• General Notes

  William, of Curry Malet and Shepton Mallet, Somerset; fl.1195-1217; Sheriff of Dorset and Somerset 1211; one of the 25magnates charged with seeing that the Magna Charta was compliedwith; married Alice, daughter and coheir of Thomas Basset, ofHeadington, Oxon, and died c1219. [Burke's Peerage]
  
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  Sir William Malet, Magna Charta Surety 1215, d. c 1216, of CurryMalet, sheriff of Somerset and Devon; m. Alice (or Aliva)Basset, daughter of Thomas Basset, who was named in the MagnaCharta 1215. [Magna Charta Sureties]
  
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  William II Malet, adult by 1196, barony of Curry Malet,Somerset, sheriff of Somerset and Dorset 1209, Magna ChartaSurety 1215, d. c 1216. He was survived by his apparently (2)wife Alice, d. c 1263, daughter and coheir of Thomas Basset, d.1220, lord of Headington, Oxford and Colynton and Whitford, co.Devon, by wife Philippa Malbank. Alice's maritagium, the manorof Deddington, co. Oxford. She m. (2) by 1223 John Bisset (orBiset), d. 1241, by whom 3 daughters: Margaret, Ela & Isabel.According to VCH Oxford V 160, Alice Basset's three Bisset(Biset) children were coheirs of Alice's sister Philippa Basset,but not the Malet children; so they must have been children ofan earlier wife.) [Ancestral Roots, line 234a-28]
  
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  The following was copied from soc.genealogy.medieval, concerningAncestral Roots, line 234a, and the existence of an unknownfirst wife, mother of all of William's children.
  
  Dear Cris, Lee and Dave:
  
  As noted in the earlier post below, I'm the person whocontributed the Malet line (i.e., Line 234A) to Ancestral Rootsby Weis-Sheppard. However, behind the scenes, it was actuallyDr. David Faris who was responsible for the discovery that AliceBasset wasn't the mother of William Malet's three daughters. Hefound that William Malet's daughters weren't heirs to AliceBasset's sister's estates, whereas her three daughters by hersecond Biset marriage were. This can only mean that Alice Bassetwas not the mother of William Malet's daughters. I've sincediscovered that William Malet had a previously unknown son bornmuch earlier than the Basset marriage, which son witnessed hisgrandfather, Gilbert Malet's charter. So, it is quite clear nowthat William Malet must have had an earlier unidentified wifebefore he married Alice Basset.
  
  I don't believe Dr. Faris has ever been properly credited formaking the initial discovery regarding the maternity of theMalet daughters. However, this discovery certainly shows Dr.Faris at his best, as before Line 234A was published, thestandard sources ALL identified Alice Basset as the mother ofthe Malet daughters.
  
  Since the Malet-Basset discovery was published, I've had thepleasure of working closely with Dr. Faris for many years. Inthe course of our work together, we've had the opportunity towork on virtually every major medieval problem in Englishgenealogy. His keen insights and deep knowledge have alwaysadded something special to our discussions. His perpetualattitude has been 'Keep looking!,' for he knows that given time,persistence and a little creativity, the answers we seek can befound. Dr. Faris is a fine individual, a wonderful husband, agood father, and to me, a true friend. He's also in my opinionone of the best genealogists of this generation.
  
  Sincerely, Douglas Richardson, Salt Lake City, Utah
  
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  William Malet's first wife's identity is still unknown. Whoevershe was, she evidently was the mother of his son, William, andhis three daughters. William Malet had property in variousplaces which might have served as his first wife's maritagium.One such holding was the manor of Finebergh, Suffolk, whichlater passed in marriage among his descendants to the LordsLisle, of Rougemont. I haven't yet established how William Maletgot that property. Since so many of the Magna Carta suretieswere related to the Clare family, that might be a good directionin which to look for William Malet's first wife.

Details of William III's family with Unknown First Wife