More Tregoz evidence

My research into the Braose Tregoz marriage (see Braose and Tregoz - Feb 19th below)) has led me to believe that I have discovered the identity of the mother of Robert de Tregoz who was married to Sibyl de Ewyas.

It seems that William de Tregoz, Robert’s father was married to a daughter of Philip de Braose, second Lord of Bramber.

The evidence for the marriage came from an entry in the Christchurch Priory Cartulary (no 654). This entry concerns a John de Tregoz. It mentions his sons, John, Henry and Thomas and his brother Robert.

John and his son had some disputes with Fécamp Abbey which were resolved by an agreement in 1194. (Cal. Doc. France 142) In this the younger John was joined by “Philip his uncle” in pledging their faith. The consent of John’s brothers Henry and Thomas is also noted.

Both Philip and Robert de Tregoz made grants to Boxgrove Priory in the 1180s and 1190s. A witness to Philip’s grant is “my brother Robert”. (Cott. MS. Claud. A. vi, fol. 65 quoted by L F Salzman in Sussex Archaeological Collections Vol 93 [1955] pp34-58)

This Robert is then the Robert de Tregoz who was keeper of the castle of Old Sarum 1191-99 and was granted lands in Sussex in 1194 (Salzman). He is known to have married Sibyl de Ewyas.

In 1190, Richard I had confirmed grants to St Stephen’s, Caen made by Robert Tregoz and his father William. (Cal. Doc. France 460)

To summarise we have a family, descended from William de Tregoz which consists of brothers John, Robert and Philip. John’s sons are John, Henry and Thomas. The elder John’s mother was a sister of William de Braose. (The time scales indicate that this must have been the son of Philip de Braose).

Hence William de Tregoz was married to a daughter of Philip de Braose and she was the mother of Robert de Tregoz.

Braose and Tregoz

An early Braose marriage seems not to be documented by any of the genealogies I have seen. It is between a daughter of Philip de Braose, the second Lord of Bramber, and a Tregoz, father of both Philip de Tregoz, sheriff of Sussex in 1190, and Robert de Tregoz, keeper of the castle of Sarum, 1190-1199.

The evidence comes from a charter of another of his sons, John, who granted lands in Dorset to Christchurch Priory (Christchurch Cartulary 654). The charter describes the lands as having been of William de Braose’s fee, the dowry of John’s mother, William’s sister.

This John was also a witness to a charter of William de Braose in about 1140 (Chartulary of Sele Priory) and disputes between this John, his son John and the Abbey of Fécamp are settled at Steyning in 1194. (Cal. Doc. France 142) So the close connection between the Tregoz family and the Braose interests seems to have continued.

This then is evidence for a previously unknown daughter of Philip de Braose and makes the Sussex branch of the Tregoz family another set of Braose descendants.

The arms shown here are those used by Henry de Tregoz, one of the barons who set their seals to the 1301 letter to the Pope. All the notable members of the Tregoz family used the same design in varying colour combinations.