William Brewer (justice)
Encyclopedia
William Brewer (died 1226) was a prominent administrator and justice in England
during the reigns of Richard I
, King John
, and Henry III
. He was also notable as a founder of a number of religious institutions.
, who founded the nunnery of Polsloe in Exeter
. William began his own career as forester of Bere, which appears to have been a hereditary title, and by 1179 had been appointed High Sheriff of Devon
. Under Richard I
he was one of the justiciar
s appointed to run the country while the king was on crusade
. He was present at Worms
in 1193, to aid in the negotiations for Richard's ransom. It was around this time that Brewer began his career at the Exchequer
, where he was to sit until the reign of Henry III
.
Under King John
William was one of the most active figures in government, next to Henry Marshal
and Geoffrey fitz Peter
in terms of the number of royal charters he witnessed. In this period, he was appointed High Sheriff of Berkshire
, Cornwall
, Devon
, Hampshire
, Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire
, Oxfordshire, Somerset
and High Sheriff of Dorset
, Sussex
and Wiltshire
. He was often unpopular with the people of his counties, and the men of Cornwall, Somerset, and Dorset paid money to the king for his removal.
Brewer was adept at acquiring lands, and built himself a substantial barony from relatively humble beginnings. By 1219 he was assessed for scutage
on over sixty knights' fees
scattered over several shires. He was able to found and endow three monasteries
: Torre Abbey
in Devon in 1196, Mottisfont Abbey
in Hampshire in 1201, and Dunkeswell Abbey in Devon in the same year. In 1224 he retired from the world to live as a Cistercian monk at Dunkeswell, where he was buried with his wife before the high altar on his death in 1226.
(d. 1175) and mother of Henry fitz Count (d. 1221), and they had several children, including:
William Brewer, Bishop of Exeter
, was one of Brewer's nephews.
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
during the reigns of Richard I
Richard I of England
Richard I was King of England from 6 July 1189 until his death. He also ruled as Duke of Normandy, Duke of Aquitaine, Duke of Gascony, Lord of Cyprus, Count of Anjou, Count of Maine, Count of Nantes, and Overlord of Brittany at various times during the same period...
, King John
John of England
John , also known as John Lackland , was King of England from 6 April 1199 until his death...
, and Henry III
Henry III of England
Henry III was the son and successor of John as King of England, reigning for 56 years from 1216 until his death. His contemporaries knew him as Henry of Winchester. He was the first child king in England since the reign of Æthelred the Unready...
. He was also notable as a founder of a number of religious institutions.
Life
William Brewer's ancestry is unclear, but he was probably the son of Henry Brewer and the grandson of William Brewer, forester of BereForest of Bere
The Forest of Bere lies north of Fareham. A mixture of woodland, open space, ponds, streams, heathland, farmland and downland it provides countryside access to the residents of South-East Hampshire having a number of paths and bridleways for walking and cycling...
, who founded the nunnery of Polsloe in Exeter
Exeter
Exeter is a historic city in Devon, England. It lies within the ceremonial county of Devon, of which it is the county town as well as the home of Devon County Council. Currently the administrative area has the status of a non-metropolitan district, and is therefore under the administration of the...
. William began his own career as forester of Bere, which appears to have been a hereditary title, and by 1179 had been appointed High Sheriff of Devon
High Sheriff of Devon
The High Sheriff of Devon is the Queen's representative for the County of Devon, a territory known as his bailiwick. Selected from three nominated people, he holds his office over the duration of a year. He has judicial, ceremonial and administrative functions and executes High Court...
. Under Richard I
Richard I of England
Richard I was King of England from 6 July 1189 until his death. He also ruled as Duke of Normandy, Duke of Aquitaine, Duke of Gascony, Lord of Cyprus, Count of Anjou, Count of Maine, Count of Nantes, and Overlord of Brittany at various times during the same period...
he was one of the justiciar
Justiciar
In medieval England and Ireland the Chief Justiciar was roughly equivalent to a modern Prime Minister as the monarch's chief minister. Similar positions existed on the Continent, particularly in Norman Italy. The term is the English form of the medieval Latin justiciarius or justitiarius In...
s appointed to run the country while the king was on crusade
Third Crusade
The Third Crusade , also known as the Kings' Crusade, was an attempt by European leaders to reconquer the Holy Land from Saladin...
