De Birmingham family
Encyclopedia
The de Birmingham family held the lordship
of Birmingham
in England
for four hundred years and managed its growth from a small village into a thriving market town. They also helped invade Ireland and were rewarded with the Barony of Athenry
. They were stripped of most of their lands in England by the notorious Dudley family who held sway over the Monarchs during the early 16th century.
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baron called Ansculf de Picquigny
(Ausculph de Penchengi) was granted many manors in the county of Warwickshire, and elsewhere, at the time of the Norman Conquest. They were centred upon Dudley Castle
. Ansculf was observed by Sir William Dugdale
(who mistakenly confused him with his son William) to have been a great man in the time of the conquest as evidenced by the extent of the lands granted to him, i.e., ten lordships in Berkshire
, one in Middlesex
, one in Oxfordshire
, one in Huntingdonshire
, one in Cambridgeshire
, seven in Surrey
, four in Northamptonshire
, seven in Warwickshire
, twenty in Buckinghamshire
, twenty-five in Staffordshire
and fourteen in Worcestershire
.
By the time of the Domesday Book
in 1086 Ansculf's lands had passed onto his son, William Fitz Ansculf (or Ausculph).
.
In addition the Paganell family are recorded as having succeeded William Fitz Ausculph in ownership of Birmingham and of Newport Pagnell
, Buckinghamshire
Fulk Paganell was succeeded by his son Ralph Paganell who was in turn succeeded by his son Gervais Paganell. Gervais took part in the unsuccessful rebellion against Henry II
in 1173. As a result he died, his lands were confiscated by the crown and Dudley Castle
demolished.
The flow of large parts of the Fitz-Ausculph estate to the Paganells lends itself to the theory that William Fitz Ausculph died with no surviving male heirs and so gave his lands to his daughter and her Paganell heirs.
According to a poem a later William de Birmingham was descended from the Ausculphs via a marriage to the Paganells. According to William Hutton's
"An History of Birmingham" another William de Birmingham claimed in 1309 to have had ancestors who had the right to have a market in Birmingham before the Norman Conquest which would indicate that they were an old Anglo-Saxon family and not Norman.
Some sources claim the right to hold a market in Birmingham was granted to a Peter Fitz William, Steward of Dudley, and not to Peter de Birmingham who was known as Steward of Gervais Paganell. At this time people could be known by more than one name so it is probable that Peter de Birmingham and Peter Fitz William were one and the same person.
Fulk Paganell has been tenuously claimed to have had several children, one of whom is said to have been called William. It is feasible that William would have been given a small part of the Paganell lands, e.g., Birmingham, while his older brother Ralph received the rest. This could have led to William Paganell becoming known as William de Birmingham.
to William Fitz-Ausculf.
In the Domesday Book
of 1086 there is a record of a Richard (no surname) occupying four hides at Birmingham which belonged to William Fitz-Ansculf of Dudley Castle
. Richard may or may not have been the first of the "de Birminghams".
(1100–1135).
He applied to hold a cattle and food market every Thursday in the grounds of his "castle" and was granted the right by King Henry II in 1154 (some say 1166). He and his heirs were responsible for its jurisdiction. Outsiders were charged to come to the market, encouraging many merchants to live within Birmingham town and hence to pay Peter rents that far exceeded the land's agricultural value. Birmingham became the most successful market in the whole of England. From a population of 50 people in 1086 the town grew to 1500 by 1300.
In 1166 Peter is recorded to have owned a "castle" at Birmingham, to have been the Steward
of Gervais Paganell and to have held nine Knight's fee
s by military service. The "castle" is thought to have been the Birmingham Manor House
- a fortified stone manor house surrounded by a circular moat and a range of outbuildings and was probably built in the 12th century. It was rebuilt in the 13th century and remained there until the 18th century. The moat has now been filled in and the house is now the site of the Bull Ring
.
Peter bore for his coat of arms:- azure, a bend lozenge, of five points, or.
in the Norman Invasion of Ireland
. They were described as "the noble and warlike family of the Bremichams" and were rewarded much later with the Barony of Athenry
, initially as lords of the manor
. Both Sir William de Birmingham and one of his youngest sons, Robert de Birmingham, are listed as being among the Normans sent in Henry II
's invasion in 1172. Robert was later styled the 1st Baron Athenry
. Meyler de Bermingham
took part in the invasion of Connacht
in the 1230s and started to build the town of Athenry
c.1240.
In 1189 William had the charter to hold a market in Birmingham confirmed by Richard I
. William bore the following coat of arms; azure, a bend Lozenge, or.
Robert's prominent medieval descendants in Ireland included Rickard de Bermingham
(d.1322) and John de Bermingham, 1st Earl of Louth
(d. 1329). The last baron of Athenry
died in 1799.
Listed by one source as being one of the baron
s who were in arms to secure the Magna Carta
from King John
between 1213 and 1215.
in 1250. In 1251 permission was also given to hold a two day fair beginning on the eve of the Feast of St John the Baptist.
William's widow is recorded as Maud in 1263.
in the Second Barons' War
against Henry III
and to have died at the Battle of Evesham
in 1265. The manor of Birmingham was confiscated by the King and given to Roger de Clifford. William was married to the daughter of Thomas de Astley
.
A poem has been written about this William called William de Birmingham. Its historical accuracy cannot be verified but it mentions William's claim to de descended from Ausculph via marriage to the Paganells.
Worcester, Shetford (Shutford)
, Oxon, Maidencoat (Maidencourt) Berks, Hoggeston
Bucks and Christleton
Cheshire. Maidencourt had come into the de Birmingham via a marriage to Sybil de Colville, who was the daughter of Alice de Colville who held the manor of Maidencourt in the early 13th century.
Kingston Bagpuize
, Berks
was also quitclaimed to him in 1290.
As a military Knight
William was obliged to join Edward I at Gascony
where he was taken prisoner by the French at the Siege of Bellegarde in 1297 and was carried in triumph to Paris.
and King's Norton
Knighted in 1325 by Edward II
for who he raised four hundred infantry.
