c1101 Robert de Ferrieres, 3rd son Henry de Ferriers, succeeded to the greater part of his father's possessions in England. "Ego Henricus de Ferrariis fundavi ecclesiam in honore sancte Dei genetricis Marie apud castellum meum Tuttesbur' pro anima W. Regis et Matild' Regine et pro salute anime patris mei et matris mee et uxoris mee Berte et filiorum meorum Engenulphi W. Roberti ac filiarum mearum ..." [1]
1125 Camm states, [2]
In 1080 Henry de Ferrers founded the Benedictine Priory of the Blessed Virgin Mary of Tutbury, though the first charter of foundation was not granted until the succeeding reign (1087-1100) by Robert, first Earl Ferrers. Among the numerous manors with which he endowed the monastery was that of Norbury.
Norbury is situated on the Dove, close to the south-western border of Derbyshire, and about four miles from Ashbourne. It belonged in the reign of the Confessor to a great Saxon thane named Siward. There was even then a priest and a church, besides a mill, twenty-four acres of meadow land, and a wood, one mile in length and breadth, for pasturing swine.
But the monks of Tutbury did not long retain possession of the manor. In 1125 (no doubt at the instance of Robert de Ferrers) William the Prior granted it by charter to William Fitz Herbert and to his heirs, to be holden in fee of the Priory of Tutbury, subject to the yearly fee-farm rent of one hundred shillings, and of five shillings annually in lieu of tithes for the lands in demesne and two bovates, and subject also to the usual feudal burdens. From this date the Fitzherberts held Norbury as tenants of Tutbury Priory.
The precious charter which granted Norbury to William Fitzherbert is still in the possession of his twenty-seventh lineal descendent, Basil Fitzherbert, Esquire, of Swynnerton, County Stafford, as is the later document by which the manor was enfranchised. We give an illustration of the former taken from a facsimile made by Willemart for the Family Book, as the original charter has been so injured by chemicals in the attempt to make it legible, that it is almost impossible to photograph it.
We give a translation of a copy of this deed in the Chartulary of Tutbury, now in the College of Arms—(The copy is not a complete transcript): "In the year from the Incarnation of our Lord 1125 William the Prior and the Convent of the Church of St. Mary of Tutbury, Granted to William the son of Herbert, Norbury in fee to him and his heirs, rendering 100 shillings every year, 50 shillings at the Annunciation of St. Mary and other 50 shillings at the feast of St. Michael for his homage . . . and if he shall be summoned by the Prior he shall ... in the province of Tutbury—and if the Lord of Tutbury should redeem his body from captivity or should marry his eldest daughter or should repurchase his honour [? pay a relief] and the Prior of Tutbury should grant to him an aid for these purposes, then the said William or his heirs shall contribute to the said Prior a competent aid according to his fee. And if the Prior and Convent should purchase any land, the said William or his heir shall make a competent aid according to his fee. And if the said William or his heir shall not pay the said rent at the appointed times, he shall be brought to justice, and if he cannot be brought to justice and shall retain the rents the Prior shall then cause Norbury to be seized and afterwards the said William or his heir shall be justly dealt with according to the judgment of the Court of the Prior, and when the said William shall die his heir shall relieve his fee given from the Prior and Convent. Moreover also the said William or his heir shall give every year on the aforesaid times five shillings for the tythes of the Demesne and for two bovates of land liable to tythe. For this grant the said William gave to the said Prior and monks a measure of wheat. And of this convention are witnesses Robert the Bishop, Gaufrid Abbot of Burton, Robert de Ferrers and his wife Avise and his sons, &c. &c."
Robert de Ferrieres married Hawise. Complete Peerage states that Hawise was the daughter of André, Seigneur de Vitré in Brittany, by Agnes, daughter of Robert, Count of Mortain, [3] but Keats-Rohan states "Hawise was reputedly a daughter of André de Vitré and Agnes de Mortain, though no evidence for the assertion is available." [4]
1138 Robert de Ferrieres "was one of the commanders at the battle of the Standard, in Aug. 1138, and was, for his services, created Earl of Derby by King Stephen, shortly afterwards. 'Unde eciam quia [Rex] audivit eos se viriliter in hoc negocio habuisse, Willelmum de Albamarla in Eboracensi et Robertum de Ferrers in Derbiensi scyra comites fecit. (Ric. Haugustald., p. 165). Ordericus (lib. xiii, cap. 37), when noticing his creation as Earl of Derby, calls him Rodhertus de Stoteshuria.'" [5]
1139 Robert de Ferriers died. [6]
"Robert de Ferrers, for his services in war against Maud's supporter, David k. of Scots, was, in 1138, created earl of Derby, by Stephen. He d. in 1139; leaving, by Hadewise, ...Robert, his heir ..." [7]
[1] George E. Cokayne and Vicary Gibbs, ed., The Complete Peerage, rev., Vol. 4, Dacre to Dysart (London, St. Catherine Press, 1916), 191, citing Cartulary of Tutbury, transcript in Addit. MSS., no. 6714, no. 51, [InternetArchive].
[2] Bede Camm, Forgotten shrines; an account of some old Catholic halls and families in England (London : Macdonald & Evans; 1910), 2-3, [HathiTrust].
[3] George E. Cokayne and Vicary Gibbs, ed., The Complete Peerage, rev., Vol. 4, Dacre to Dysart (London, St. Catherine Press, 1916), 191, [InternetArchive].
[4] K. S. B. Keats-Rohan, Domesday Descendants, A Prosopography of persons occurring in English documents, 1066-1166: II Pipe Rolls to Cartae Baronum (Boydell Press, 2002), 459.
[5] George E. Cokayne and Vicary Gibbs, ed., The Complete Peerage, rev., Vol. 4, Dacre to Dysart (London, St. Catherine Press, 1916), 191, [InternetArchive].
[6] George E. Cokayne and Vicary Gibbs, ed., The Complete Peerage, rev., Vol. 4, Dacre to Dysart (London, St. Catherine Press, 1916), 191, citing R. Haugustald., p. 178, [InternetArchive].
[7] Charles Ferrers Palmer, The history of the town and castle of Tamworth, in the counties of Stafford & Warwick (1845), 363, [HathiTrust].