The Battle Abbey Roll. Vol. II.
by
The Duchess of Cleveland.
Prepared by Michael A. Linton
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Monfichet : from Montfiquet, in the arrondissement of Bayeux, said to be so named from their Scandinavian ancestor. "The castle of Monfiquet long remained, as well as the church of St. Catherine in the castle, a foundation of this family. Robert, surnamed Guernon, Baron of Montfichet, about 1050 witnessed a charter of Duke William (Gall. Christ. XI Instr. 229). He had issue, first, William de Monfichet, who died s. p. when the barony devolved on William, the son of his brother; secondly, Robert Guernon or Gernon, who held a great barony in Essex, &c, 1086. From his elder son, William de Montfichet descended the Barons Montfichet of that name, whose seats were at Stansted Montfichet, Essex, and Montfichet Tower, London, of which city they were hereditary standard bearers and military chiefs in time of war."[1]—The Norman People. Dugdale, quoting the Monasticon, furnishes us with another and altogether fantastic genealogy. "It is reported of Gilbert de Monfichet, a Roman by birth, and Kinsman to William, Duke of Normandy, that he ever entertained that Duke in his House, when he came to the Court of Rome.[2] And, being privy to all his Councils, especially to that design of King Edward, to make him his Successor in the Realm of England, he brought with him a, great strength, and fought stoutly on his behalf in that famous Battle against King Harold; as also afterwards against those who did not submit." For these services he obtained large grants, and "gave to one David, a Priest (but a Scot by birth, whom he specially loved) a certain place called Tremhale, whereon to build a Church, and other Edifices for a Monastery: and having so done, returned to Rome, leaving what he had so got in England, to his son Richard.
"Which Richard, when he attained to Man's Estate, travelled to Rome; and being a person of extraordinary strength, obtained much fame in casting a stone, no Man being able to do the like: In memory whereof certain Pillars of Brass were set up to show the distance."
M. le Prevost calls Gilbert de Montfichet "one of the most authentic personages that can be named as assisting at the battle of Hastings"; but I can find no other mention of him, and, contrary to practice, the Christian name of "De Monfiquet" is left out on the Dives Roll. As regards the Priory for Benedictine canons at Thremhall, Morant asserts that it was only founded in the thirteenth century by the last Baron of Stansted.
Counting the Robert Guernon or Greno of Domesday there were in all five generations of this house: William, who in 1135 founded Stratford-Langthorne Abbey in his lordship of West Ham; Gilbert, the founder of another Abbey in Buckinghamshire, who held forty-eight knight's fees in 1165; and two Richards, father and son. The first was Forester of Essex, with the custody of Havering, and all the King's other houses in the Forest, Constable of Hertford, and Sheriff of that shire and Essex in 1201, two years before his death. The second Richard was a leader under Simon de Montfort in the Baronial war, and one of the twenty-five nobles chosen to govern the realm. "And in 18 John, with Robert Fitz Walter, went over into France for more aid. Nor returned he to his due obedience, upon the death of King John, as many other did; but continuing still in arms with the fiercest, was taken prisoner in the battle of Lincoln, 1 Hen. III. Moreover after this, being a person of a haughty spirit, he was in the Tourneament at Blithe in 7 Hen. III., contrary to the King's prohibition 5 for which, his Lands were seised. But, afterwards, he became of a better temper."—Dugdale. Accordingly, in 1236 we find him Justiciar of the King's Forests in nineteen different counties; and five years later Sheriff of Essex, and Governor of Hertford Castle, as his father had been. He died s. p. about 1257: and his "noble inheritance" was divided between his three sisters: Margery, married to Hugh de Bolebec in Northumberland, who had Stansted Hall: Aveline, married to William de Forz, Earl of Albemarle; and Philippa, married to Hugh de Playz.
The name, epitomized to Muschet, continued for more than two hundred years longer in Scotland. "The family of Montefixo or Muschet were Lords of Cargill, near Cupar, of which lands they had a grant from William the Lion. They were considerable benefactors to the Abbey, and failed in the male line towards the middle of the fourteenth century, when one of the three coheiresses became the wife of Sir John Drummond, ancestor of the Earls of Perth. By him she had, with other issue, Annabella, Queen of Robert III., and mother of James I. of Scotland."—Andrew Jervise. But the Muschets long survived the extinction of the House of Cargill. William Muschet de Montefixo was slain at Otterburn in 1386. James Mushet of Tolgarth is mentioned in 1476: John Mushet held of the Earl of Monteith in 1494, and two others of the name George and Robert Muschete, occur in 1509.—Registrum Magni Sigilli Regum Scotorum.