. He was present at Worms
Worms, Germany
Worms is a city in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany, on the Rhine River. At the end of 2004, it had 85,829 inhabitants.Established by the Celts, who called it Borbetomagus, Worms today remains embattled with the cities Trier and Cologne over the title of "Oldest City in Germany." Worms is the only...
in 1193, to aid in the negotiations for Richard's ransom. It was around this time that Brewer began his career at the Exchequer
Exchequer
The Exchequer is a government department of the United Kingdom responsible for the management and collection of taxation and other government revenues. The historical Exchequer developed judicial roles...
, where he was to sit until the reign of Henry III
Henry III of England
Henry III was the son and successor of John as King of England, reigning for 56 years from 1216 until his death. His contemporaries knew him as Henry of Winchester. He was the first child king in England since the reign of Æthelred the Unready...
.
Under King John
John of England
John , also known as John Lackland , was King of England from 6 April 1199 until his death...
William was one of the most active figures in government, next to Henry Marshal
Henry Marshal
Henry Marshal was a medieval Bishop of Exeter.-Life:Marshal was a younger son of John Marshal and Sybilla, the sister of the earl of Salisbury, Patrick. This made him a younger brother of William Marshal, the advisor to Kings Henry II, Richard I, John and Henry III...
and Geoffrey fitz Peter
Geoffrey Fitz Peter, 1st Earl of Essex
Geoffrey Fitz Peter, Earl of Essex was a prominent member of the government of England during the reigns of Richard I and John. The patronymic is sometimes rendered Fitz Piers, for he was the son of Piers de Lutegareshale, forester of Ludgershall.-Life:He was from a modest landowning family that...
in terms of the number of royal charters he witnessed. In this period, he was appointed High Sheriff of Berkshire
High Sheriff of Berkshire
The High Sheriff of Berkshire, in common with other counties, was originally the King's representative on taxation upholding the law in Saxon times. The word Sheriff evolved from 'shire-reeve'....
, Cornwall
High Sheriff of Cornwall
High Sheriffs of Cornwall: a chronological list:Note: The right to choose High Sheriffs each year is vested in the Duchy of Cornwall, rather than the Privy Council, chaired by the Sovereign, which chooses the Sheriffs of all other English counties, other than those in the Duchy of...
, Devon
High Sheriff of Devon
The High Sheriff of Devon is the Queen's representative for the County of Devon, a territory known as his bailiwick. Selected from three nominated people, he holds his office over the duration of a year. He has judicial, ceremonial and administrative functions and executes High Court...
, Hampshire
High Sheriff of Hampshire
This is a list of High Sheriffs of Hampshire, the title was often given as High Sheriff of the County of Southampton until 1959.-List of High Sheriffs:*1070–1096: Hugh de Port *1105: Henry de Port *1129: William de Pont de l'Arche...
, Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire
High Sheriff of Nottinghamshire, Derbyshire and the Royal Forests
This is a list of High Sheriffs 1068-1568.The High Sheriff of Nottinghamshire, Derbyshire and the Royal Forests is a position established by the Normans in England.The High Sheriff is the oldest secular office under the Crown...
, Oxfordshire, Somerset
High Sheriff of Somerset
The Office of High Sheriff of Somerset is an ancient High Sheriff title which has been in existence for over one thousand years. The position was once a powerful position responsible for collecting taxes and enforcing law and order in Somerset a county in South West England. In modern times the...
and High Sheriff of Dorset
High Sheriff of Dorset
The High Sheriff of Dorset is an ancient High Sheriff title which has been in existence for over one thousand years. The position was once a powerful position responsible for collecting taxes and enforcing law and order in Dorset. In modern times the sheriff has become a ceremonial role, presiding...
