General Notes

The following posting was made by Chris Phillips at soc.genealogy.medieval newsgroup:

From: Chris Phillips (cgp100@@cgp100.dabsol.co.uk)
Subject: Re: The Aguillon and the Ecstasy
View: Complete Thread (29 articles) 
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Newsgroups: soc.genealogy.medieval
Date: 2001-07-29 12:15:13 PST


> Is anything known further of the Cassandra de Insula, daughter of
> Richard who married Richard de Argentin (d. 1246)?

I don't know much more of her, but the main facts are at:
<http://www.medievalgenealogy.org.uk/families/arg/argoutl1.shtml#richard>

Her father was called Robert de Insula, according to the records I've seen. In various manuscript abstracts of "Argentein evidences", which seem to have been compiled in the late 16th century, there is a settlement of "Newmarket" by Robert on Richard in free marriage with his daughter Cassandra, and a gift by Oliver de Argentein to his lord and brother R. de "Argent" and his heirs who shall be born of the lady Cassandra, daughter of Sir Robert de Insula.

The marriage seems to be dated to 1203-1204, as land in Newmarket and Exning mentioned in the Pipe Rolls changes over from Robert de Insula to Richard de Argentein between those dates. Richard's son and heir Giles, at his death in 1282, held "Ixninge and Newmarket" in free socage of Robert de Insula. This, and the fact that Giles apparently had a daughter Cassandra who married Ralph Pyrot , seem to confirm that Cassandra was indeed Giles' mother.

> I have found the name Insula to be often interchangeable with Lisle of
> which there were families during this period at Kingston Lisle, Berks,
> Shirborne, Oxon. and Mundford, Norfolk and perhaps more.

The mention of Exning means there must be a relationship with Lisle of Rougemont (Complete Peerage viii 69), which begins:

Robert, s and heir of Robert* by Beatrice de Cormeilles, da and coheiress of Ralph the sewer to the Earl of Richmond (living 1166), held Rampton, Cottenham, Westwick and Nedging of the Bishop of Ely in 1212. He married firstly Sarah, da of Eborard de Aunus or Danys, and secondly c.1213, Roese, widow of Robert de Tateshall, and sis and heir of John de Wahull.

*Probably son of Robert de Insula by Galiena, da of William Blund. Geoffrey Ridell, Archdeacon of Canterbury, gave the said Galiena on her marriage to Robert the land that was Mainer the Porter's at Exning, confirmed by Henry II, Nov-Dec 1167 [full references given].

On this evidence, the chronology looks consistent with Robert the father of Cassandra being the son of Robert and Galiena. Otherwise, perhaps Cassandra might be a younger daughter of the first Robert by Galiena. If the abstract of the marriage settlement is accurate, it appears that Cassandra's father, whichever Robert he was, was still living in 1203-1204. Some of the 16th/17th century Argentein pedigrees say that Cassandra was the daughter of Robert de Insula son of John, but obviously this is very late "evidence".

Complete Peerage also refers to a reconstruction of the family in Farrer's "Honors and Knights' Fees", which I don't think I've seen. Perhaps there's some more useful information there.

> Also, Sir William (d. 1419) was the illegitimate son of Sir John (d.
> 1382) of Great Wymondley and Halesworth. There were three daughters of
> John's marriage to Margaret Darcy of Great Sturton, Linc. I show them
> to be Elizabeth, Joan and Maud. Is this correct?

Yes. It seems William must have been an illegitimate son of John, as he is called his son in contemporary documents, but several of John's inquisitions post mortem name the representatives of his daughters as his heirs (and they were Margaret Darcy's heirs). William succeeded in holding on to the bulk of the Argentein estates, which had been settled on him by John, despite a bitter dispute with the families of his sisters.

My notes on the Argentein family as a whole are at:
<http://www.medievalgenealogy.org.uk/families/arg/argindex.shtml>
You may find it easier to look at the frames version if you have frames, as otherwise most of the links will open in new windows.

Chris Phillips