Edelina

Not the same as wife of Robert de Eyton & not the same as Matilda le Boteler

• “Unplaced Botelers” - Robert Boteler of Ingleby, Derby, temp Henry II; and his sister Edeline, [SIC: Matilda] m. Roger [or Walter] de Somerville, fl. 1190 (but see below)

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Remains historical and literary connected with the Palatine ..., Volume 86. By Chetham Society. Page 30. <GoogleBooks>

Robert Pincerna seems to have had a house at Engleby in Derbyshire, and his son and heir Robert was called de Engleby, probably from having been born there. Robert was a loyal servant to the earl, and gave proof of his affection for him by founding an abbey for his safety. The issue of Robert and Ivetta appear to have been as follows:

(8.) Edelina, who married Roger de Somerville and gave lands to the nunnery of Polesworth, which was founded before the time of Stephen, to pray for the repose of herself, her husband and others. Dugdale, who says she was living in 28 Henry II., gives a pedigree of her family. (Hist. Warwickshire, pp. 216, 226, 238, 799. See also Dugdale's Monasticon under Polesworth.) Her husband made the following gift to Pulton of the garden which his father-in-law had given him ….

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'Part Two: The parish of Church Eaton: Introduction', Staffordshire Historical Collections, vol. 4 (1883), pp. 1-20. URL: http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.aspx?compid=52405 Date accessed: 14 May 2013.

I take this to have been the first Robert de Toeni or de Stafford, the Domesday tenant in capite, who survived till the reign of Henry I. (fn. 4) His gift was probably a confirmation, as chief lord, of a previous grant by the said Edelina. Who this Edelina was I am not able to say, but she may very possibly have been a daughter of Godric, the Domesday tenant, by a wife who was related to the Baron of Stafford, of whom he held this manor. If so, she will probably have married Gripp, or one of his sons, and had by him a son Hamo de Longford, who succeeded to the Lordship of Longford in Shropshire, which he held of the King in capite, as also to this manor of Eaton in Staffordshire.

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“History of the Parish of Tatenhill in the County of Stafford, Volume 1.” By Sir Reginald Hardy (2d bart.) Page 43. GoogleBooks

The Earl of Chester assumed a right of seigneury either over the Estates of Somerville or over the widow by grant from the King. The lady objected as holding nothing of the King or the earl and paid a fine rather than remarry. In 3 John she paid an instalment of vi marks. The Earl of Chester may have claimed a right over the daughter of his butler. To return to Edelina. Who was she ?

Who was she? Dugdale in his Warwickshire, p. 216, under Birdingbury, states: “ There was land in Birdingbury very antiently given to the Nuns of Polesworth by Edelina, the sister to Robert Boteler of Englebi, for the health of the soul of Walter de Somerville and of Roger de S., as also of her own soul and the souls of all her ancestors and successors to perform the anniversary for the said Walter on the feast day of St. Mary Magdalene. In consideration of which grant the said Nuns promised that whensoever she should happen to depart this life they would cause her body to be conveyed to Polesworth and bury it honourably in their cloyster with due Exiquies.” The authority for this is Autogr. penes Fr. Nethersole, Eq. aur.

On p. 799, under Polesworth, Dugdale writes: Burdingburie certain lands by Edelina sister to Robert Boteler of Inglebij for the souls health of Walter de S. her husband” (giving the same authority). Under Stockton’s he makes Edelina the wife of Roger de S.

On p. 800: Among the possessions of Polesworth is the Church of Eiton (Church Eaton, co. Stafford), given by Robert de Brienton, “heir to Edelina," by the consent of Eve his wife. The deeds given in the Dieulacres Chartulary seem proof positive that Roger's wife was Matilda Pincerna. Probably they were never seen by Dugdale. <

In S.C., IV, 2. 3, under Church Eaton, Edelina is discussed. Eva liberalis mulier married Robert de Brinton temp. H. U. She had a sister Agnes, the wife of Stockton. Robert, as heir of Edelina, gives the Church of Eiton to the Convent of Polesworth; and severe litigation ensued between the nuns and the heirs of Eva. Edelina may have been a Staffoid. She retired as a widow to Polesworth. Robert de Stafford gave to God and St. Adeline and the Holy Nuns of Polesworthe the Church of Hecton (Eaton) in perpetual alms; together with Edelina his Cognata, who seeks or intends to pass her life and to assume the habit of religion there (Stafford Chart. at Blithfield). Edelina may have married the first Walter, and her son Roger would be the father of the second Walter. She was left a widow, and then married Grip, leaving two sons, Hamo and Fitz Grip. Hamo leaves two daughters. Eva married to R. de Brinton, and Agnes married to de Stockton.

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https://hydra.hull.ac.uk/assets/hull:554/content

GODRIC. On this name, see 5,2 Godric note. This undertenancy had passed via one Edelina to her son Hamon, lord of Longford (Shropshire), by 1166; see VCH Staffordshire, iv. p. 93.

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'Church Eaton: The church', in Staffordshire Historical Collections, Vol. 4, ed. George Wrottesley (London, 1883), pp. 26-38. British History Online http://www.british-history.ac.uk/staffs-hist-collection/vol4/pp26-38 [accessed 18 December 2020].

