William de Chesney
Encyclopedia
William de Chesney was an Anglo-Norman magnate
during the reign of King Stephen of England
(reigned 1135–1154) and King Henry II of England
(reigned 1154–1189). Chesney was part of a large family; one of his brothers became Bishop of Lincoln
and another Abbot of Evesham Abbey
. Stephen may have named him Sheriff of Oxfordshire. Besides his administrative offices, Chesney controlled a number of royal castles, and served Stephen during some of the king's English military campaigns. Chesney's heir was his niece, Matilda, who married Henry fitzGerold
.
death in 1135, the succession was disputed between the Henry's nephews—Stephen and his elder brother, Theobald II, Count of Champagne—and Henry's surviving legitimate child Matilda
, usually known as the Empress Matilda because of her first marriage to the Holy Roman Emperor
, Henry V
. Matilda's brother, and King Henry's only legitimate son, William
died in 1120, leaving Matilda as Henry's only legitimate offspring. After Matilda was widowed in 1125, she returned to England, where her father married her to Geoffrey, Count of Anjou
. All the magnates of England and Normandy were required to declare fealty
to Matilda as Henry's heir, but when Henry I died in 1135, Stephen rushed to England and had himself crowned before either Theobald or Matilda could react. The Norman barons accepted Stephen as Duke of Normandy, and Theobald acquiesced to his brother's usurpation.
Matilda, though, was not reconciled to losing the throne, and secured the support of the Scottish king, David
, who was her maternal uncle. In 1138 she also secured the support of her half-brother, Robert of Gloucester
the Earl of Gloucester
, an illegitimate son of Henry I. Most of the reign of King Stephen was dominated by the efforts of Matilda and later her son, Henry of Anjou
to oust Stephen from the throne. The height of the civil war was from 1142 to 1148, but it began in 1138 when Robert of Gloucester declared for Matilda, after previously supporting Stephen. Traditionally, historians have referred to the period of civil war as "The Anarchy
", but recent scholarship has rejected the extreme view of the time period as lawless; most historians see the reign as disordered but not highly so, and Stephen as weak but not useless.
region of Normandy
, and held lands in England from Robert d'Oilly
at the time of the Domesday Survey in 1087. Alice was the daughter of Ralph de Langetot, who held lands of Walter Giffard at the time of Domesday. William's brother Robert de Chesney
later became Bishop of Lincoln. His other siblings were Reginald, who later became abbot of Evesham Abbey
, Hugh, Ralph, Hawise, Beatrice, Isabel, and Roger. Chesney was the uncle of Gilbert Foliot
who became successively abbot of Gloucester Abbey
, Bishop of Hereford
and Bishop of London
. It is likely that it was one of William's sisters that married Gilbert's father, although there is no sure evidence of this. Chesney also mentioned as relatives the brothers Alexander de Chesney and Ralph de Chesney, but the exact relationship is unknown. Chesney needs to be distinguished from another William de Chesney, who held the office of Sheriff of Norfolk
between 1146 and 1153.
. He also held the town and castle of Deddington
, which he had acquired at least by 1157, and possibly earlier. Although he did not begin the fortifications at Deddington Castle
, it is likely that he began the first stone defences at the site. Deddington was Chesney's most important holding in Oxfordshire, and the basis of his power in the county.
Before he controlled Deddington, Chesney temporarily administered the lands of Robert d'Oilly
, who had previously held Oxford Castle
but had defected to the side of the Empress Matilda in 1141 and died a year later. D'Oilly's heir took refuge with Matilda when Stephen overran his lands two weeks after his father's death, leading to Chesney's control of the d'Oilly lands. Some historians have seen this holding of the lands as Stephen giving Chesney the d'Oilly barony, but the only evidence for this is that Chesney eventually owned a manor previously belonging to d'Oilly which does not necessarily mean that he received the whole barony. It is far more likely that Stephen gave Chesney parts of the lands of William fitzOsbern, which had reverted to the king in 1075. Most of the known lands of fitzOsbern are known to have been owned by Chesney or by tenants who held the lands from him.
Historians are divided in their views as to whether Chesney held the office of Sheriff of Oxfordshire. Whatever the exact office that Chesney held in Oxfordshire, the townsmen of Oxford referred to him as their "alderman" before such honorifics were in common use.
