Bertram de Verdun facts for kids
Bertram de Verdun was the name of several important people from a Norman family. This family came from a region in Normandy called the Avranchin.
Historians say the de Verdun family lived in Normandy and owned land there. After the Norman conquest of England in 1066, they were given land in England too. The first Bertram de Verdun is mentioned in old records from Normandy around 1068-1085. He witnessed a document where someone gave land to the Abbey of Mont-Saint-Michel.
Bertram I de Verdun
Bertram I de Verdun is listed in the Domesday Book from 1086. This book was a huge survey of England ordered by William the Conqueror. Bertram I owned land and a large estate called Farnham Royal in Buckinghamshire. Before the Norman Conquest, this land belonged to Princess Goda of England.
The Domesday Book also says that Bertram was in Normandy working for King William II. He also appears in documents from William de St-Calais, who was the Bishop of Durham and a chief advisor to the King. We don't know Bertram I's wife's name, but his son and heir was Bertram II de Verdun.
Bertram II de Verdun
Bertram II de Verdun continued to gain more land in England. By 1128, he had also been given land in Staffordshire and Leicestershire. Some historians believe he also held an important job for King Henry I. He might have been the sheriff of Yorkshire around 1100. A sheriff was like a local government official, responsible for law and order and collecting taxes.
Bertram III de Verdun
Bertram III de Verdun was the grandson of Bertram II. He was a close friend and trusted helper of King Henry II. His parents were Norman de Verdun and Lesceline de Clinton. Bertram III held many important positions during his life.
He first married Matilda, the daughter of Robert de Ferrers, 2nd Earl of Derby. She was very young and died without having children. Later, Bertram married a woman named Rohese, and they had eight children together.
In 1166, Bertram de Verdun held land that required him to provide two knights for the king's army. He also had connections to Mont-Saint-Michel in Normandy.
In 1168, Bertram was sent by the king to investigate a problem with the Sheriff of Warwickshire, William Basset. As a result, Bertram himself became the Sheriff of Warwickshire and Leicestershire in 1169. Four years later, he rebuilt his home at Alton Castle using stone. Before this, it was just a wooden hall. In 1179, Bertram founded a monastery called Croxden Abbey in Staffordshire. Monks from Normandy came to live there.
King Henry II wanted to bring the Irish church in line with the rest of Europe. In 1169, an Irish king, Dermot MacMurrough, and an English earl, Richard FitzGilbert (Strongbow), landed in Ireland. They took control of Dublin. King Henry II decided to go to Ireland himself to show his authority. Bertram de Verdun was chosen as the Seneschal for this trip. This meant he was in charge of all the supplies and provisions for the army. The expedition left for Waterford on October 16, 1171. After this campaign, Bertram was given land in Louth, Ireland. He controlled the towns of Drogheda and Dundalk and several castles there.
From 1172, Bertram was one of the king's "Justices in Eyre," which means he was a circuit judge who traveled around the country to hear cases. Later, in 1175, he became a regular member of the Curia Regis, which was the king's royal court and council.
King Henry II worked to bring order back to England after a period of chaos. However, some powerful nobles rebelled against him. The French and the Scots also tried to take advantage of the situation. Bertram de Verdun remained loyal to the king. He successfully defended Kenilworth Castle, which was surrounded by rebel lords. He also fought against the Scots at Alnwick, where the Scottish King, William the Lion, was captured. This helped put an end to the rebellion.
Bertram de Verdun was Sheriff of Leicestershire until 1183. He spent a lot of time in Ireland and Normandy, where he supported many monasteries. He was a close friend of King Henry II. It is likely he was with the king in France when Henry became ill and died in 1189.
Bertram was a very capable and trusted man. He was sometimes in charge of Pontorson castle, served as sheriff, and was a traveling judge. He went on a special mission to Spain in 1177 and helped sort out problems in Ireland in 1185. He also looked after the heir to the earldom of Chester. He was a man of many talents and was often found with King Henry II, serving as one of his closest advisors.
After King Henry II died, Bertram III remained an important figure for the new king, Richard I. He became a castellan, meaning he was in charge of a castle for the king. He also joined King Richard on a crusade to the Holy Land. King Richard wanted to lead a crusade to recapture Jerusalem.
Bertram de Verdun sailed with King Richard on what is known as the Third Crusade. After many delays, they finally reached Acre in 1191. The Christians attacked the city, and it soon fell. Bertram, along with another leader, was appointed as the city's governor.
Records show that Bertram died at Jaffa in 1192. The Chronicle of Croxden Abbey states that "Bertram de Verdun of pious memory founder died and on St. Bartholomew's day was buried at Acre." St. Bartholomew's Day is August 24th or 25th. This was just a few days before a peace treaty was signed that allowed pilgrims to visit Jerusalem. Bertram's death also happened shortly after the Battle of Jaffa in August 1192, where King Richard's forces won a victory against Saladin's army. It is possible Bertram was with King Richard at Jaffa when he died.
Family Tree
- Bertram I de Verdun (died around 1100)
- Bertram II de Verdun (Sheriff of York, died around 1120)
- Norman de Verdun (Chamberlain to King Henry I of England, died around 1153)
- Bertram III de Verdun (Crusader and castellan for Richard I of England, died 1192)
- Norman de Verdun (Chamberlain to King Henry I of England, died around 1153)
- Bertram II de Verdun (Sheriff of York, died around 1120)
* Nicholas de Verdun (died 1231)
