Monday, April 17, 2017

Names of people in Medieval Europe.


*http://flemish.wp.st-andrews.ac.uk/page/4/ Flemish. Scotland and the Flemish People.
(Jody Gray) this web site relates, in particular, to Scotland and the Flemish People that settled there; however, I’m going to use the information the applies, “generally speaking” to all the inhabitants of continental Europe and the British Isles before the use of surnames.

Before Hereditary Surnames.
  The most common way of naming in most of medieval Europe was by the use of a by-name, that is a surname that describes an individual in some way. The Scandinavians, unlike the Anglo-Saxons, had a habit of using the same personal name in different generations and branches of the same family. The result of this custom was that in time there were so many men bearing the same name that it was found necessary to distinguish them by a nickname or by-name descriptive of some physical charac­teristic, some habit or a reference to some particular incident.
  Another example was the to-names prevalent in the fishing towns and hamlets on the northeast coast of Scotland. All local people were descended from a few common ancestors, so to-names were used to distinguish them from each other. In Buckie, there were twenty-five George Cowies, including: George Cowie, doodle; George Cowie, carrot; and, George Cowie, neep.
  By-names – both English and Scandinavian – were found in England before the Conquest. Most medieval by-names were straightforward: a father’s name, a home village, an occupation, or perhaps some notable personal characteristic. Examples of Norman by-names were Roger de Montgomery and Roger de Toeni. In the case of by-names denoting nationality, such as le Fleming, the notable characteristic was that the people had a different nationality from those in the place where they had migrated to.
The Growth of Hereditary Surnames in Britain.
  The Norman Conquest (1066) had a significant effect on the development of the first hereditary surnames in Britain. In 877, Emperor Charles II had sanctioned the heredity of fiefs in the Capitulary of Quierzy-sur-Oise. This led gradually to the adoption of hereditary surnames in northern France, which some Normans brought with them to England in the years following the Conquest. Some who came with William the Conqueror had a name that referred to where they came from. William had enlisted 60 Flemish knights and some of these bore the name le Fleming and variations of the name. That name would have been given to them in Normandy. There would have been no need when they were living in Flanders as it would not have distinguished them from the rest of the native people.
   The development of hereditary surnames was a long and complex process. There were marked regional variations and differences between one social class and another. The change was propelled by a variety of forces, including the feudal system, literacy, fashion and convenience.
  All surnames fall into one or other of four classes (alternative terms in brackets):
1. Local Surnames (Locational, Locative, Toponymic, Territorial, Landed) e.g. Wood, Sutherland, Scott.
2. Surnames of Relationship (Patronymic, Fealtic) e.g. Wilson, Robertson, MacDonald.
3. Surnames of Occupation or Office (Occupational, Official, Trade) e.g. Smith, Taylor, Hunter.
4. Nicknames (Descriptive, To-Names) e.g. Noble, Brown, Campbell, Cruickshank.
  Fleming is a Local Surname, which is the largest class of surname. Local surnames include a wide range of types of place. Such surnames accounted for up to 50% of all surnames in many areas.
  The Table below shows an analysis of the distribution of classes of surnames in some English counties, cities and towns. This has been constructed from various sources between 1066 and the early 14th century. The main source is the Subsidy Rolls which were records of taxation in England made between the 12th and 17th centuries. By their nature, these were primarily confined to prosperous householders.
  This limits the analysis to an extent because many surnames, particularly of lower class people, were seldom recorded. However, the general findings are probably correct. These show that 40% of surnames in London, Sussex and Lancashire were local surnames. The average was around 1/3 across England. Clearly therefore there are many precedents for the formation of a surname like Fleming.
  (after the table) In the north of England, e.g. Yorkshire and Lancashire, a larger proportion of the men than elsewhere had no surname. Surnames began to come to Scotland in the mid 12th century but were not in general use until many years later.
Why did surnames become hereditary?
  The rise of surnames was heavily influenced by the Norman Conquest. William the Conqueror was accompanied by knights and other volunteers from various parts of wes­tern Europe, including Flanders. Some of these had hereditary surnames but most did not. There were also archers and mercenaries who fought at Hastings, few of whom had such a surname. Some of the knights received their reward in land and their names are recorded in the Domesday Book. Ten Flemings are listed in the Domesday Book. Some landowners took names from the district from which they had come, while others adopted by-names from the names of places on their newly-acquired English estates. For example, Robert de Stafford adopted that name because of his large holdings in Staffordshire, although he was the son of Roger de Toeni (who came from Flanders). There were some new settlers who had probably had a hereditary surname for a generation or more – for instance William de Warrenne – named after a small settlement in Seine-Maritime.
  After the Conquest immigrants included a steadily increasing number of attendants in noble households, teachers, and skilled workmen, traders and merchants. Their names were seldom noted until records became more frequent in the 13th century.
  The development of the feudal system was a driver in the adoption of hereditary surnames. It became important that the king should know exactly what service each knight owed. Lawyers and officials made sure that the parties to payments both to and by the exchequer – e.g. for transfers of land or those con­cerned in criminal proceedings – could be clearly identified. Mon­asteries drew up surveys with details of tenants of all classes and their services. Later, many people were assessed in the Subsidy Rolls. The upper classes, which were mostly illiterate, were those with whom the officials were chiefly concerned. They were the first where sur­names became numerous and hereditary. Surnames were seldom allocated by officials but began as by-names.
  The move from an oral to a written culture in the medieval period was important in the adoption of hereditary surnames. For most people, a surname was not needed when the spoken word was the main form of communication. Fashion became a large factor in the spread and speed of adoption of surnames. When others had surnames, it became something that people felt they had to have.
When did surnames become hereditary?
  Surnames gradually became hereditary over the 300 years following the Norman Conquest. In England, family names were first intro­duced by the Norman barons, some taken from their French fiefs, but also from the name of an ancestor or from a nickname. The system was found useful by officials and lawyers who gradually extended it to men who held no land. But for the middle and lower classes, fashion and convenience were key influences. From the 12th century there was a steady increase in the growth of family names among land-holders. Peasants started to develop fixed surnames about 1225 and they were in fairly general use about 100 years later. The north of England was slower to follow this. In Scotland, it took even longer, particularly in the northern or Gaelic areas.
  The variety of names steadily increased as new immigrants came in from northern France, Flanders and other parts of Europe.