, Sussex
High Sheriff of Sussex
-History:The office of High Sheriff is over 1000 years old, with its establishment before the Norman Conquest. The Office of High Sheriff remained first in precedence in the counties until the reign of Edward VII when an Order in Council in 1908 gave the Lord-Lieutenant the prime office under the...
and Wiltshire
High Sheriff of Wiltshire
This is a list of High Sheriffs of Wiltshire.Until the 14th century the shrievalty was held ex officio by the castellans of Old Sarum.-To 1400:*1066: Edric*1067-1070: Philippe de Buckland*1085: Aiulphus the Sheriff*1070–1105: Edward of Salisbury...
. He was often unpopular with the people of his counties, and the men of Cornwall, Somerset, and Dorset paid money to the king for his removal.
Brewer was adept at acquiring lands, and built himself a substantial barony from relatively humble beginnings. By 1219 he was assessed for scutage
Scutage
The form of taxation known as scutage, in the law of England under the feudal system, allowed a knight to "buy out" of the military service due to the Crown as a holder of a knight's fee held under the feudal land tenure of knight-service. Its name derived from shield...
on over sixty knights' fees
Knight's fee
In feudal Anglo-Norman England and Ireland, a knight's fee was a measure of a unit of land deemed sufficient from which a knight could derive not only sustenance for himself and his esquires, but also the means to furnish himself and his equipage with horses and armour to fight for his overlord in...
scattered over several shires. He was able to found and endow three monasteries
Monastery
Monastery denotes the building, or complex of buildings, that houses a room reserved for prayer as well as the domestic quarters and workplace of monastics, whether monks or nuns, and whether living in community or alone .Monasteries may vary greatly in size – a small dwelling accommodating only...
: Torre Abbey
Torre Abbey
Torre Abbey is a historic building and art gallery in Torquay, Devon, which lies in the South West of England. It was founded in 1196 as a monastery for Premonstratensian canons, and is now the best-preserved medieval monastery in Devon and Cornwall...
in Devon in 1196, Mottisfont Abbey
Mottisfont Abbey
Mottisfont Abbey is a historical abbey and country estate in England. Sheltered in the valley of the River Test, the property is now operated by the National Trust. About 200,000 people visit each year...
in Hampshire in 1201, and Dunkeswell Abbey in Devon in the same year. In 1224 he retired from the world to live as a Cistercian monk at Dunkeswell, where he was buried with his wife before the high altar on his death in 1226.
Family and children
He married Beatrice de Valle (d. before 1220), previously the mistress of Reginald de Dunstanville, Earl of CornwallReginald de Dunstanville, 1st Earl of Cornwall
Reginald de Dunstanville , Earl of Cornwall , High Sheriff of Devon, Earl of Cornwall, was an illegitimate son of Henry I of England and Lady Sybilla Corbet.Reginald had been invested with the Earldom of Cornwall by King...
(d. 1175) and mother of Henry fitz Count (d. 1221), and they had several children, including:
- William Brewer (d. 1232), married Joan, daughter of William de Redvers, Earl of DevonWilliam de Redvers, 5th Earl of DevonWilliam de Reviers, 5th Earl of Devon was the son of Baldwin de Redvers, 1st Earl of Devon and Adelise Baluun. William de Redvers is also William de Vernon, because he was brought up at Vernon Castle, in Normandy, the seat of his grandfather.He took part in Richard the Lion-Hearted's second...
. - Richard Brewer (d. 1215).
- Graecia, married Reginald de BraoseReginald de BraoseReginald de Braose was one of the sons of William de Braose, 4th Lord of Bramber and Matilda, also known as Maud de St. Valery and Lady de la Haie. Her other children included William and Giles....
. - Margaret, married three times, lastly to Geoffrey de SayeGeoffrey de SayeGeoffrey de Say was an English nobleman, and Magna Carta surety.He held land at Edmonton and Sawbridgeworth. He had family claims to larger estates, but they had gone to the kinsman Geoffrey Fitz Peter, 1st Earl of Essex.-Family:...
William Brewer, Bishop of Exeter
William Briwere
William Briwere was a medieval Bishop of Exeter.- Early life :Briwere was the nephew of William Brewer, a baron and political leader during King Henry III of England's minority. Nothing else is known of the younger Briwere's family or where he was educated...
, was one of Brewer's nephews.