In 1145, Chesney was forced to ask Stephen for help in fending off the approach of Philip, a younger son of Robert, Earl of Gloucester, who was threatening Chesney's control of Oxford. During the period 1142–1148 Chesney forced Gloucester Abbey, then under the abbacy
of his nephew Gilbert Foliot, to pay him sums of money. Foliot, in one of his surviving letters, reprimanded his uncle for his behaviour, asking him "Which of God's poor around you have you not harmed?" In 1147, Chesney granted the island of Medley to Osney Abbey
in the name of his father and brother Roger, as well as King Stephen, Queen Matilda and their son Eustace. After 1148, Chesney apparently began to hedge his bets as he appears in the company of Roger of Hereford
, the Earl of Hereford
, who was a firm supporter of Matilda's and her son Henry's cause.
Chesney served again as the leader of Stephen's army at Wallingford Castle
in 1153 and in August he was defeated by Henry of Anjou. The subsequent peace settlement, the Treaty of Wallingford
, gave Henry the English throne after Stephen's death. A part of the treaty awarded control of Oxford Castle to Roger de Bussy. Although Chesney had lost control of the castle, none of his lands were confiscated. Early in 1154, Chesney was with Henry, as he was a witness on two charters of Henry's. After Henry's ascension to the throne, Chesney came to terms with the new king, and received confirmation of his lands from the king by 1157. He spent time in Normandy with Henry from 1159 through to 1161. He continued to receive favours from the king, such as exemption for payment of danegeld
on his manor of Deddington in 1156.
Chesney married Margaret de Lucy, who was probably a relative of Richard de Lucy, another of Stephen's main supporters. He died sometime between 1172 and 1176. Chesney's heir was his niece Matilda, whom King Henry II married to Henry fitzGerold, a royal chamberlain.
Magnate
Magnate, from the Late Latin magnas, a great man, itself from Latin magnus 'great', designates a noble or other man in a high social position, by birth, wealth or other qualities...
during the reign of King Stephen of England
Stephen of England
Stephen , often referred to as Stephen of Blois , was a grandson of William the Conqueror. He was King of England from 1135 to his death, and also the Count of Boulogne by right of his wife. Stephen's reign was marked by the Anarchy, a civil war with his cousin and rival, the Empress Matilda...
(reigned 1135–1154) and King Henry II of England
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...
(reigned 1154–1189). Chesney was part of a large family; one of his brothers became Bishop of Lincoln
Bishop of Lincoln
The Bishop of Lincoln is the Ordinary of the Church of England Diocese of Lincoln in the Province of Canterbury.The present diocese covers the county of Lincolnshire and the unitary authority areas of North Lincolnshire and North East Lincolnshire. The Bishop's seat is located in the Cathedral...
and another Abbot of Evesham Abbey
Abbot of Evesham
The Abbot of Evesham was the head of Evesham Abbey, a Benedictine monastery in Worcestershire founded in the Anglo-Saxon era of English history. The succession continued until dissolution of the monastery in 1540:-List:...
. Stephen may have named him Sheriff of Oxfordshire. Besides his administrative offices, Chesney controlled a number of royal castles, and served Stephen during some of the king's English military campaigns. Chesney's heir was his niece, Matilda, who married Henry fitzGerold
Henry fitzGerold
Henry fitzGerold was a 12th-century Anglo-Norman nobleman and government official....
.
Background
Following King Henry I'sHenry 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...
death in 1135, the succession was disputed between the Henry's nephews—Stephen and his elder brother, Theobald II, Count of Champagne—and Henry's surviving legitimate child Matilda
Empress Matilda
Empress Matilda , also known as Matilda of England or Maude, was the daughter and heir of King Henry I of England. Matilda and her younger brother, William Adelin, were the only legitimate children of King Henry to survive to adulthood...
, usually known as the Empress Matilda because of her first marriage to the Holy Roman Emperor
Holy Roman Emperor
The Holy Roman Emperor is a term used by historians to denote a medieval ruler who, as German King, had also received the title of "Emperor of the Romans" from the Pope...