Nicknames:
‘the Red’ (Rufus) e.g. William Rufus, King of England
‘the Bald’ (Bold) e.g. Charles 'the Bald' King of West Francia
xxx

Friday, April 14, 2017

Research, Eustace I and his son, Lambert II as grandfather and father of Walter aka Seier de Fleming.

(Jody Gray) I started this Blog Post while researching Lambert II, father of Walter aka Seier the Fleming... little is known about Lambert except that he was the son of Eustace I, Count of Boulogne and Count of Lens and that he married Adelaide of Normandy before he died in 1054 at the Battle at Lille. I performed a Google Searches for the Battle at Lille and came across a digital book (with references to the attack at Dover in 1067) -one of those books where I cannot copy/paste information so I have to type it... presenting the information in "order" gets "tricky" because of the "reference (source) notations" that are included at the bottom of the book pages... so... I'm starting out by typing the book pages that are relevant to my research... following the digital book text, I included Sources (Websites) for the Seton Family to use as a cross reference... by "publishing" this Blog Post, now, I can "wrap up" some other de Wahull / Woodhull, de Seton projects "get back to" this project, later...

https://books.google.com/books?id=nuYYo5XSlrMC&pg=PA273&lpg=PA273&dq=dover+rebellion+1067&source=bl&ots=Ilzs39qBth&sig=aXdByeecwef17pxE_81zl9Y2AHY&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwiKyZadwaHTAhXBB5oKHUxvAtAQ6AEIOjAF#v=onepage&q=dover%20rebellion%201067&f=false Anglo-Norman Studies XIV Proceedings of the Battle Conference 1991 Edited by Marjorie Chibnall. *by contributors 1991, 1992. All Rights Reserved. Except as permitted under current legislation… The Boydell Press, Suffolk and Rochester, NY. British Library Cataloging… is available from the British Library…
Ancestors covered in this book:
Eustace I, Count of Boulogne and Count of Lens; 1st son, Eustace II, Count of Boulogne; 2nd son, Lambert II, Count of Lens (by inheritance) and Count of Aumale (by right of marriage to Adelaide of Normandy); father of Walter aka Seier de Fleming. All descendants of the House of Flanders and its founder, Baldwin I, Margrave of Flanders.

The book opens to page 273; page title, The Counts of Boulogne under Eustace II. because of a reference on the page to Dover -Frank Barlow has argued that Eustace rebelled in favor of a grandson, his descendant by Goda, and that it was this young man who was captured at Dover… I scrolled backwards through the book…

(pg 266) “reference notations” -The only evidence for the child (a potential claimant to the throne of England) is the reference to Eustace’s ‘nephos’ in William of Poitiers’ and Orderic Vitalis’ account of Eustace’s 1067 rebellion, who was captured after the attack on Dover failed. Although there is a possibility that Eustace and Goda had a grandson of sufficient age in 1067 to be promoted as a candidate for the English throne, the identity of this nepos is probably Eustace’s known bastard son Geoffrey. See Regesta, in which William confirms the gift of land in Beddington (Surrey) made by Geoffrey, son of Count Eustace, on behalf of his wife Beatrice, with the consent of his father-in-law Geoffrey de Mandeville, to St Peter’s and Abbot Vitalis… for discussion of Geoffrey’s parentage… It seems more likely that it was Geoffrey who was captured at Dover, since one of the meanings of nepos is descendant, and the euphemism nepos is often used to refer to bastards. The argument is further strengthened by the fact that Eustace had no known nephews and his grandson was not born until after 1103. (last sentence, "notation section" of pg 266). (Jody Gray): Eustace II did have a nephew, Walter aka Seier 'the Fleming' son of his brother Lambert.

