Ralph Deincourt, 2nd Lord d’Eyncourt

Ref.: M E Sorley: The Sorley Pedigrees P. 33

Walter's first son, William, died young, while in fosterage at the court of King William II "Rufus", and was buried in Lincoln Cathedral, but his other son Ralph lived to become the second Baron Deincourt; his third son was named Walter.

Family

The children of Ralph Deincourt, 2nd baron D’Eyncourt, and his wife Basilia were:

1. Walter m Agnes Basset
2. Ralph d 1183 m Matilda
3. Roger
4. Robert
5. Hugh
6. Basilia m Gubert
7. Alina d 1183 m Thomas l Darcy d 1180
8. Aelda m Guy of Rosedale

Ralph married second to Matilda, widow of Ralph FitzOdo.

Source <http://fmg.ac/Projects/MedLands/ENGLISHNOBILITYMEDIEVAL3.htm#_Toc38...>: "WALTER [I] de Aincourt (-[1103]). ... m MATILDA, daughter of ---. ... Richard Sharp suggests that she was Mathilde, [illegitimate] daughter of Alain "Rufus" de Bretagne Lord of Richmond & his mistress Gunhild --- ... Walter [I] & his wife had two children:

a) RALPH de Aincourt (-1158 or before). The primary source which confirms his parentage has not yet been identified. The 1130 Pipe Roll records "Rad fil Walti" returning in Lincolnshire for "terra Godwini"[. "Radulfus de Ayncourt" founded Thurgarton priory, Nottinghamshire, for the soul of "Basiliæ mulieris meæ", by undated charter

m firstly BASILIE, daughter of ---. "Radulfus de Ayncourt" founded Thurgarton priory, Nottinghamshire, for the soul of "Basiliæ mulieris meæ", by undated charter.

m secondly as her second husband, MATILDA, widow of RALPH FitzOdo, daughter of ---. The primary source which confirms her marriages has not yet been identified.

Ralph & his first wife had [two] children:

• i) WALTER [II] de Aincourt (-1168).
• ii) RALPH de Aincourt. The Red Book of the Exchequer, in 1166, records "Radulfus de Ainecurt iii milites" holding in "carta Walteri de Ainecurt" in Lincolnshire. The precise parentage of Ralph has not been ascertained. However, it appears likely that he held his land from his near relative, maybe his brother or first cousin."

Biography

“ Priory and Church of St. Peter's, Thurgarton, Notts.” A PAPER BY THE REV. J. STANDISH ON THURGARTON PRIORY, READ THERE ON THURSDAY, JULY 25TH, 1901, BEFORE THE R.A.I.

But we must return to Ralph D'Ayncourt, the 2nd baron. Sixty-three or four years had gone by since the great invasion, and less warlike times, and for a little space, more settled days had come with the strong rule and administration of Henry the First. In the midst of the busy life of those days, the Benedictine monasteries were still the harbours of refuge for all who did not care to fight or to trade. And the Normans had brought into England a new religious order, the Canons Regular of S. Augustine. For them Ralph Dayncourt, "consilio et petitione" acting under the advice and at the request of Thurstan, Archbishop of York, founded a religious house at Thurgarton for the Augustinian Canons, and dedicated it to St. Peter. He bestowed upon this religious house all Thurgarton and Fiskerton and the Park by Thurgarton and all his churches, eleven in number; "exceptis decent solidis quos iidein Canonici reddent annuatim, de dono meo, iiifirinis de Stokes" (St. Leonard's Hospital). They were called Austin Canons because their rule of life was taken from the writings of St. Augustine, and they were known as the "black canons" in England on account of their dress. They wore a black cassock, with a white rochet—black cloak and hood and black cap or biretta; and they also wore beards.
As was often the case, this monastery stepped, here and elsewhere, into the place of the parish priest, sending vicars to act for it in the performance of its new duties. In Thurgarton itself the whole population soon became servants of the convent, a parish priest ceased to be appointed, and the canons themselves ministered to the parish. Subsequently the priory was enriched by many other benefactions, a detailed account of which may be found in the Cartulary of Southwell, and a MS. copy of the Cartulary, now in possession of Mr. James Ward.

Notes

“ The Foundation of Thurgarton Priory” posted on August 17, 2010.

