, under Stephen, and perhaps, Henry II. That Stephen was alive in 1175, well into the reign of Henry II, is proved by a carta, sent to the King, by the Abbot of Chertsey, concerning the holdings of that Abbey: "To his most venerable dear Lord Henry, by the grace of God, King of England, Duke of Normandy and Aquitaine, Count of Angers, his unworthy brother Aylmer, the minister of Chertsey, safety and prayers. Let your diligence know, O dearest Father and Lord, that the Abbey of Cherstey owes to your service 3 knights' fees, as far as we can know. One, Walter de Chameo holds; Philip of Tong, one; Roger de Wateville, the third fee. Ate of Perfrith, Robert Mealdon, Maurice of Trotworth, Stephen of Bendig, Ralf of St. Albans, hold a fourth fee. It has no others as far as I can learn. Records of Winchfield Hants Seymour. Note, the Abbot sites four knights' fees, having stated three, leading to some confusion. Stephen's fourth knight's fee, probably refers to both Elvetham and Winchfield. Stephen was connected by his marriage to Juliana, the daughter of Peter, with the influential fitz Peters, and the de Mandevilles, but he does not seem to have shared any of the warlike characteristics of his father, his brother William de Windsor, or his numerous cousins, the sons of Gerald de Windsor and Nest. Stephen held the following manors in Hampshire: Elvetham Winchfield Hartley Wintney Wallop Heathmanstreet The manor of Elvetham was in the hands of the de Port family at the time of Domesday, but before 1166, it had passed to the Abbey of Chertsey, from whom Stephen held it as Mesne tenant. It had never been held by Walter fitz Other, or by Stephen's father, William de Windsor. The manor of Hartley Wintney came to Stephen and Juliana as a gift from Juliana's brother, Geoffrey fitz <@Clement>Peter. Within the manor was the Priory of Hartley Wintney, founded by Thomas Colbreth in the 11th century. Geoffrey endowed the Church of the Priory, and Stephen and Juliana held the manor jointly, with the nuns, under the bequest of Geoffrey. The manor of Winchfield had been held by both, Walter fitz Other and William de Windsor. It is interesting that Stephen was entered as 'de Bendig' in Winchfield, and 'de Bendeng' in Elvetham, showing spelling variations which were commonplace. The group of manors named Wallop, at the time of Domesday, were entered as in the hands of four unnamed Englishmen. By the eleven hundreds, Wallop Heathmanstreet, a manor of two hides, (240 acres approx), had passed to Stephen for reasons unknown		William de Bending It is Clement's contention that Willam fitz Stephen and William de Bending were one person, but this seems unlikely, and they are shown separately, without connection in the DNB. Son of Stephen de Bending, this man is far more often known as William fitz Stephen. That both names refer to the same person is not established by the father and date of death, 1190, but by the fact that William fitz Stephen was placed at the head of one of the six circuits of judges, appointed by Henry II in 1176, and as the DNB establishes, his pleas were heard in fourteen counties over the next four years. However, there is no further record in the lists of 1178 and 1179 of any William fitz Stephen, whereas William de Bending is mentioned as a prominent judge in both of these lists. No other William is among the judges When Ranulf de Glanville became chief Justiciar in 1181, William was appointed Sheriff of the Dorset and Somerset. After 1190 he ceases to be Sheriff of Dorset and Somerset, and may have died, but Richard I had succeeded Henry II in 1189, and it was a fact that Richard deposed most of his Sheriffs, so that he could sell the offices to the highest bidders, to pay for the 'holy' wars. He is also known to have been acting as a judge in 1190 William may also have been Sheriff of Gloucestershire, but there is some doubt concerning this. William de Bendings, fl 1180, was according to Giraldus Cambrensis, sent to Ireland by Henry II in 1176, as one of four envoys, of whom two were to remain with the Viceroy, Richard fitz Gilbert, Earl of Striguil, and two were to return with Reimund fitz Gerald, whose military exploits had aroused the King's jealousy. Reimund did not at once comply with the Royal mandate, being compelled by the threatening attitude of Donnell to march to the relief of Limerick, a town which he had only lately taken. It is probable, however, that on the evacuation of Limerick, which took place in the same year, soon after the death of the Earl of Striguil, Reimund returned to England, and that de Bendings was one of those that accompanied him Henry, in 1178, hearing that justice was not always done, chose five members of his private household,; Geoffrey de Luce, Hugh of Gloucester, Ralf de Glanville, William de Bendings and Alan de Furnelle, to hear disputed cases. Gesta Regis Henrici Secondus 1179 The Bishops, Earls, and Magnates of the realm, being gathered at Windsor, the King, by their counsel, and in the presence of the King, his son (Henry died of fever 1183), divided England into four parts. For each part, he assigned wise men from his Kingdom, and later sent them through the regions of his Kingdom assigned to them, to see that justice was done among the people. These are the names of those whom the King set over his people, and the shires assigned to them: ................................William de Bending Northumberland, Cumberland, Westmoreland....................and all the land between the Mersey and the Ribble

Stephen de Bending c1160

Stephen was the son of William of Windsor and Agnes de Valognes. There are no records concerning the dates of his birth or death, any knowledge that we have, comes from documents to which he was a witness, or in which he is mentioned. Nothing is known of his exact place in society, but it seems logical from the little we know, that he was a member of the Royal Household, under Stephen, and perhaps, Henry II.

