Geoffrey de Mandeville (11th century)
Encyclopedia
Geoffrey de Mandeville may have been Constable of the Tower
of London. His surname comes from the town of (Thil-)Manneville
(Magnavilla, Mannevilla) or Magna Villa near Valognes in Manche on the Cotentin Peninsula. Little is known of him before the Norman Conquest of England.
An important Domesday tenant-in-chief, de Mandeville was one of the ten richest magnates of the reign of William the Conqueror
. William granted him large estates, primarily in Essex, but in ten other shires as well. He served as the first sheriff of London
and Middlesex
, and perhaps also in Essex, and in Hertfordshire
.
He married firstly Athelaise (Adeliza), by whom he had a son William, and a daughter Beatrix (Beatrice), and possibly others. He married secondly Lescelina, by whom he had no children. About 1085 he and Lescelina founded Hurley Priory as a cell of Westminster Abbey.
His lands were inherited by his son William de Mandeville
. His daughter Beatrix (Beatrice) was the wife of Geoffrey, whom some have speculated was a natural son of Eustace II, Count of Boulogne.
Constable of the Tower
The Constable of the Tower is the most senior appointment at the Tower of London. In the middle ages a constable was the person in charge of a castle when the owner - the king or a nobleman - was not in residence...
of London. His surname comes from the town of (Thil-)Manneville
Thil-Manneville
Thil-Manneville is a commune in the Seine-Maritime department in the Haute-Normandie region in northern France.-Geography:A farming village situated by the banks of the river Vienne in the Pays de Caux, some southwest of Dieppe, at the junction of the D70 with the D123 and the D127...
(Magnavilla, Mannevilla) or Magna Villa near Valognes in Manche on the Cotentin Peninsula. Little is known of him before the Norman Conquest of England.
An important Domesday tenant-in-chief, de Mandeville was one of the ten richest magnates of the reign of William the Conqueror
William I of England
William I , also known as William the Conqueror , was the first Norman King of England from Christmas 1066 until his death. He was also Duke of Normandy from 3 July 1035 until his death, under the name William II...
. William granted him large estates, primarily in Essex, but in ten other shires as well. He served as the first sheriff of London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
and Middlesex
High Sheriff of Middlesex
This is a list of High Sheriffs of Middlesex.-History of the office:From c.1131–1889 there was no separate sheriff for the county. By a charter of Henry I the livery of the City of London were given the right to elect two sheriffs of "London and Middlesex" on a payment of £300 per annum to...
, and perhaps also in Essex, and in Hertfordshire
Hertfordshire
Hertfordshire is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the East region of England. The county town is Hertford.The county is one of the Home Counties and lies inland, bordered by Greater London , Buckinghamshire , Bedfordshire , Cambridgeshire and...
.
He married firstly Athelaise (Adeliza), by whom he had a son William, and a daughter Beatrix (Beatrice), and possibly others. He married secondly Lescelina, by whom he had no children. About 1085 he and Lescelina founded Hurley Priory as a cell of Westminster Abbey.
His lands were inherited by his son William de Mandeville
William de Mandeville
William de Mandeville inherited the estates of his father Geoffrey around 1100. He was constable of the Tower of London at that time, and thus keeper of the first person known to be imprisoned there for political reasons, Ranulf Flambard...
. His daughter Beatrix (Beatrice) was the wife of Geoffrey, whom some have speculated was a natural son of Eustace II, Count of Boulogne.