General Notes

[jweber.ged]

Lucy, living 1130, widow susscessively, of Ives Taillebois and Roger Fitz Gerold; m. probably c 1098 Ranulph III le Meschin.  [Ancestral Roots]

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He [Ranulph le Meschin] married Lucy, widow of Roger FITZ-GEROLD (by whom she was mother of William de Roumare, afterwards Earl of Lincoln). He died 17 or 27 January 1128/9, and was buried at St. Werburg's, Chester. The Countess Lucy confirmed, as his widow, the grant of the Manor of Spalding to the monks of that place (f). [Complete Peerage III:166, XIV:170, (transcribed by Dave Utzinger)]

(f) She paid 500 marks to King Henry in 1130 for license to remain unmarried for 5 years.

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The following copied from www.linacre.ox.ac.uk/research/prosop/PRSPN2.stm,
gives the latest research on the ancestry of Lucy:
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Antecessor Noster:
The Parentage of Countess Lucy Made Plain

A lot of ink has flowed on the subject, but there can be no doubt that the 'mysterious' Countess Lucy of Chester was William Malet's thrice-married granddaughter, the daughter of Robert Malet's sister and Turold the Sheriff of Lincoln (dead by 1079). The suggestion was first made by R. Kirk in 1888. As N. Sumner has more recently observed: 'This account has the merit of explaining why the lordship of Spalding and other places in Lincolnshire were held after Ivo's death not by Beatrice, his direct heir and the daughter of his marriage to Lucy, but by the later husbands of Lucy, Roger fitz Gerold and Ranulph Meschines.' It is clear from her charters that Lucy was an heiress; as was to be expected, her estates passed to the sons of her second and third marriages. Kirk's work was based upon conjecture, and contained a number of errors. The question of Lucy's parentage has therefore remained open. Nevertheless, there is proof that Kirk was right.

A spurious charter of Crowland Abbey made Turold of Bucknall (the Sheriff) the founder of the priory of Spalding as a cell of Crowland. It also called Turold brother of Godiva countess of Mercia, but subsequently described Godiva's son Earl Algar as Turold's cognatus (cousin). A genealogia fundatoris of Coventry Abbey made Lucy a daughter of Earl Algar and sister and heiress of earls Edwin and Morcar. The Peterborough Chronicle and the Pseudo-Ingulf's Chronicle of Crowland both made Lucy the daughter of Algar and niece or great-niece of Turold. We know that William Malet was half-English, so these traditions probably boil down to a relationship between Countess Godiva and William's English mother.

In 1153 a charter [RRAN, III, 180] of the future Henry II for Lucy's son Ranulf II of Chester referred to her uncles Robert Malet and Alan of Lincoln. Alan of Lincoln was the successor, and almost certainly the son, of Domesday's Alfred of Lincoln. Chronologically, it is most unlikely that Alan was Lucy's uncle. It was probably another of Alfred's sons whom Domesday described as Alfred nepos [nephew or grandson] of Turold, then holding a fee which was certainly thereafter held with the rest of the senior Alfred's fee by his heir Alan. Domesday provides a further indication that Alfred senior married another of William Malet's daughters when it names a William as Alfred's predecessor in two of his manors. Other parts of each of these manors (Linwood and Rothwell) were held in 1086 by Durand Malet, who was probably William's son. It seems that Henry's charter can be explained by seeing a scribe, perhaps in search of rhetorical balance, commit the error of ascribing two uncles to Lucy, instead of a niece (Lucy) and a nephew (Alan of Lincoln) to Robert Malet, who was uncle to both.

Turold is evidenced in Domesday Book as a benefactor of Crowland Abbey, to which he gave a parcel of land at Bucknall. The abbey also held land at Spalding that had probably been granted to it by Earl Algar and there is evidence to suggest that Turold the Sheriff gave further land there to the abbey of St Nicholas, Angers, before 1079. Lucy and her first husband Ivo Taillebois subsequently founded, or perhaps re-founded, a priory at Spalding subject to St Nicholas, Angers. A revealing phrase from the Register of Spalding Priory reads: 'mortuo quia dicto Thoraldo relicta sibi herede Lucia predicta' [at his death Turold left an heir, the aforesaid Lucy]. The word heres, 'heir', was often used of the child who was to inherit his/her father's property. Lucy later confirmed the gifts of all three of her husbands: 'pro redempcione anime patris mei et matris mee et dominorum meorum et parentum meorum' [for the souls of my father and mother, my husbands and my (other) relatives]. The association of the priory with such a small group of people and the description of Lucy as heres of Turold strongly hint at Lucy's parentage. But we can go further still.

