Ernulf (Hesdin) de Hesdin (abt. 1040 - aft. 1097)

Born about 1040 in Hesdin, Artois, France

Descendants

Died after 1097 after about age 57 in Antioch, Holy Land [uncertain]

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Biography

Ernulf (or Arnulf) de Hesdin was a major feudal landholder under William the conqueror, with lands in several English counties held directly from the king ("in chief"), as shown in the 1086 "Domesday Book". Maps and illustrations of his 1086 holdings can be seen on references websites:

• PASE https://opendomesday.org/name/arnulf-of-hesdin/
• Open Domesday https://domesday.pase.ac.uk/Domesday?op=5&personkey=40517

These lands form the core of two feudal baronies, and a significant part of a third.^[1]

• One, based in Keevil (Wiltshire), was later merged into the fitzAlan Oswestry barony.
• A second was based in Kempsford, Gloucestershire, and was long held by the Chaworth family.^[2]
• Another third part was merged relatively quickly into the larger barony of Chitterne, in Wiltshire, held by the Earls of Salisbury.^[3]

Although his parents are not known, Ernulf was consistently described as being "of Hesding" (spelled various ways). The modern French spelling of this place is Hesdin, and its postcode is 62140. It was the centre of a county between Normandy and Flanders.^[4] Loyd, Round and others noted that between 1094 and 1100, while travelling with the king of England, Ernulf made major grants of his lands held of the count of Hesdin, to the priory of St George in Hesdin.^[5] He and his family later also granted English possessions to the same priory.^[6] Note that he was a tenant of the lords of Hesdin. It is unknown whether he was a relation of theirs.

Some relatives of his are known:

• Ilbod de Hesdin. The Oxfordshire Domesday Book of 1086 identifies Ilbod as a brother of Ernulf. Ilbod also held lands in Essex.^[7]
• Keats-Rohan notes that he was apparently a brother or brother-in-law of Wacelin, provost of Beaurain, arr. Montreuil, cant. Campagne-lès-Hesdin, under Walter Tirel of Poix.^[4]
• One of his kinswomen became a nun at Shaftesbury.^[4][8] Note that the text given in Bracton does not call her a daughter, as some secondary sources report.^[9]
• Keats-Rohan also notes that his nephew Robert Fretel is named in some of his charters.^[4]

Only one wife is known, Emmeline. Charles Cawley on his Medlands website speculates that she was possibly the widow of Walter de Lacy, and possibly the daughter of Dreux de Baladon, but he notes that the evidence is not conclusive.^[10]

Ernulf was apparently the father of the following four children, although some of the details have been called into question.^[2] According to Keats-Rohan the mother was Emmeline for all four.^[4]

• William is mentioned only in the 1094 charter, giving consent.^[6] Presumably he died childless.
• Ernulf (II) de Hesdin, apparently the son and heir, was executed in the time of King Stephen 1138 according to Orderic Vitalis who describes him as avunculus of William fitz Alan.^[10] Before being hanged he had apparently succeeded his father as lord of the feudal barony of Keevil, which subsequently went to his sister Aveline. However, it seems that some of his father's lands had already gone to Maud (his supposed sister) before he died.^[8][2]
• Aveline (Ava, Adelina), who died after 1126, and was also mentioned in the 1094 charter.^[6] An eventual heiress of her brother Ernulf II who married Alan fitz Flaad, and later Robert fitz Walter.^[4][11] Her mother was Emmelina.^[10]
• Matilda or Maud another apparent heiress who married first a man named William,^[4] and later Patrick de Chaworth (Caorces, Cadurcis).^[4] She and her husband somehow obtained a large part of Ernulf I's lands, and they dedicated a gift to his soul. He is not referred to explicitly as her father in any document. However the records make it clear that Patrick's claim was through Maud, his wife.^{[8][12] [13]}

Notes about children:

• Round, writing in 1899 after Barking's publication, still doubted whether Matilda was a daughter, or even heiress.^[14] Apparently this is because, as mentioned above, Maud clearly claimed land even before Ernulf's son and heir was dead. Irregular changes of possession happened during the civil war of that period.
• Speculating, Keats-Rohan adds another possible son:^[4] Reiner de Hesdin. Described by Keats-Rohan as "father of William, who assisted William sheriff of Kent in an inquest of 1127" citing Stenton, English Justice, no. i, pp.166-22.

