Persona History work - comments welcome!
Melisende Fitzwalter is the only surviving child of Sir Hugh Fitzwalter, youngest son of Sir Theobald Fitzwalter of Copsale, near Horsham in Sussex.
Born in 1349 the youngest of 3 boys and one girl, surviving offspring of Sir Theobald Fitzwalter and his wife Aline Goodricke, Hugh was disinclined to enter the church. His family was long-established but not particularly affluent so instead he sought his fortune in the wars against France by joining the free company of Sir Edward Dalyngrigge. On campaign in France in 1367, he distinguished himself at the Battle of Najera and was knighted on the field by Edward Prince of Wales, subsequently swearing fealty to Sir Edward as his vassal. Having built-up substantial wealth from the wars, he managed to acquire the small manor and estate of Hartley in Sussex, in fief from Sir Edward. In 1370, he was in Bayonne in the train of the Duke of Lancaster when he took up command of the English province of Guienne from Edward the Black Prince.
In February of 1373 Hugh Fitzwalter married Alayda de Talhaint, daughter of Roland de Talhaint and his second wife Constancia de Mirana. Roland fought with the Gascon allies of the English army and was an affluent Knight from Bayonne. Alayda, who was 17 years old, brought with her a substantial dowry of 100 livres. In the following winter of 1373-1374, the couple were living in Bordeaux while Hugh was involved in the defence of the city against the French while the Duke of Lancaster mounted a futile Chevauchée to relieve them. Melisende was born there in early 1374 and Sir Edward Dalyngrigge stood as her godfather. Alayda de Talhaint died 2 months later of Bubonic plague which was in full epidemic in the city at the time.
As soon as it was safe to do so, Hugh sent his infant daughter back to Bayonne to the safety of his wife’s relatives. In 1377, Sir Edward Dalyngrigge had returned to England where he married an heiress who brought with her the manor and estate of Bodiam. Hugh soon followed and spent some months bringing his manor of Hartley into good condition. However in the summer of 1378, he took part in the Duke of Lancaster’s final campaign in France where an abortive attempt was made to capture the port of St. Malo. He served under the Earl of Arundel, Admiral of the West and South, who was also Sir Edward’s Patron. The campaign was a failure and Hugh contracted Dysentery eventually dying in early 1379. Melisende was barely 5 years old and according to her father’s will, and feudal law, her care was left to her godfather Sir Edward Dalyngrigge, who had the wardship confirmed in court. Melisende had so far been raised by her Gascon family, but in 1380 they reluctantly sent her to England to live in the household of Sir Edward. Able to speak and read in both French and English, she was taught how to write by Lady Elizabeth Dalyngrigge’s chaplain who, having some talent himself and finding her an apt pupil, also taught her the scribal arts of calligraphy and illumination. At the age of 12, she was sent away to board at the Benedictine Convent at Andover where she was able to further refine these skills.
At the age of 18, after returning to Bodiam, she was married to Richard de Hamden, a wealthy middle-aged wool merchant. He was an alderman under Sir Edward who was Lord Mayor of the City of London in that same year of 1392. Richard had also supported him in his legal battle against the Duke of Lancaster’s development plans in Sussex in 1384. A widower with two married daughters older than Melisende, Richard also benefited from her substantial dowry which included her parent’s combined wealth and the manor of Hartley whose revenues had defaulted to her godfather during her minority and had been administered by his Reeves. After two years of marriage that remained childless, Richard de Hamden died in a riding accident only two weeks after the death of Sir Edward Dalyngrigge himself. Richard’s wealth was divided between his daughters and Melisende, who retired to her father’s manor.
Now she occupies her time tending to her estate, and endowing the local church with her own illuminated bibles. She often travels to visit her Fitzwalter cousins in Copsale and very occasionally to Gascony.
Commentary:
- Copsale and Horsham are real places as are Bodiam, Bordeaux, Bayonne, Hartley and St. Malo. In fact every place named above existed at the time.
- Fictional characters all belong to the Fitzwalter and de Talhaint families plus Richard de Hamden. Everyone else is real. All fictional names are taken from lists of 14th century names and are therefore accurate for the time and location.