, Henry V
Henry V, Holy Roman Emperor
Henry V was King of Germany and Holy Roman Emperor , the fourth and last ruler of the Salian dynasty. Henry's reign coincided with the final phase of the great Investiture Controversy, which had pitted pope against emperor...
. Matilda's brother, and King Henry's only legitimate son, William
William Adelin
William , surnamed Adelin , was the son of Henry I of England by his wife Matilda of Scotland, and was thus heir-apparent to the throne. His early death without issue caused a succession crisis.William was born in Winchester...
died in 1120, leaving Matilda as Henry's only legitimate offspring. After Matilda was widowed in 1125, she returned to England, where her father married her to Geoffrey, Count of Anjou
Geoffrey V, Count of Anjou
Geoffrey V , called the Handsome and Plantagenet, was the Count of Anjou, Touraine, and Maine by inheritance from 1129 and then Duke of Normandy by conquest from 1144...
. All the magnates of England and Normandy were required to declare fealty
Fealty
An oath of fealty, from the Latin fidelitas , is a pledge of allegiance of one person to another. Typically the oath is made upon a religious object such as a Bible or saint's relic, often contained within an altar, thus binding the oath-taker before God.In medieval Europe, fealty was sworn between...
to Matilda as Henry's heir, but when Henry I died in 1135, Stephen rushed to England and had himself crowned before either Theobald or Matilda could react. The Norman barons accepted Stephen as Duke of Normandy, and Theobald acquiesced to his brother's usurpation.
Matilda, though, was not reconciled to losing the throne, and secured the support of the Scottish king, David
David I of Scotland
David I or Dabíd mac Maíl Choluim was a 12th-century ruler who was Prince of the Cumbrians and later King of the Scots...
, who was her maternal uncle. In 1138 she also secured the support of her half-brother, Robert of Gloucester
Robert, 1st Earl of Gloucester
Robert Fitzroy, 1st Earl of Gloucester was an illegitimate son of King Henry I of England. He was called "Rufus" and occasionally "de Caen", he is also known as Robert "the Consul"...
the Earl of Gloucester
Earl of Gloucester
The title of Earl of Gloucester was created several times in the Peerage of England. A fictional earl is also a character in William Shakespeare's play King Lear. See also Duke of Gloucester.-Earls of Gloucester, 1st Creation :...
, an illegitimate son of Henry I. Most of the reign of King Stephen was dominated by the efforts of Matilda and later her son, Henry of Anjou
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...
to oust Stephen from the throne. The height of the civil war was from 1142 to 1148, but it began in 1138 when Robert of Gloucester declared for Matilda, after previously supporting Stephen. Traditionally, historians have referred to the period of civil war as "The Anarchy
The Anarchy
The Anarchy or The Nineteen-Year Winter was a period of English history during the reign of King Stephen, which was characterised by civil war and unsettled government...
", but recent scholarship has rejected the extreme view of the time period as lawless; most historians see the reign as disordered but not highly so, and Stephen as weak but not useless.
Early life
Chesney was the son of Roger de Chesney and Alice de Langetot. The elder Chesney came from near Quesney-Guesnon in the CalvadosCalvados
The French department of Calvados is part of the region of Basse-Normandie in Normandy. It takes its name from a cluster of rocks off the English Channel coast...
region of Normandy
Normandy
Normandy is a geographical region corresponding to the former Duchy of Normandy. It is in France.The continental territory covers 30,627 km² and forms the preponderant part of Normandy and roughly 5% of the territory of France. It is divided for administrative purposes into two régions:...
, and held lands in England from Robert d'Oilly
Robert D'Oyly
Robert D'Oyly was a Norman nobleman who accompanied William the Conqueror on the Norman Conquest, his invasion of England. He died in 1091.-Background:Robert was the son of Walter D'Oyly and elder brother to Nigel D'Oyly...
at the time of the Domesday Survey in 1087. Alice was the daughter of Ralph de Langetot, who held lands of Walter Giffard at the time of Domesday. William's brother Robert de Chesney
Robert de Chesney
Robert de Chesney was a medieval English Bishop of Lincoln. He was the brother of an important royal official, William de Chesney, and the uncle of Gilbert Foliot, later successively Bishop of Hereford and Bishop of London...
later became Bishop of Lincoln. His other siblings were Reginald, who later became abbot of Evesham Abbey
Evesham Abbey
Evesham Abbey was founded by Saint Egwin at Evesham in England between 700 and 710 A.D. following a vision of the Virgin Mary by Eof.According to the monastic history, Evesham came through the Norman Conquest unusually well, because of a quick approach by Abbot Æthelwig to William the Conqueror...
