m. ADA de HUGLEVILLE- d . of Richard de Saint-Valery, Seigneur de Heugleville

Orderic Vitalis names "Gosfredus et Hugo de Morio-Monte, Turchetilii de Nov-Mercato filii"(1) Geoffroy witnessed a charter in Apr. 1067 in which King William the Conqueror confirmed rights to Saint-Benoit-sur-Loire Abbey.(2) Geoffroy assisted his father-in-law, Richard de Saint-Valery during the rebellion of Guillaume d'Arques.(3)

Ref:

(1) Orderic Vitalis- Vol. II, Liber VI, p. 42
(2) Chartulary of Saint-Benoit-sur-Loire- Vol. LXXVIII, p. 203
(3) Oderic Vitalis- Vol. IV, Liber VI, p. 255

Domesday Descendants- K.S.B. Keats-Rohan, Boydell Press, 2002- p. 616
Tim Powys-Lybbe's web page at: http://www.tim.ukpub.net

m. before 1099 NESTA d. of Osbern Fitz Richard Scrob and Nest, daughter of Gruffydd ap Llywelyn
d. 1125

Battle Abbey

Bernard was probably born at the castle of Le Neuf Marche en Lions on the border between Normandy and Beauvais. Several authors have stated that Bernard was at the Battle of Hastings, however, this is probably not the case as no mention of him is given and he was not listed in the Domesday Book. He did have connections with Battle Abbey as he established a cell of that abbey in Brecon, but this was probably to mark his conquest of Brycheniniog.(7)

Snodhill Castle

Around 1087 King William granted him the lands of Gilbert fitz Thurold and Alfred of Marlborough including the manors of Bach, Middlewood, Harewood in the Golden Valley and the castles of Dorstone, Snodhill and Urishay in Hereford as well as Pembridge, Burghill and Brinsop. He also had Speen and Newbury in Berkshire. By his marriage to Nesta he obtained the manors of Berrington and Little Hereford. Bernard's lands were in the Wye valley along the old Roman road which went from Watling Street to Y Gaer and into Brycheiniog. The location of his estate must have encouraged his foray into Wales.(1)

Urishay Chapel and Castle

Pembridge Castle

Bernard was a member of the rebellion against William Rufus in 1088 and escaped without punishment from the king probably in exchange for expanding the realm at the expense of the Welsh for shortly after the settlement with the king Bernard invaded Brycheniniog. Before the end of the year he had captured Glasbury as he granted charters to St. Peter's abbey, Gloucester, for lands there. Bernard was in possession of Brycheiniog by the end of 1088 as King William Rufus confirmed a charter to him stating that he had already made an exchange "within his lordship of Brycheiniog" at Glasbury. He also was in possession of Castle Dinas which had been built by the Earl of Hereford in 1075. Over the next three years Bernard consolidated his gains by continued battles with Brycheiniog. He captured Talgarth and a castle was built at Bronllys where the rivers Dulais and Llynfi meet. By 1091 he had reached the Usk Valley which was at the center of the kingdom.(3) Bleddyn ap Maenarch, king of Brycheiniog and Rhys ap Tewdwr, king of Deheubarth tried to reclaim the kingdom in 1093 or '94 and attacked Bernard where he was building Brecon Castle on the Usk river. Bleddyn led the charge up the hill and Rhys was killed in the battle and Bleddyn died not long afterwards and Bernard then took over the entire area of Brycheiniog. He later founded Brecknock Priory on the site of this battle where Rhys fell. Bernard donated property to Breckon Priory for the soul of his son Philip by a charter dated to the reign of King Henry I.(8) The contemporary records of the time don't list any king of Brycheiniog at this time and the Welsh Bruts state that "Rhys ap Tewdwr, king of Deheubarth, was slain by the Frenchmen who were inhabiting Brycheiniog". The result of this conquest was that it opened the way for the conquest of Deheubarth. (2)

Bronllys Castle- 1815

Brecknock Castle

In the spring of 1094 the Welsh in the south revolted against their Norman masters and the Normans in Brycheiniog attacked from Ystrad Tywy and Cantref Bychan and destroyed Kidwelly and Gower, but didn't stop the revolt. In 1095 the Welsh allied with their countrymen from Gwynllwy and Gwent took back control of the province and the Normans retreated to their castles. An expedition from Glamorgan came to rescue the besieged Normans and was defeated at the Battle of Celli Carnant, however, they then defeated the Welsh at Aber Llech. The Normans then built castles at Tretower, Blaen Llyfni and Crickhowell to finish the defenses of the province.(4) Bernard bestowed various lands on his followers, however, he also granted land to the Welsh artistocracy as well thus creating a loyal base of Welshmen. The Normans lived mostly in the valleys and lowlands and were farmers, the Welsh lived mostly in the hills with their herds.(5)

Tretower Castle- 1800

Blaen Llynfi Castle

Crickhowell Castle- 1830

Bernard's daughter Sybyl inherited the estate upon her marriage by charter dated 10 Apr./29 May 1121.(10) According to Giraldus Cambrensis this occured because Sybyl's brother, Mahel de Neufmarche, Bernard's heir, had mutilated his mother's lover. In vengeance Nesta swore to King Henry I that her son was illegitimate and the king was able by law and custom to pass over Mahel and give the lands to his friend Miles Fitz Walter.(6)

A charter from the time of King Stephen, dated 1138, confirms donations to the monastery of Gloucester St. Peter including Bernard's donation of land at Beche.(9)

Ref:

(1) The Normans in South Wales- Lynn H. Nelson, University of Texas, Austin, 1966- pp. 84-6
(2) Ibid- pp. 82, 90, note 25
(3) Ibid- pp. 81, 88-9
(4) Ibid- pp. 90-1
(5) Ibid- p. 93
(6) Presidential Address: Feudal Society and the Family in Early Medieval England: IV. The Heiress and the Alien"- J.C. Holt, in "Transactions of the Royal Historical Society"- 5th series- Vol. XXXV (1985), pp. 1-28; Dugdale's "Monasticon III"- Brecknock Priory I, Quaedam de Loco et Dominis eius Historica- p. 263
(7) Chronicon Monasterii de Bello- London, 1846- p. 34
(8) Dugdale's "Monasticon III"- Brecknock Priory II, p. 264
(9) Dugdale's "Monasticon I"- Gloucester Monaster, XIV- p. 551
(10) Ancient Charters Royal and Private prior to A.D. 1200- J.H. Round, Ed., London, 1888- Part I, 6, p. 8

Dictionary of National Biography- Leslie Stephen, Ed., Oxford University Press
The Complete Peerage- St. Catherine Press, London- Vol. VI, p. 453
Domesday People- K.S.B. Keats-Rohan, Boydell Press, 1999- p. 316 Domesday Descendants- K.S.B. Keats-Rohan, Boydell Press, 2002- p. 616
English Baronies- I.J. Sanders, Oxford University Press, 1963- pp. 6-7
Tim Powys-Lybbe's web page at: http://www.tim.ukpub.net