The Church of Eyton is an ancient foundation which existed in Saxon times. It was given to the Nuns of Pollesworth, in Warwickshire, towards the close of the eleventh century, or very early in the twelfth century, by Edelina, the Lady of Eyton, and confirmed, as I suppose, by her relative and chief lord, Robert de Stafford. (fn. 1)

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“St Edith of Polesworth and her cult“ by NIGEL TRINGHAM Keele University and VCH Staffordshire.Link

Polesworth abbey was certainly the means by which Church Eaton church in the west of Staffordshire was dedicated to St Edith, following the grant of the church by one Edelina, a relation of the manorial overlord, Robert de Stafford, who in his confirmation noted that she had wished to become a nun (vitam mutare et habitum religionis assumere querit vel intendit). Either the Edelina whose son Hamo (d. by 1166) inherited the manor or a daughter of the same name, she must have been the Edelina whose brother Robert the butler gave the Polesworth nuns some land on condition that they celebrated anniversaries for the souls of ‘her lord’ Walter de Somerville (a close companion of Robert Marmion) and (his son) Roger. Edelina was to be buried at Polesworth, the nuns having promised that when she died they would carry her body to their house (ad domum suam) and honourably bury her with due exequies in their cloister (in claustro).

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Collections for a History of Staffordshire: Vol. IV. By William Salt Archaeological Society. Page 2. GoogleBooks

As Godric is a Saxon or Danish name, it is not improbable that he was the heir and successor of Wilegrip who held it in the time of Edward the Confessor. The next possessor that I meet with is Edelina, who seems to have been a near relative of the Baron of Stafford, under whom this manor was held. She retired, in her widowhood, to the Abbey of Polesworth in Warwickshire, to which she brought the advowson of Church Eaton. For I find that Robert de Stepforthe [de Stafford] gave to God and Saint Adeline and the holy Nuns of Pollesworthe, the Church of Hectona [Eyton or Eaton) in perpetual alms, together with Edelina his relative (cognatâ sud), who seeks or intends to pass her life, and to assume the habit of religion, there, reserving to Godwin the Priest his right.

I take this to have been the first Robert de Toeni or de Stafford, the Domesday tenant in capite, who survived till the reign of Henry I. His gift was probably a confirmation, as chief lord, of a previous grant by the said Edelina. Who this Edelina was I am not able to say, but she may very possibly have been a daughter of Godric, the Domesday tenant, by a wife who was related to the Baron of Stafford, of whom he held this manor. If so, she will probably have married Gripp, or one of his sons, and had by him a son HaMO DE LONGFORD, who succeeded to the Lordship of Longford in Shropshire, which he held of the King in capite, as also to this manor of Eaton in Staffordshire. Hamo de Longford married Sibil or Basilia fitz Odo, who was possessed of an estate at East Wall, in the fee of Rushbury, in Shropshire. ...

... The old Rhyming Chronicle of Stone in the “ Monasticon” is of comparatively a late date, and not to be relied upon as trustworthy evidence for the early history of the Staffords. The Robert de Stafford who gave Edelina, his relative, to the Abbey of Polesworth, with the advowson of Church Eaton, will therefore have been his grandson Robert, the son of Nicholas de Stafford, and Edelina herself may perhaps have been a Stafford, and had the manor of Church Eaton given to her on her marriage with the Lord of Longford.

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Robert de Brienton, with consent of his wife Eva, gave the Church of Eaton to Polesworth Nunnery (Warwickshire). [1] This he is expressed to have done as heir of Edelina; but I conceive that his wife Eva was the heiress of Eaton, and that she derived it from her father, Hamo. That Hamo may have derived from some Edelina, I can only suggest generally, knowing nothing of the circumstances.

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Remains historical and literary connected with the Palatine ..., Volume 86. By Chetham Society. Page 30.

Her husband made the following gift to Pulton of the garden which his father-in-law had given him :

“To all the sons of holy mother church both present and to come, Roger de Summervill sendeth greeting. Know ye that I have given and confirmed to God and Saint Mary and the monks of Pulton for the health and safety of me, and my wife and children, and all my friends, a certain garden near the bridge at Chester, which I hold of the gift of Robert Pincerna, so that they shall have and hold it in free alms for ever from me and my heirs freely and honourably without any earthly service. These being witnesses : Robert the chaplain, Richard the clerk, and William de Rideware." (Translated from the original in the possession of the marquis of Westminster.)

Roger seems to have been a common name in the family. A Roger de Somery was fined for not taking up his knighthood in 17 Henry III. (Rot. Fin., 5m.) On the 1st May, 12 Edward III. (1338), in pursuance of the surplus caution often observed in times past, sir John Summerville released to the abbot of Dieu la cresse the services the abbot was wont to render for the manor of Pulton. (From the original in the marquis of Westminster's possession.) After all, it seems very probable that Roger de Gondeville and Roger de Summerville were one and the same person, and that Matilda and Edelina, their respective wives, were one and the same person. If so, we have in it another instance of the confusion of names in ancient times.

Note: Walter de Somerville was her “Lord,” Roger was her husband.

References

• Remains historical and literary connected with the Palatine ..., Volume 86. By Chetham Society. Page 30. <GoogleBooks>
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polesworth_Abbey
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edmund_Stafford,_1st_Baron_Stafford
• https://churcheaton.org.uk/index.php
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edith_of_Polesworth
• https://groups.google.com/forum/m/#!topic/soc.genealogy.medieval/xl...
• https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/144405718/edilene-le_boteler
• # Family Tree: Roger de Somervill
• https://groups.google.com/g/soc.genealogy.medieval/c/c3C9g1cgBDI/m/... 7. Edelina mar. Roger de Somerville, gave lands to the nunnery of Polesworth (Dudgedale Pedigree, Hist. of Warwickshire pp. 216,226,238,799)
• Please see James Somerville: Memorie of the Somervilles; https://archive.org/details/memorieofsomerv11815some/page/24/mode/1up (Steven Ferry, May 16, 2022.)