• General Notes

  The abbey of Missenden was founded in or about the year 1133 by a certain William of Missenden, for Austin Canons following the customs of the abbey of St. Nicholas at Arrouaise in Artois. This date is well established by a concurrence of charters of confirmation; from Pope Innocent II. in 1137 and Eugenius III. in 1145, and from Henry I. in 1133, Stephen, and Henry II., and the connection with Arrouaise is equally well attested. The charters of Henry I. and Alexander of Lincoln expressly state that there were at first but seven canons in the house, and that they came originally from the church of St. Mary 'de Bosco (or de Nemore) de pago Terresino.'
  
  An inquisition taken on oath, in the year 1331, states that it was founded in 1293, by Sir William de Missenden; although it might be supposed that there could be a little doubt of the authority of so solemn a record of a fact, then so recent,, yet there is good reason for supposing that the abbey existed at an earlier period. An old register of the convent dates its foundation in 1133. An ancient court-book of the manor says that it was founded by the Doyleys, and augmented by the Missendens, pursuant to a vow, made on escaping from shipwreck. It is probable therefore that the benefactions of Sir William de Missenden, in 1293, were of such importance, and the former income of the convent so small, that it was looked upon as a second foundation, and that he was even in his own time called and deemed the founder, as bishop Rotheram is even now called the second founder of Lincoln College, in Oxford. Sir William de Missenden, among other benefactions, gave the manor of this place to the abbey, and his family were its patrons. The patronage was afterwards in the Brudenells
  http://met.open.ac.uk/genuki/big/eng/BKM/GreatMissenden/Index.html
  
  (Research):The name of William de Noers (d. after 1086) appears in the "Domesday Book", an extensive census of England taken in 1086 by William the Conqueror. William de Noers was described in this survey as an "under-tenant", meaning that he was under the jurisdiction of another greater lord, William the Bishop of Thetford. William de Noers received 33 manors from William the Conqueror, King of England, probably as a result of his service during the Battle of Hastings. He was said to have stood very high in the eyes of the King. He was the Steward of King William, according to one record. This position was the sixth highest ranking position in the English kingdom, after the King himself. William de Noers also held a manor in Suffolk County (where his name was spelled Willielmus de Noers) and in Cambridge County (spelled Willielmus de Nouueres). In addition he was placed in charge of the lands of Bishop Stigand "in the King's hand", which lands included many manors in Norfolk. Bishop Stigand died in 1072 after having fallen out of pleasure with the King. He had held large land holdings prior to his death, some of which were passed to William de Noers. William de Noers was a baron, but was not mentioned extensively in royal documentation. His name has not been found outside of the "Domesday Book."
  Shortly after William the Conqueror captured England he granted most of the lands that had been in the hands of English nobility to his followers, as he had done for William de Noers. He also ordered twenty years later, in 1085, that a census be taken of all his newly acquired lands. It was the most extensive census that had ever been taken of any lands and remains to this day one of the most complete records of its kind. The census took about a year to complete. The census takers were ordered to list the name of the location, who held it before 1066 and who held it in 1085. In addition the size of the manors was given, how many ploughs, villagers, cottagers, slaves, freemen, and socmen (another distinction of freeman). The amount of woodland, meadows, and pasture was listed, along with the numbers of mills and fishponds. Whether property was added to or taken away from the original structure before the conquest was included. The total value of the land before 1066 and again at 1085 was enumerated. And finally it was determined how much each freeman or socman had before 1066, when William gave it, and in 1085 when the census was taken.
  
  
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Details of William's family with <Unknown>