User:Curlyfern/sandbox

Bosker Surname
The Bosker surname can be found in the domes day book recorded the website opendomesday.org. Lord Bosker, of 1086 lived in Cubbington, and was a subtenant of the Count of Meulan. From this point the reader can move forward or backwards into the depths of history.

This relationship was no accident of fortune. The Count of Meulans family, had also been the overlords of the Boskers in France before the Norman invasion of 1066. I say the Boskers, but actually due to slight changes in historical spelling, they would be better known as one arm of the Basquevyle family, also know as the Baskervilles, the Boskervilles, the Boschervilles etc etc.

In 1066 William the Conquerer of France did battle against Great Britain. Robert de Ferriers and the Count de Meulan accompanied him, bringing with them the underlords from Normandy. The underlords of this family at this time were Nicholas Bacqueville and his sons Walter de Martel, Geoffrey Martel de Bacquevielle, William Martel de Baskerville, (Probably Bacqueville at the time) and Roger Bosqueville. (Boskerville) Nicholas` family fought hard during the battle and won back an award that their family treasured, known as the Martels, a type of hammer. As the award was 3 hammers, I am assuming that this was through the efforts of 3 members of the family. This award can be seen in heraldic device shown in the village of Bacquevielle en Caux. (It was also held by the village of Martel, in the Dordogne region of France, but then lost, but I will come back to this later.) Roger Boskerville is recorded to have held Eisse, Turvedstun and Hiltune on Domes day. There has been some theories that the Bosker families at this time were part of the Avenel family, but I can find little to support this, other than a geographical closeness, Avenel being 2 hours away from Bacquevielle in France. It appears to me that the Avenel family, like the Boskers were subtenants of the Ferrers. They were not recorded as coming over with the Norman invasion of 1066, or being settled in England in 1086.

It has always been the pattern of the French nobility to continue using the same name for the oldest child from one generation to the next. I might also point out that this family did not stop their habit of speaking French on settling in England. As this is the case I have considered that the next generation of the Bosker family was William Boscherville whose precense was recorded in 1148, as this name was carried forward (on and off) for several generations.

My research then took me to British History online.

We already know that Lord Bosker lived in Cubbington in 1086 from the Domes Day Map. From this source we find that Cubbington was a place in Warwickshire having only 2 villagers, 2 small holders and 3 slaves. There can be little confusion over his identity. The area consisted of 15 acres of meadow.

British History onine describes how: "In 1086 Tonne held 2 hides in BERICOTE (5 minutes drive from Cubbington) under Turchil, whose father Alwin had held it under the Confessor; the estate included a mill worth 4s. (fn. 29) This apparently later escheated to the Crown, as Henry II gave the manor and mill, valued at 100s., to his serjeant Boscher to hold by service of looking after a white brachet (hound) with red ears and at the end of the year returning the brachet to the king, receiving another to bring up and half a quarter of meal. From Boscher it passed to his son Henry,   (fn. 30) who conveyed it to Stephen de Segrave.

The Boskers were an important family, the name was at that time shortened from Boscherville or possibly ever Boskerville to Bosker or Boscher.

In the Pipe roles it records how: "William de boskerville held 3 knights fees of which rale his son held 1 and robert (2nd) (Earl of Ferrars) 1162 gave the 3rd to the Knights Templars"

It is also recorded in the pipe rolls how:

"7.- BASKERVILLE, HENRY DE, AND JOHN, HIS SON, HELD THREE KNIGHTS` FEES.

Note. – This name seems to be another form of that of Boscherville"

The Baskervilles are well known to be the Earls of Warwick, but to further support the identity of Henry Boscher I refer again to British History online where it describes how:

"In addition to the knight's fee held of the Earls of Warwick by the Lodbrokes there was a fraction of a fee held of them in Ladbroke. This may be the 3 virgates held of Turchil by Gilbert in 1086, as it first appears as 3 virgates in Ladbroke held in 1226–8 by Henry Boscher by serjeanty of keeping one of the king's brachet hounds, and was then worth 15s. yearly."

The heirs of Henry were later recorded to be in dispute over the 1/2 a knights fee that he left in his will.

