Margaret Biset

[Leo van de Pas via]

The elder Margaret Biset is recorded as having saved the life of King Henry III from an assassin at Worms in 1238, when the king went to Germany for the marriage of his sister, Isabel, to Emperor Friedrich II [see Notes & Queries 10th ser. 2 (1904): 69-70, citing Matthew Paris, Hist. Angl., ii 380, 412, 413; Annales Monastici iv. 431]; the elder Margaret Biset died at Bordeaux in 1242 ["obiit quoque mulier sanctissima apud Burdegalim Margareta Biset"].

-----This is a fascinating anecdote but I wonder about the date. Apparently Isabel married on 20 July 1235. Surely an assasination attempt is important enough to be mentioned, but David Williamson in his "Kings and Queens of England" does not make a mention of it. Perhaps Henry III's visit to Worms was just a visit, and not to attend his sister's marriage?

Does anyone know more about this?
Leo van de Pas
Canberra, Australia

[Jan Wolfe]

Yes, the cited article says the marriage and the attempt on Henry's life were different events. See Notes and Queries series 10, no. 2 1904
http://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=hvd.32044005278981;view=1up;seq=89

Replies
MARGARET BISET.
(10th S. i. 468.)
This same Margaret Biset, who saved
Henry III. from an assassin on 9 September,
1238, is mentioned by Matthew Paris (' Hist.
Angl.,' vol. ii. p. 380) as having been sent as
a companion to Henry's sister Isabel, when
the latter went to Germany to marry the
Emperor Frederick II. This event took place
at Worms in the year 1235. Another maid
also accompanied her (" Cum sua nutrice et
magistra scilicet Margareta Biset, et altera
ancilla aurifrigaria Londoniensi"). The story
of saving Henry's life is given, vol. ii. pp. 412,
413. Margaret is there described as_ " quse-
dam mulier, dominse reginse familiaris." In
the same vol. p. 468, her death is mentioned
as having taken place at Bordeaux, 1242
(" obiit quoque mulier sanctissima apud Bur-
degalim Margareta Biset"). In Annales
Monastici,' vol. iv. p. 431, the story of the
assassin is once more repeated. It is in that
part of the volume which gives the 'Annales
Prioratus de Wigornia.'

[Leo van de Pas via]

Yes, the cited article says the marriage and the attempt on Henry's life were different events. See Notes and Queries series 10, no. 2 1904
http://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=hvd.32044005278981;view=1up;seq=89

-------Is it because I am not in the USA that I get the message Not available on line because of copyright reasons?
Leo

[Peter Stewart via]

On 5/08/2015 11:22 AM, Leo van de Pas via wrote:
> The elder Margaret Biset is recorded as having saved the life of King Henry III from an assassin at Worms in 1238, when the king went to Germany for the marriage of his sister, Isabel, to Emperor Friedrich II [see Notes & Queries 10th ser. 2 (1904): 69-70, citing Matthew Paris, Hist. Angl., ii 380, 412, 413; Annales Monastici iv. 431]; the elder Margaret Biset died at Bordeaux in 1242 ["obiit quoque mulier sanctissima apud Burdegalim Margareta Biset"].
>
> -----This is a fascinating anecdote but I wonder about the date. Apparently Isabel married on 20 July 1235. Surely an assasination attempt is important enough to be mentioned, but David Williamson in his "Kings and Queens of England" does not make a mention of it. Perhaps Henry III's visit to Worms was just a visit, and not to attend his sister's marriage?
>
>

The marriage of Isabel and Frederick was celebrated at Worms on 20 July
1235, when Margaret Biset was attending her her; the assassination
attempt on Henry III occurred at Woodstock on 9 September 1238 and was
foiled by Margaret, who was there as one of Queen Eleanore's ladies
("dominae reginae familiaris").

Peter Stewart

[Jan Wolfe]

Yes, see https://www.hathitrust.org/help_copyright

I copied the relevant section of the article, but I now see that the OCR missed some characters. Here it is again with a few corrections:

Replies
MARGARET BISET.
(10th S. i. 468.)
This same Margaret Biset, who saved
Henry III. from an assassin on 9 September,
1238, is mentioned by Matthew Paris ('Hist.
Angl.,' vol. ii. p. 380) as having been sent as
a companion to Henry's sister Isabel, when
the latter went to Germany to marry the
Emperor Frederick II. This event took place
at Worms in the year 1235. Another maid
also accompanied her ("Cum sua nutrice et
magistra scilicet Margareta Biset, et altera
ancilla aurifrigaria Londoniensi"). The story
of saving Henry's life is given, vol. ii. pp. 412,

413. Margaret is there described as "quaedam
mulier, dominae reginae familiaris." In

the same vol. p. 468, her death is mentioned
as having taken place at Bordeaux, 1242
("obiit quoque mulier sanctissima apud Bur-
degalim Margareta Biset"). In 'Annales
Monastici,' vol. iv. p. 431, the story of the
assassin is once more repeated. It is in that
part of the volume which gives the 'Annales
Prioratus de Wigornia.'