In 1327 William was summoned to Parliament
. By this time Birmingham had overtaken the County Town of Warwick in terms of tax revenue. Willam's friend, Hugh Spencer, gave him custody of Dudley Castle
William's tomb lies in Birmingham's original church, St Martin in the Bull Ring
, which was originally built by the de Birmingham's in the 12th century.
The five diagonal lozenges of his shield form part of the Coat of arms of Birmingham
.
, Berks
in 1340 with the advowson
of the church. Remarried to Elizabeth. Leased the manor of Kingston Bagpuize to Peter Coke for life in 1367.
Acted as a Member of Parliament for Warwick during the 1350s and 1360s.
Abandoned the de Birmingham's traditional coat of arms and replaced it with:- partie per pale, indented, or, and gules.
Fulk's tomb lies in St Martin in the Bull Ring
.
Married Elizabeth but had no children.
John's tomb (c.1380) lies in St Martin in the Bull Ring
.
. She remarried to Lord Clinton
and they lived in the de Birmingham's manor house in Birmingham until Elizabeth's death in 1424.
The rest of Sir John's lands were left to his brother, Sir Thomas de Birmingham, who built his own castle at Worstone near Birmingham. Upon Elizabeth's death Thomas was to have inherited the manor of Birmingham. However, he died before her and the de Birmingham lands were left to Thomas' two granddaughters:-
who were both daughters of Thomas' only daughter, Elizabeth, who had been the wife of Thomas de la Roche.
Lady Ellen Ferrers' inheritance included the manor of Birmingham, which she eventually passed to a second cousin called William de Birmingham.
, and they had one son, William, who died before them but not before having his own son Edward.
's Antiquities of Warwickshire Edward was the last de Birmingham to hold the lordship of Birmingham. He was cheated out of it by John Dudley
, who would later try to place Lady Jane Grey
, his own daughter-in-law, on the throne, an offence for which he was later found guilty of treason and sentenced to death.
Dudley had asked to buy Birmingham from Edward. However, proud of his inheritance, Edward declined. Dudley was not a man to take no for answer though and devised a scheme to obtain Birmingham by dishonest means. A trap was laid for Edward and he was framed for highway robbery by Dudley's thugs. He was thrown in the Tower of London
, tried and found guilty. However, Dudley being King Edward VI's closest adviser offered to get Edward a pardon from the King. The offer had a string attached, however, and in order to get the pardon, Dudley had to hand Birmingham over to Dudley. Preferring poverty to death Edward did as Dudley demanded and in 1527 retired to obscurity, living on a token £40 a year offered as compensation. Edward had died by 1538 although his widow, Elizabeth, continued to live in Birmingham after his death.
Other land held by the de Birminghams does not appear to have been signed over to Dudley and there are records of the de Birmingham's ownership of it after 1527, e.g., Shutford, Oxon in 1544 which mentions a young William, son of Henry, son of William & Margaret de Birmingham.
However, this too appears to have been transferred away from them by Henry VIII
, possibly under the advice of John Dudley, who was not executed until 1553.
Lord of the Manor
The Lordship of a Manor is recognised today in England and Wales as a form of property and one of three elements of a manor that may exist separately or be combined and may be held in moieties...
of Birmingham
Birmingham
Birmingham is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands of England. It is the most populous British city outside the capital London, with a population of 1,036,900 , and lies at the heart of the West Midlands conurbation, the second most populous urban area in the United Kingdom with a...
in England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
for four hundred years and managed its growth from a small village into a thriving market town. They also helped invade Ireland and were rewarded with the Barony of Athenry
Baron Athenry
The title of Baron Athenry is one of the oldest titles in the Peerage of Ireland, but the date of its creation is thoroughly uncertain; each of the first four Berminghams listed below is claimed by some writers to be Lord Athenry, but the evidence is disputed...
. They were stripped of most of their lands in England by the notorious Dudley family who held sway over the Monarchs during the early 16th century.
The Ausculphs (or Ansculfs)
A NormanNormans
The Normans were the people who gave their name to Normandy, a region in northern France. They were descended from Norse Viking conquerors of the territory and the native population of Frankish and Gallo-Roman stock...
baron called Ansculf de Picquigny
Ansculf de Picquigny
Ansculf de Picquigny was a French baron who followed William the Conqueror to England.He was born the son of Guermond de Picquigny of Picquigny, a village near Amiens in Picardy and with his brother Gilo, crossed to England with Duke William of Normandy...
(Ausculph de Penchengi) was granted many manors in the county of Warwickshire, and elsewhere, at the time of the Norman Conquest. They were centred upon Dudley Castle
Dudley Castle
Dudley Castle is a ruined castle in the town of Dudley, West Midlands, England. Dudley Zoo is located in its grounds. The location, Castle Hill, is an outcrop of Wenlock Group limestone that was extensively quarried during the Industrial Revolution, and which now along with Wren's Nest Hill is a...
. Ansculf was observed by Sir William Dugdale
William Dugdale
Sir William Dugdale was an English antiquary and herald. As a scholar he was influential in the development of medieval history as an academic subject.-Life:...
(who mistakenly confused him with his son William) to have been a great man in the time of the conquest as evidenced by the extent of the lands granted to him, i.e., ten lordships in Berkshire
Berkshire
Berkshire is a historic county in the South of England. It is also often referred to as the Royal County of Berkshire because of the presence of the royal residence of Windsor Castle in the county; this usage, which dates to the 19th century at least, was recognised by the Queen in 1957, and...
, one in Middlesex
Middlesex
Middlesex is one of the historic counties of England and the second smallest by area. The low-lying county contained the wealthy and politically independent City of London on its southern boundary and was dominated by it from a very early time...
, one in Oxfordshire
Oxfordshire
Oxfordshire is a county in the South East region of England, bordering on Warwickshire and Northamptonshire , Buckinghamshire , Berkshire , Wiltshire and Gloucestershire ....
, one in Huntingdonshire
Huntingdonshire
Huntingdonshire is a local government district of Cambridgeshire, covering the area around Huntingdon. Traditionally it is a county in its own right...
