The Gherardini and 'Other' Connections

Medieval Bendings

The Gherardini and 'Other' Connections - page 4


So the Lord King, while sojourning in England, examined the judges whom he had appointed, as to whether they had dealt discreetly and well with the men of his realm. And when he learned that the land was much burdened by the great multitude of judges, for there were eighteen in number, on the advice of the wise men in his realm, he chose five, namely two clerics and three laymen, all members of his private household. These five, he commanded to hear all the complaints of the people, so that, if any case should come before them, which could not be brought to a decision, it should be presented to the King, and determined as might seem good to him, and to the wise men of the realm William de Bending was a member of the small curia (4). Maurice Bending died c 1213 Held manors of Hartley Wintney, Wallop Heathmanstreet and Winchfield, Hants 1207. Close Rolls - King John The King to the Sheriff of Southampton. We bid you make John fitz Hugh, have all the lands of Maurice de Bennenges, which he has in your bailiwick, that is to say, Winchfield and Hartley, with the stock and chattels to be held by you, to answer therefrom to us concerning 20 marks per annum, until 100 marks shall have been paid to us, which the same Maurice owed us for his father. Witness Hugh de Nevill at Woodstock. May 13 1207 Somehow, the debt must have been paid, for by 1211, Maurice is again recorded as Knight of Chertsey, holding a half knight's fee in Winchfield, and in 1213, his son is recorded as having all his father's lands in Hampshire. Adam de Bending (Knight) Son of William the Justiciar Married Alice de Thurnham Died 1229 Alice de Thurnham inherited from her father, the manors of: Artington, Surrey Brickhill, Bucks Frobury, Hants Sir Adam de Bending held the manors of: Liss Abbas, Hants Liss Turney, Hants Polling, Hants, Murrel, Hants Elvetham, Hants Adam and Alice had two children, Walter and Maud.<@Clement>. Walter died in 1234, and his infant son, William, three years later. Thus all Adam's lands passed to Maud, who married Geoffrey Sturmey. Jane Seymour, the third wife of Henry VIII, was a descendant of Geoffrey Sturmey and Maud de Bending, through the female line which married into the Seymour family, giving them the above manors. It is interesting to note that, both Henry VIII and Elizabeth I, were often entertained by the Seymours of Elvetham. Crest of Adam de Bending was three bars, and his seal were the words; "SIGILLUM . ATE. DE. BETNEGGIS." (See: Genealogist Vol 5 page 130, Herald and Genealogist No. 431, Archaeologia Cantiana, page 218)		Liss Abbas and Liss Turney were part of the Hundred of Meonstoke, in Hampshire, and had at one time formed part of the Royal Manor of Odiham. They were both granted to Adam's father, by Henry II It is likely that Adam was in constant attendance at Odiham Castle, then an important Royal Residence. King John regarded it as his principal residence, and visited it twenty six times, staying for long periods, during his reign (1190-1216). When in 1216, Prince Louis of France, at King John's invitation, invaded England (John's attempt to subdue Magna Carta barons 1215) and took the town of Winchester, and the castles of Reigate, Guildford and Farnham, he beseiged Odiham Castle, 'with great war machines'. The Castle suffered great damage, but was nobly defended by three knights, and their attendants. One of these knights was Adam de Bending. Adam continued at Odiham, under Henry III. The Castle was repaired and a fragmentary document records, "In September, 1225, Sir Adam Bending was ordered 50 shillings, the cost of the lead, for the repair of Odiham tower" Peter de Bending Married Juliana Held the manor of Winchfield in 1279 In 1290, granted two parts of the manor of Winchfield, Hants, and the advowson, to Ralf de Sandwyche. Peter reserved for himself: one dwelling house, one mill, six virgates of arable, six acres of meadow, twelve acres of wood, forty four acres of heath, and twelve shillings worth of rent with the appurtenances held by John de Cherverdon (5) On the death of Peter, his widow, Juliana, unsuccessfully claimed dower rights, and the manor passed to another Juliana, the daughter of Ralf de Sandwyche. She married William de Leybourne, and from this time the manor was in the hands of this family. In 1279, Peter claimed, and was granted: view of frankpledge, the assize of bread and ale, tumbrel and pillory". The significance of this to Lords of Manors is as follows: The established method of keeping order in the manors was the system of frankpledge, by this a group of about ten persons (male, over twelve years) formed a tithing, and were resposible for the behaviour of the rest, and each other. They were on pain of fine, liable to hand over to justice, anyone in the tithing committing a crime. "View" of frankpledge meant that the Sheriff of the county could enter the manor to check that this was carried out. This right was confirmed at the Assize of Clarendon, 1166, under Henry II. In such cases, fines were taken by the sheriff. For a manorial lord to establish his right ro "view of frankpledge", meant that he could do the work of the sheriff in his own manors, and take the fines. This was accepted as the general rule in1290, under Edward I.