In their initial benefaction Ivo and Lucy referred to 'antecessorum suorum Turoldi scilicet uxorisque eius regine' [our 'ancestors' Turold and his wife]. The reference to Turold's wife indicates that some part of his landholding had come to him through his wife, something also indicated by the occurrence of William Malet amongst those who had held the Domesday lands of Lucy's first husband Ivo Taillebois before him. The apparently vague Latin words antecessor and predecessor can both be used to mean something like 'predecessor'. Each of them conveys a range of very precise meanings in different circumstances. The description of Turold and his wife as antecessores of Ivo and Lucy may be compared to the usage in a charter in the cartulary of Mont-Saint-Michel by which the Angevins Hugh Chalibot and his wife confirmed the grants of her father, who was described as antecessor noster. Other examples of this phrase show clearly that it was used by a married man to describe the parent from whom his wife had inherited the property she brought to the marriage. Acting on her own account (normally after her husband's death), the heiress will often describe herself as the daughter of the parent her husband described as antecessor noster. A rare use of the phrase was to indicate the couple's immediate predecessor, not her father but her brother. In Lucy and Ivo's case the plurality of their antecessores, Turold and his wife, puts the matter beyond doubt. Lucy's parents were indeed Turold the Sheriff and a daughter of William Malet.

K. S. B. Keats-Rohan
Linacre College
Oxford

[Anc96365.FTW]  Cousin to Earl of Chester.
The Directory of Royal Genealogical Data does not list her among childrenof AElfgar.