, one in Cambridgeshire
Cambridgeshire
Cambridgeshire is a county in England, bordering Lincolnshire to the north, Norfolk to the northeast, Suffolk to the east, Essex and Hertfordshire to the south, and Bedfordshire and Northamptonshire to the west...
, seven in Surrey
Surrey
Surrey is a county in the South East of England and is one of the Home Counties. The county borders Greater London, Kent, East Sussex, West Sussex, Hampshire and Berkshire. The historic county town is Guildford. Surrey County Council sits at Kingston upon Thames, although this has been part of...
, four in Northamptonshire
Northamptonshire
Northamptonshire is a landlocked county in the English East Midlands, with a population of 629,676 as at the 2001 census. It has boundaries with the ceremonial counties of Warwickshire to the west, Leicestershire and Rutland to the north, Cambridgeshire to the east, Bedfordshire to the south-east,...
, seven in Warwickshire
Warwickshire
Warwickshire is a landlocked non-metropolitan county in the West Midlands region of England. The county town is Warwick, although the largest town is Nuneaton. The county is famous for being the birthplace of William Shakespeare...
, twenty in Buckinghamshire
Buckinghamshire
Buckinghamshire is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan home county in South East England. The county town is Aylesbury, the largest town in the ceremonial county is Milton Keynes and largest town in the non-metropolitan county is High Wycombe....
, twenty-five in Staffordshire
Staffordshire
Staffordshire is a landlocked county in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes, the county is a NUTS 3 region and is one of four counties or unitary districts that comprise the "Shropshire and Staffordshire" NUTS 2 region. Part of the National Forest lies within its borders...
and fourteen in Worcestershire
Worcestershire
Worcestershire is a non-metropolitan county, established in antiquity, located in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes it is a NUTS 3 region and is one of three counties that comprise the "Herefordshire, Worcestershire and Warwickshire" NUTS 2 region...
.
By the time of the Domesday Book
Domesday Book
Domesday Book , now held at The National Archives, Kew, Richmond upon Thames in South West London, is the record of the great survey of much of England and parts of Wales completed in 1086...
in 1086 Ansculf's lands had passed onto his son, William Fitz Ansculf (or Ausculph).
The Paganells (or Paynells)
William Fitz Ausculph's daughter (Beatrice FitzWilliam FitzAnsculph?) is alleged to have married Fulk Paganel and their Paganell heirs inherited Dudley castleDudley Castle
Dudley Castle is a ruined castle in the town of Dudley, West Midlands, England. Dudley Zoo is located in its grounds. The location, Castle Hill, is an outcrop of Wenlock Group limestone that was extensively quarried during the Industrial Revolution, and which now along with Wren's Nest Hill is a...
.
In addition the Paganell family are recorded as having succeeded William Fitz Ausculph in ownership of Birmingham and of Newport Pagnell
Newport Pagnell
Newport Pagnell is a town in the Borough of Milton Keynes , England. It is separated by the M1 motorway from Milton Keynes itself, though part of the same urban area...
, Buckinghamshire
Buckinghamshire
Buckinghamshire is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan home county in South East England. The county town is Aylesbury, the largest town in the ceremonial county is Milton Keynes and largest town in the non-metropolitan county is High Wycombe....
Fulk Paganell was succeeded by his son Ralph Paganell who was in turn succeeded by his son Gervais Paganell. Gervais took part in the unsuccessful rebellion against Henry II
Henry II of England
Henry II ruled as King of England , Count of Anjou, Count of Maine, Duke of Normandy, Duke of Aquitaine, Duke of Gascony, Count of Nantes, Lord of Ireland and, at various times, controlled parts of Wales, Scotland and western France. Henry, the great-grandson of William the Conqueror, was the...
in 1173. As a result he died, his lands were confiscated by the crown and Dudley Castle
Dudley Castle
Dudley Castle is a ruined castle in the town of Dudley, West Midlands, England. Dudley Zoo is located in its grounds. The location, Castle Hill, is an outcrop of Wenlock Group limestone that was extensively quarried during the Industrial Revolution, and which now along with Wren's Nest Hill is a...
demolished.
Link between Ausculph and the de Birminghams
Some sources claim that the de Birminghams are descended from William Fitz Ausculph and some sources refute this.The flow of large parts of the Fitz-Ausculph estate to the Paganells lends itself to the theory that William Fitz Ausculph died with no surviving male heirs and so gave his lands to his daughter and her Paganell heirs.
According to a poem a later William de Birmingham was descended from the Ausculphs via a marriage to the Paganells. According to William Hutton's
William Hutton (Birmingham historian)
William Hutton was a poet and the first significant historian of Birmingham, England.-Biography:...
"An History of Birmingham" another William de Birmingham claimed in 1309 to have had ancestors who had the right to have a market in Birmingham before the Norman Conquest which would indicate that they were an old Anglo-Saxon family and not Norman.
Some sources claim the right to hold a market in Birmingham was granted to a Peter Fitz William, Steward of Dudley, and not to Peter de Birmingham who was known as Steward of Gervais Paganell. At this time people could be known by more than one name so it is probable that Peter de Birmingham and Peter Fitz William were one and the same person.
Fulk Paganell has been tenuously claimed to have had several children, one of whom is said to have been called William. It is feasible that William would have been given a small part of the Paganell lands, e.g., Birmingham, while his older brother Ralph received the rest. This could have led to William Paganell becoming known as William de Birmingham.
Richard
According to Hutton, Richard was the name of the owner of Birmingham at the time of the Norman Conquest. Richard is said to have survived and to have been known as Lord of the manor of Birmingham by way of Knight's serviceKnight-service
Knight-service was a form of Feudal land tenure under which a knight held a fief or estate of land termed a knight's fee from an overlord conditional on him as tenant performing military service for his overlord....
to William Fitz-Ausculf.
