William Belward (abt. 1090 - aft. 1112)

Born about 1090 in Malpas, Cheshire, England

Died after 1112 after about age 22 in Cheshire, England

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Biography

One Lonely Fact

A William le Belward of Malpas lived in 12 Henry 1 (1111-1112). So observed George Ormerod writing in 1819 (revised by Helmsby in 1882) in a pedigree of the Egertons of Egerton. ^[1]

While a reference to someone living at a particular time generally refers to some event or document recorded at that time which might establish a person's existence, no document has yet been identified which might answer how we know this William was "living in 12 Henry 1."

As a result, we do not know who this William was, who his parents actually were, and if he married and had children, what their names might be.

That "William le Belward of Malpass lived in the time of 12 H. 1 is then also cited by Joseph Howard in 1868. ^[2]

Carl Boyer, citing Ormerod, also refers to this date: "William le Belward of Malpas, Cheshire, lived in 12 Henry I." ^[3][4]

Malpas in 1086

Smith reports that the "Malpas manor itself in 1086, in the Duddeston Hundred, comprised 8 households (7 villagers and one smallholder), deemed quite small, and the tax assessed was 8 geld units, deemed quite large. The damage done during the Norman war to replace the Saxons is clear; the value of Malpas to the lord in 1066 was £11.2, while the corresponding value in 1086 was £2.6. Malpas was comprised of land for 14 ploughlands, including 6 lord's plough teams and 2.5 men's plough teams; it also had 2.5 acres of meadow. It had been held by Earl Edwin in 1066, and it's lord and tenant-in-chief in 1086 was Robert son of Hugh, who had 5 men at arms." ^[5]

See Space:Malpas_Barons_in_Cheshire

Research Notes

Collins, 1812

Arthur Collins writes that Robert Fitzhugh, Baron of Malpas, one of the Barons of Hugh Lupus, Earl of Chester, at the time of the Conqueror, who had a castle in Malpas, of which the keep remains near the church, had an only daughter who married William le Belward, William thus becoming possessed of the Barony of Malpas. ^[6][7]

Collins reports the child of Fitzhugh's daughter and William le Belward was a second William le Belward, Baron of Malpas, married Beatrix, daughter of Hugh Kevelioc, fifth Earl of Chester, and sister and co-heir of Earl Ranulph. ^[6]

Ormerod, 1819

George Ormerod made this William le Belward part of a pedigree which began with a John le Belward, "according to the pedigrees living in the reign of William Rufus, and who was, perhaps. one of the five knights mentioned in Domesday as holding of Robert Fitz-Hugh." ^[1]

John le Belward as father

Many other pedigrees show the father of the William le Belward who lived in 12 H 1 as John le Belward.

George Ormerod, writing carefully in 1819, with edits by Helmsby in 1882, shows numerous pedigrees with William le Belward at the top. On the pedigree entitled Egerton of Egerton ^[1] the line begins with John le Belward, "according to the pedigrees living in the reign of William Rufus, and who was, perhaps. one of the five knights mentioned in Domesday as holding of Robert Fitz-Hugh.

Mabella as Wife

Ormerod states that William le Belward of Malpas who lived 12 Hen 1 was married to Mabel, daughter and coheir of Robert fitz Hugh, baron of Malpas. ^[1]

On the pedigree entitled Barons of Malpas^[8] the line begins with Robert Fitz-Hugh, baron of Malpas at the time of the Domesday Survey, witness to the foundation charter of the abbey of St. Werburg, 1093, and father of two daughters, Letitia and Mabella.

The second generation of this pedigree gives these two daughters' husbands:

• Letitia as the wife of Ricahrd Patric, lord of a moiety of Malpas, living in the time of Randle Meschines, earl of Chester ^[8]
• Mabella, wife of William le Belward, lord of a moiety of Malpas. Mabella and her husband willing are parents of a son William Belward, said to have married a daughter of Hugh Kevelioc, earl of Chester. The younger William Belward is in turn the father of
  • David de Malpas, alias le Clerc, eldest son and heir, who married Catherine, daughter of Owain Vaghan, lord of Meilor^[8]
  • Robert de Cholmondeley, ancestor of the Cholmondeleys of Cholmondeley, second son^[8]
  • Richard, third son, father of Thomas de Colgrave, William de Overton and Richard de Little, who had Kenclarke and John Richardson. (citing Camden). ^[8]

The third generation is comprised of William Belward, lord of a moiety of the barony of Malpas, including Egerton, and married to Tanglust, natural daughter of Hugh Kevelioc, Palatine earl of Chester, (but according to the family roll, Beatrix, 6th daughter of Randall, earl of Chester.) ^[1]

George Ormerod's pedigree of the barons of Malpas ^[9] shows Mabella, one of two daughters of Robert FitzHugh, Baron of Malpas, married to William le Belward.

