Robert (de Morley)

circa 1130s - circa 1190s

Nothing is known of Robert's early life. All that can be said is that he was the son of Walter ^(1)(4)(6)(7), and was probably born somewhere around the 1130s ⁽²⁾.

He married Dina, the daughter of Robert son of Hardulph ⁽⁶⁾ from Osgathorpe in Leicestershire, and had three daughters - Alice, Amphelia and Yseuda/Ysolt ⁽⁸⁾

He witnessed a grant of land to his wife's father ⁽⁴⁾, and also confirmed a sale by him in 1186 ⁽¹⁾. Following his father in law's death, land in Osgathorpe was confirmed to him ⁽⁶⁾.

Between 1186 and 1194, he granted the advowson of Morley to St Werburgh's abbey ⁽⁵⁾, then pre-deceased his wife, sometime after that grant but before 1201 ⁽⁸⁾.

• Alice married William de Verdon. She inherited lands in Aston, Shardlow and Wilne, which passed to their son and heir, also named William de Verdon.
• Amphelisa married Philip de Wasteneys. She inherited her mother's Leicesterhire lands in Wartnaby, Osgathorpe and Thringston, which passed to their son and heir William de Wasteneys.
• Ysolt has her own page.

1. "Some account of Colton and of the De Wasteney's family", Frederick Perrot Parker, 1879, page 18, cites an entry in the register of Leicester Abbey "quoted by Nichols" (meaning his "Antiquities of Leicester"), and dates it to 1186. Nichols in turn cites "Charyte's Rentale, fol. xii"
   Habemus ibidem ex concessione et quieta donatione Roberti filii Walteri, venditionem quam Robertus filius Hardulphi nobis fecit de tota terra suam quam habebat in Ashfordby.
2. His date of birth cannot be estimated with any accuracy, but from the birth of his (third?) daughter Ysolt around 1170; and also the possibility that he is the same Robert son of Walter named in a handful of Pipe Roll entries commencing at the end of the 1160s ⁽³⁾ he was seemingly born sometime before the late 1140s.
   His wife's grandfather was old enough to hold land at the time of the Domesday survey, so that suggests a date of birth for her somewhat earlier than this upper limit. Assuming his wife to be as old as 35 at the time of Ysoult's birth, then a date of birth around the 1130s seems reasonable.
3. "The Great Roll of the Pipe for the Twelfth year of the reign of King Henry the Second, AD 1168-1169", Pipe Roll Society 1888, Vol. XIII. contains an entry sub "Notingehamscr & Derbiscr'" on page 62 which names Robert son of Walter, but with no clue as to whereabouts in Notts/Derbys he was from. Whether this refers to the same Robert son of Walter is impossible to say. A couple of years later in Vol 16 (1170-71), there is a similar entry, but this time under "Lincolescr"
4. "Some account of Colton and of the De Wasteney's family", Frederick Perrot Parker, 1879, page 19, cites a charter (but unfortunately neglects to give any reference to it) which reads :
   H, comes Cestriæ, const', dapifer, justic', omnibus hominibus Franc et Angl' ... Roberto filio Hardulphi et Heredibus terr' de Angodesthorp que de feudo meo, sibi ad tenendum de Hamone fil' Meinselini et heredibus pro homagio honorifice. Test' Gilberto Picot, et Roberto' fratr' ejus. Roberto fil Walteri, &c
5. "The Chartulary or Register of The Abbey of St Werburgh, Chester", published by the Chetham Society in Volume 79 (New Series). Entry 247 (abstract) reads:
   Grant by Robert, son of Walter, to the abbey of his right to the advowson of the church of Morley, Robert de Hastings being then abbot of Chester. 1186-94
6. "Some account of Colton and of the De Wasteney's family", Frederick Perrot Parker, 1879, page 21, cites a charter (but unfortunately neglects to give any reference to it, or any date) which reads :
   Bertramus de Verdon omnibus hominibus Franc' et Angl', &c ... confirmasse Roberto filio Walteri et heredibus quas habebit de Domina Dina uxore ejus, filia Roberti filii Hardulphi, totam terram de Angodesthorp quam teneo de Nigello de Morevilla. Test' Thome Dispensatore, Willmo Brito, Henrico Toche, Rado Bingam.
   This was a confirmation of an earlier grant to Robert son of Hardulf ⁽⁷⁾.
7. "Some account of Colton and of the De Wasteney's family", Frederick Perrot Parker, 1879, page 19, cites a charter of about 1165 (but unfortunately neglects to give any reference to it, or the reason for his dating) which reads :
   Bertramus de Verdon omnibus Franc' et Angl- salutem, me seiatis confirmasse Roberto filio Hardulphi et heredibus terram totem de Hangodesthorp, quam teneo de Nigello de Morevilla pro homagio, et Stokwood et Snapa, solvem 14 solid'. Test' Rogero de Amunderles, Phillippo de Estley, Ernaldo de Barewell, Roberto de Flamville, &c
   Even though Parker doesn't give any reference for this charter, it is seemingly the same one which is given as no 10 in "Descriptive Catalogue of the Charters and Muniments of the Gresley Family" by Jeayes in 1895, where a translation is given which reads :