So the Lord King, while sojourning in England, examined the judges whom he had appointed, as to whether they had dealt discreetly and well with the men of his realm. And when he learned that the land was much burdened by the great multitude of judges, for there were eighteen in number, on the advice of the wise men in his realm, he chose five, namely two clerics and three laymen, all members of his private household. These five, he commanded to hear all the complaints of the people, so that, if any case should come before them, which could not be brought to a decision, it should be presented to the King, and determined as might seem good to him, and to the wise men of the realm

William de Bending was a member of the small curia (4).

Maurice Bending died c 1213

Held manors of Hartley Wintney, Wallop Heathmanstreet and Winchfield, Hants

1207. Close Rolls - King John

The King to the Sheriff of Southampton. We bid you make John fitz Hugh, have all the lands of Maurice de Bennenges, which he has in your bailiwick, that is to say, Winchfield and Hartley, with the stock and chattels to be held by you, to answer therefrom to us concerning 20 marks per annum, until 100 marks shall have been paid to us, which the same Maurice owed us for his father. Witness Hugh de Nevill at Woodstock. May 13 1207

Somehow, the debt must have been paid, for by 1211, Maurice is again recorded as Knight of Chertsey, holding a half knight's fee in Winchfield, and in 1213, his son is recorded as having all his father's lands in Hampshire.

Adam de Bending (Knight)

Son of William the Justiciar Married Alice de Thurnham Died 1229

Alice de Thurnham inherited from her father, the manors of: Artington, Surrey Brickhill, Bucks Frobury, Hants

Sir Adam de Bending held the manors of: Liss Abbas, Hants Liss Turney, Hants Polling, Hants, Murrel, Hants Elvetham, Hants

Adam and Alice had two children, Walter and Maud.<@Clement>. Walter died in 1234, and his infant son, William, three years later. Thus all Adam's lands passed to Maud, who married Geoffrey Sturmey. Jane Seymour, the third wife of Henry VIII, was a descendant of Geoffrey Sturmey and Maud de Bending, through the female line which married into the Seymour family, giving them the above manors.

It is interesting to note that, both Henry VIII and Elizabeth I, were often entertained by the Seymours of Elvetham.

Crest of Adam de Bending was three bars, and his seal were the words; "SIGILLUM . ATE. DE. BETNEGGIS." (See: Genealogist Vol 5 page 130, Herald and Genealogist No. 431, Archaeologia Cantiana, page 218)

Liss Abbas and Liss Turney were part of the Hundred of Meonstoke, in Hampshire, and had at one time formed part of the Royal Manor of Odiham. They were both granted to Adam's father, by Henry II

It is likely that Adam was in constant attendance at Odiham Castle, then an important Royal Residence. King John regarded it as his principal residence, and visited it twenty six times, staying for long periods, during his reign (1190-1216).

When in 1216, Prince Louis of France, at King John's invitation, invaded England (John's attempt to subdue Magna Carta barons 1215) and took the town of Winchester, and the castles of Reigate, Guildford and Farnham, he beseiged Odiham Castle, 'with great war machines'. The Castle suffered great damage, but was nobly defended by three knights, and their attendants. One of these knights was Adam de Bending.

Adam continued at Odiham, under Henry III. The Castle was repaired and a fragmentary document records,

"In September, 1225, Sir Adam Bending was ordered 50 shillings, the cost of the lead, for the repair of Odiham tower"

Peter de Bending

Married Juliana Held the manor of Winchfield in 1279

In 1290, granted two parts of the manor of Winchfield, Hants, and the advowson, to Ralf de Sandwyche. Peter reserved for himself: one dwelling house, one mill, six virgates of arable, six acres of meadow, twelve acres of wood, forty four acres of heath, and twelve shillings worth of rent with the appurtenances held by John de Cherverdon (5)

On the death of Peter, his widow, Juliana, unsuccessfully claimed dower rights, and the manor passed to another Juliana, the daughter of Ralf de Sandwyche. She married William de Leybourne, and from this time the manor was in the hands of this family.

In 1279, Peter claimed, and was granted: view of frankpledge, the assize of bread and ale, tumbrel and pillory". The significance of this to Lords of Manors is as follows: The established method of keeping order in the manors was the system of frankpledge, by this a group of about ten persons (male, over twelve years) formed a tithing, and were resposible for the behaviour of the rest, and each other. They were on pain of fine, liable to hand over to justice, anyone in the tithing committing a crime. "View" of frankpledge meant that the Sheriff of the county could enter the manor to check that this was carried out. This right was confirmed at the Assize of Clarendon, 1166, under Henry II. In such cases, fines were taken by the sheriff. For a manorial lord to establish his right ro "view of frankpledge", meant that he could do the work of the sheriff in his own manors, and take the fines. This was accepted as the general rule in1290, under Edward I.

to next page