General Notes

OWNERS of the LORDSHIP of ABERGAVENNY (I) temp. William II

Hamelin de Ballon (c), received the lordship of Over Gwent, including thecastle of Abergavenny (d), from William Rufus.  He m. Agnes, and had twosons, William and Matthew.  He was living in 1103, and d. 5 Mar 11--(a).  [Complete Peerage I:20-21]

(c) For the earliest lord of Abergavenny see the paper on 'The family ofBallon', in JH Round's 'Studies in Peerage and Family History', whereDugdale's errors are corrected.  It is there shown that Hamelin, who tookhis name from his birthplace, Ballon in Maine, received his lands inEngland from William Rufus.  He founded a Priory in Abergavenny.

(d) The Castle "taketh his name from the river of Gevenny, whereon it issituate, and the British word Abher which signifieth a mouth", beingbuilt where the "Gevenny doth open itself to the end of the Uske".

(a) The 'fundatoris genalogia of Abergavenny' says that he was son of Drude Baladun, and that he dsp. and gave Abergavenny and Over Gwent toBrien, son of his sister Lucy.  But JH Round has proved that he left adaughter, Emmeline, who m. Reynold, son of Roger, Earl of Hereford [seeRoger FitzMiles of Gloucester Earl of Hereford in my files], and wasmother of William, who, in 1166, entered a claim to Abergavenny.  The'genealogia', which, however, as Round elsewhere remarks, breaks downcompletely on being tested, states that Earl Miles was son of Emma,another sister of Hamelin.