Antecessor Noster:
The Parentage of Countess Lucy Made Plain
     A lot of ink has flowed on the subject, but there can be no doubtthat the 'mysterious' Countess Lucy of Chester was William Malet'sthrice-married granddaughter, the daughter of Robert Malet's sister andTurold the Sheriff of Lincoln (dead by 1079). The suggestion was firstmade by R. Kirk in 1888. As N. Sumner has more recently observed: 'Thisaccount has the merit of explaining why the lordship of Spalding andother places in Lincolnshire were held after Ivo's death not by Beatrice,his direct heir and the daughter of his marriage to Lucy, but by thelater husbands of Lucy, Roger fitz Gerold and Ranulph Meschines.' It isclear from her charters that Lucy was an heiress; as was to be expected,her estates passed to the sons of her second and third marriages. Kirk'swork was based upon conjecture, and contained a number of errors. Thequestion of Lucy's parentage has therefore remained open. Nevertheless,there is proof that Kirk was right.
     A spurious charter of Crowland Abbey made Turold of Bucknall (theSheriff) the founder of the priory of Spalding as a cell of Crowland. Italso called Turold brother of Godiva countess of Mercia, but subsequentlydescribed Godiva's son Earl Algar as Turold's cognatus (cousin). Agenealogia fundatoris of Coventry Abbey made Lucy a daughter of EarlAlgar and sister and heiress of earls Edwin and Morcar. The PeterboroughChronicle and the Pseudo-Ingulf's Chronicle of Crowland both made Lucythe daughter of Algar and niece or great-niece of Turold. We know thatWilliam Malet was half-English, so these traditions probably boil down toa relationship between Countess Godiva and William's English mother.
     In 1153 a charter [RRAN, III, 180] of the future Henry II for Lucy'sson Ranulf II of Chester referred to her uncles Robert Malet and Alan ofLincoln. Alan of Lincoln was the successor, and almost certainly the son,of Domesday's Alfred of Lincoln. Chronologically, it is most unlikelythat Alan was Lucy's uncle. It was probably another of Alfred's sons whomDomesday described as Alfred nepos [nephew or grandson] of Turold, thenholding a fee which was certainly thereafter held with the rest of thesenior Alfred's fee by his heir Alan. Domesday provides a furtherindication that Alfred senior married another of William Malet'sdaughters when it names a William as Alfred's predecessor in two of hismanors. Other parts of each of these manors (Linwood and Rothwell) wereheld in 1086 by Durand Malet, who was probably William's son. It seemsthat Henry's charter can be explained by seeing a scribe, perhaps insearch of rhetorical balance, commit the error of ascribing two uncles toLucy, instead of a niece (Lucy) and a nephew (Alan of Lincoln) to RobertMalet, who was uncle to both.
     Turold is evidenced in Domesday Book as a benefactor of CrowlandAbbey, to which he gave a parcel of land at Bucknall. The abbey also heldland at Spalding that had probably been granted to it by Earl Algar andthere is evidence to suggest that Turold the Sheriff gave further landthere to the abbey of St Nicholas, Angers, before 1079. Lucy and herfirst husband Ivo Taillebois subsequently founded, or perhaps re-founded,a priory at Spalding subject to St Nicholas, Angers. A revealing phrasefrom the Register of Spalding Priory reads: 'mortuo quia dicto Thoraldorelicta sibi herede Lucia predicta' [at his death Turold left an heir,the aforesaid Lucy]. The word heres, 'heir', was often used of the childwho was to inherit his/her father's property. Lucy later confirmed thegifts of all three of her husbands: 'pro redempcione anime patris mei etmatris mee et dominorum meorum et parentum meorum' [for the souls of myfather and mother, my husbands and my (other) relatives]. The associationof the priory with such a small group of people and the description ofLucy as heres of Turold strongly hint at Lucy's parentage. But we can gofurther still.
     In their initial benefaction Ivo and Lucy referred to 'antecessorumsuorum Turoldi scilicet uxorisque eius regine' [our 'ancestors' Turoldand his wife]. The reference to Turold's wife indicates that some part ofhis landholding had come to him through his wife, something alsoindicated by the occurrence of William Malet amongst those who had heldthe Domesday lands of Lucy's first husband Ivo Taillebois before him. Theapparently vague Latin words antecessor and predecessor can both be usedto mean something like 'predecessor'. Each of them conveys a range ofvery precise meanings in different circumstances. The description ofTurold and his wife as antecessores of Ivo and Lucy may be compared tothe usage in a charter in the cartulary of Mont-Saint-Michel by which theAngevins Hugh Chalibot and his wife confirmed the grants of her father,who was described as antecessor noster. Other examples of this phraseshow clearly that it was used by a married man to describe the parentfrom whom his wife had inherited the property she brought to themarriage. Acting on her own account (normally after her husband's death),the heiress will often describe herself as the daughter of the parent herhusband described as antecessor noster. A rare use of the phrase was toindicate the couple's immediate predecessor, not her father but herbrother. In Lucy and Ivo's case the plurality of their antecessores,Turold and his wife, puts the matter beyond doubt. Lucy's parents wereindeed Turold the Sheriff and a daughter of William Malet.

Maloney, Hendrick & Others - J. H. Maloney

Dau. of William Malet and Esilia Crispin; m. Ivo Taillebois; mother of Lucia Taillebois. [Falaise Roll, Table III]

NEWLIN LINE

m. Ivo Taillebois in 1072; d. c.1148. [Falaise Roll, p. 158]

Niece of Thorold the sheriff of Lincoln, or maybe a more distant relation. Married the powerful landowner, Ivo Taillebois (pronounced tailboy), who became the next sheriff. Lucy had a lasting influence on the history of Lincoln Castle. By some accounts she was the granddaughter of Earl Leofric of Mercia and Godgifu (Lady Godiva) Lucy was a great heiress in her own right and married into greater riches. Ivo Taillebois died about 1094, and the widow was contracted to a Norman baron, Roger Fitzgerald, who died in 1100, after which she married another Norman, Ranulf Meschin. The combined estates of this couple made them the greatest landowners inLindsey, not to mention their vast territories elsewhere.  [Lincoln Castle, p. 15] NOTE: I think it is her dau., Lucy who m. Roger Fitzgerald and Ranulf Meschin.