Philippe De Carteret (abt. 1085 - abt. 1156)

Date: [unknown] [unknown]
Location: [unknown]

Biography

Philippe was the eldest of three sons born to Renaud de Carteret and his wife Lucia. His brothers were Onfroi, and Godefroi^[1].

Philippe married Nichola and they had at least two children:

• Alice^[1]
• Renaud^[2]

According to the Cartulaire des Iles normandes they also had a son Richard^[3] although this has not been confirmed by other sources.

Philippe became the Seigneur de Carteret in Normandy and St. Ouen, Jersey on the death of his father abt. 1125. His father had gifted the church of St. Germaine in Carteret, together with all it's appurtenances and with the land of the king's alms belonging to St. Germain in Jersey plus a tithe on his household goods to the Abbey of Mont St. Michel.

Philippe on becoming Seigneur initially sought to deny these gifts but subsequently decided to uphold them. This decision was recorded in a charter dated 1135 where he confirmed the gifts made to the Abbey of Mont St. Michel by his father^[1]. In this charter he also granted an additional tithe of grain from his two mills in Jersey and land to allow the construction of storehouses for the monks grain. This charter was witnessed by Philippe's mother, Lucie and brothers Onfroi, and Godefroi.

The 1135 agreement was formalised in an undated charter made between 1135-1149. This was witnessed by his mother, Lucie and sister, Alice^[1].

A possible reason for Philippe's development of a close relationship with the church may be found in a later charter where he was styled "cognatus" or cousin of abbot Robert de Torigni^[2]. This family connection may have arisen through marriage, either through Philippe's wife Nicola or another close family member. Robert became the Abbot of Mont St. Michel in 1154, so this kinship must have enhanced Philippe's status as the Abbot was highly regarded by many, including the kings of both France and England.

In 1156 a Charter by Richard Bishop of Coutances^[4], which was subsequently ratified in an 1168 Charter^[2], Philippe in the presence of his wife, Nichola, son Reginald (Renaud), nephew William, many of his men and friends gifted:

• The church of St Ouen with all it's appurtenances (except the right of tithes of fruits held by the monks and nuns of St Sauveur) and the right to appoint, retain and remove the priest there.
• The Chapel of St. Mary, with all it's appurtenances and the adjoining residence for the monks, free of all claims, together with the straw of the crops, three sextaries (24 bushells) of oats, etc.

In return the the monks granted Philippe and his successors admission to the monestary for one of his kin in perpetual succession and to entertain him for a night at the Mont St. Michel in any visit. A footnote to the reference indicates that in the 1156 Charter Philippe is styled "cognatus" or cousin of abbot Robert de Torigni^[2].

In 1157 Philippe made a further gift to the Abbot and monks of Mont St. Michel of 29 perches of land adjoining their manor and chapel of St. Mary de la Wik so that they could enclose the whole with a wall^[5].

In 1166 Philippe de Carteret held twelve or thirteen knights fees of the old feoffment of William de Briouze as of the honor of Barnestaple, North Devon^[6]. These were inherited from Drogo de Carteret, son of his great uncle Mauger^[7][8]. His knights were:

• Richard of Cartrai,,
• Roger of All Saints
• Philip, Roger's son
• Ralph of Pleistowe
• Erkenbald of Pilland
• Henry of Sitenhille
• Richard son of Bernard
• Hugh of Dinham
• Ranulf le Poher
• William le Poher
• William de Chatenore

It appears that on Philippe's death these lands passed to his grandson Richard of Cartrai, for In 1210-12 Richard is recorded as holding 13 knights fees in the honor of Barnestaple, North Devon.^[9].

Research Notes

Founding of Torteval church

Payne's "Armorial of Jersey'^[10] states that about the year 1130, in pursuance of a vow made at sea, when in danger of shipwreck, he erected and endowed the parish church of St. Philip de Torteval, in Guernsey. The source is given as a document entitled "Dedicace et Consecration des Eglises Paroissialles de Guernesey."

This account is highly questionable. It has not been confirmed in a prime reference and no cartulary evidence has been identified online or in the Greffe, Guernsey. An enquiry to the Torteval church drew the response from the Churchwarden, Jurat David Robilliard, who plans to publish a history of the church late in 2023, that the story was a fabrication which originated from the discredited La Dédicace des Églises^[11].

Date of Death

Philippe is quoted as dying abt 1156, but he made a charter in 1157^[5] and another in 1168^[2] at which it was stated " himself, his wife Nichola, son Reginald, and nephew (nepos) William, with many of his men and his friends, being present and allowing the gift." This indicates he was alive in 1168.

An undated charter of Reginald de Kartraio giving to the church of St. Helier (Helerii), and the canons there serving God, an acre and a half of land and half a rood (virgate) in the vale of La Mare, for the love of God and the weal of his soul and those of his predecessors, being the gift of his father and of himself^[12]. This charter was dated circa 1180 by Archives du Département de la Manche^[13] and indicates by this time Philippe's son Renaud had succeeded his father and was Seigneur de Carteret and St. Ouen.

Finally, the descendant's chart in Cartulaire des Iles normandes: recueil de documents concernant l'histoire de ces îles. Jersey : Société Jersiaise, 1924^[3] states he died abt. 1178/9. If correct he would have been about 94 years old which seems remarkable.