That Stephen was alive in 1175, well into the reign of Henry II, is proved by a carta, sent to the King, by the Abbot of Chertsey, concerning the holdings of that Abbey:

"To his most venerable dear Lord Henry, by the grace of God, King of England, Duke of Normandy and Aquitaine, Count of Angers, his unworthy brother Aylmer, the minister of Chertsey, safety and prayers. Let your diligence know, O dearest Father and Lord, that the Abbey of Cherstey owes to your service 3 knights' fees, as far as we can know. One, Walter de Chameo holds; Philip of Tong, one; Roger de Wateville, the third fee. Ate of Perfrith, Robert Mealdon, Maurice of Trotworth, Stephen of Bendig, Ralf of St. Albans, hold a fourth fee. It has no others as far as I can learn. Records of Winchfield Hants Seymour.

Note, the Abbot sites four knights' fees, having stated three, leading to some confusion. Stephen's fourth knight's fee, probably refers to both Elvetham and Winchfield.

Stephen was connected by his marriage to Juliana, the daughter of Peter, with the influential fitz Peters, and the de Mandevilles, but he does not seem to have shared any of the warlike characteristics of his father, his brother William de Windsor, or his numerous cousins, the sons of Gerald de Windsor and Nest.

Stephen held the following manors in Hampshire:

Elvetham Winchfield Hartley Wintney Wallop Heathmanstreet

The manor of Elvetham was in the hands of the de Port family at the time of Domesday, but before 1166, it had passed to the Abbey of Chertsey, from whom Stephen held it as Mesne tenant. It had never been held by Walter fitz Other, or by Stephen's father, William de Windsor.

The manor of Hartley Wintney came to Stephen and Juliana as a gift from Juliana's brother, Geoffrey fitz <@Clement>Peter. Within the manor was the Priory of Hartley Wintney, founded by Thomas Colbreth in the 11th century. Geoffrey endowed the Church of the Priory, and Stephen and Juliana held the manor jointly, with the nuns, under the bequest of Geoffrey.

The manor of Winchfield had been held by both, Walter fitz Other and William de Windsor. It is interesting that Stephen was entered as 'de Bendig' in Winchfield, and 'de Bendeng' in Elvetham, showing spelling variations which were commonplace.

The group of manors named Wallop, at the time of Domesday, were entered as in the hands of four unnamed Englishmen. By the eleven hundreds, Wallop Heathmanstreet, a manor of two hides, (240 acres approx), had passed to Stephen for reasons unknown

William de Bending

It is Clement's contention that Willam fitz Stephen and William de Bending were one person, but this seems unlikely, and they are shown separately, without connection in the DNB.

Son of Stephen de Bending, this man is far more often known as William fitz Stephen. That both names refer to the same person is not established by the father and date of death, 1190, but by the fact that William fitz Stephen was placed at the head of one of the six circuits of judges, appointed by Henry II in 1176, and as the DNB establishes, his pleas were heard in fourteen counties over the next four years. However, there is no further record in the lists of 1178 and 1179 of any William fitz Stephen, whereas William de Bending is mentioned as a prominent judge in both of these lists. No other William is among the judges

When Ranulf de Glanville became chief Justiciar in 1181, William was appointed Sheriff of the Dorset and Somerset. After 1190 he ceases to be Sheriff of Dorset and Somerset, and may have died, but Richard I had succeeded Henry II in 1189, and it was a fact that Richard deposed most of his Sheriffs, so that he could sell the offices to the highest bidders, to pay for the 'holy' wars. He is also known to have been acting as a judge in 1190

William may also have been Sheriff of Gloucestershire, but there is some doubt concerning this.

William de Bendings, fl 1180, was according to Giraldus Cambrensis, sent to Ireland by Henry II in 1176, as one of four envoys, of whom two were to remain with the Viceroy, Richard fitz Gilbert, Earl of Striguil, and two were to return with Reimund fitz Gerald, whose military exploits had aroused the King's jealousy. Reimund did not at once comply with the Royal mandate, being compelled by the threatening attitude of Donnell to march to the relief of Limerick, a town which he had only lately taken. It is probable, however, that on the evacuation of Limerick, which took place in the same year, soon after the death of the Earl of Striguil, Reimund returned to England, and that de Bendings was one of those that accompanied him

Henry, in 1178, hearing that justice was not always done, chose five members of his private household,; Geoffrey de Luce, Hugh of Gloucester, Ralf de Glanville, William de Bendings and Alan de Furnelle, to hear disputed cases.

Gesta Regis Henrici Secondus 1179

The Bishops, Earls, and Magnates of the realm, being gathered at Windsor, the King, by their counsel, and in the presence of the King, his son (Henry died of fever 1183), divided England into four parts. For each part, he assigned wise men from his Kingdom, and later sent them through the regions of his Kingdom assigned to them, to see that justice was done among the people.

These are the names of those whom the King set over his people, and the shires assigned to them:

................................William de Bending

Northumberland, Cumberland, Westmoreland....................and all the land between the Mersey and the Ribble

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