, Hugh, Ralph, Hawise, Beatrice, Isabel, and Roger. Chesney was the uncle of Gilbert Foliot
Gilbert Foliot
Gilbert Foliot was a medieval English monk and prelate, successively Abbot of Gloucester, Bishop of Hereford and Bishop of London. Born to an ecclesiastical family, he became a monk at Cluny Abbey in France at about the age of twenty...
who became successively abbot of Gloucester Abbey
Gloucester Abbey
Gloucester Abbey was a Benedictine abbey for monks in the city of Gloucester, England. The abbey was founded about 1022 and was dedicated to Saint Peter. It is recorded that the abbey lost about a quarter of its complement of monks in 1377 due to the Black Death.In 1540, the abbey was dissolved by...
, Bishop of Hereford
Bishop of Hereford
The Bishop of Hereford is the Ordinary of the Church of England Diocese of Hereford in the Province of Canterbury.The see is in the City of Hereford where the seat is located at the Cathedral Church of Saint Mary and Saint Ethelbert which was founded as a cathedral in 676.The Bishop's residence is...
and Bishop of London
Bishop of London
The Bishop of London is the ordinary of the Church of England Diocese of London in the Province of Canterbury.The diocese covers 458 km² of 17 boroughs of Greater London north of the River Thames and a small part of the County of Surrey...
. It is likely that it was one of William's sisters that married Gilbert's father, although there is no sure evidence of this. Chesney also mentioned as relatives the brothers Alexander de Chesney and Ralph de Chesney, but the exact relationship is unknown. Chesney needs to be distinguished from another William de Chesney, who held the office of Sheriff of Norfolk
High Sheriff of Norfolk
This is a list of High Sheriffs of Norfolk. The High Sheriff is the oldest secular office under the Crown and is appointed annually by the Crown. He was originally the principal law enforcement officer in the county and presided at the Assizes and other important county meetings...
between 1146 and 1153.
Career
William and his brother Roger de Chesney were leading supporters of King Stephen in 1141, and were both leaders in Stephen's army that gathered at Winchester. In 1143, William de Chesney was given control of the town and royal castle at OxfordOxford
The city of Oxford is the county town of Oxfordshire, England. The city, made prominent by its medieval university, has a population of just under 165,000, with 153,900 living within the district boundary. It lies about 50 miles north-west of London. The rivers Cherwell and Thames run through...
. He also held the town and castle of Deddington
Deddington
Deddington is a civil parish in Oxfordshire about south of Banbury. In scale Deddington is a village, but it has a town centre with a market place and the local football team is called Deddington Town FC.-History:...
, which he had acquired at least by 1157, and possibly earlier. Although he did not begin the fortifications at Deddington Castle
Deddington Castle
Deddington Castle was in the large village of Deddington 6 miles south of Banbury, Oxfordshire .It was built on a Saxon site as a motte and bailey castle in the 11th century by Bishop Odo of Bayeux, the half brother of William the Conqueror...
, it is likely that he began the first stone defences at the site. Deddington was Chesney's most important holding in Oxfordshire, and the basis of his power in the county.
Before he controlled Deddington, Chesney temporarily administered the lands of Robert d'Oilly
Robert D'Oyly (Osney)
Robert D'Oyly was a 12th century English nobleman, son of Nigel D'Oyly, and nephew of Robert D'Oyly, founder of Oxford Castle.Robert married Edith Forne, daughter of Lord Greystock, who had been King Henry I of England's concubine, in 1120...