Concerning his death, Charles Cawley notes as follows, citing Liber Monasterii de Hyda, Appendix A, Chronica monasterii de Hida, p. 301:

The Chronicle of Hyde records that "Ernulfus de Hednith" was unjustly accused of treason but successfully defended himself by trial of battle (dated to [1096] from the context), and left on Crusade and died at Antioch.^[10]

Research notes

As described by Keats-Rohan, his donations to monasteries were "extensive and eclectic". Many are listed on Cawley's Medlands website including the following.

• 1091 Witness to Bath Abbey Charter. MEDLANDS: "…Ernulfus de Hesding" witnessed the charter dated 27 Jan 1091 under which William II King of England confirmed the status of Bath abbey[1690]. ^[10]
• "Ernulph de Hesding" donated the manor and church of Ruislip, Middlesex to the abbey of Bec[1687]. ^[10]
• The Historia sancti Petri Gloucestriæ records that "Ernulphus de Hesdyng" donated "ecclesiam de Heythrop, Lynkbolt…et ecclesiam de Kynemerforde", confirmed by "Patricius de Cadurcis et Matilda uxor eius", and by "hæredum suorum" in "quatuor cartæ", in the fourth of which "Paganus filius Patricii" donated "decimam domini sui de Kynermerforde", that "Johannes episcopus" confirmed and donated "quatuor marcas annuas in ecclesia de Kynermerforde", with the confirmation of "Rex Henricus senior…tempore Serlonis abbatis" [abbot from 1072 to 1104][1688]. ^[10]

Sources

1. ↑ Eyton, "The descendants of Arnulf de Hesding", The Herald and Genealogist. Edited by J. G. Nichols, vol. vi, pp. 241-253. https://archive.org/details/heraldgenealogis06nich/page/240/
2. ↑ ^{2.0 2.1 2.2} Sanders, English Baronies, pp.124-125 says "Ernulph I de Hesding, d. post 1091, appears to have had two sons and two daughters, William and Ernulph II, Maud and Aveline."
3. ↑ Sanders, English Baronies, p.112
4. ↑ ^{4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 4.5 4.6 4.7 4.8} Keats-Rohan, Domesday People, p.192, citing Fossier, Picardie, p.240, and the Cartulary of Hesdin
5. ↑ Loyd, Anglo-Norman families, p.51, citing Cottineau, Rép. Topo-bibl. des Abbayes et Prieuris, i , col. 1412.
6. ↑ ^{6.0 6.1 6.2} John Horace Round, ed., Calendar of Documents Preserved in France, Illustrative of the History of Great Britain and Ireland, (1899), vol.1, pp.481-482, Charter number 1326. https://archive.org/stream/calendardocumen00roungoog#page/n542/mode/2up
7. ↑ Domesday reference information for Ilbod de Hesdin:
   • Keats-Rohan, Domesday People, p.279. She believes his lands "escheated" (reverted to crown ownership) soon after 1086.
   • PASE does not equate the Essex and Oxfordshire Ilbods: https://domesday.pase.ac.uk/Domesday?op=5&personkey=48016 and https://domesday.pase.ac.uk/Domesday?op=5&personkey=47768
   • Open Domesday does equate them: https://opendomesday.org/name/ilbod-brother-of-arnulf-of-hesdin/
8. ↑ ^{8.0 8.1 8.2} Barkly, H (1889) "Notes and Queries: The Descendants of Arnulph de Hesding", The Genealogist, New series 5, pp.209
9. ↑ Maitland ed. Bracton's Note Book, volume 2, case 173, p.140-142
10. ↑ ^{10.0 10.1 10.2 10.3 10.4 10.5 10.6} Charles Cawley. Medieval Lands Database. https://fmg.ac/Projects/MedLands/enguntdk.htm#ArnoulHesdindied1098
11. ↑ Regesta regum anglo-normannorum, 1066-1154, charter 353 p.135.
12. ↑ Maitland ed. Bracton's Note Book, volume 2, case 3, p.3
13. ↑ Maitland ed. Bracton's Note Book, volume 2, case 173, p.140-142
14. ↑ Round ed., Calendar of Documents Preserved in France, volume 1, pp.xlvii-xlviii. Also see Charter 1033, p.364.

See also:

• Douglas Richardson. Royal Ancestry. Volume 3, p. 595. See comments in source section.
• Douglas Richardson. Royal Ancestry, Volume 2, p. 133. See comments in source section.
• K.S.B. Keats-Rohan, Domesday Descendants, p. 391.