In the Domesday Book
Domesday Book
Domesday Book , now held at The National Archives, Kew, Richmond upon Thames in South West London, is the record of the great survey of much of England and parts of Wales completed in 1086...
of 1086 there is a record of a Richard (no surname) occupying four hides at Birmingham which belonged to William Fitz-Ansculf of Dudley Castle
Dudley Castle
Dudley Castle is a ruined castle in the town of Dudley, West Midlands, England. Dudley Zoo is located in its grounds. The location, Castle Hill, is an outcrop of Wenlock Group limestone that was extensively quarried during the Industrial Revolution, and which now along with Wren's Nest Hill is a...
. Richard may or may not have been the first of the "de Birminghams".
William de Birmingham
The first "definite" de Birmingham. Became enfeoffed of Birmingham in the reign of Henry I of EnglandHenry I of England
Henry I was the fourth son of William I of England. He succeeded his elder brother William II as King of England in 1100 and defeated his eldest brother, Robert Curthose, to become Duke of Normandy in 1106...
(1100–1135).
Peter de Birmingham (Peter Fitz William?)
William left Peter land of little value; Birmingham was one of the poorest manors in Warwickshire. There was little woodland and it was covered largely in scrub.He applied to hold a cattle and food market every Thursday in the grounds of his "castle" and was granted the right by King Henry II in 1154 (some say 1166). He and his heirs were responsible for its jurisdiction. Outsiders were charged to come to the market, encouraging many merchants to live within Birmingham town and hence to pay Peter rents that far exceeded the land's agricultural value. Birmingham became the most successful market in the whole of England. From a population of 50 people in 1086 the town grew to 1500 by 1300.
In 1166 Peter is recorded to have owned a "castle" at Birmingham, to have been the Steward
Steward (office)
A steward is an official who is appointed by the legal ruling monarch to represent him or her in a country, and may have a mandate to govern it in his or her name; in the latter case, it roughly corresponds with the position of governor or deputy...
of Gervais Paganell and to have held nine Knight's fee
Knight's fee
In feudal Anglo-Norman England and Ireland, a knight's fee was a measure of a unit of land deemed sufficient from which a knight could derive not only sustenance for himself and his esquires, but also the means to furnish himself and his equipage with horses and armour to fight for his overlord in...
s by military service. The "castle" is thought to have been the Birmingham Manor House
Birmingham Manor House
The Birmingham Manor House or Birmingham Moat was a moated site that formed the seat of the Lord of the Manor of Birmingham, England during the Middle Ages, remaining the property of the de Birmingham family until 1536...
- a fortified stone manor house surrounded by a circular moat and a range of outbuildings and was probably built in the 12th century. It was rebuilt in the 13th century and remained there until the 18th century. The moat has now been filled in and the house is now the site of the Bull Ring
Bull ring
Bull ring may refer to:*The arena in which bullfighting takes place, see bullring,*The Bull Ring, a henge in England;*Bull Ring, Birmingham - a city-centre area of Birmingham, England;...
.
Peter bore for his coat of arms:- azure, a bend lozenge, of five points, or.
Sir William de Birmingham
The de Birmingham family were instrumental in helping StrongbowRichard de Clare, 2nd Earl of Pembroke
Richard de Clare, 2nd Earl of Pembroke , Lord of Leinster, Justiciar of Ireland . Like his father, he was also commonly known as Strongbow...
in the Norman Invasion of Ireland
Norman Invasion of Ireland
The Norman invasion of Ireland was a two-stage process, which began on 1 May 1169 when a force of loosely associated Norman knights landed near Bannow, County Wexford...
. They were described as "the noble and warlike family of the Bremichams" and were rewarded much later with the Barony of Athenry
Baron Athenry
The title of Baron Athenry is one of the oldest titles in the Peerage of Ireland, but the date of its creation is thoroughly uncertain; each of the first four Berminghams listed below is claimed by some writers to be Lord Athenry, but the evidence is disputed...
, initially as lords of the manor
Lord of the Manor
The Lordship of a Manor is recognised today in England and Wales as a form of property and one of three elements of a manor that may exist separately or be combined and may be held in moieties...
. Both Sir William de Birmingham and one of his youngest sons, Robert de Birmingham, are listed as being among the Normans sent in Henry II
Henry II of England
Henry II ruled as King of England , Count of Anjou, Count of Maine, Duke of Normandy, Duke of Aquitaine, Duke of Gascony, Count of Nantes, Lord of Ireland and, at various times, controlled parts of Wales, Scotland and western France. Henry, the great-grandson of William the Conqueror, was the...
's invasion in 1172. Robert was later styled the 1st Baron Athenry
Baron Athenry
The title of Baron Athenry is one of the oldest titles in the Peerage of Ireland, but the date of its creation is thoroughly uncertain; each of the first four Berminghams listed below is claimed by some writers to be Lord Athenry, but the evidence is disputed...
. Meyler de Bermingham
Meyler de Bermingham
-Ancestry:Meyler was a great-grandson of Robert de Bermingham who is said to have obtained a grant of Offaly from Strongbow or Henry II about 1172. Robert's son and grandson were both described as of Tethmoy, which is thought to have been the baronies of Warrenstown and part of Coolestown...
took part in the invasion of Connacht
Connacht
Connacht , formerly anglicised as Connaught, is one of the Provinces of Ireland situated in the west of Ireland. In Ancient Ireland, it was one of the fifths ruled by a "king of over-kings" . Following the Norman invasion of Ireland, the ancient kingdoms were shired into a number of counties for...
in the 1230s and started to build the town of Athenry
Athenry
Athenry is a town in County Galway, Ireland. It lies east of Galway city, and one of the attractions of the town is its medieval castle. The town is also well-known by virtue of the song "The Fields of Athenry".-History:...
c.1240.
In 1189 William had the charter to hold a market in Birmingham confirmed by Richard I
Richard I of England
Richard I was King of England from 6 July 1189 until his death. He also ruled as Duke of Normandy, Duke of Aquitaine, Duke of Gascony, Lord of Cyprus, Count of Anjou, Count of Maine, Count of Nantes, and Overlord of Brittany at various times during the same period...