(pg 269) The resumption of complimentary relations between the two (William the Conqueror and Eustace II), which appears to have grown slowly between 1056 and 1063, was probably the result of Baldwin’s consolidation of power over his newly won eastern territories and the setbacks which Eustace and his allies suffered between 1049 and 1054; Godfrey’s failed rebellion of 1047-1049, the triumphant return of the Godwins in 1052, and Duke William’s victory over William of Arques in 1054.
  The relative shift in power between the two counts is reflected in a charter of 1056. Baldwin V records the settlement of a judicial contest over the seigneurial rights in Harnes between the abbot of St Peter’s of Ghent and Eustace which Eustace lost. The adjudication is one of several which Baldwin used to reassert his authority over the monastic advocates within his county. Eustace appears to have been unhappy with the decision, which underlined Baldwin’s ability to enforce his feudal rights in Lens, for he did not attest this charter.
  Eustace did, however, attest another charter in favor of St Bertin, dated 1056, which also limited the power of an advocate, this time of St Bertin. Eustace’s attestation probably reflects his family’s longstanding ties to the abbey and its advocate rather than a complete easing of tensions. After 1056, Eustace disappears from the surviving records and does not reappear until 1063, when he once again witnesses a charter in favor of St Bertin.
  The early 1060s were a period of consolidation of power for both William II of Normandy (he was Duke of Normandy before he became William I, King of England) and Baldwin V, and a low point in Eustace’s political influence. In 1060, both Henry I of France and Geoffrey Martel, Count of Anjou died. Duke William profited by bringing Maine and Brittany under his mouvance in the resulting power vacuum. (an example of what happens when someone dies, esp. w/o a male heir) The 1062-4 campaign in Maine pitted William against Eustace’s step-son and ally, Walter of Vexin. Walter and his wife were captured in 1063 and died in captivity shortly thereafter. By the mid-1060s, William had (pg 270) successfully secured his borders against his neighbors -the counts of Maine, Anjou, Amiens-Valois-Vexin, and Ponthieu.
  The death of King (of France) Henry also brought increased power to Count Baldwin. Through his marriage to Henry’s sister, Adele, Baldwin became the guardian and regent for King Philip I. Eustace’s recognition of Baldwin’s enhanced status and power can be seen in his 1065 attestation of one of King Philip’s charters and the previously mentioned 1063 attestation to Baldwin’s gift to St. Bertin. Eustace’s attestations may also reflect the elevation of his brother, Godfrey, to the bishopric of Paris 1061, after Baldwin became regent. Although Eustace had assumed a pro-Flemish policy during this period, he had not abandoned his independence. His attendance to Baldwin’s court was not frequent and each of the charters with Eustace attested concerned monasteries located near his own lands. Baldwin’s and William’s successes in the 1060s and the diminished power of his allied in England, Ponthieu, the Vexin, and Lorraine sharply curtailed Eustace’s political influence and ability to maneuver independently.
  In 1065, the political situation slowly began to shift. In that year Eustace’s father-in-law regained the duchy of Lower Lorraine at the death of Frederick of Luxembourg. Godfrey’s return provided Eustace with a powerful ally once again. The death of Edward the Confessor in January 1066 and William of Normandy’s response to Harold’s (Godwinson) succession provided Eustace with an opportunity to improve his own fortunes and attack an old enemy (Godwin Family). The primacy of the port of Wissant for access to England meant that William would regard Eustace as a valuable ally. Not only would Eustace’s goodwill provide William with some protection from a possible Danish invasion of England, launched from Boulonnais ports, but it would also diminish the danger of any northern attacks on Normandy.
 (pg 270) Although both men profited by their new accord, the alliance seems to have been an uneasy one from the beginning. Eustace was required to leave his son as hostage at the Norman court before setting out on the conquest. And shortly after the Battle of Hastings, Eustace and William had a falling out which led in 1067 to Eustace's rebellion. (Dover attack)
Eustace's role in the conquest of England is difficult to determine in its entirety because of the contradictory statements in the surviving accounts of the battle and the preparations for it. The contradictions arrive to a great extent through the biases of the contemporary chroniclers; nevertheless, Eustace's role in the Norman success at Hastings appears to have been significant. His importance as a contributor to the Norman conquest and as an ally is corroborated by the extent of... (pg 271)

