General Notes

ROBERT SON OF MARTIN, son and heir, succeeded to the lands (Low Ham, Pylle, Hornblotton, &c.) which Serlo de Burci held in 1086 of the Abbot of Glastonbury, and also to land in Devon (Rattery, &c.) held by William de Falaise at that date. In or before 1107 he agreed to the gift by William de Falaise and Geva of their interest in certain tithes to the abbey of Lonley. He was a benefactor to various monasteries, giving land at Compton to Goldcliffe, and the church of Blagdon to Stanley, Wilts, and the manor of Teignton to Montacute Priory in Somerset. He founded the abbey of St. Dogmael in his land in Kemeys about the year 1118, affiliating it to the order of Tiron (Thiron, near Nogent), and later made several grants to it. Not later than 1120 Robert fitz Martin and Maud Peverel his wife granted to the abbey of Savigny land at Vengeons (La Manche) which had belonged to William Peverel. Robert is mentioned in a Papal bull in 1128, and in 1130 was pardoned Danegeld in Dorset. In 1133 Robert son and heir of Martin, for Maud his wife and his heirs, gave lands in Combe, Devon, to Lewes, and the Prior of Lewes released all his claim in the chapel there. In 1135 Robert joined with other Norman lords in South Wales in resisting the sons of Gruffydd. He witnessed several charters of the Empress Maud, of whose party he was. Henry II in 1155 confirmed to Robert son of Martin the lands of his grandfather, Serlo de Burci, with all their liberties. His name occurs in the earlier Pipe Rolls of this reign in Somerset, Dorset, and Wilts.

He married, 1stly, Maud PEVEREL (possibly widow of William PEVEREL), at whose instigation he founded the abbey of St. Dogmael. She predeceased him. He married, 2ndly, Alice DE NONANT, probably daughter of Roger DE NONANT, of Broad Clyst. He was dead in 1159. His widow married again, in or before 1175, without the King's licence, for which trespass she forfeited her lands in Dartington, Langacre, and Holne.  [Complete Peerage VIII:530-2, (transcribed by Dave Utzinger)]