The Brus Family in England and Scotland 1100-1295 by Ruth M. Blakely

[Rosie Bevan]

Ruth Blakely's interesting study of this family has recently been
published by Boydell Press. She describes the work as "a survey of the
activities of one of the most important cross-Border families, the
ancestors of Robert the Bruce", and as implied treats both the Scottish
and English branches. This unified approach is very useful to
understanding the dynamics of the family because of the continuing
interaction between the branches through to the 13th century, but
perhaps just as significantly, it results in a long overdue study of
the Skelton branch.

The book contains 244 pages of research on the Brus family with a
particularly useful appendix containing 197 Brus charters. Tables and
maps are included and also five genealogical charts showing:

1. The Brus family
2. The Scottish succession
3. Connections of Isabel of Huntingdon and Isabel de Clare
4. Conjectured descent of the families of Turp and Seton
5. Links between the families of Hoddom and Carlisle

The chapters include:
1.Robert de Brus
2.Divided Inheritance
3.Lords of Skelton
4.Lords of Annandale
5.The Brus Estates in England and Scotland
6.Land Management and Income
7.Tenants, Companions and Household
8.Status, Kin and Patronage

As far as the genealogy goes there aren't too many surprises. The
author discusses the arrival of Robert de Brus as one of Henry I's 'new
men' from Brix (styled Bruis in contemporary documents), Cotentin
around 1100. She agrees with Farrer in rejecting the traditional
identity of Agnes, wife of Robert I Brus, as a Paynel, and, owing to
charter evidence, leans to his theory that that Agnes was a Sourdeval.

She also discusses the evidence behind Agnes de Aumale as wife of Adam
I, not Adam II as given by traditional pedigrees. This was also aired
on the newsgroup in 2002 when the correction appeared in Keats-Rohan's
Domesday Descendants (p.354), based on Blakely's research.

Blakely also discusses the wife of Peter I de Brus, usually given in
traditional pedigrees as Joan Grammary or le Grammaire because of a
charter of gift to Healaugh, from her maritagium, of a rent of 10 marks
from the mill at Knottingley (which appears later as a charge on the
Lacy estate). She explains that although the Grammary family had some
interest in Knottingley, the Lacys appear to have retained the town, a
fishery and mill, and consequently identifies Joan as a Lacy. This is a
far more likely identification as the Grammarys were never more than
minor knights in this period, and such a marriage would have been
considered disparaging for the head of a baronial family.
Interestingly, the first person to attest Peter's charter of liberties
to Langbaurgh wapentake, a prototype of the Magna Carta, was Roger de
Lacy.

Cheers

Rosie

[John P. Ravilious]

Dear Rosie,

Many thanks for those details re: Ms. Blakely's work.

While there are no new 'finds' or earthshattering developments
indicated, this will likely be a good read and source for some time to
come.

Cheers,

John