Conclusion: Based on the above charters it is evident that Philippe died between 1168 and 1180.

Sources

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3} Calendar of Documents Preserved in France, illustrative of of the history of Great Briton and Ireland, Vol 1 A.D. 918-1206, edited by J. Horace Round, M.A., Published by authority of the Lords Commissioners of Her Majesty's Treasury under the direction of the Master of the Rolls, Printed for Her Majesty's Stationery Office, London 1899, digitised by the Internet Archive (accessed 9 Dec 2022) https://archive.org/details/cu31924028043663/page/263/mode/1up?q=Carteret
2. ↑ ^{2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4} Calendar of Documents Preserved in France, illustrative of of the history of Great Briton and Ireland, Vol 1 A.D. 918-1206, edited by J. Horace Round, M.A., Published by authority of the Lords Commissioners of Her Majesty's Treasury under the direction of the Master of the Rolls, Printed for Her Majesty's Stationery Office, London 1899, digitised by the Internet Archive (accessed 9 Dec 2022) https://archive.org/details/cu31924028043663/page/272/mode/1up
3. ↑ ^{3.0 3.1} Cartulaire des Iles normandes: recueil de documents concernant l'histoire de ces îles. Jersey : Société Jersiaise, 1924..p.56, Charter No. 37 (accessed 5 Feb 2023) not available on line
4. ↑ Calendar of Documents Preserved in France, illustrative of of the history of Great Briton and Ireland, Vol 1 A.D. 918-1206, edited by J. Horace Round, M.A., Published by authority of the Lords Commissioners of Her Majesty's Treasury under the direction of the Master of the Rolls, Printed for Her Majesty's Stationery Office, London 1899, digitised by the Internet Archive (accessed 9 Dec 2022) https://archive.org/details/cu31924028043663/page/268/mode/1up
5. ↑ ^{5.0 5.1} Calendar of Documents Preserved in France, illustrative of of the history of Great Briton and Ireland, Vol 1 A.D. 918-1206, edited by J. Horace Round, M.A., Published by authority of the Lords Commissioners of Her Majesty's Treasury under the direction of the Master of the Rolls, Printed for Her Majesty's Stationery Office, London 1899, digitised by the Internet Archive (accessed 9 Dec 2022), Page2 269-70 https://archive.org/details/cu31924028043663/page/263/mode/1up?q=Carteret
6. ↑ The Red Book of the Exchequer Vol 1, P259, Edited by Hubert Hall F.S.A., Printed for H. M. Stationery office., by Eyre and Spottiswoode, London 1896, digitised by Internet Archive 2019 (accessed 29 Jan 2023) https://archive.org/details/redbookofexchequ9911grea/page/259/mode/1up?q=Chartrai
7. ↑ Keats-Rohan Domesday People A Prosopography of Persons Occurring in English Documents 1066 - 1100 Vol I Domesday BookThe Boydell Press 1999, p. 180 (not available on line)
8. ↑ Lewis C. Loyd The Origins of Some Anglo-Norman Families originally published as Vol 103 of The Publications of the Harleian Society, Leeds, England 1951 (not available on line)
9. ↑ The Red Book of the Exchequer Vol 2, P558, Edited by Hubert Hall F.S.A., Printed for H. M. Stationery office., by Eyre and Spottiswoode, London 1896, digitised by Google (accessed 6 Jun 2023) https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=mdp.35112105152203&view=1up&seq=254&q1=Chartray
10. ↑ j. Bertram Payne An Armorial of Jersey, being an account, heraldic and antiquarian, of its chief native families, with pedigrees, biographical notices, and illustrative data; to which are added a brief history of heraldry, and remarks on the mediaeval antiquities of the island. Published 1859 Digitized by the Internet Archive in 2008 (accessed 8 Dec 2022) https://archive.org/details/armorialofjersey00paynrich/page/67/mode/1up?q=Carteret
11. ↑ Robilliard, David, Jurat and Churchwarden Torteval church, Comments on history of Toteval church via emails to A Davis dated 30 Jan 2023 and 9 Feb 2023. Emails held by A Davis
12. ↑ Calendar of Documents Preserved in France, illustrative of of the history of Great Briton and Ireland, Vol 1 A.D. 918-1206, edited by J. Horace Round, M.A., Published by authority of the Lords Commissioners of Her Majesty's Treasury under the direction of the Master of the Rolls, Printed for Her Majesty's Stationery Office, London 1899, digitised by the Internet Archive, P 339 (accessed 9 Dec 2022), https://archive.org/details/cu31924028043663/page/339/mode/1up?q=Helier
13. ↑ Cartulaire de Jersey, Guernesey, et les autres Iles Normandes : Recueil de Documents Concernant L'histoire de ces Iles, conserves aux Archives du Département de la Manche. 2nd Fascicule, printed by the Beresford Library Ltd, Jersey, 1919. Digitized by the Internet Archive in 2011 with funding from University of Toronto. p323 (accessed 15 Dec 2022) https://archive.org/details/cartulairedejers02soci/page/323/mode/1up?q=Cartrai