Walter (Bec) de Bec
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Walter (Bec) de Bec (1140 - 1167)

Walter de Bec formerly Bec
Born in Lincolnshire, Englandmap
Ancestors ancestors
Son of [uncertain] and [uncertain]
[sibling(s) unknown]
Husband of — married [date unknown] [location unknown]
Descendants descendants
Died at about age 27 in Eresby, Lincolnshire, Englandmap
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Profile last modified | Created 17 Feb 2012
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Biography

Keats-Rohan has an entry for him called "Bech, Walter":[1]

Tenant of William de Roumare in Lincolnshire. He married Agnes, daughter of Hugh fitz Pincon, steward of the bishops of Durham, and had issue Hugh, Henry, Nicholas (Danelaw Chh., 528-9), Emmelina and Margaret. Agnes brought him a knight's fee of the bishop of Durham at Fulgelstow, Newton and Ravendale (Fees, 159, 1022, 1061). As Walter Bec of Lusby he gave a bovate at Winceby, held by Humphrey Hundefot, to Bardney abbey (BL Cotton, Vesp. E xx, fol. 117v). An erroneous account of Walter's family in the thirteenth-century register of Alvingham priory (Oxford, Bodl. Laud. misc. 642, printed Mon. Ang. vi, 959-60) states that Walter's ancestor was first enfeoffed in England by William I and that he had an inheritance in Flanders. The reference to a Flemish origin may well be genuine. A number of Lincolnshire families holding of Normans and Bretons in the twelfth century were identified as Flemings, the family of the stewards of the lords of Skipton being a prominent example, the Flemings of Swinhope another. Lusby is mentioned in Domesday Book only as a fee of Gilbert de Gand. A second Walter held in 1242 (Fees, 1102). See W. O. Massinberd, "An account of the family of Bek, of Lusby", Reports and Papers of the Assocated Architectural Societies, vol. xxiv, pt 1, pp.33-56.

(Gilbert de Gand certainly did have a Flemish association.)

In her entry for Walter's father-in-law (p.938) she describes Walter as a nephew of William Cumin, the bishop Simeon of Durham's adversary at that time. Keats-Rohan's entry for "Comin, Willelmo" is on p.243 and describes him as the one-time chancellor for David king of Scotland. He failed to become bishop and later joined the household of the Archbishop of Canterbury, and then Duke Henry, the future king Henry II.[2]

It does not seem certain Simeon is referring to Walter Bec as the nephew because in the same passage about the marriage arrangement, there is a nephew named William, like his uncle. He died soon after the arrangement was made, perhaps by an act of God. Maybe he was the betrothed?

Old accounts

Dugsdale wrote long ago accepted the Alvingham priory story in his Baronage:[3]

AT the time of the Norman-Conquest, Walter Bec;* though he had a fair inheritance, in Flanders, came over into this Realm with Duke William (whom we vulgarly call King William the Conqueror) and of his gift had Eresby, in Comit. Linc. and divers other fair Lordships.
This Walter gave* the Church of Newton to the Nunns of Alvingham: and took to Wife Agnes the Daughter 〈◊〉 heir of Hugh the Son of Pinco (of whom I have taken notice in my discourse of the Family of Tatshall) [To which Hugh, King Henry the first confirmed * all the Lands, which Pinco his Father did possess; granting unto him divers ample priviledges therein.] and had issue, by her, five Sons, viz. Hugh, Henry, Walter, Iohn, and Thomas. Which Agnes gave to the Monks of Kirkstede, in Com. Linc. for the health of her own Soul, and the Soul of Hugh* her Son and Heir, and all her other Childrens Soules, all her Lands lying in the fields of Kirkby, together with her Body to be buried in that Abby of Kirkstede.

Dugdale had to be wrong about some of this because Hugh the son of Pinco was someone who lived a century after the Norman conquest, and not in the same generation. The surname Bec (with various spelling variations) was not very uncommon so Beke in the 20th century, accepting the Alvingham account, found several Becs in Domesday Book and proposed a link to the one who lived closest to Walter, Geoffrey in Buckinghamshire.[4] However there appears to be no real reason to make such a link!

Sources

  1. Keats-Rohan, Domesday Descendants, p.169
  2. Simeon's of Durham remark is relevant remark about "Hugh fitz Pinton" is here: https://archive.org/stream/historicalworks00simegoog#page/n322/
  3. Dugsdale Baronage https://quod.lib.umich.edu/e/eebo/A36794.0001.001/1:6.110?rgn=div2;submit=Go;subview=detail;type=simple;view=fulltext;q1=bek
  4. Charles T. Beke, FSA, "Observations on the Pedigree of the Family of Beke of Eresby, in the County of Lincoln," published in Collectanea Topographica et Genealogica, Vol.4, pp.331-345




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