(pg 269) “reference notations” - Although Eustace’s father-in-law (Godfrey II, Duke of Lower Lorraine) also benefited from Henry’s death (Henry I, King of the Franks) -Agnes promised formally to invest him with the duchy of Lower Lorraine on the death of Frederick III of Luxembourg -Frederick did not die until 1065 and Godfrey remained active in Italian affairs. Upper Lorraine would remain in the control of the house of Alsace….
Edmund Rigaux speculated that this charter suggests that Baldwin V challenged and won from Eustace I the rights to the castellany of Lens after 1036, and that Baldwin had added seigneurial rights to the castellany and sold both to the abbey of St Peter’s. However, Lens had not passed into Flemish control after 1036, for Lambert inherited it from his father Eustace I in 1047 and Eustace II had inherited at his brother’s death in 1154. Lambert died fighting for Baldwin V at Lille in 1054. This trial is a reflection of Baldwin’s efforts to curb the power and independence of the monastic advocates and Baldwin’s newly increased ability to enforce his feudal rights over his vassal Count Eustace of Boulogne and Lens. (the Counts of Boulogne and the Counts of Flanders were cousins, descended from Baldwin I, founder of the House of Flanders)...
The witness list (of the trial): Marquis Baldwin and his sons Baldwin and Robert, Countess Adele, Count Roger and his son, Duke Harold [Earl Godwin’s son], Count Guy [of Ponthieu], Raingod, Anselm, Werefrid, Baldwin of Warnastum, Drogo son of Rodulf, Count Manasses [of Guines], archdeacon Guy ?, Issac, Hugh of Oldenard, Hugh Havet, Baldwin of Wartanbeke, Rodulf son of Rodulf, Herimar and Lantwin, Robert and Wenemar of Lens, Segard son of Ermenfrid, Arnulf son of Herluin (Erlewini) [of Montreuil?], Roric and his son Baldwin, and also Folkard, monk of the latter. Harold’s presence may have further added to Eustace’s chagrin…
William’s claim to Maine was based on his son Robert’s betrothal to Heribert’s (continued "notations section" pg 270) (the deceased count) sister who was still an infant. William claimed the county through his marriage to Biota, aunt of Count Heribert…
The seventeen witnesses after Eustace were all Baldwin’s vassals. (end of my use of "notation section" of pg 270).

Other Sources - Websites, etc
http://www.dot-domesday.me.uk/william.htm Rebellion and Retribution. King William departed for Normandy in March 1067. [Anglo-Saxon Chronicle]. William of Poitiers says… One of those from whom the English sought help was Count Eustace of Boulogne, a prominent figure at the battle of Hastings; who since then had fallen-out with King William… (In 1051, Eustace had traveled to England, to visit his brother-in-law, King Edward. On his return journey, Eustace was involved in a skirmish at Dover -an event which was the catalyst for Earl Godwin’s rebellion -
http://www.dot-domesday.me.uk/confessor.htm#earl ) -it was not until 1058 that Malcolm III became the undisputed king of Scots… Count Baldwin V of Flanders had joined a rebellion against, the Holy Roman Emperor, Henry III (1046-56) -he burned Henry’s palace at Hijmengen. In 1049, Henry assembled a large army against Baldwin.
(Rebellion, continued)... saw him (Eustace) as a suitable alternative to King William. They sent ambassadors, urging Eustace to make sail for England, and attack Dover castle… he obliged, and, with the aid of Kentish forces, assailed the castle. The defenders, though, resisted fiercely. Orderic says that Eustace “feared a shameful defeat” and signaled his men to return to the ships. A vigorous sally from the castle caught Eustace’s retreating men on-the-hop, and, thinking that Odo and his men had arrived, they took to panicked flight. Though Eustace himself managed to escape, many of his men died in the chaos, and his nephew was taken prisoner -(more likely, it was his illegitimate son Geoffrey). The Norman garrison was too small to pursue the Kentishmen, who fled in all directions. (As a result of this adventure, which probably took place in 1067, Eustace, not surprisingly, forfeited the English property he had been granted by King William. More surprisingly, perhaps, Eustace and William were reconciled within a few years.
[1069] “Landing at Dover they were attacked by royal forces and driven off to Sandwich, where they were again repulsed by the Normans.... The ‘despoiling and laying waste”, carried on by King William that winter, is known as the ‘Harrying of the North’...

Other Sources - Websites, etc…

chrome-extension://bpmcpldpdmajfigpchkicefoigmkfalc/views/app.html  (only illustration, no text) English Rebellions 1067-1072 -Leading Rebels and supporters -one of which is Eustace of Boulogne

Other Sources -Seton Family (Jody Gray): The Blog Post: Woodhull Lineage in England; was published 4/9/2016; I revisited the Blog Post, with New information added, 12/9/2016 -as noted in this web link (see, web clans, seton) duly recorded by the family’s first official chronicler, Sir Richard Maitland of Lethington. When I revisited the Blog Post (March 2017) I found I used several web sites for the Seton Family -the "source" appears to be this "first official chronicler" -Sir Richard Maitland of Lethington. (Note, I found his material to be "unverified" and when researched, I found errors in lineage.) The geni.com Project: Odell Castle Estate (Odell and Wahull Manors), Bedfordshire, England; has a lineage chart with names that when "clicked on" are connected the geni.com profiles. Walter (Dougall "the Black Stranger) de Seton. About. provides biographical information -The Early Seton Family - contains the same Seton Family web links as I have used in my Blog Post. Indeed, it appears "the first official chronicler" appears to be "the" source. Google book, Anglo-Norman Studies XIV published 1991, that I begin this Blog Post with, (contributors) may have used Richard Maitland's material in their research. It's an interesting phenomenon that when I perform a Google Search I often get different "results" on different days.