   GRANT by Bertram de Verdun to Robert fil. Hardulfi of all his land in Hangodestorp [Osgathorpe co Leic], which the said Bertram holds from Nigel de Munevilla, paying yearly 14 shillings, "cum Scordun et Stocwuda et Snapa". Witnesses : Roger de Amundeville; Alan fil Mainfenini; Roger fil Willelmi; Simon his brother; Philip de Estlee; Robert de Flamuile; Ernald de Barewelle; Ernald, dapifer; Henry de Lee; Geoffrey de Normauile; Richard de Boisdele; Robert de Culunces; Waim, clericus; Geoffrey, clericus; Wido de Verdun; William, Saracenus; Robert, Venator. Temp Hen II (late). With seal, broken.
8. "Descriptive catalogue of Derbyshire charters", Jeayes, no 1726 reads:
   Covenant for the partition of lands in Eston [Aston], Sardelova [Shardlow], Wilne, Morley, Smalley, and Kidesleia [Kidsley- in-Smalley], Warenodbi [Wartnaby, co. Leic], Angodestorp [Osgathorpe, co. Leic], Huberetorp and Trengeston [Thringston, co. Leic], between William de Verdun and Aliz his wife, Philip de Wasteneis and Amphelisa his wife, and Simon de Sancto Mauro and Yseuda his wife, late belonging to Dina, the mother of the said Aliz, Amphelisia, and Yseuda. Circ. 1200. (Add. 5235.)
   Hec est finalis concordia facta inter Willelmum de Verdun et Aliz uxorem suam et Philippum de Wasteneys et Amphelisam uxorera suam et Simonem de Sancto Mauro et Yseudam uxorem suam de toto te[ne]mento quod tenuit Robertus filius Walteri et de toto tenemento quod tenuit Dina mater predictarum Aliz et Amfelise et Yseude, scilicet quod Willelmo de Verdun et uxori sue A. in rationabili parte sua remanet totum tenementum cum pertinentiis et libera tenentibus quod Robertus filius Walteri tenuit in Eston et Sardeloua et Wilna excepto seruicio Jordani de Tocha et exceptis vii denariis de seruicio Thome filii Willelmi et exceptis octo Bouatis terre in Wilna quas tenant Raginaldus de Wilna et Hawis vidua et Robertus frater Baldewini et exceptis xii denariis de tofta quam Doda tenuit et excepta terra quam Roger pastor tenet in Sardeloua et remanet eidem Willelmo tertia pars terre et Molendini de Warenodbi qua Robertus filius Walteri tenuit in eadem uilla, et tertia pars bosci de Morle et Smalle et Kidesle parco infra partem suam computato et totum jus quod P. de Wasteneis et Amphelisa uxor eius et S. de Sancto Mauro et Y. uxor eius habuerunt in terra quam tenet Willelmus filius Nigelli ita scilicet quod venient in curiam Regis ad comodum Willelmi et illud jus illi quietum clamabunt. Philippo uero de Wasteneis at Amphelise uxori sue in rationabili parte sua de predictis tenementis Roberti et Dine remanet totum tenementum quod Robertus filius Walteri tenuit in Kirkabi cum pertinentiis et libere tenentibus preter illud quod Juliana de Daiuill [? Damill] in curia domini Regis recuperauit de illis et remanet illi tertia pars terre et Molendini de Warenodbi que Robertus filius Walteri tenuit in eadem uilla et totum tenementum cum pertinentiis et libere tenentibus quod predicta Dina tenuit in Angodestorp et Huberetorp et Trengeston tam in bosco quam in piano et due virgate terre in Hemminton quas Hugo de Waldo et Brun tenuit et seruicium Willelmi de Naileston, scilicet vi solidi. Simoni uero de Sancto Mauro et Ysaude uxori sue remanet totum tenementum cum pertinentiis at libere tenentibus quod Robertus filius Walteri tenuit in Morle et Smalle et Kidesleia preter tertiam partem bosci et remanent illi octo Bonate terra in Wilna quas tenant Reginaldus et Hawis vidua [et] Robertus supradicti at xii denarii de tofta quam Doda tenet in Wilna et terra Rogeri Pastoris in Sardelova et remanent quatuor virgate terre illi in Hemminton quas Reginaldus et Adam et Roger et Matillis quondam uxor Bruning tenent et tertia pars terra et Molendini de Warenodbi que predictus Robertus tenuit in eadem uilla et totum seruicium Jordani de Tocha de toto tenemento quod tenet de feudo quod fuit Roberti filii Walteri et totum seruicium Jordani de Snitertona de eodem feudo et totum seruicium Ricardi Marescalli de feudo illo et vii denarii de seruicio Thome filii Willelmi in Sardeloua et Wilna. Et sciendum quod Willelmus de Verdun debet raddere per annum, P. de Wasteneis et S. de Sancto Mauro, xx denarios ad parficiendum seruicium Comitis Leicestrie pro terra de Hemminton. Hanc autem conuentionem fideliter obseruandam W. et P. et S. iurauarunt et sigillis suis confirmauerunt. His testibus G. Abbate Cestrie, B. Decano Cestrie, Helya de Dithiswrhe, Roberto de Trengeston, Roberto de Morle, Hugone fratre suo, Gaufrido de Sancto Mauro, Warino de Snipeston, Willelmo filio Rogeri, Henrico filio suo, Willelmo de Gardino, Gileberto de Lindeseia at aliis.
   Jeayes estimates a date of circa 1200 for this charter. However, Ysolt din't marry Simon de Sancto Mauro until sometime between 1201-1203 ⁽⁹⁾, so the date must be a little later than Jeayes conjectured.
9. See his daughter Ysolt's page