George Ormerod shows Mabella and William with a dotted line relationship to another William le Belward, making the younger William a son or perhaps other relation in the next generation. The younger William Belward, lord of a moiety of Malpas, is said, according to Ormerod's pedigree, to have married a daughter of Hugh Kevelioc, earl of Chester. Ormerod then shows the younger William as father of (1) David de Malpas, son of William Belward, alias le Clerc, eldest son and heir, who married Catherine, daughter of Owain Vaghan, lord of Meilor; (2) Robert de Chommondeley, ancestor of the Cholmondeleys of Cholmondeley, second son of William Belward, and (3) Richard, third son of William Belward.

Ormerod shows William le Belward, son of the William le Belward who was living 12 Henry I and his wife Mabel, daughter and co-heir of Robert FitzHugh, as holding a moiety of Malpas, including Egerton, and married to Tanglust, natural daughter of Hugh Kevelioc, 5th earl Chester, (but according to the family roll, Beatrice, daughter of the 6th earl. He shows the younger William and his wife Tanglust, in turn, as the parents of Sir John le Belward, le clerc, holder of 1/2 the barony of Malpas.

Suckling, 1846

Writing in 1846, Alfred Suckling ^[10] positions William as the son of John le Belward. Suckling states that it was John who became Lord of Malpas by marriage to Letitia, daughter and heiress of Robert Fitz-Hugh, Baron of Malpas. Suckling also states that the Belward family "came over with the Conqueror." This account appears quite confusing and contradictory and should be treated with great caution.

Howard, 1868

Consistent with Wolcott's pedigree, Joseph Howard's 1868 account shows the Egerton family originating with William le Belward who "lived in ye tyme of William Rufus King of England (1087-1100) and had issue William le Belward of Malpass who lived 12 H 1 (1112) ^[2]

Writing in 1868, Howard notes that the William le Belward of Malpass who lived in the time of 12 H. 1 had issue William le Belward of Malpass who lived in tyme of King Stephen (1135-1154) ^[2]

Howard, too, shows a William IV: William le Belward of Malpas lived in tyme of King Stephen. (1135-1154) He was lord of ye Moity of Malpass and mar. Beatrix, dau to Hugh Bohun als Kivilock and coheir to her brother Randle Earl of Chester ^[2] Howard shows William IV as father of David de Malpas called Dan David le Clerk was Justice of Chester 34 H 2 (1223) and lord of halfe ye Barony of Malpass in right of his wife Marg coheir to Rafe ap Einion Barfon of Malpass ^[2] as well as Philip de Malpass second son and heir to his brother William he was called Philipp de Egerton and Philip Goch de Egerton. He lived 33 E. 3 (1340) and mar. Kathrine sister to Rich de Hulton or Hutton ^[2] Philip in turn had a son David de Egerton son of Philipp de Malpass he lived 16 E 2. (1323) hee mar. Cisley dau to S Randlede Thornton by Avice his wife, dau and heir to Rich. De Kingsley. ^[2]

Croston, 1887

Croston ^[11] repeats the conventional understanding that William le Belward, son of William and Mabella, married Tanglust, natural daughter of Hugh Kevelioc -- or Beatrix, daughter of Randle, earl of Chester. ^[12]

It is increasingly well established that neither Mabella nor Tanglust actually existed.

Croston also concurs: "Robert FitzHugh, whose name appears as a witness to the foundation charter of St. Werburgh's Abbey at Chester in 1093, had two daughters, Letitia and Mabilla, who in course of time became his heirs, and the latter of whom afterwards married William le Belward, of Malpas, son of John le Belward, who was living in the time of William Rufus, and is believed to have been one of the five knights mentioned in the Domesday as holding their lands of the Norman baron." ^[11]

Croston adds, to this William the Lady Mabilla conveyed her moiety of the Malpas barony, and from this marriage...sprang the House of Egerton. ^[11]

William, married Tanglust, natural daughter of Hugh Kevelioc. "In due time a son, William Belward, was born, who at his father's death succeeded to the moiety of the Barony of Malpas, including the township of Egerton. He married Tanglust, a natural daughter of Hugh Kevelioc, Palatine Earl of Chester, or, according to some authorities, Beatrix, daughter of Randle, Earl of Chester, and had a son David, surnamed Le Clerc, from his being secretary to the Earl of Chester, who was knighted and made Justice of Chester. ^[11]

Burke

Burke notes that "It has been considered deserving of remark, that the two great Cheshire families of Cholmondeley and Egerton, are descended from the same common ancestor, William le Belward, who was Baron of Malpas, in that county, under / the Norman Earls Palatine." ^[13]

