General Notes

On the origin of the Avranches, de Abrincis.

Avranches: Manche.

In 1166 William de Abrincis held twenty one and a half knights fees of the old feoffment and two and a half of the new, the majority being in Kent.  These, or the bulk of them, represented the lands of William of Arques, the Domesday tenant-in-chief, William's father Rualon of Avranches having married Maud daughter and heir of Nigel de Monville by Emma daughter and coheiress of William of Arques.  Since Rualon was Sheriff of Kent in 1130 he was then in possession of these lands.  In 1172 William de Abrincis held one fee of the honour of Mortain in the bailiwick of Cerences.  A charter of Henry II of 1185-88 confirmed to the abbey of Lessay the gift of William de Abrincis of a quarter of the church of St-Sauveur-Landelin, the chapelry of his house and twenty six acres of land, etc.  St-Saveur is 24 kil. North of Cerences; this locates William's Norman fee.  The original return of his fees made by the abbot of Le Mont-St-Michel in 1172 shows that William de Abrincis did homage to the abbot Robert de Torigni on his accession in 1158 for the land of Noient (Manche, arr. Avranches, cant. Pontorson, comm. Macey), and was holding that land in 1172 for three quarters of a third of a fee.  Macey is 14 kil. South of Avranches.  The identity of this Norman William with the Kentish tenant-in-chief of 1166 is clinched by the occurrence among his English under-tenants of a Richard de Milers holding two fees of the old feoffment and a Humphrey de Milliers holding one of the new.  There is a Millieres 8 kil. NW of St-Sauveur-Landelin, but no such place in Seine-Inferieure whence William of Arques and Nigel de Monville came. These people must have been enfeoffed by the Avranches family.  [Origins of Some Anglo-Norman Families]