The article doesn't doesn't describe the event for the 1238 incident.

This appears in the Close Rolls the next month
October 1238
De quercubus datis.--Mandatum est baillivo manerii de Gillingeham quod faciat habere Margarete Byset x. quercus in forinseco bosco extra parcum de Gillingeham. Teste rege apud Walingef', xxiij. die Octobris.

Close Roll entries for September 1238 suggest that Henry was in Woodstock on 8 September and 10 September and in Wroxstan on 12 September, so perhaps the assassination attempt did not occur overseas.

Woodstock is indeed where Paris say the assassination attempt occurred. See
https://archive.org/stream/matthewparissen01rishgoog#page/n154/mode/2up

[D. Spencer Hines]

Loverly!

My 20th Great-Grandmother Margaret, a heroine.

In the Family we prefer to call her Marguerite.

But just how did she foil the dastardly plot of the assassin?

Aye, there's the rub.

DSH

"Non enim propter gloriam, diuicias aut honores pugnamus set propter
libertatem solummodo quam Nemo bonus nisi simul cum vita amittit."

"For we fight not for glory, nor riches, nor honours, but for Freedom alone,
which no good man gives up except with his life."

Scottish Declaration of Arbroath-6 April 1320

"Peter Stewart via" wrote in message
news:mailman.29.143874633...@rootsweb.com...

[rbe...@fernside.co.nz]

http://www.nottshistory.org.uk/Brown1896/burtonjoyce.htm

From Cornelius Brown, A History of Nottinghamshire (1896)

Six years before Walter Byset fled to England for protection, Henry III. had experienced a narrow escape from assassination. A madman entered the King's apartments during the night with an open knife in his hand, for the purpose of killing him, when Margaret Byset (granddaughter of Henry Byset, of East Bridgeford), one of the Queen's maids, who had been 'singing psalms by the light of a candle,' discovered him, and raising an alarm, the would-be assassin was seized, and was subsequently torn limb from limb by horses at Coventry. This timely service to him, rendered by one of the family, was probably in the King's mind when he extended his protection to Walter Byset.

[D. Spencer Hines]

Thank you, Rosie!

Good to hear from you.

Using this same method of execution today for convicted assassins might be a
salutary improvement.

...Sets a Good Example.

Best Regards,

Spencer

Prosecutio stultitiae est gravis vexatio, executio stultitiae coronat opus.

Quintus Aurelius Stultus [33 B.C. - 42 A.D.]

[D. Spencer Hines]

Possibly.

DSH

Prosecutio stultitiae est gravis vexatio, executio stultitiae coronat opus.

Quintus Aurelius Stultus [33 B.C. - 42 A.D.]

"Leo van de Pas via" wrote in message
news:mailman.28.143874130...@rootsweb.com...

[Peter Stewart via]

On 6/08/2015 5:06 AM, D. Spencer Hines via wrote:
> Loverly!
>
> My 20th Great-Grandmother Margaret, a heroine.
>
> In the Family we prefer to call her Marguerite.
>
> But just how did she foil the dastardly plot of the assassin?
>

The account by Matthew Paris can be read in English translation on pages
138-139 here
https://archive.org/details/matthewparisseng01pari

Peter Stewart

[D. Spencer Hines]

Thank you kindly, Peter.

All The Best,

Spencer

“Non enim propter gloriam, diuicias aut honores pugnamus set propter

libertatem solummodo quam Nemo bonus nisi simul cum vita amittit.”

“For we fight not for glory, nor riches, nor honours, but for Freedom alone,
which no good man gives up except with his life."

Scottish Declaration of Arbroath—6 April 1320

"Peter Stewart via" wrote in message

news:mailman.34.143881472...@rootsweb.com...

[D. Spencer Hines]

Attempt on the life of King Henry III of England.

"A Certain Villain Attempts To Murder The King In His Bedchamber" -- [1238]

"In the same year, a perilous adventure happened to the King, throwing all
people into great alarm. For, on the day after the Nativity of St. Mary
[which is celebrated on 8 September-DSH **], a certain learned esquire, as
it is said, came to the King's court at Woodstock, pretending that he was
insane, and said to the King, " Resign to me the kingdom, which you have
unjustly usurped, and so long detained from me ;" he also added, that he
bore the sign of royalty on his shoulder."

