Simon, brother of Walter fitz Alan facts for kids
Simon was an important person who lived in the 1100s. He was an Anglo-Norman, which means he came from a family with roots in both England and Normandy (a region in France). We know he was active around the years 1162 and 1163.
Who Was Simon's Family?
Historians are not completely sure who Simon's parents were. One idea is that his mother was Avelina de Hesdin. If this is true, then Simon's father would have been Avelina's second husband, Robert fitz Walter.
This would mean Simon was a uterine brother to Avelina's other sons. A uterine brother is someone who shares the same mother but has a different father. These brothers were Jordan fitz Alan, William fitz Alan, and Walter fitz Alan. Walter fitz Alan was a very important person who founded Paisley Abbey.
Simon's Connection to Walter fitz Alan
Simon's name appears on an old document where Walter fitz Alan gave land to Paisley Priory. Simon's name is listed at the very bottom of the people who witnessed this gift. The document also says he was Walter's brother. This suggests that they might have been uterine brothers, sharing the same mother, Avelina.
Simon also confirmed a gift of land that Alan and his mother had made. This gift involved lands in places called Kempston, Sporle, and Newton.
Some people believe that Simon was a son of Avelina and her first husband, Alan. They also think he might be an ancestor of the Clan Boyd, a famous Scottish family.