"Robert, the son of Hugh, Baron of Malpas, dying without male issue, the barony of Malpas, with the lordship of Cholmondeley, or Calmundelei -- the name of which lordship has been written twenty-five several ways -- devolved on his only daughter and heir, Lettice, married to Richard le Belward; whose son (or grandson) William le Belward, married Beatrix, daughter of Hugh Kiviliock, the fifth Earl of Chester. He was, in right of his mother, Baton of Malpas. He left three sons (1) David de Malpas, anceswtor of the Egertons, from whom the Earls of Bridgwaer and Wilton descended; (2) Robert, who, having by gift of his father, the lordship of Cholmondeley, settled there, and assumed the local name, which has been continued in his descendants, (3) Richard. The eleventh in descent from Robert, the second son of of William le Belward, was Sir Hugh Cholmondeley, of Cholmondeley, who was knighted in 1588, the memorable year of the Spanish Armada. ^[13]

Sharpe

Sharpe's history gives the Cholmondeley descent from William. ^[14]

Boyer, 2004

Following Ormerod, Boyer begins his account of the Egerton family by noting that "John le Belward was living during the reign of William Rufus, perhaps one of five knights holding land of Robert FitzHugh, baron of Malpas in Domesday. ^[15][4]

Malpas

Carl Boyer ^[15] identifies a John le Belward living during the reign of William Rufus (1087-1100) and states that he was perhaps one of five knights holding land of Robert FitzHugh, baron of Malpas in Domesday. ^[15]

Boyer shows William III and Mabella with a son William, who perhaps married Tanglust, natural daughter of Hugh Kevelioc.^[4]

Wolcott

Darrell Wolcott shows William as born about 1090, the third of several Williams le Belward. ^[16]

Darrell Wolcott in his analysis of The Malpas Family of Cheshire^[16] has reviewed these pedigrees and attempted to rationalize them in order to make the various dates and relationships coherent. Wolcott presents the following timeline pedigree which these Malpas biographies follow:

1. Generation 1: 960 Owain of Holt
2. Generation 2: 995 [[ab Owain-6|Gruffudd]. Boyer also shows him as Gruffudd ab Owain ab Iago, Arglwydd Maelor o'r Malpas, born say 1000. ^[17]
3. Generation 3: 1030 Sir William, Miles aka le Belward. He is also shown by Boyer, who then shows Miles as the father of Daydd, grandfather of Einion and great-grandfather of Ralph, who was the father of Beannan and David.^[17] Sir William (I) , born say 1030, born as Gwilym ap Gruffydd and also known as Miles and le Belward
4. Generation 4: 1060 [[Malpas-135|William II and brothers 1060 David and 1065 Ralph. William (II) le Belward, born, say, 1060, and brother of Ralph and David
5. Generation 5: 1090 William III and brother 1090 David, who married Marged, daughter of 1065 Ralph, as well as cousin 1090 Einion, son of 1060 David. William (III) le Belward, born, say, 1090, and brother of David.
6. Generation 6: 1120 Richard, son of William III; 1120 William, so of Marged and David; 1125 Ralph, son of 1090 Einion
7. Generation 7: 1150 William, son of 1120 Richard, who married an unnamed daughter of Ralph
8. Generation 8: 1185 Dan David, the clerk, living in 1251-1252, who was the son of 1150 William and the daughter of Ralph.

Regrettably, Wolcott's scheme requires connections which have been disproven, and the insertion of fictional persons to fit missing generations, and therefore cannot be relied upon.

Wolcott also shows Mabel daughter of Robert fitz Hugh, married to William. ^[16] Boyer shows the same, citing Ormerod, and noting that Mabilia has become "Lettice" in in T. C. Banks' Domant and Extinguished Baronetages, 1:203), while Robert's other daughter "Letitia" married Richard Patric. (Ormerod 2:598) ^[4][3]

Richard

Wolcott is concerned primarily with showing a line of descent and mentions only Richard (born, say, 1120) as a son of William III.

Detached Children

Because no other evidence has been found for the William who lived in 12 Henry I, including parents, spouse and children, the following children, previously connected, have been detached:

1. Richard, born 1120, named by Wolcott ^[16]
2. William, who married a daughter of Hugh Keviliock, named by Ormerod and Howard ^[1] Boyer also names this William and identifies the daughter of Hugh Keviliock as Tanglust. ^[4] William, is in turn the father of three brothers, Richard, David and Robert.

