Emmeline was a daughter of Urso D’Abitot, and wife of Walter de Beauchamp

[sbarnh...@gmail.com]

Given that I am a maternal descendant of Walter de Beauchamp and his wife Emmeline, I have yet to find a primary source record that mentions Emmeline by name. There’s a score of secondary sources which state explicitly that Emmeline was a daughter of Urso D’Abitot. According to Charles Cawley’s Medieval Lands webpage, about Emmeline, “The primary source which confirms her name has not yet been identified.” Does such a source exist? Would welcome help. Thanks in advance.

[ronchid...@gmail.com]

Dictionary of National Biography, 20 (1909): 52-53 contains a biography of Urse d'Abetot (flourished 1086), sheriff of Worcestershire.

This biography contains the following information:

"Walter de Beauchamp, who married Urse's daughter Emmeline (see Dugdale), obtained from Henry I a confirmation of the lands given him by Adelisa, Urse's widow, together with the shrievalty of Worcestershire and the office of constable. These grants, which are recorded in the Warwick cartulary, founded the greatness of the Beauchamps, whose descendants, it is said, preserved the memory of Urse in the well-known 'bear' cognisance of the earls of Warwick. It is well ascertained that Robert the Despencer, another tenant-in-chief, was brother to Urse (see Heming, Cartulary, p. 253; Geoffrey de Mandeville, p. 314), and his office of despencer was obtained by Walter de Beauchamp. It is usually stated that the Marmions were the heirs of Robert, but it is certain that much of his property passed to the Beauchamps (see Ancient Charters, p. 2; Geoffrey de Mandeville, pp. 313-15; Feudal England, pp. 170-76, 179-80, 194-5)." END OF QUOTE

The above biography may be viewed at the following weblink:

http://books.google.com/books?id=xS88AAAAIAAJ&pg=PA52

Haskins, Norman Institutions (Harvard Hist. Studies 24) (1918): 298–299 publishes a transcript of the charter of King Henry I dated 1123–9, by which he confirmed to Walter de Beauchamp the land granted him by Adeliza, wife of Urse d’Abbetot.

This charter may be viewed at the following weblink:

http://books.google.com/books?id=mwAbAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA298

Mason, Beauchamp Cartulary Charters 1100–1268 (Pipe Roll Society n.s. 43) (1980): 3 includes a transcript of the same charter.

See the following weblink for a snippet view of this book:

http://books.google.com/books?id=Z_IsAQAAMAAJ&q=Urso+Abbetot&dq=Urso+Abbetot&hl=en&sa=X&ei=EVxwUrfIMMaIygH_5IGYBw&ved=0CEcQ6AEwBjgU

Elsewhere Mason, Westminster Abbey Charters, 1066–c.1214 (London Rec. Soc. 25) (1988): 318–319 publishes the abstract of a memorandum dated 1095–6 x ante 1098 regarding the restoration by Robert Dispensator [Dispenser], for his soul, of the land and manor of Comberton, Worcestershire, part of the abbey’s demesne; witnesses include Urse brother of the said Robert and the wife (unnamed) of the said Robert).

I assume you will find evidence (or some claim of evidence) of Emmeline, wife of Walter de Beauchamp, in Dugdale's Baronage. You may also wish to view the discussion of these families in VCH Worcester 1 (1901): 329-330, at the following weblink:

https://archive.org/stream/victoriahistoryo01will#page/328/mode/2up

On page 330 it is stated that Urse de Abetot witnessed a charter of King Henry I to Evesham Abbey dated 1100-1108.

Good luck in your sleuthing!

Best always, Douglas Richardson, Salt Lake City, Utah

[Jan]

The current online Oxford DNB article about Urse d'Abetot (revised by Emma Mason) says, in part, "Urse's daughter was probably named Emmeline; Dugdale identified her from a register of the dean and chapter of Worcester—presumably register II (now lost), since she is not named either in register I or in the rental of 1240. She married Walter (I) de Beauchamp (d. c.1133), who acquired the estates of Urse." It also says that Urse died "in the course of 1108" and that his son Roger was banished about 1110.

The following sources are cited at the bottom of the online article:
E. Mason, ed., The Beauchamp cartulary: charters, 1100–1268, PRSoc., new ser., 43 (1980)
Hemingi chartularium ecclesiæ Wigorniensis, ed. T. Hearne, 2 vols. (1723)
Willelmi Malmesbiriensis monachi de gestis pontificum Anglorum libri quinque, ed. N. E. S. A. Hamilton, Rolls Series, 52 (1870)
R. R. Darlington, ed., ‘Winchcombe annals, 1049–1181’, A medieval miscellany for Doris Mary Stenton, ed. P. M. Barnes and C. F. Slade, PRSoc., new ser., 36 (1962), 111–37, 122
Florentii Wigorniensis monachi chronicon ex chronicis, ed. B. Thorpe, 2, EHS, 10 (1849), 11
Dugdale, Monasticon, 3.447
T. Habington, A survey of Worcestershire, ed. J. Amphlett, 2 vols., Worcestershire Historical Society (1895–9), vol. 2, pp. 178, 263
F. West, The justiciarship in England, 1066–1232 (1966), 10–12
I. J. Sanders, English baronies: a study of their origin and descent, 1086–1327 (1960)
R. R. Darlington, ed., The cartulary of Worcester Cathedral priory (register I), PRSoc., 76, new ser., 38 (1968), no. 41
R. R. Darlington, ‘Aethelwig, abbot of Evesham’, EngHR, 48 (1933), 177–98
W. Dugdale, The baronage of England, 2 vols. (1675–6), vol. 1, p. 225
British Library, the Beauchamp cartulary, Add. MS 28024