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The Norman Conquest of Box, Wiltshire:
Our Medieval Lords, by Jane Cox Reviewed by Alan Payne, October 2016 When Jane produced Box's Thomas à Becket Pageant and Play in the year 2000, she was bitten by a desire to find out more about the story of the Norman Lords of Box, the Bohun and the Bigod families. She tracked down snippets of information about them in London, Taunton, Gloucester, Cardiff, northern France and America as well as in local archives. Her book records her findings, the culmination of nearly twenty years of research, to give a fascinating insight into these people and the village of Box created then. Right: Is the bearded man Humphrey de Bohun, grandfather of the founder of Box village (Bayeux Tapestry courtesy Wikimedia Commons) |
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Telling the Story
Jane recounts several events at that time from the point of view of the people involved. She uses the story of Warin, Abbot of Malmesbury, to recreate the position of the church in the politics of the Norman conquerors but she pulls no punches about his covetousness, quoting a contemporary writer: (Warin) was for the most part, taken up with the hope of greater honour, for the sake of which he was capable of emptying the purses of the monks, when he could get hold of them and seizing the money.
Jane recounts several events at that time from the point of view of the people involved. She uses the story of Warin, Abbot of Malmesbury, to recreate the position of the church in the politics of the Norman conquerors but she pulls no punches about his covetousness, quoting a contemporary writer: (Warin) was for the most part, taken up with the hope of greater honour, for the sake of which he was capable of emptying the purses of the monks, when he could get hold of them and seizing the money.
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But mostly I enjoyed the story of Maud of Salisbury, the thirteen-year old bride of Humphrey de Bohun. She was the daughter of a Saxon lord who kept his lands after the Conquest.
The home of Maud and Humphrey was at Trowbridge, where they lived in the Castle and founded the Priory at Farley and lived through the years of the Anarchy and civil war between King Stephen and the Empress Matilda and Geoffrey of Anjou. Her story and Jane's details of her family give a fascinating insight into the extent of the control exercised by a few important families at this time. Left: Siege of Trowbridge Castle in Trowbridge Museum (courtesy Tom Cox). |
Interpreting the Past
If you have ever read the Domesday references to Hazelbury and Ditteridge, you will know how they raise even more questions than they solve. Jane tries to clear up some of these problems with brief biographies of the people mentioned and suggests where their land was located in the village. She details the evidence for the existence of a chapel at Fogham, a medieval estate at Henley, and how Hazelbury became part of the Honour of Wallingford before passing into the control of the Croke family.
For the first time Jane is able to record the origins of the Bohun family and their household knights, the Bigods, who were the people who occupied Box village and developed it in the twelfth and thirteenth centuries. She traces their story starting with Alvred Bigod and records the family tree from the 1080 until the Bigod family left the village in 1349.
If you have ever read the Domesday references to Hazelbury and Ditteridge, you will know how they raise even more questions than they solve. Jane tries to clear up some of these problems with brief biographies of the people mentioned and suggests where their land was located in the village. She details the evidence for the existence of a chapel at Fogham, a medieval estate at Henley, and how Hazelbury became part of the Honour of Wallingford before passing into the control of the Croke family.
For the first time Jane is able to record the origins of the Bohun family and their household knights, the Bigods, who were the people who occupied Box village and developed it in the twelfth and thirteenth centuries. She traces their story starting with Alvred Bigod and records the family tree from the 1080 until the Bigod family left the village in 1349.
Conclusion
Jane's book is jam-packed full of nearly 100 photos, most in colour, maps and timelines. It's both a riveting read and a reference book for anyone interested in the history of Box village. In other words, it's a 'don't miss' opportunity to understand more about the past and where we live. You can buy the book direct from Jane, from Stop Press in Box (Post Office) or by writing to us with your contact details which we will forward to Jane. Or read more and buy the book through Jane's website: http://www.box-norman-conquest.co.uk/ And, by the way, it's incredible value at only £10 a copy.
Jane's book is jam-packed full of nearly 100 photos, most in colour, maps and timelines. It's both a riveting read and a reference book for anyone interested in the history of Box village. In other words, it's a 'don't miss' opportunity to understand more about the past and where we live. You can buy the book direct from Jane, from Stop Press in Box (Post Office) or by writing to us with your contact details which we will forward to Jane. Or read more and buy the book through Jane's website: http://www.box-norman-conquest.co.uk/ And, by the way, it's incredible value at only £10 a copy.