Sources - Seton Family. List of Sources used in my Blog Post: Woodhull Lineage in England. (note, currently, thesetonfamily. sites "can't be reached")
http://www2.thesetonfamily.com/history/The_Early_Setons.htm *The Early Seton’s Descent. *now, when I "click on" this link the result is "This site can't be reached" The connection was reset.
http://www2.thesetonfamily.com/history/History_of_the_Setons.htm *History of the Setons. *now, when I "click on" this link the result is "This site can't be reached" The connection was reset.

http://www2.thesetonfamily.com:8080/peerage/Armorial.htm  The Seton Arms.
  In heraldry, a crescent is displayed with the horns directed upward and is often used as a mark of cadency to distinguish a second son and his descendants.
  Gules is the heraldic name for the colour red, and it ranks highest among the colours. It is indicated in seals and engraved figures of escutcheons by parallel vertical lines. Because of its heraldic connection, the word gules is used poetically for a red colour or that which is red.
  In the ancient Carolingian bloodline the Setons were senior representatives through their descent from Lambert de Lens, 2nd son of Count Eustace I of Boulogne, of the five Eustace fame. Hence the meaning of the three crescents in the Seton Arms, signifying descent from the second son of the House of Boulogne.
 Adding to this Royal connection, Lambert married as his second wife Adele, sister of Duke William of Normandy, later to become William I of England. Lambert's father, Eustace I's descent was from the Counts of Ponthieu, who came from Berthe, daughter of Emperor Charles I,  or Charlemagne.  Eustace's wife, Maud aka Matilda de Leuven was the heiress of Charles, Duke of Lower Lorraine, the last direct male heir of Emperor Charles I,  or Charlemagne. (refer to Conclusion, at the end of this Blog Post).
  Both Eustace I and his wife were descended in a multiplicity of the male and female lines of the French dynasty known as the Carolingians, descended from Charles I, King of France and Holy Roman Emperor who died in A.D. 814.  Seier de Seton (de Lens, in Flanders) was the eldest son of Count Lambert de Lens.  He founded the family of Seton and was granted lands in East Lothian by King Malcolm III, which were later named after the family's estate holdings in Northumberland named after the sea-town of Seaton-Staithes, later to be known in Scotland as SETON.
  Later, Lambert's daughter (should be, granddaughter, Matilda aka Maud) Judith's second marriage, was to David I as his second wife, and Seier and Walter de Lens/de Seton were her half-brothers.  From King David I, Judith was the mother of Scotland's Queen Maud.  Later further adding to the family's royal blood and ties, Sir Christopher Seton married Lady Christina Bruce, sister of King Robert I, giving his Seton descendants further ties to the Royal Family of Scotland.  A double tressure was added to the Seton Arms after 1314 by King Robert I to recognize the Setons Royal lineage.