This relationship is further described in British History online in the quote

"As it first appears as 3 virgates in Ladbroke held in 1226–8 by Henry Boscher by serjeanty of keeping one of the king's brachet hounds, and was then worth 15s. yearly. (fn. 52) In 1235 Henry Boscher was holding one-fifth fee of the Earl of Warwick. (fn. 53) He must have died not long after this date as his heirs are entered as holding a half-fee in 1242, (fn. 54) one of those heirs being possibly Roger de Sutham who held one-fifth fee here in 1268. (fn. 55) Henry Boscher's daughter Maud, however, gave her share of her father's lands in Ladbroke to the Hospital of St. John outside the East Gate of Oxford, (fn. 56) to whom one Warin de Greneburgh also gave land with a house and croft here. (fn. 57) In a list of fees of the earl c. 1320 the master of the hospital is said to hold a quarter fee of the fee which Thomas de Arderne once held of the earl 'and it is called Boscref'. (fn. 58) In 1350 Adam de Lodbroke, master of the hospital of St. John, leased the lands in this parish to William de Catesby at 40s. (fn. 59) —apparently much more than they were worth. (fn. 60) The hospital and its possessions were subsequently absorbed by Magdalen College.

The Cistercian abbey of Combe received a number of small grants of land in Ladbroke, many of them from Henry (son of William) Boscher. (fn. 61)

Early in the 13th century Henry son of William Boscher gave to the monks of Combe Abbey land on Heidune for building a new mill, and a little later John de Lodbroke gave 3 acres 'below the mill', this being evidently a windmill. (fn. 2) Although a water-mill worth 3s. existed on Hugh de Grentemaisnil's estate in 1086, (fn. 3) the only later references to such a mill seem to be in about 1263 (fn. 4) and in 1316, when William le Vynter of Coventry and Joan his wife conveyed a mill and 2 carucates of land in Ladbroke to John and Alice de Langeleye. (fn. 5)

The overlordship of the earls of Warwick as regards Turchil's 3 virgates can be traced in 1235 and 1242 (fn. 33) as to a half and a tenth of a fee, the tenth-fee being again returned in 1268 (fn. 34) and a fifth of a fee in 1315 (fn. 35) and 1401, the last instance being described as in NAPTON BOSCHER, (fn. 36) a form found in a list of fees of the early 14th century. (fn. 37) The sub-tenant in 1235, 1242, and 1268 was Thomas de Arderne, a descendant of Turchil; in the first case Ralph de Normanvill was associated with him. The service demanded of Thomas, as regards two virgates, was that of keeping one of the king's brachet dogs. (fn. 38) In 1315 Ralph Basset of Sapcote (Leics.) appears as the sub-tenant. A half fee formerly held by Thomas 'Darderne' occurs in 1428. (fn. 39)

Henry II enfeoffed Boscher, presumably a descendant of the Count of Meulan's tenant, of 4½ virgates of land in Cubbington, most of which in 1251–2 was let out among various sub-tenants, (with the over lordship by Adam Boscher, (fn. 23) and in the reign of Richard I his son Henry Boscher granted to the Abbey of Stoneleigh lands amounting to a hide and threequarters of a virgate, held by him or by sub-tenants. (fn. 24) Numerous other grants of land and tenements in Cubbington were made to Stoneleigh Abbey during the Middle Ages, (fn. 25) and in 1284 the abbot and convent were granted free warren in their demesne lands in Cubbington and elsewhere. (fn. 26) The total value of the Stoneleigh holdings in Cubbington in 1535 was £11 4s. 6d.; (fn. 27) in 1546 they were granted to Edward Watson of Rockingham (Northants.) and Henry Herdson, skinner, of London, (fn. 28) who later in the same year obtained licence to alienate them to Richard Fawkenor. (fn. 29) The latter died seised of the property in 1558. (fn. 30)

In 1262 William Boscher had held land there of Christchurch Manor, for which he owed castle ward at Christchurch, (fn. 54) and in 1315 Robert Boscher died possessed of Bashley Manor. (fn. 55) His son William being then an infant of five, the lands were ordered to be delivered to his widow Agnes. (fn. 56) This estate (fn. 57) is probably represented at the present day by Bashley Manor Farm, which is now owned by Major Brett, whose ancestor James Brett was holding the same in 1829. (fn. 58) The priory still owned part of the original estate in 1384, when it received a grant of free warren there. (fn. 59) This land seems to have been absorbed into their manor of Somerford (q.v. supra); it is included in an extent of the manor in 1628, (fn. 60) and sixty years later there is mention of a copse at Bashley belonging to the manor. (fn. 61)

as it first appears as 3 virgates in Ladbroke held in 1226–8 by Henry Boscher by serjeanty of keeping one of the king's brachet hounds, and was then worth 15s. yearly. (fn. 52) In 1235 Henry Boscher was holding one-fifth fee of the Earl of Warwick. (fn. 53) He must have died not long after this date as his heirs are entered as holding a half-fee in 1242, (fn. 54) one of those heirs being possibly Roger de Sutham who held one-fifth fee here in 1268. (fn. 55) Henry Boscher's daughter Maud, however, gave her share of her father's lands in Ladbroke to the Hospital of St. John outside the East Gate of Oxford, (fn. 56) to whom one Warin de Greneburgh also gave land with a house and croft here. (fn. 57) In a list of fees of the earl c. 1320 the master of the hospital is said to hold a quarter fee of the fee which Thomas de Arderne once held of the earl 'and it is called Boscref'. (fn. 58) In 1350 Adam de Lodbroke, master of the hospital of St. John, leased the lands in this parish to William de Catesby at 40s. (fn. 59) —apparently much more than they were worth. (fn. 60) The hospital and its possessions were subsequently absorbed by Magdalen College.