Sources

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5} George Ormerod. The History of the County Palatine and City of Chester; compiled from Evidences in Public Offices, the Harleian and Cottonian Mss, Parochial Register, private Muniments, Unpublished Ms. Collections of Successive Cheshire Antiquaries, and a personal survey of every township in the county...Second edition, revised and enlarged by Thomas Helsby, Esq. London: George Routledge and Sons, 1882. Volume II, page 628 Egertons of Egerton Compiled from Evidences in the Exchequer of Chester. Accessed June 13, 2019 jhd
2. ↑ ^{2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6} Joseph J. Howard. Miscellanea Genealogical Et Heraldica, Egerton of Ridley, Volume 1. P. 293. The Genealogie or Pedigree of ye Right Worshipfull Familey of Egerton of Ridley in ye County Palatyne of Chester, Being Extracted out of ye Ancient Records, Deeds and other Authentick Testimonies Pertaining to those Famileys of egertons, and drawne down to these tymes by Randle Holme of ye Citty of Chester, Herauld Painter, Ano Dmi 1690. Copied from the original roll in the possession of Sir Philip de Malpas Grey Egerton, Bart., M. P., of Oulton Park, Tarporley London: Hamilton, Adams and Company, Paternoster Row, 1868. Accessed November 14, 2017 jhd
3. ↑ ^{3.0 3.1} Carl Boyer, 3rd. Medieval English Ancestors of Certain Americans. Egerton. By the author, Santa Clarita, California, 2001. William le Belward is #2 on page 71.
4. ↑ ^{4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4} Carl Boyer 3rd. Medieval English Ancestors of Certain Americans. De Malpas. Follows Ormerod, History of Chester, 2:592-629. By the author, Santa Clarita, California, 2001. William le Belward of Malpas is #2 on page 143. .
5. ↑ Anna Powel-Smith. Open Domesday. Domesday data created by Professor J.J.N. Palmer, University of Hull Malpas Accessed October 6, 2018. jhd
6. ↑ ^{6.0 6.1} Arthur Collins. Collins's Peerage of England: Genealogical, Biographical and Historical. Greatly Augmented and Continued to the present Time by R. Egerton Brydges, K., J, in Nine Volumes. Volume 5. London, 1812. Egerton, Earl of Wilton page 528. Accessed 26 Jan 2020 jhd
7. ↑ Collins, page 528, does not name the daughter, but discusses Lysons, p. 350 and 676, which makes her only a co-heir, with a sister who married a Patrick; Collins concludes that Patrick's alliance "came by a subsequent marriage in the illigitimate line."
8. ↑ ^{8.0 8.1 8.2 8.3 8.4} George Ormerod. The History of the County Palatine and City of Chester; compiled from Original Evidences in Public Offices, the Harleian and Cottonian Mss, Parochial Register, private Muniments, Unpublished Ms. Collections of Successive Cheshire Antiquaries, and a personal survey of every township in the county...Second edition, revised and enlarged by Thomas Helsby, Esq. London: George Routledge and Sons, 1882. Volume II, page 598 Barons of Malpas Compiled from Evidences in the Exchequer of Chester. Accessed December 8, 2018 jhd
9. ↑ George Ormerod. Second Edition, Thomas Helsby, ed. The History of the County Palatine and City of Chester. Volume II. London: George routledge and sons, 1882. Pages 598- Accessed November 29, 2018 jhd
10. ↑ Alfred Suckling, The History and Antiquities of the County of Suffolk, Volume 1 (1846, p. 180)
11. ↑ ^{11.0 11.1 11.2 11.3} James Croston. County Families of Lancashire and Cheshire. London: John Heywood, 1887. Chapter II, The Egertons page 117 and following. Accessed 5/9/2019 jhd
12. ↑ Croston, page 119
13. ↑ ^{13.0 13.1} John Burke. The Portrait Gallery of Distinguished Females, Volume I The Right Honourable Lady William-Henry Cholmondeley page 72] Accessed 2/16/2019 jhd
14. ↑ John Sharpe, Sharpe's Peerage of the British Empire. Cholmondeley
15. ↑ ^{15.0 15.1 15.2} Carl Boyer, 3rd. Medieval English Ancestors of Certain Americans. Egerton. By the author, Santa Clarita, California, 2001. John Le Belward is #1 on page 70.
16. ↑ ^{16.0 16.1 16.2 16.3} Darrell Wolcott, Ancient Wales Studies The Malpas Family of Cheshire.
17. ↑ ^{17.0 17.1} Carl Boyer, 3rd. Medieval Welsh Ancestors of Certain Americans. Malpas. By the author, Santa Clarita, California, 2004. Gruffudd ab Owain ap Iago is #2 on page 246.

See also:

1. Pedigrees of the County Families of Yorkshire Family History Library (FHL) : FHL book Q 942.74 D2f; FHL microfilm 924,024
2. The English Baronetage: Containing a Genealogical and Historical Account of All the English Baronets, Now Existing; Their Descents, Marriages, and Issues; Memorable Actions, Both in War and Peace; Religious an Charitable Donations; Deaths, Places of Burial Family History Library (FHL) : FHL microfilm 990,427 items 2-6

Acknowledgements

• WikiTree profile De Belward-1 created through the import of WILLIAMS 2011.GED on Jun 22, 2011 by Ted Williams. See the Belward-1 Changes page for the details of edits by Ted and others.