GUILLAUME DE MONCEAUX. - William de Moncellis of Exeter, William de Noers, Denoiers; or de Nuers

The family of Monceaux was descended from the ancient lords of Maers and Monceaux, counts of Nevers. Landry I was from Poitevin, Normandy, who married Hildesende and was the hereditary count of Nevers. He lived in 868 and was succeeded by his son and heir, Landry II, who became the hereditary seignior of Maers, c. 880, which seigniory he received from Richard le Justiciar, duke of Burgundy, for his servises at the siege of Maers in Nevernois. His son and successor, Landry III, married a lady of Anjou, and he was followed by Bodo I, seigneur de Maers and de Monceaux. The name of the latter seigniory was derived from a castle which he built and named in honour of his godfather, Bodo des Monts. Landry IV, his son and heir, seigneur de Maers and de Monceaux, appears in a charter of 986, in favour of the church of St-Cyr de Nevers, of which he became count, either by concession from Henry the Great, duke of Burgundy, or by that of Otho William son of Adalbert II, duke of Lombardy called by some, king of ltaly, who gave him this county in marriage with his elder daughter Matilda. Before the year 992 he took the title of count of Nevers and died between 1015 and 1028.

His second son, Landry de Nevers, was seigneur de Monceaux and was the father of another Landry, who was seigneur de Monceaux, living in 1100, who must have been quite an old man at the time, for his son, William de Nevers and de Monceaux,was mentioned by Wace (l. 13654) as "de blonceals." He is presumed to have been the William de Moncellis of Exeter (Domesday), an tdhe William de Noers, Denoiers; or de Nuers, recorded as an under-tenant in Norfolk in 1086 (Domesday), where he rececieved thirty three manors from the Conqueror, in whose favour he is said to have stood very high. At the compilation of Domesday, the manors of Gothurst or Grayhurst, as it was later called, in Buckingham, were held under bishop Odo by Robert de Nodariis or Nowers, which family afterwards possessed it in their own right. Ralph de Nuers held Swanton Nuers, temp. Henry II. Milo de Nuers sold part of it in the time of Richard I and Robert de Nuers appears in 1327 and his son John in 1361. A branch of the family also retained the name de Monceaux, from whom descend the lords of Monson, viscounts Castlemaine, and the lords Sondes.

--(This name appears on the Falaise Roll).