"The King's attendants wanted to beat him and drive him away from the royal
presence, but the King prevented those who were rushing on him from
violence, saying, " Let the insane man rave as becomes him, for such
people's words have not the influence of truth." In the middle of the night,
however, this same man entered the King's bedchamber window, carrying an
open knife, and approached the King's couch, but was confused at not finding
him there, and immediately began to look for him in the several chambers of
his residence. The King was, by God's providence, then sleeping with the
Queen."

"But one of the Queen's maids, named Margaret Biseth, [sic] was by chance
awake, and was singing psalms by the light of a candle (for she was a holy
maid, and one devoted to God), and when she saw this madman searching all
the private places, to kill the King, and frequently asking in a terrible
voice where the King was, she was greatly alarmed, and began to utter
repeated cries. At her dreadful cry the King's attendants awoke, and leaped
from their beds with all speed, and running to the spot, broke open the
door, which this robber had firmly secured with a bolt, and seized the
robber, and, notwithstanding his resistance, bound him fast and secured him.
He, after some time, confessed that he had been sent there to kill the King,
after the manner of the assassins, by William Marsh, son of Geoffrey Marsh,
and he stated that others had conspired to commit the same crime."

***"On learning this, the king ordered him, as guilty of an attempt to
murder the King's majesty, to be torn limb from limb by horses, at Coventry,
a terrible example, and lamentable sight to all who dared to plot such
crimes. In the first place, he was dragged asunder, then beheaded, and his
body divided into three parts ; each part was then dragged through one of
the principal cities of England, and was afterwards hung on a gibbet used
for robbers."***

Well Done!

Emphases Mine: DSH

**So the assassination attempt took place on 9 Sept 1238 Julian.

Matthew Paris's English History : From the Year 1235 to 1273
by Paris, Matthew, 1200-1259; Giles, J. A. (John Allen), 1808-1884
Published 1852

Courtesy of Peter Stewart:
https://archive.org/details/matthewparisseng01pari

DSH

"Non enim propter gloriam, diuicias aut honores pugnamus set propter
libertatem solummodo quam Nemo bonus nisi simul cum vita amittit."

"For we fight not for glory, nor riches, nor honours, but for Freedom alone,
which no good man gives up except with his life."

Scottish Declaration of Arbroath -- 6 April 1320

[Jan Wolfe]

On Wednesday, August 5, 2015 at 3:22:15 PM UTC-4, rbe...@fernside.co.nz wrote:
> http://www.nottshistory.org.uk/Brown1896/burtonjoyce.htm
>
> From Cornelius Brown, A History of Nottinghamshire (1896)
>
> Six years before Walter Byset fled to England for protection, Henry III. had experienced a narrow escape from assassination. A madman entered the King's apartments during the night with an open knife in his hand, for the purpose of killing him, when Margaret Byset (granddaughter of Henry Byset, of East Bridgeford), one of the Queen's maids, who had been 'singing psalms by the light of a candle,' discovered him, and raising an alarm, the would-be assassin was seized, and was subsequently torn limb from limb by horses at Coventry. This timely service to him, rendered by one of the family, was probably in the King's mind when he extended his protection to Walter Byset.
>

The quoted author states that the heroine Margaret was the granddaughter of Henry Byset of East Bridgeford.

From Douglas Richardson's analysis and sources, it appears that Margaret was the sister of Henry Biset and the aunt of the Margaret Biset who married Roger la Zouche and that Henry was the son of Manasser Biset.

Keats-Rohan (<i>Domesday Descendants</i> (2002), p. 177) states that Manasser Biset was the "son of William Biset and Hawisa, tenants in Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire of Stephen count of Aumale, lord of Holderness and successor of Dorgo de Beuvrière. He became <i>dapifer</i> to Henry II shortly before his accession to the throne. Manasser received extensive grants of land in Nottinghamshire, Worcestershire, Wiltshire and Hampshire from Henry, which thereafter formed the barony of Biset (Sanders, 5-6). He was married to Alice, sister and heiress of Gilbert de Falaise, seigneur of Cany, Seine-Maritime, arr. Yvetot (<i>Chartes Longueville</i>, nos 5, 33), in whose right he held one fee of the honour of Giffard in 1166. His son and heir was Henry Biset, also the name of Manasser's brother. At his death in 1177 Henry was still a minor, coming of age in 1187."

Keats-Rohan states of William Biset that "his family, wife Hawisa, their four sons, Manasser, William the Carpenter, Henry and Ansold, and their descendants occur as benefactors of Thurgarton priory in Nottinghamshire." ... "He was perhaps William son of Henry Visa or Bisa and his wife Bertha, who gave a moiety of the church of Fresnes to Tréport, with the assent of Countess Adelaide (<i>Aelida</i>) of Aumale and her son Stephen (<i>Archaeologia</i> 26, pp. 258-60)."