This article explores the origins of the Augustinian Priory of St.Peter at Thurgarton.

There are two foundation charters for Thurgarton Priory but neither contains an exact date for the birth of the priory – sometime in the 1130s seems to be a reasonably safe estimate (1). The first charter was issued in the presence of the Chapter of Southwell Minster by Thurstan, Archbishop of York and states that :-‘Ralph Dayncourt, on our advice and counsel, grants to God and the church of St Peter at Thurgarton and the regular canons who serve God there, all the churches of his lands’

The second charter was issued by Ralph Dayncourt, again before the Chapter of Southwell Minster, but after the death of Archbishop Thurstan and reads :- ‘I, Ralph de Ayncurt, for the good of my soul, and the souls of my sons and daughters, my parents, my wife Basilia and all our ancestors, have founded a house of religion at Thurgarton, and grant to the regular canons who there serve God and St. Peter, on the counsel and entreaty of Thurstan, Archbishop of York, of blessed memory, all my land at Thurgarton and Fiskerton, the park next to Thurgarton and all the churches of my lands’.

Central to the founding of Thurgarton Priory therefore were both baron and bishop – Ralph Dayncourt and Thurstan, Archbishop of York ....

... Ralph Dayncourt and the Honour of Blankney.

The Dayncourt family originated from Aincourt in Normandy close to the River Seine north of Paris. Walter Dayncourt , a kinsman of Remigius the first Norman Bishop of Lincoln, was granted lands by King William in Lincolnshire, Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire with outlying manors in South Yorkshire (Rawmarsh and Wombwell) and Northamptonshire (32). Walter was married to Matilda whose ancestry is uncertain but she may have been one of King William’s many illegitimate children. Their first son, William, was raised at the royal court of William Rufus but died young and was buried in Lincoln cathedral. The barony passed to Ralph, the second son, who founded Thurgarton Priory (33).

Why found a house of religion ?

An overriding concern in the 12 th century mind was the fate of one’s eternal soul. No greater comfort could be gained than to be perpetually remembered in the intercessions of priests such as those at Thurgarton Priory who would have remembered their founder, Ralph, and his family in their prayers. Ralph Dayncourt’s decision to found a priory would have not only found favour with God but would have impressed his peers, pleased his bishop and increased his kudos at the court of Henry I and Queen Maude.

The founding patron of a religious house would expect a number of advantages:- accommodation and hospitality at the Priory, a secretariat providing clerical assistance with charters and other family records , entry to the community for any male relation of a religious or fragile nature, care in infirmity or old age and finally preparation for death with burial in a sacred and prominent location – a family mausoleum (36).

For Ralph Dayncourt the ceremony before the chapter of Southwell, surrounded by his peers and senior churchmen, would have been of immense importance; he must have thought of Thurgarton Priory as his lasting legacy and a focus for future generations of Dayncourts.

Ralph’s choice of Thurgarton therefore had many advantages to him: its loss would not significantly affect the finances of the barony, it lay at the geographical centre of his dispersed estate with good transport links and it provided all the necessary practical resources for a successful house. Although Thurgarton’s monetary value was eclipsed by other Dayncourt manors it was no back water having been a significant site of power in the district in the previous centuries(43). The establishment of the Augustinian Priory restored Thurgarton’s position of influence in the region.

References

• Vincent, Nicholas. "The Thurgarton Cartulary." The English Historical Review, vol. 112, no. 446, 1997, p. 443+. Gale Academic OneFile, link Accessed 15 Oct. 2020.
• https://www.electricscotland.com/webclans/minibios/c/family_book_vo...
• Fould, Trevor. The Thurgarton Cartulary. Paul Watkins, Stamford, 1994. p. cxv. Table 1a: Deyncourt Main Branch. link
• Fould, Trevor. The Thurgarton Cartulary. Paul Watkins, Stamford, 1994. p. cxiii. Table 1b: Deyncourt Main Branch. link
• Foulds, Trevor. The Thurgarton Cartulary. Paul Watkins, Stamford, 1994. p. cxvii. Table 2: Deyncourt Secondary Branch. link
• “The Foundation of Thurgarton Priory“
• http://members.pcug.org.au/~ronwells/210-9.htm