http://www.electricscotland.com/webclans/stoz/seton2.html * web clans, seton. duly recorded by the family’s first official chronicler, Sir Richard Maitland of Lethington, in 1554. *I added the text to my Blog Post: Woodhull Lineage in England, 12/9/2016 (refer to section, New information added). The original Blog Post was published 4/9/2016.
*New Google "result" -not included in my Blog Post: Woodhull Lineage in England.
http://www2.thesetonfamily.com:8080/directory/seier_de_seton(1).htm Seier de Seton, founder and 1st of the family of Seton. (Jody Gray) This information does not note it’s source. The information is familiar, to me, I think this information is from the family’s first official chronicler, Sir Richard Maitland of Lethington, in 1554 -
  Seier’s father, Count Lambert of Lens, as we have seen, married (2nd) Adele, sister of William the Conqueror, and died at the battle of Lille in 1055. This left Lens without a strong arm to defend it, and both Baldwin V of Flanders and Henry III, the Emperor, laid claim to what was constitutionally an appanage of Boulogne. Count Eustace went to war to regain his late brother’s holding, and after intervention by Pope Victor II the comte (county) of Lens was returned to him. But by then it must have become obvious to everybody that the territory could not be held by a minor; and if there had been any heirs of Lambert’s they were, for the time at least, disinherited. This fact, that no one inherited from Lambert, seems to have confused historians on both sides of the Channel into thinking that he died childless. But not only did he have as heiress his infant, half-Norman daughter, Judith (daughter from his 2nd marriage to Adele of Normandy), but, as Flemish charters make plain, he also left two sons. He must, therefore, have been married and widowed before he wed Adele in 1054. Both boys were old enough to fight at Hastings -but perhaps only just. William Poitiers, in an enigmatic reference to a nephew [more likely the illegitimate son not nephew] of Eustace who was captured by the Normans in the abortive Boulonnias attack on Dover in 1067, speaks of the young man without naming him, as a “noble tyro.” … *reminder, this Eustace [Eustace II] is the brother of Lambert, not his father [Eustace I].
  Domesday gives a hint towards the identity of Lambert’s sons. In that book they are allotted just their Christian names, Walter and Seier, and it is obvious from the wording that Seier is absent. Walter, “brother of Seier”, was still holding lands (in England) in 1086, but Seier’s possessions had been passed to his own elder son, another Walter, described in the documents as “Walter Flandrensis” -Walter the Fleming. He and his brother Hugh are given as tenants-in-chief of the vast string of Midlands manors already mentioned. It is also certain, though not established in any surviving portion of the Domesday, that they held substantial estates in the north. Seier, as we may glean from other sources, had gone to Scotland and been granted lands on the Firth of Forth by the Scottish king, Malcolm Canmore.
  To begin with, cross-Channel contacts of the Anglo-Boulonnias  (Boulogne) between their new homelands and their old were sustained as vigorously as were those of their ally between his English kingdom and his Norman dukedom. For a long time after 1066, Flemish charters show men known to have extensive holdings of English lands witnessing documents promulgated at the court of Flanders. Walter and Hugh “de Lens” as they are called in these Flemish charters must have crossed and recrossed the Channel many times in support of their estates on each side of it. Numerous charters of the counts of Flanders are signed by the both of them; sometimes their place is filled by their cousin, Winemar le Fleming or Winemar de Lens, son of Old Walter (Wlater ?). By 1126, signed by “Dominus Hugo de Lens, ingennus homo” gives to the Chapter of Soignies, where there was a memorial to their father, Count Lambert, a half-share of the dime of Lens, for the soul of my brother Walter”. In future, charter requiring the witness of Lambert’s descendants in Flanders will be signed by Baldwin de Lens, Eustace de Lens, Godfrey de Lens, those heirs of Hugh who took the Boulonnais (Boulogne) legacy instead of the English one.
  King Henry’s wife, Matilda of Scotland, died in 1118, and three years later he reinforced the connection with his Flemish allies by taking as his second wife Count Eustace’s cousin Adela, daughter of Godfrey, Duke of Bas-Lorraine. (husband of 1st cousin 27x rem) Simon de Senlis was also dead (he had succumbed in about 1111, at the outset on a further trip to the Holy Land) and (1st cousin 27x rem Matilda aka Maud; daughter of 27th g-aunt, Judith of Lens; daughter of 2th ggf Lambert II, Count of Lens and his 2nd wife, Adelaide of Normandy) Maud, his widow, took as her second husband, the brother-in-law of Count Eustace and King Henry, Malcolm Canmore’s youngest son, David, Earl of Cumbria. (Malcolm III’s mother was Margaret Atheling of Wessex; daughter of Edward Atheling ‘the Exile’) In 1124, on the death of his brother Alexander, David ascended the throne of Scotland as David I; so Maud of Lens (Matilda aka Maud of Huntingdon; daughter of Judith of Lens), like her cousin Matilda of Boulogne, became a British queen. (the son of David I and Maud, Henry Earl of Northumberland and Huntingdon, England m: Ada de Warenne; daughter of William II de Warenne, Earl of Surrey and Elizabeth de Vermandois -their sons Malcolm IV and William the Lion became Kings of Scotland). Henry of Scotland was named after his uncle, Henry I of England who married his paternal aunt Edith (Matilda of Scotland)…
  ...We know that these people too with them the devices they had already brought in 1066 from the comtes of Flanders; and more than that, we can see with astonishing clarity exactly how they used them. One, at least, of the emblems was already there. Seier de Lens, the young nephew of Count Eustace II who so mysteriously disappeared after the Dover raid of 1067, (reference to Seier de Lens [in Flanders; 'the Fleming' in England after the conquest; becoming de Seton in Scotland] fighting alongside his uncle, Eustace II at the raid on Dover) had been in Scotland since perhaps that date, as Seier de Seton, living in the fortress he had built himself on the Firth of Forth which would later be known as Seton Place. Walter, his son and heir -Walter the Fleming -succeeded him there, as he did at Odell Castle, Bedfordshire; and there can be no doubt at all that his personal heraldic emblem, the triple crescents, gules and a field or, of a second son of the count of Boulogne, flew over both places.
  Descendants of Seier’s younger son, Hugh, as well as those of his younger brother, Walter, also used the triple crescents; but being now outside the continental constraint of territorial tinctures, they had changed the colors. Hugh and his family wore the three red crescents on a silver field -a device which, incidentally, flew from the masts of the Boulogne navy in their home port of Huughescluis (so perhaps Hugh was their High Admiral). Old Walter’s grandson, Walter de Preston, took the black and gold colors of Flanders, and both crescents and tinctures survive in the arms of his descendant, the premier viscount of Ireland, Viscount Gormanston. Some of Hugh’s heirs acquired the surname of Legh (or Lea), and took the crescents with them when they moved into Cheshire; here the tinctures moved away from the old tradition into azure and sable.