. William bore the following coat of arms; azure, a bend Lozenge, or.
Robert's prominent medieval descendants in Ireland included Rickard de Bermingham
Rickard de Bermingham
Rickard de Bermingham , aka Rickard Mac Fheorais, was Anglo-Irish lord of Athenry.-Family background:Rickard is reckoned third lord of Athenry and Dunmore, both in County Galway. He was a grandson of Meyler de Bermingham, the founder of Athenry...
(d.1322) and John de Bermingham, 1st Earl of Louth
John de Bermingham, 1st Earl of Louth
John de Bermingham, 1st Earl of Louth was an Irish peer. He was the commander of the Anglo-Irish army in the Battle of Faughart, the decisive battle in the Irish Bruce Wars 1315–1318...
(d. 1329). The last baron of Athenry
Thomas IV de Bermingham
Thomas IV de Bermingham, 1st Earl of Louth, 19th Baron Athenry, 1717–1799Thomas was the last legally attested Baron Athenry. Among those who unsuccessfully claimed the lordship after him was the family of John Birmingham . His property was divided between his three female heirs and their families...
died in 1799.
Peter de Birmingham
Sir William's eldest son.Listed by one source as being one of the baron
Baron
Baron is a title of nobility. The word baron comes from Old French baron, itself from Old High German and Latin baro meaning " man, warrior"; it merged with cognate Old English beorn meaning "nobleman"...
s who were in arms to secure the Magna Carta
Magna Carta
Magna Carta is an English charter, originally issued in the year 1215 and reissued later in the 13th century in modified versions, which included the most direct challenges to the monarch's authority to date. The charter first passed into law in 1225...
from King John
John of England
John , also known as John Lackland , was King of England from 6 April 1199 until his death...
between 1213 and 1215.
William de Birmingham
William was granted the right to hold a four day fair starting on the eve of Ascension Day by Henry IIIHenry III of England
Henry III was the son and successor of John as King of England, reigning for 56 years from 1216 until his death. His contemporaries knew him as Henry of Winchester. He was the first child king in England since the reign of Æthelred the Unready...
in 1250. In 1251 permission was also given to hold a two day fair beginning on the eve of the Feast of St John the Baptist.
William's widow is recorded as Maud in 1263.
William de Birmingham ?-1265
William supported Simon de MontfordSimon de Montfort, 6th Earl of Leicester
Simon de Montfort, 6th Earl of Leicester, 1st Earl of Chester , sometimes referred to as Simon V de Montfort to distinguish him from other Simon de Montforts, was an Anglo-Norman nobleman. He led the barons' rebellion against King Henry III of England during the Second Barons' War of 1263-4, and...
in the Second Barons' War
Second Barons' War
The Second Barons' War was a civil war in England between the forces of a number of barons led by Simon de Montfort, against the Royalist forces led by Prince Edward , in the name of Henry III.-Causes:...
against Henry III
Henry III of England
Henry III was the son and successor of John as King of England, reigning for 56 years from 1216 until his death. His contemporaries knew him as Henry of Winchester. He was the first child king in England since the reign of Æthelred the Unready...
and to have died at the Battle of Evesham
Battle of Evesham
The Battle of Evesham was one of the two main battles of 13th century England's Second Barons' War. It marked the defeat of Simon de Montfort, Earl of Leicester, and the rebellious barons by Prince Edward – later King Edward I – who led the forces of his father, King Henry III...
in 1265. The manor of Birmingham was confiscated by the King and given to Roger de Clifford. William was married to the daughter of Thomas de Astley
Astley Baronets
There have been four Baronetcies created for members of the Astley family, three in the Baronetage of England and one in the Baronetage of the United Kingdom. Only one creation is extant as of 2008. The Astley family were descended from Sir Thomas de Astley of Astley, Warwickshire, who was killed...
.
A poem has been written about this William called William de Birmingham. Its historical accuracy cannot be verified but it mentions William's claim to de descended from Ausculph via marriage to the Paganells.
William de Birmingham
William took up his right to reclaim his father's land by way of paying a fine. In 1283 he strengthened his claims to land in StocktonStockton
-Places:Australia:*Stockton, New South WalesNew Zealand:*Stockton, New ZealandUnited Kingdom:*Stockton, Cheshire*Stockton, Norfolk*Stockton, Warwickshire*Stockton, Wiltshire*Stockton-on-Tees*Stockton-on-Teme*Stockton-on-the-ForestUnited States:...
Worcester, Shetford (Shutford)
Shutford
Shutford is a village and civil parish about west of Banbury in Oxfordshire. The village is about above sea level.-History:The manor house was built in the last quarter of the 16th century. In 1928 the architect Walter Tapper added a western extension and northwest wing...
, Oxon, Maidencoat (Maidencourt) Berks, Hoggeston
Hoggeston
Hoggeston is a village and is also a civil parish within Aylesbury Vale district in Buckinghamshire, England. It is in the Aylesbury Vale, about two and a half miles south east of Winslow....
Bucks and Christleton
Christleton
Christleton is a small village and civil parish on the outskirts of Chester in the unitary authority of Cheshire West and Chester and the ceremonial county of Cheshire, England. The 2001 Census recorded a population for the entire civil parish of 2,112....
Cheshire. Maidencourt had come into the de Birmingham via a marriage to Sybil de Colville, who was the daughter of Alice de Colville who held the manor of Maidencourt in the early 13th century.
Kingston Bagpuize
Kingston Bagpuize
Kingston Bagpuize is a village in the civil parish of Kingston Bagpuize with Southmoor, about west of Abingdon, Oxfordshire. It was part of Berkshire until the 1974 boundary changes.-Geography:...
, Berks
Berkshire
Berkshire is a historic county in the South of England. It is also often referred to as the Royal County of Berkshire because of the presence of the royal residence of Windsor Castle in the county; this usage, which dates to the 19th century at least, was recognised by the Queen in 1957, and...
was also quitclaimed to him in 1290.