The Bosker surname can be found in the domes day book recorded the website opendomesday.org. Lord Bosker, of 1086 lived in Cubbington, and was a subtenant of the Count of Meulan and the Earl or Ferriers. The difficulty with the Bosker family, with regards to tracking down their heritage is the multiple changes in the spelling of the Bosker name. This was not suprising, as the Boskers took their name from the village of Bacquevielle en Caux in France, spoke French, and probably didn`t or couldn`t write in the first part of their early history. Either way they had to rely on various scribes being able to spell the name of their home village. Because of this, I have taken the time to explain my reasoning as I jump from name variation to name variation. From this point the reader can move forward or backwards into the depths of history.

The relationship between the Earl of Ferriers was no accident of fortune. The Earl of Ferriers had also been the overlords of the Boskers in France before the Norman invasion of 1066. (I say the Boskers, but actually due to slight changes in historical spelling, they would be better known as one arm of the Basquevyle family, also know as the Baskervilles, the Boskervilles, the Boschervilles etc etc.)

In 1066 William the Conquerer of France did battle against Great Britain. Robert de Ferriers and the Count de Meulan accompanied him, bringing with them the underlords from Normandy. (the Boskervilles, the Levetts and so on) The underlords of the Bosker family at this time were  Nicholas Bacqueville and his sons Walter de Martel, Geoffrey Martel de Bacquevielle, William Martel de Baskerville, and Roger Bosqueville, also spelt (Boskerville)  Nicholas` family fought hard during the battle and won back an award that their family treasured, known as the Martels, a type of hammer. As the award was 3 hammers, I am assuming that this was through the efforts of 3 members of the family. This award can be seen in heraldic device shown in the village of Bacquevielle en Caux. (It was also held by the village of Martel, in the Dordogne region of France, but then lost, but I will come back to this later.) Roger Boskerville is recorded to have held Eisse, Turvedstun and Hiltune on Domes day. There has been some theories that the Bosker families at this time were part of the Avenel family, but I can find little to support this, other than a geographical closeness, Avenel being 2 hours away from Bacquevielle in France. It appears to me that the Avenel family, like the Boskers were subtenants of the Ferrers. They were not recorded as coming over with the Norman invasion of 1066, or being settled in England in 1086.

It has always been the pattern of the French nobility to continue using the same name for the oldest child from one generation to the next. I might also point out that this family did not stop their habit of speaking French on settling in England. As this is the case I have considered that the next generation of the Bosker family was William Martel as this name was carried forward for several generations. I might also point out that William Martel almost certainly headed up other Baskerville clans through his children.

My research then took me to British History online.

We already know that Lord Bosker lived in Cubbington in 1086 from the Domes Day Map. From this source we find that Cubbington was a place in Warwickshire having only 2 villagers, 2 small holders and 3 slaves. There can be little confusion over his identity. The area consisted of 15 achres of meadow.

British History onine describes how: "In 1086 Tonne held 2 hides in BERICOTE (5 minutes drive from Cubbington) under Turchil, whose father Alwin had held it under the Confessor; the estate included a mill worth 4s. (fn. 29) This apparently later escheated to the Crown, as Henry II gave the manor and mill, valued at 100s., to his serjeant Boscher to hold by service of looking after a white brachet (hound) with red ears and at the end of the year returning the brachet to the king, receiving another to bring up and half a quarter of meal. From Boscher it passed to his son Henry,   (fn. 30) who conveyed it to Stephen de Segrave.  Here we also see how Bosker, and Boscher is in fact the same family name, spelt differently.  The Count de Meulan also made further references to Boskers extended name.

The heirs of Henry were later recorded to be in dispute over the 1/2 a knights fee that he left in his will.

Henry Boschers fraction of a knights fee was one of the list of Knights fees held by the Earls of Warwick,

"In addition to the knight's fee held of the Earls of Warwick by the Lodbrokes there was a fraction of a fee held of them in Ladbroke. This may be the 3 virgates held of Turchil by Gilbert in 1086, as it first appears as 3 virgates in Ladbroke held in 1226–8 by Henry Boscher by serjeanty of keeping one of the king's brachet hounds, and was then worth 15s. yearly."

The Boskers were an important family when arriving to England, and further texts support this.

