From: https://www.geni.com/projects/Benham-Park-Berkshire-England/25559
According to an inquisition taken in the reign of Henry III, probably about the year 1250, Humphrey Vis de Lou came over with the Conqueror and received from him the manor of Benham, but having slain a certain knight the manor was taken from him by Henry II. Further it is stated that on account of this forfeiture his son Walkelin did not inherit the manor, but the king granted it to Robert of London, who had married Isabel, Walkelin's only daughter, both of whom died without issue, when the manor returned to the king.
The account thus given cannot be correct, since if Humphrey accompanied the Conqueror he could not have lived to commit a murder in the reign of Henry II. Moreover, it appears that Walkelin did inherit, for between 1100 and 1135 he had a dispute with the abbey of Abingdon as to the vill of Westbrook, then, as since, a part of the manor of Benham. It was perhaps Walkelin who was the murderer, or the crime may have escaped punishment until the reign of Henry II. At all events, before 1158–9 the manor had become forfeit to the Crown, for in that year the sheriff rendered account of 20s. from the land of William Francis at Benham. Till 1164–5 the rent of this manor is yearly accounted for by the sheriff, but in 1166–7 it is entered as from Richard of London, though in the following year his name does not appear. In 1173–4 Robert of London is entered as paying the rent, which had risen to 66s. 8d., and in the following year he paid £6 0s. 12d. towards the aid for marrying the king's daughter. It seems clear from these entries that the manor was not granted to Robert, but leased to him.
At the time of the Domesday Survey 2 hides were held of Humphrey by Anschetil and 2 by William, and, as we have seen, William Francis was holding part, at least, of the manor in 1158–9. Robert of London was tenant in 1166–7, and William of Rochelle held land here in 1167–8. In 1194 part, at least, of the manor had been leased by King Richard I to Richard de Camville, who had already died in the Holy Land, and had been succeeded by his son John. The lands still appear, however, in his name in 1196–7 and 1198, and no inquisition was held as to his death until the reign of Henry III.
John Camville died without issue, and the manor was seized by his uncle Gerard, Richard's elder brother. The king, however, ejected him and granted it to Hugh Wake, to hold by the serjeanty of being usher of the king's chamber. Hugh died in or before 1199, and King John granted the custody of his land and heirs to Hugh Nevill, while in 1205 he gave his widow in marriage to Roger son of Henry. (fn. 187) Hugh Nevill was holding this land, which was valued at 17 librates, between 1210 and 1212.James Wake, son of Hugh, seems to have inherited the manor and to have married Amy daughter of Peter de Harthelakeston. He died shortly afterwards, leaving an only son Hugh, while the manor passed in dower to his widow, who subsequently married Richard of Livington.
=========================================================================
We still have a few problems with this account. Gerard de Camville is explicitly the son of the Sir Richard de Camville who founded Coombe Abbey in or before 1150 - and plainly *not* a son of Melisende de Rethel (since he never had a look-in at Stanton). Gerard, equally explicitly per various charters, had a sister Matilda and three brothers, William, Walter, and Richard - and neither Matilda nor the first two brothers had a look-in either.
That leaves Richard as a possible half-brother, but...the manor of Benham was granted *to him specifically* three or more years after the Richard de Camville who was the heir of Stanton had died at the siege of Acre (1189-1191) - and since King Richard *was there himself*, he must have known this. Moreover, the manor continues in his name until 1198, which is starting to be a bit unreasonable - unless Richard was Gerald's *full* brother and never went to the Holy Land (or went and came back alive). The clear implication here is that the Sir Richard de Camville who founded Coombe Abbey was *not* the one who married Melisende de Rethel, but (probably) a same-named cousin. (Medieval families were notorious for recycling the same few names ad nauseam.)
We then have a very tight timeline: Richard Camville of Benham dies circa 1197-98, his son John was either already dead or died soon after, older brother Gerard puts the snatch on Benham, but King Richard boots him out and re-grants the manor to Hugh Wake - who promptly turns up *his* toes, followed (or preceded) by King Richard!
Hugh Wake's son James must have been a minor, as King John (1199-1216) granted custody to Hugh Nevill, and James did not get the manor in his own name until after 1212. James Wake married, then died leaving an only son, another Hugh Wake, and two sisters, Aline and Joan. The short of it is that Hugh had no children, and in 1250 the king (Henry III) reclaimed the manor to re-grant it as he saw fit (he gave it to a William de Valence, and the Camvilles and Wakes are now out of the story).