As a military Knight
Knight
A knight was a member of a class of lower nobility in the High Middle Ages.By the Late Middle Ages, the rank had become associated with the ideals of chivalry, a code of conduct for the perfect courtly Christian warrior....
William was obliged to join Edward I at Gascony
Gascony
Gascony is an area of southwest France that was part of the "Province of Guyenne and Gascony" prior to the French Revolution. The region is vaguely defined and the distinction between Guyenne and Gascony is unclear; sometimes they are considered to overlap, and sometimes Gascony is considered a...
where he was taken prisoner by the French at the Siege of Bellegarde in 1297 and was carried in triumph to Paris.
Sir William de Birmingham
Knighted in 1305. Tried the right of tollage with the people of BromsgroveBromsgrove
Bromsgrove is a town in Worcestershire, England. The town is about north east of Worcester and south west of Birmingham city centre. It had a population of 29,237 in 2001 with a small ethnic minority and is in Bromsgrove District.- History :Bromsgrove is first documented in the early 9th century...
and King's Norton
Sir William de Birmingham
Edward II of England
Edward II , called Edward of Caernarfon, was King of England from 1307 until he was deposed by his wife Isabella in January 1327. He was the sixth Plantagenet king, in a line that began with the reign of Henry II...
for who he raised four hundred infantry.
In 1327 William was summoned to Parliament
Parliament of England
The Parliament of England was the legislature of the Kingdom of England. In 1066, William of Normandy introduced a feudal system, by which he sought the advice of a council of tenants-in-chief and ecclesiastics before making laws...
. By this time Birmingham had overtaken the County Town of Warwick in terms of tax revenue. Willam's friend, Hugh Spencer, gave him custody of Dudley Castle
Dudley Castle
Dudley Castle is a ruined castle in the town of Dudley, West Midlands, England. Dudley Zoo is located in its grounds. The location, Castle Hill, is an outcrop of Wenlock Group limestone that was extensively quarried during the Industrial Revolution, and which now along with Wren's Nest Hill is a...
William's tomb lies in Birmingham's original church, St Martin in the Bull Ring
St Martin in the Bull Ring
The church of St Martin in the Bull Ring in Birmingham 5, England is a parish church in the Church of England.-Background:It is the original parish church of Birmingham. It stands between the Bull Ring shopping centre and the markets. The church is a Grade II* listed building. The current Rector...
, which was originally built by the de Birmingham's in the 12th century.
The five diagonal lozenges of his shield form part of the Coat of arms of Birmingham
Coat of arms of Birmingham
The coat of arms of Birmingham is the heraldic emblem of the English city of Birmingham. It was first used in 1838 and has been changed several times since, as the former town grew and developed into a city.- Incorporation :...
.
Sir Fulk (de) Birmingham
Married Joan and made a settlement of Kingston BagpuizeKingston Bagpuize
Kingston Bagpuize is a village in the civil parish of Kingston Bagpuize with Southmoor, about west of Abingdon, Oxfordshire. It was part of Berkshire until the 1974 boundary changes.-Geography:...
, Berks
Berkshire
Berkshire is a historic county in the South of England. It is also often referred to as the Royal County of Berkshire because of the presence of the royal residence of Windsor Castle in the county; this usage, which dates to the 19th century at least, was recognised by the Queen in 1957, and...
in 1340 with the advowson
Advowson
Advowson is the right in English law of a patron to present or appoint a nominee to a vacant ecclesiastical benefice or church living, a process known as presentation. In effect this means the right to nominate a person to hold a church office in a parish...
of the church. Remarried to Elizabeth. Leased the manor of Kingston Bagpuize to Peter Coke for life in 1367.
Acted as a Member of Parliament for Warwick during the 1350s and 1360s.
Abandoned the de Birmingham's traditional coat of arms and replaced it with:- partie per pale, indented, or, and gules.
Fulk's tomb lies in St Martin in the Bull Ring
St Martin in the Bull Ring
The church of St Martin in the Bull Ring in Birmingham 5, England is a parish church in the Church of England.-Background:It is the original parish church of Birmingham. It stands between the Bull Ring shopping centre and the markets. The church is a Grade II* listed building. The current Rector...
.
Sir John (de) Birmingham
Eldest son of Sir Fulk who served as Sherriff of Warwick in 1397 and as parliamentary representative for Warwickshire, Bedfordshire, and Buckinghamshire.Married Elizabeth but had no children.
John's tomb (c.1380) lies in St Martin in the Bull Ring
St Martin in the Bull Ring
The church of St Martin in the Bull Ring in Birmingham 5, England is a parish church in the Church of England.-Background:It is the original parish church of Birmingham. It stands between the Bull Ring shopping centre and the markets. The church is a Grade II* listed building. The current Rector...
.
Break in direct male line
Upon Sir John's death, the manor of Birmingham was left to his widow, Elizabeth, to use as a dowerDower
Dower or morning gift was a provision accorded by law to a wife for her support in the event that she should survive her husband...
. She remarried to Lord Clinton
Baron Clinton
Baron Clinton is a title in the Peerage of England. It was created in 1298 for John de Clinton. The peerage was created by writ, which means that it can descend through both male and female lines. The first Baron's great-great-great-grandson, the fifth Baron, fought on the Yorkist side in the Wars...
and they lived in the de Birmingham's manor house in Birmingham until Elizabeth's death in 1424.
The rest of Sir John's lands were left to his brother, Sir Thomas de Birmingham, who built his own castle at Worstone near Birmingham. Upon Elizabeth's death Thomas was to have inherited the manor of Birmingham. However, he died before her and the de Birmingham lands were left to Thomas' two granddaughters:-
- Lady Ellen Ferrers wife of Edmund Lord Ferrers of Chartley
- Lady Elizabeth Longeville wife of George Longeville and, on George's death, wife of John Sutton Lord Dudley
who were both daughters of Thomas' only daughter, Elizabeth, who had been the wife of Thomas de la Roche.
Lady Ellen Ferrers' inheritance included the manor of Birmingham, which she eventually passed to a second cousin called William de Birmingham.