, who had previously held Oxford Castle
Oxford Castle
Oxford Castle is a large, partly ruined Norman medieval castle situated on the west edge of Oxford in Oxfordshire, England. The original moated, wooden motte and bailey castle was replaced with stone in the 11th century and played an important role in the conflict of the Anarchy...
but had defected to the side of the Empress Matilda in 1141 and died a year later. D'Oilly's heir took refuge with Matilda when Stephen overran his lands two weeks after his father's death, leading to Chesney's control of the d'Oilly lands. Some historians have seen this holding of the lands as Stephen giving Chesney the d'Oilly barony, but the only evidence for this is that Chesney eventually owned a manor previously belonging to d'Oilly which does not necessarily mean that he received the whole barony. It is far more likely that Stephen gave Chesney parts of the lands of William fitzOsbern, which had reverted to the king in 1075. Most of the known lands of fitzOsbern are known to have been owned by Chesney or by tenants who held the lands from him.
Historians are divided in their views as to whether Chesney held the office of Sheriff of Oxfordshire. Whatever the exact office that Chesney held in Oxfordshire, the townsmen of Oxford referred to him as their "alderman" before such honorifics were in common use.
In 1145, Chesney was forced to ask Stephen for help in fending off the approach of Philip, a younger son of Robert, Earl of Gloucester, who was threatening Chesney's control of Oxford. During the period 1142–1148 Chesney forced Gloucester Abbey, then under the abbacy
Abbot
The word abbot, meaning father, is a title given to the head of a monastery in various traditions, including Christianity. The office may also be given as an honorary title to a clergyman who is not actually the head of a monastery...
of his nephew Gilbert Foliot, to pay him sums of money. Foliot, in one of his surviving letters, reprimanded his uncle for his behaviour, asking him "Which of God's poor around you have you not harmed?" In 1147, Chesney granted the island of Medley to Osney Abbey
Osney Abbey
Osney Abbey or Oseney Abbey, later Osney Cathedral, was a house of Augustinian canons at Osney in Oxfordshire. The site is south of the modern Botley Road, down Mill Street by Osney Cemetery, next to the railway line just south of Oxford station. It was founded as a priory in 1129, becoming an...
in the name of his father and brother Roger, as well as King Stephen, Queen Matilda and their son Eustace. After 1148, Chesney apparently began to hedge his bets as he appears in the company of Roger of Hereford
Roger Fitzmiles, 2nd Earl of Hereford
Roger Fitzmiles, 2nd Earl of Hereford, was born some time before 1125 and, according to the Hereford Cathedral Book of Obits, died on 22 September 1155...
, the Earl of Hereford
Earl of Hereford
The title of Earl of Hereford was created six times in the Peerage of England. See also Duke of Hereford, Viscount Hereford. Dates indicate the years the person held the title for.-Earls of Hereford, First Creation :*Swegen Godwinson...
, who was a firm supporter of Matilda's and her son Henry's cause.
Chesney served again as the leader of Stephen's army at Wallingford Castle
Wallingford Castle
Wallingford Castle was a major medieval castle situated in Wallingford in the English county of Oxfordshire , adjacent to the River Thames...
in 1153 and in August he was defeated by Henry of Anjou. The subsequent peace settlement, the Treaty of Wallingford
Treaty of Wallingford
The Treaty of Wallingford of 1153, aka Treaty of Winchester or as the Treaty of Westminster, was an agreement that effectively ended the civil war known as the Anarchy, caused by a dispute between Empress Matilda and her cousin King Stephen of England over the English crown...
, gave Henry the English throne after Stephen's death. A part of the treaty awarded control of Oxford Castle to Roger de Bussy. Although Chesney had lost control of the castle, none of his lands were confiscated. Early in 1154, Chesney was with Henry, as he was a witness on two charters of Henry's. After Henry's ascension to the throne, Chesney came to terms with the new king, and received confirmation of his lands from the king by 1157. He spent time in Normandy with Henry from 1159 through to 1161. He continued to receive favours from the king, such as exemption for payment of danegeld
Danegeld
The Danegeld was a tax raised to pay tribute to the Viking raiders to save a land from being ravaged. It was called the geld or gafol in eleventh-century sources; the term Danegeld did not appear until the early twelfth century...
on his manor of Deddington in 1156.
Chesney married Margaret de Lucy, who was probably a relative of Richard de Lucy, another of Stephen's main supporters. He died sometime between 1172 and 1176. Chesney's heir was his niece Matilda, whom King Henry II married to Henry fitzGerold, a royal chamberlain.