*http://www2.thesetonfamily.com:8080/directory/Short_History.htm Short Historical Outline of the Seton Family. (Jody Gray): This is the “newest” of my Google Searches for the Seton Family… there’s a link, Eglinton Claim to the Winton Honours - (Homepage) SETON, The House of Seton of Scotland -The Service of the Earl of Eglinton as Heir-Male General, and Heir-Male of Provision to George, the 4th Earl of Winton, Lord Seton, Tranent
  Seier de Seton (de Lens, in Flanders) founded the family of Seton.  He was the son of Count Lambert de Lens of Flanders who was the second son of Eustace I of the five Eustace fame.  Seier was granted lands in East Lothian by King Malcolm III, which were later named after the family's estate holdings Northumberland then called after the sea-town of Seaton-Staithes, Seaton.  This eventually was set in the Scots language as SETON.
  Walter de Seton (known as Dougall) married the de Quincy heiress in the early 1100's.  Philip de Seton (b. 1135) received a Charter from King William the Lion in 1169 re-affirming the Lands of Seton, Winton and Wynchburgh, one of the oldest Charters to exist in Scotland.  He was a prominent Knight and landowner who supported the King and the Royal House.  Sir Alexander de Seton (b. 1152) witnessed a charter of David I to the Church of Saint Mary at Newbattle, and was a great favourite of this King.  He died in 1211.
  Bertram (or Bartine) de Seton married Margaret Comyn, daughter of William Comyn and received a grant of the lands of Ruchlaw, confirmed by the King, February 22, 1172.  His second son, Alexander de Seton, witnessed a Charter to the Burgh of Glasgow by King Alexander II in 1225.  Adam de Seton was a Master Clerk in the reign of King Alexander III and is listed on a Charter of Marriage from Roger de Quincy in 1246.  His second son, Philip de Seton, was a Priest and Rector in Biggar, Lanarkshire.
  The 1st Sir Christopher de Seton married Maud de Percy, daughter of Lord Topcliff in Yorkshire and managed the family's estates in England with great zeal during the lifetime of his father.  He was a pious man who was a great benefactor of the Church, so recognized by Pope Innocent IV.  His 1st son, Sir Christopher (2nd), was a famed Knight in the Wars of Independence and was a companion of Sir William Wallace and was killed at the Battle of Dillicarew, 12th June, 1298; and 2nd son John founded the Yorkshire Seton's in England.
  The 3rd Sir Christopher Seton married Christina (b. 1273), sister of King Robert I (The Bruce) in 1301. He is renowned for saving the King's life at Methven when he was unhorsed.  He was known as, "The Good Sir Chrystell", and was the famed Knight who having sought refuge at Loch Doon Castle, was betrayed by MacNab and later executed in Dumfries by the English.

(Jody Gray) -Reminder: in the books I’ve been reading -during the winter season, campaigns by kings and raiding by Vikings, ceased to resume in the spring… Mercenaries formed their own alliances and attacked castles, reaping goods and sometimes taking over the castle… appears these ‘truce periods’ were just unwritten understandings of the people of the times -like the way they fought battles by lining up and charging, etc...

*Conclusion: Seton Arms. Adding to this Royal connection...
  Eustace's wife, Maud aka Matilda de Leuven was the heiress of Charles, Duke of Lower Lorraine, the last direct male heir of Emperor Charles I,  or Charlemagne. (Maud's mother, Gerberga of Lower Lorraine; daughter of Charles Duke of Lower Lorraine; son of Louis IV, King of West Francia; son of Charles the Simple, King of West Francia; son of Louis the Stammerer, King of West Francia; son of Charles the Bald, King of West Francia; son of Louis the Pious, King of the Franks; son of Charlemagne... Reminder: after Judith Princess of West Francia eloped with Baldwin of Flanders, her father Charles the Bald, promoted him to the powerful position of Margrave of Flanders and Baldwin created the House of Flanders; their son, Baldwin II married Elfthryth of Wessex; daughter of Alfred the Great, King of Wessex; his son, Arnulf succeeded him as Count of Flanders; his son Adelolf became the 1st (titled) Count of Boulogne -here begins the Boulognian lineage to Walter aka Seier -his son Arnulf II; his son Arnulf III; Baldwin II; Eustace I (also Count of Lens) -had two sons: 1st son, Eustace II succeeded him as Count of Boulogne; 2nd son, Lambert II succeeded him as Count of Lens (and became Count of Aumale by right of his 2nd marriage to Adelaide of Normandy); Lambert's son from his 1st marriage, Walter aka Seier 'the Fleming' (of Flanders) became Walter de Seton after he fled England due to a military adventure put in in disfavor with William I, King of England -he was given land in Scotland by Malcolm III in Seton, West Lothian where he established his "de Steon" estates. Walter's 1st son Walter, inherited the de Wahull estates in England; his 2nd son Saher de Seton inherited the de Seton estates in Scotland.
(continued from the ending paragraph of Seton Arms entry) Later, Lambert's daughter (should be, granddaughter, Matilda aka Maud) Judith's second marriage, was to David I as his second wife, and Seier and Walter de Lens/de Seton were her half-brothers.  From King David I, Judith was the mother of Scotland's Queen Maud.  Later further adding to the family's royal blood and ties, Sir Christopher Seton married Lady Christina Bruce, sister of King Robert I (the Bruce), giving his Seton descendants further ties to the Royal Family of Scotland.  A double tressure was added to the Seton Arms after 1314 by King Robert I to recognize the Setons Royal lineage. (Jody Gray) this is the Christopher Seton that is the first of the Scotland Seton’s I find that has a Wikipedia page. And, here is a reference to Robert I, King of Scotland recognizing (appointing) the Seton Royal lineage (Coat of Arms).