In the Pipe roles it records how: "William de boskerville held 3 knights fees of which rale his son held 1 and robert (2nd) (Earl of Ferrars) 1162 gave the 3rd to the Knights Templars"

There are further references, in the pipe rolls, as to how:

"7.- BASKERVILLE, HENRY DE, AND JOHN, HIS SON, HELD THREE KNIGHTS` FEES.

Note. – This name seems to be another form of that of Boscherville"

It then goes further to say:

1266. Sir John Baskerville obtained a grant of Old Whitting- ton, in Cheshire, from Robert de Camville."

This relationship is further described in British History online in the quote

"As it first appears as 3 virgates in Ladbroke held in 1226–8 by Henry Boscher by serjeanty of keeping one of the king's brachet hounds, and was then worth 15s. yearly. (fn. 52) In 1235 Henry Boscher was holding one-fifth fee of the Earl of Warwick. (fn. 53) He must have died not long after this date as his heirs are entered as holding a half-fee in 1242, (fn. 54) one of those heirs being possibly Roger de Sutham who held one-fifth fee here in 1268. (fn. 55) Henry Boscher's daughter Maud, however, gave her share of her father's lands in Ladbroke to the Hospital of St. John outside the East Gate of Oxford, (fn. 56) to whom one Warin de Greneburgh also gave land with a house and croft here. (fn. 57) In a list of fees of the earl c. 1320 the master of the hospital is said to hold a quarter fee of the fee which Thomas de Arderne once held of the earl 'and it is called Boscref'. (fn. 58) In 1350 Adam de Lodbroke, master of the hospital of St. John, leased the lands in this parish to William de Catesby at 40s. (fn. 59) —apparently much more than they were worth. (fn. 60) The hospital and its possessions were subsequently absorbed by Magdalen College.

The Cistercian abbey of Combe received a number of small grants of land in Ladbroke, many of them from Henry (son of William) Boscher. (fn. 61)

Early in the 13th century Henry son of William Boscher gave to the monks of Combe Abbey land on Heidune for building a new mill, and a little later John de Lodbroke gave 3 acres 'below the mill', this being evidently a windmill. (fn. 2) Although a water-mill worth 3s. existed on Hugh de Grentemaisnil's estate in 1086, (fn. 3) the only later references to such a mill seem to be in about 1263 (fn. 4) and in 1316, when William le Vynter of Coventry and Joan his wife conveyed a mill and 2 carucates of land in Ladbroke to John and Alice de Langeleye. (fn. 5)

The overlordship of the earls of Warwick as regards Turchil's 3 virgates can be traced in 1235 and 1242 (fn. 33) as to a half and a tenth of a fee, the tenth-fee being again returned in 1268 (fn. 34) and a fifth of a fee in 1315 (fn. 35) and 1401, the last instance being described as in NAPTON BOSCHER, (fn. 36) a form found in a list of fees of the early 14th century.

Henry II enfeoffed Boscher, presumably a descendant of the Count of Meulan's tenant, of 4½ virgates of land in Cubbington, most of which in 1251–2 was let out among various sub-tenants, (fn. 23) and in the reign of Richard I his son Henry Boscher granted to the Abbey of Stoneleigh lands amounting to a hide and threequarters of a virgate, held by him or by sub-tenants. (fn. 24) Numerous other grants of land and tenements in Cubbington were made to Stoneleigh Abbey during the Middle Ages, (fn. 25) and in 1284 the abbot and convent were granted free warren in their demesne lands in Cubbington and elsewhere. (fn. 26) The total value of the Stoneleigh holdings in Cubbington in 1535 was £11 4s. 6d.; (fn. 27) in 1546 they were granted to Edward Watson of Rockingham (Northants.) and Henry Herdson, skinner, of London, (fn. 28) who later in the same year obtained licence to alienate them to Richard Fawkenor. (fn. 29) The latter died seised of the property in 1558. (fn. 30)

In 1262 William Boscher also had held land there of Christchurch Manor, for which he owed castle ward at Christchurch, (fn. 54) and in 1315 Robert Boscher died possessed of Bashley Manor. (fn. 55) His son William being then an infant of five, the lands were ordered to be delivered to his widow Agnes. (fn. 56) This estate (fn. 57) is probably represented at the present day by Bashley Manor Farm, which is now owned by Major Brett, whose ancestor James Brett was holding the same in 1829. (fn. 58) The priory still owned part of the original estate in 1384, when it received a grant of free warren there. (fn. 59) This land seems to have been absorbed into their manor of Somerford (q.v. supra); it is included in an extent of the manor in 1628, (fn. 60) and sixty years later there is mention of a copse at Bashley belonging to the manor. (fn. 61)