- The Fitzwalter family are mundanely, my ancestors which we can trace back to 1100 A.D. However they were based in Ireland, not in Sussex. However an entirely separate family also with the surname Fitzwalter was based in Essex, so the surname existed in period, not a million miles from where I have placed it. The names Theobald and Hugh are real names of Fitzwalter ancestors of the relevant time.
- Sir Edward Dalyngrigge is a historical character who rose from relative obscurity in Sussex, to become a wealthy and influential character in late 14th century England. He made his fortune both through the wars in France (I imagine through plunder and judicious ransoming of wealthy captives) and through an advantageous marriage which brought him the estate of Bodiam. He was the Knight of the Shire for Sussex in 10 parliaments, and at various times Captain of Brest, member of various commissions on coastal security and fortification, on truce negotiations with France and Flanders and on reviewing the state of the realm, possessions and expenses and revenues of the Royal Houshold. He served as the Lord Mayor of the City of London in 1392. His own Liegelord was the Earl of Arundel. Sir Edward was dead by 1395, but nothing is known of the circumstances or actual date. I have no evidence yet of his presence at the Battle of Najera, but as at the age of 21, he would have already been at least a couple of years into campaigning with the avowed intention of making his fortune, it would be highly likely for him to be following wherever the horns of war lead him.
- John of Gaunt, Duke of Lancaster did take part it or lead all the campaigns mentioned above. The Battle of Najera took place in Castile, as part of his attempt to intervene in their civil war and restore Peter the Cruel to his throne. The battle was fought between the winning Anglo-Gascon army and the Franco-Castilian forces. The English were lead by Edward the Black Prince and John of Gaunt. The vanguard of the English forces was primarily made up of the free companies of Knights and Squires lead by Sir John Chandos and the Duke of Lancaster. In 1370, the Duke took over the Lordship of Guienne, including Aquitaine from the Prince of Wales, but resigned the command the following year. In the winter of 1373-1374, he lead a brave but ultimately pointless land-invasion across France to relieve the English territory from French aggression. His troops were decimated by the weather and French skirmishers and were demoralized and unpaid by the time they arrived in Bordeaux after a 4 month Chevauchée, only to find the city in the grip of the Bubonic Plague. He gave up at went back to England. His last attempt at military glory was an incursion into France where he besieged the Port of St. Malo in 1378, but logistical inefficiencies resulted in lack of supplies for his armies and the siege had to be abandoned. He did take Sir Edward Dalyngrigge to Court in a dispute about the Duke’s acquisition of estates in Sussex and his increasing influence in the county and usurpation of authority, guarded jealously by the prominent families of the region.
- It was normal for the Liegelord to take over the wardship of minor orphans of their vassals. This was especially the case were the inheritance and estates of the minor where of some value. The revenue from the estates were due to the liegelord, who also had responsibility for the marriage of the minor and in some unscrupulous cases, they even demanded payment from their ward in order to allow a marriage to take place. It was normal for noble families to marry both wards and their own children off to allies and supporters in order to cement relationships and reward service, regardless of the relative ages of the couple involved and the appropriateness of the union.
- It was common for female wards to be raised in covents. It often suited Lords to administer their wealth, more than their persons and after all they were not family. Wardship was not the same as adoption which was also practiced at this time. A ward had no rights of inheritance of property or wealth of the Lord responsible for them.
- It is not normal for a Lady of Melisende’s age to remain unmarried, but it suits me to remain so. In period, widows had more independence and ability to govern their own lives. Melisende’s godfather was dead and she had no-one left in authority over her apart from potential grandfathers who she barely knew and had the financial means to ignore.
- It is also unlikely that she would have been a prominent scribe or illuminator, but she would have given/made gifts and endowed local ecclesiastical establishments, so I have included this activity as part of that aspect of life.
- As regards marriageable age, it was far more normal to be married at around 17 or 18 among the lower levels of gentry. The perception of marriages at 12 or 14 were mostly dynastic unions among the high nobility that were struck when the political anvil was hot.