William de Falaise facts for kids
William de Falaise (who lived in the 11th century) was an important Norman lord. He was also known as William of Falaise. William came from a town called Falaise in Normandy, which is now part of France. After the Norman Conquest, he became a powerful landowner in England. He was the feudal baron of Stogursey in Somerset and also owned many estates in Devon.
William's Family and Life
William de Falaise married a woman named Geva de Burci. Geva was the daughter and only heir of Serlo de Burcy. Serlo was the feudal baron of Blagdon in Somerset.
Geva had been married before to a man named Martin. With Martin, she had a son named Robert fitz Martin (who died in 1159). Robert and his family later became the feudal barons of Blagdon.
William de Falaise and Geva had a daughter named Emma of Falaise. Emma was William's only heir for the Stogursey lands. She married William de Courcy (who died around 1114). After their marriage, the Stogursey barony passed to their children and future generations.
However, William of Falaise's lands in Devon went to the FitzMartin family. This was the family of Robert fitz Martin, Geva's son from her first marriage. The FitzMartin family were the feudal barons of Blagdon. They sometimes lived at Dartington, which used to be one of William de Falaise's estates.
Lands William Owned
The Exeter Domesday Book is a very old record from 1086. It lists all the lands owned in England after the Norman Conquest. In this book, William de Falaise is listed as owning 17 estates in Devon. He held these lands directly from the king. This meant he was a "tenant-in-chief."
Devon Estates
Here are some of the places William de Falaise owned in Devon:
- Combe Martin, in Braunton Hundred
- Furse, possibly Furze in West Buckland
- Parracombe, in Shirwell Hundred
- Churchill, in East Down parish
- "Beare", possibly a lost Beare in Worlington
- Washford Pyne in Witheridge Hundred
- Worlington, in Witheridge Hundred
- Bradford, in Witheridge Hundred
- Densham, in Woolfardisworthy parish
- Cockington, in Haytor Hundred
- Holne, now a parish
- Stoke, in Holne parish
- Dean Prior, a parish
- Rattery, a parish
- Dartington, a parish
- Harbourneford, in South Brent parish
- Englebourne, now in Harberton parish
Somerset Estates
The Domesday Book also lists William de Falaise as Wilts de Faleise. He owned 3 estates in Somerset directly from the king:
- Stogursey, in Cannington Hundred
- Wootton [Courtenay], in Carhampton Hundred
- Woodspring, in Winterstoke Hundred
