General Notes

Baldwin Fitz-Gilbert, of Brionis or Moels, 2nd son, a follower of theConqueror, called Vicecomes, and Baldwin of Exetor. He was Seigneur deMeules and du Sap, in Normandy. After the death of his father, who wasmurdered by the son of Giroie, he and his brother Richard, who wasancestor of the de Clares, took refuge at the court of the Duke ofFlanders. Duke William afterwards restored to Baldwin his estates ofMeules and Sap, and to Richard FitzGilbert his estates of Bienfaite andOrbec, portions of their father's lands. Baldwin received from theConqueror some 150 lordships in Devonshire, Hemington and Parlock andApley in Somerset, and Iwerne in Dorset. Okehampton was the capital seatof his barony. He was Sheriff of Dorset 1080-1086 probably until hisdeath. (After the Conquest the sheriffs were still the King'srepresentatives in the county. As the King was nearly absolute, thesheriff was very powerful. The sheriff had important duties: 1. Finance.He farmed the shire at a fixed sum a year. 2. Justice. He was the King'srepresentative in the shire court, and he sat there as president, or as aroyal judge. 3. War. It was the duty of the sheriff to summon the forcesof the county. The great lords led their own retainers, but the sheriffled all the rest of the troops.--Montague's Elements of EnglishConstitutional History. E. E. W. Very different from modern sheriffs.This was from a textbook at Washington University.) In Domesday Book heis called Baldwin of Exeter, or Baldwin, the Sheriff. He married Emma orAlbreda, niece of the Conqueror. He died 1090. They had Robert, Richardand William.