Background: (Jody Gray): it was Lambert’s brother, Eustace II that fought alongside William the Conqueror at the Battle of Hastings (1066), not Lambert’s father, Eustace I (he died in 1049). After William the Conqueror ascended to the throne as William I, King of England, he rewarded his supporters, one of which was Eustace II. In 1067, Eustace II made an attempt to seize Dover Castle, which failed and his illegitimate son Geoffrey was taken prisoner; afterwards, Eustace’s lands were confiscated; later he reconciled with William and part of his lands were restored. Noteworthy: Eustace II a potential claimant to the throne (after the death of Edward the Confessor) -Eustace’s 1st wife, Godgifu, was the daughter of Ethelred the Unready, King of England -sister of Edward.

*House of Flanders:
Baldwin V (1012-1067) relationship to Eustace (1020-1087):
Baldwin I, founder of the House of Flanders; grandson, Baldwin II had two sons: 1st son, Arnulf, succeeded as 34th g-uncle Count of Flanders; 2nd son, 33rd ggf Adelolf 1st Count of Boulogne… Baldwin V descended from the Counts of Flanders… Eustace II descended for the Counts of Boulogne… Baldwin V (1012-1067) m: Adele (sister of King Henry I of France); their daughter, Matilda of Flanders (1031-1083) m: William the Conqueror

*Seton Coat of Arms:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clan_Seton Clan Seton *Origins. Seton in Scotland by 1150 when Alexander de Seton witnessed a charter by David I of Scotland. In 1306, Sir Christopher Seton is said to have saved the king’s (Robert the Bruce, King of Scotland) life when he was unhorsed during the Battle of Methven. Christopher was captured and executed for treason that same year. (Jody Gray) I can’t find a Seton lineage that begins before this that connects with Walter aka Seier ‘the Fleming’ de Seton or his son Saher de Seton b. 1087 to the 13th century Seton Clan of Scotland. Christopher has a Wikipedia page which states he was the eldest son of Sir John de Seton of Skelton, Cumberland (No connection has as yet been discovered to Alexander Seton, Governor of Berwick -Alexander was his Grandson)... His son deceased, his daughter, Margaret who m: Alan de Wyntoun, a paternal cadet (branch) of the Seton family, therefore succeeded to the estates and it was her son who took the Seton surname and was created the first Lord Seton.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Earl_of_Winton Earl of Winton. Contains a list of Paternal and Maternal ancestors [all birth dates are “circa” -calculated dates] of the 1st Lord Seton from Walter “Dougall” de Seton b. 1060, Scotland. Alexander de Seton b. 1087. Philip de Seton b. 1135. Alexander II Setoun de Wintoun, b. 1164. Adam de Seton b. 1190 d. 1249. Christopher de Seton d. 1269. Christopher de Seton d. 1298. Christopher de Seton b. 1240 d. 1307 (1306). Alexander de Seton b. 1242 d. 1307. Alexander IV Seton b. 1266 d. 1350. Margaret de Seton b. 1325 m: Alan de Wyntoun; Lords Seton 1371 their son, William Seton, became the 1st Lord Seton. (“clicking on” his name, Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name -please search… same thing happens with the next person listed, Sir John Seton, 2nd Lord Seton…  the 1st one with a Wikipedia page is George Seton, 3rd Lord Seton, of Seton, East Lothian c. 1415-1478)...
  *None of these ancestors (beginning with Alexander de Seton b. 1087) have wikipedia links and I can find no verified “Pedigree” Seton Family Tree that includes these early ancestors… Therefore, I am not including this Clan Seton COA… Instead, I’m using the simple (unembellished) Crest (refer to the web-link, The Seton Arms) -which, is identical to the COA, county of Boulogne in color (yellow-gold shield with red circles) to the Seton Arms with its red crescents -I’ve decided to use it as a “connective” icon
In the ancient Carolingian bloodline the Setons were senior representatives through their descent from Lambert de Lens, 2nd son of Count Eustace I of Boulogne, of the five Eustace fame. Hence the meaning of the three crescents in the Seton Arms, signifying descent from the second son of the House of Boulogne.
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Related Blog Posts:
Blog Post: Seton Family of Walter aka Seier ‘the Fleming’ de Seton.
http://gray-adamsfamily.blogspot.com/2017/04/seton-family-of-walter-aka-seier.html *
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