William (de) Birmingham ?-1479
Lady Ferrers quit her title in favour of a second cousin, William de Birmingham, who appears to have been a descendant of William de Birmingham, brother of Sir Fulk de Birmingham. He held the manor by military service in 1441 and died in 1479.Sir William (de) Birmingham 1449-?
Married Isabella, heiress of William HiltonBaron Hylton
Baron Hylton is a title that has been created twice, once in the Peerage of England and once in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. The first creation came in the Peerage of England 1295 when Robert Hylton was summoned to the Model Parliament as Lord Hylton by writ. His son, Alexander, was called to...
, and they had one son, William, who died before them but not before having his own son Edward.
Edward (de) Birmingham 1497-1538
According to Sir William DugdaleWilliam Dugdale
Sir William Dugdale was an English antiquary and herald. As a scholar he was influential in the development of medieval history as an academic subject.-Life:...
's Antiquities of Warwickshire Edward was the last de Birmingham to hold the lordship of Birmingham. He was cheated out of it by John Dudley
John Dudley, 1st Duke of Northumberland
John Dudley, 1st Duke of Northumberland, KG was an English general, admiral, and politician, who led the government of the young King Edward VI from 1550 until 1553, and unsuccessfully tried to install Lady Jane Grey on the English throne after the King's death...
, who would later try to place Lady Jane Grey
Lady Jane Grey
Lady Jane Grey , also known as The Nine Days' Queen, was an English noblewoman who was de facto monarch of England from 10 July until 19 July 1553 and was subsequently executed...
, his own daughter-in-law, on the throne, an offence for which he was later found guilty of treason and sentenced to death.
Dudley had asked to buy Birmingham from Edward. However, proud of his inheritance, Edward declined. Dudley was not a man to take no for answer though and devised a scheme to obtain Birmingham by dishonest means. A trap was laid for Edward and he was framed for highway robbery by Dudley's thugs. He was thrown in the Tower of London
Tower of London
Her Majesty's Royal Palace and Fortress, more commonly known as the Tower of London, is a historic castle on the north bank of the River Thames in central London, England. It lies within the London Borough of Tower Hamlets, separated from the eastern edge of the City of London by the open space...
, tried and found guilty. However, Dudley being King Edward VI's closest adviser offered to get Edward a pardon from the King. The offer had a string attached, however, and in order to get the pardon, Dudley had to hand Birmingham over to Dudley. Preferring poverty to death Edward did as Dudley demanded and in 1527 retired to obscurity, living on a token £40 a year offered as compensation. Edward had died by 1538 although his widow, Elizabeth, continued to live in Birmingham after his death.
Later de Birminghams
The lordship of Birmingham was not returned to the de Birmingham family upon Dudley's death. It reverted to the Crown and then to the Marrow family.Other land held by the de Birminghams does not appear to have been signed over to Dudley and there are records of the de Birmingham's ownership of it after 1527, e.g., Shutford, Oxon in 1544 which mentions a young William, son of Henry, son of William & Margaret de Birmingham.
However, this too appears to have been transferred away from them by Henry VIII
Henry VII of England
Henry VII was King of England and Lord of Ireland from his seizing the crown on 22 August 1485 until his death on 21 April 1509, as the first monarch of the House of Tudor....
, possibly under the advice of John Dudley, who was not executed until 1553.
Land held by just the Ausculphs/Paganells
- Dudley CastleDudley CastleDudley Castle is a ruined castle in the town of Dudley, West Midlands, England. Dudley Zoo is located in its grounds. The location, Castle Hill, is an outcrop of Wenlock Group limestone that was extensively quarried during the Industrial Revolution, and which now along with Wren's Nest Hill is a...
, WorcestershireWorcestershireWorcestershire is a non-metropolitan county, established in antiquity, located in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes it is a NUTS 3 region and is one of three counties that comprise the "Herefordshire, Worcestershire and Warwickshire" NUTS 2 region...
- held by William Fitz Ausculph in 1070 but given to his daughter who married Fulk Paganel. She and her Paganel heirs subsequently inherited the castle. - EllesboroughEllesboroughEllesborough is a village and civil parish in Wycombe district in Buckinghamshire, England. The village is at the foot of the Chiltern Hills just to the south of the Vale of Aylesbury, two miles from Wendover and five miles from Aylesbury. It lies between Wendover and the village of Little Kimble...
, BuckinghamshireBuckinghamshireBuckinghamshire is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan home county in South East England. The county town is Aylesbury, the largest town in the ceremonial county is Milton Keynes and largest town in the non-metropolitan county is High Wycombe....
- held by Ansculf de Picquiny after the conquest and by William Fitz Ansculf in 1086 before passing to the Paganells. Reverted to the crown on the death of Gervais Paganell. - Newport PagnellNewport PagnellNewport Pagnell is a town in the Borough of Milton Keynes , England. It is separated by the M1 motorway from Milton Keynes itself, though part of the same urban area...
, BuckinghamshireBuckinghamshireBuckinghamshire is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan home county in South East England. The county town is Aylesbury, the largest town in the ceremonial county is Milton Keynes and largest town in the non-metropolitan county is High Wycombe....
- held by Fitz-Ausculph before passing to the Paganels - WoottonWootton, West OxfordshireWootton is a village and civil parish on the River Glyme about north of Woodstock, Oxfordshire. The village is sometimes referred to as Wootton-by-Woodstock to distinguish it from Wootton, Vale of White Horse, which was in Berkshire but was transferred to Oxfordshire in the 1974 local authority...
, OxfordshireOxfordshireOxfordshire is a county in the South East region of England, bordering on Warwickshire and Northamptonshire , Buckinghamshire , Berkshire , Wiltshire and Gloucestershire ....
- held by William Paynell son of Fulk Paynell of Drax in 1184 but reverted to the king in 1232
Land held by both the Ausculphs/Paganells and de Birminghams
- BirminghamBirminghamBirmingham is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands of England. It is the most populous British city outside the capital London, with a population of 1,036,900 , and lies at the heart of the West Midlands conurbation, the second most populous urban area in the United Kingdom with a...
