Feudal barony of Trematon facts for kids

Trematon Castle, the main base of the Trematon Barony

The Feudal Barony of Trematon was a special type of land ownership in the Middle Ages. It was one of three such "baronies" in Cornwall, England. Think of a barony as a large area of land controlled by a powerful lord, called a baron. The main base, or caput, of this barony was Trematon Castle in Cornwall. In the year 1166, the barony included 60 "knight's fees." A knight's fee was enough land to support one knight and his family. This meant the barony had about 60 separate manors, which were large estates with a village and farmland.

Who Owned the Trematon Barony?

The de Vautort Family

Arms of the de Vautort family, who were feudal barons of Trematon. Their coat of arms shows three red bends (diagonal stripes) on a silver background, with a black border covered in gold circles (bezants). Bezants were often used in the arms of families connected to the Earls of Cornwall.

The Trematon Barony was unusual because it wasn't held directly from the King of England. Instead, it was held from the family of Robert, Count of Mortain. He was the half-brother of King William the Conqueror. For many generations, the de Vautort family owned the barony. Their name, de Valletorta, was once thought to come from Vautorte in France. However, it is now known to come from Torteval in Normandy.

Here are some of the de Vautort family members who held the barony:

• Godfrey de Vautort: He held the Honour of Trematon from the Count of Mortain in 1184.
• Reginald I de Vautort (died around 1123): By 1086, he was a major landholder for Robert, Count of Mortain. He controlled 57 manors, with Trematon Castle as his main center.
• Roger I de Vautort (died around 1163): He was Reginald's son and heir.
• Ralph I de Vautort (died before 1173): He was Roger's son. In 1166, he held 59 knight's fees from the Earl of Cornwall. He also held one knight's fee directly from the king.
• Roger II de Vautort (died 1206): He was Ralph's son and heir.
• Reginald II de Vautort (died 1245): He was Roger II's son.
• Ralph II de Vautort (died 1257): He was Reginald II's brother.
• Reginald III de Vautort (died 1269): He was Ralph II's son. He died young and had no children.
• Roger III de Vautort (died 1274): He was Reginald III's uncle. He sold off most of the family's lands and left behind huge debts. He also died without children.

After Roger III, what was left of the lands eventually went to the descendants of two daughters of Ralph I de Vautort.

The Earls of Cornwall

Over time, the barony changed hands and was owned by powerful figures, including the Earls of Cornwall:

• Richard, 1st Earl of Cornwall (1209–1272): He was the second son of King John. He bought the barony in 1270.
• Edmund, 2nd Earl of Cornwall (1249–1300): He was Richard's son. He died without children, and the barony then went back to the Crown (the king).
• Piers Gaveston, 1st Earl of Cornwall (died 1312): He was given the barony in 1309. But after he was executed in 1312, it returned to the Crown.
• Queen Isabella: She was the wife of King Edward II. She was granted the barony in 1317 and kept it during her husband's rule.
• John of Eltham, Earl of Cornwall (1316–1336): He was the second son of King Edward II and Queen Isabella. He was granted the barony in 1331. He died without children.
• Edward, the Black Prince (died 1376): He was the eldest son of King Edward III. He was granted the barony in 1337.