, WarwickshireWarwickshireWarwickshire is a landlocked non-metropolitan county in the West Midlands region of England. The county town is Warwick, although the largest town is Nuneaton. The county is famous for being the birthplace of William Shakespeare...
- a moated and castellated manorhouse which is now the site of the Bull Ring - Kingston BagpuizeKingston BagpuizeKingston Bagpuize is a village in the civil parish of Kingston Bagpuize with Southmoor, about west of Abingdon, Oxfordshire. It was part of Berkshire until the 1974 boundary changes.-Geography:...
, BerkshireBerkshireBerkshire is a historic county in the South of England. It is also often referred to as the Royal County of Berkshire because of the presence of the royal residence of Windsor Castle in the county; this usage, which dates to the 19th century at least, was recognised by the Queen in 1957, and...
- the northern part was held by Fitz Ausculph in 1086 while the southern part was held by Henry de FerrersHenry de FerrersHenry de Ferrers was a Norman soldier from a noble family who took part in the conquest of England and is believed to have fought at the Battle of Hastings of 1066 and, in consequence, was rewarded with much land in the subdued nation.His elder brother William fell in the battle. William and Henri...
In 1290 land in Kingston Bagpuize was quitclaimed to William de Birmingham - AmblecoteAmblecoteAmblecote is an urban village in the Metropolitan Borough of Dudley in the West Midlands, England. It lies immediately north of the historic town of Stourbridge, extending about one and a half miles from it. As such, it is on the southwestern edge of the West Midlands urban area...
, WorcestershireWorcestershireWorcestershire is a non-metropolitan county, established in antiquity, located in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes it is a NUTS 3 region and is one of three counties that comprise the "Herefordshire, Worcestershire and Warwickshire" NUTS 2 region...
- held by William Fitz Ansculf in 1086 and then by the De Birminghams until 1322
Land held by just the de Birminghams
- Maidencourt, Royal Berkshire - held by the de Birminghams from at least the mid C13th until 1420
- ChristletonChristletonChristleton is a small village and civil parish on the outskirts of Chester in the unitary authority of Cheshire West and Chester and the ceremonial county of Cheshire, England. The 2001 Census recorded a population for the entire civil parish of 2,112....
, CheshireCheshireCheshire is a ceremonial county in North West England. Cheshire's county town is the city of Chester, although its largest town is Warrington. Other major towns include Widnes, Congleton, Crewe, Ellesmere Port, Runcorn, Macclesfield, Winsford, Northwich, and Wilmslow...
- held by William de Birmingham in 1283. - HoggestonHoggestonHoggeston is a village and is also a civil parish within Aylesbury Vale district in Buckinghamshire, England. It is in the Aylesbury Vale, about two and a half miles south east of Winslow....
, BuckinghamshireBuckinghamshireBuckinghamshire is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan home county in South East England. The county town is Aylesbury, the largest town in the ceremonial county is Milton Keynes and largest town in the non-metropolitan county is High Wycombe....
- held by William de Birmingham in 1283. - ShutfordShutfordShutford is a village and civil parish about west of Banbury in Oxfordshire. The village is about above sea level.-History:The manor house was built in the last quarter of the 16th century. In 1928 the architect Walter Tapper added a western extension and northwest wing...
, OxfordshireOxfordshireOxfordshire is a county in the South East region of England, bordering on Warwickshire and Northamptonshire , Buckinghamshire , Berkshire , Wiltshire and Gloucestershire ....
- held by William de Birmingham in 1283. Given away by Henry VIIIHenry VIII of EnglandHenry VIII was King of England from 21 April 1509 until his death. He was Lord, and later King, of Ireland, as well as continuing the nominal claim by the English monarchs to the Kingdom of France...
in 1544 due to the "minority" of William Birmingham who was the son of Henry Birmingham who was the son of William & Margaret Birmingham - StocktonStockton-on-TemeStockton-on-Teme is a village and civil parish in the Malvern Hills District in the county of Worcestershire, England. It is close to the River Teme and is noted for its 12th century Norman church with an unusual circular graveyard.....
, WorcesterWorcesterThe City of Worcester, commonly known as Worcester, , is a city and county town of Worcestershire in the West Midlands of England. Worcester is situated some southwest of Birmingham and north of Gloucester, and has an approximate population of 94,000 people. The River Severn runs through the...
- held by William de Birmingham in 1283.
See also
- Birmingham, West Midlands, EnglandBirminghamBirmingham is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands of England. It is the most populous British city outside the capital London, with a population of 1,036,900 , and lies at the heart of the West Midlands conurbation, the second most populous urban area in the United Kingdom with a...
- History of BirminghamHistory of BirminghamThe history of Birmingham in England spans 1400 years of growth, during which time it has evolved from a small 7th century Anglo Saxon hamlet on the edge of the Forest of Arden at the fringe of early Mercia to become a major city through a combination of immigration, innovation and civic pride that...
- Barony of AthenryBaron AthenryThe title of Baron Athenry is one of the oldest titles in the Peerage of Ireland, but the date of its creation is thoroughly uncertain; each of the first four Berminghams listed below is claimed by some writers to be Lord Athenry, but the evidence is disputed...
- People called BirminghamBirmingham (disambiguation)Birmingham is a city in England. It is England's second city, the most populous place with city status in the United Kingdom, and the largest city commonly known as Birmingham.Birmingham can also refer to:- United States :...
- Bermingham (surname)Bermingham (surname)Bermingham is the gaelicised version of 'de Birmingham' and is descended from the family of Warwickshire, England. The Irish version of the name MacFeorais/MacPheorais is derived from Pierce de Bermingham . The first recorded Bermingham in Ireland, Robert de Bermingham accompanied Richard de Clare...
- People called BerminghamBerminghamBermingham is a surname, and may refer to:* Carl Bermingham ,Irish Electrician* David Bermingham , English banker, part of the Natwest Three* Erin Bermingham , New Zealand cricketer...
- Alternative spellings of Birmingham