The Basset Family - Normans to English, or should it be Vikings to Normans to English
This appears to be the start of our story.
Before I begin I refer you to the Preface of "The Battle Abbey Roll" and the Introduction, an extract of which is below.
The famous Roll of Battle Abbey is believed to have been compiled in obedience to a clause in the Conqueror's foundation charter, that enjoined the monks to pray for the souls of those "who by their labour and valour had helped to win the kingdom." The great Sussex Abbey that was "the token and pledge of the Royal Crown," had been intended to be not only a memorial of his victory, but a chantry for the slain; and the names of his companions-in-arms, enshrined on this bede-roll, might thus be read out in the church on special occasions, and notably on the anniversary feast of St. Celict. It was most likely originally copied from the muster-roll of the Norman knights, that had been prepared by the Duke's orders before his embarkation, and was called over in his presence on the field of battle, the morning after it had been fought. The list, thus composed, was inscribed on a roll of parchment, and hung up in the Abbey Minster, with this superscription:
| List name | As listed Basset | English equivalent |
|---|---|---|
| HOLINSHED'S ROLL | Basset and Bigot | |
| DUCHESNE'S | Basset | |
| LELAND'S ROLL | Bardolf et Basset | |
| DIVE'S ROLL | Guillaume Basset | William Basset |
| DIVE'S ROLL | Raoul Basset | Ralph Basset |
In the same document, Basset;
"from its ancestor Bathet or Baset, Duke of the Normans of the Loire, 895, 905 (Bouquet, vii. 360; viii. 317). He acquired Ouilly Basset, and Normanville in 912, and had issue Norman, father of Osmond, Viscount of Vernon, whose elder son, Hugh Basset, was Baron of Chateau Basset, which barony passed by his widow to the house of Montmorency, circa 990. His brother, Fulco de Alneto, was the father of Osmond Basset, who accompanied the Conqueror."—The Norman People. The names given on the Dives Roll, are, however, "Raoul et Guillaume Basset:" and the former, afterwards the celebrated Justiciary, was the reputed son of Thurstin, a Norman who held five hides of land at Drayton in Staffordshire, 1086. (Domesday.) Ordericus says of him, that Henry I., at the very beginning of his reign, "De ignobili stirpe illustravit ac de pulvere (ut ita dicam), extulit; dataque multiplici facilitate super consules et illustres oppidanos exaltavit." "He had the high office of Justice of England under Henry I., with a power so great, that he sat in what court he pleased, and wherever else he thought fit, for the administration of justice. And to his wisdom, it is asserted, we owe the first design and institution of the law of frank-pledge, besides other excellent laws. From this it seems evident, that he shared largely in his sovereign's favour, and that he had great abilities, which, with so wise a prince, were the likeliest means to procure it.
Looking into the above paragraph;
It seems unclear who the first person is, other that Bathet or Baset or Basset. For this purpose I shall refer to him as Basset One.
The duchy arose out of a grant of land to the Viking leader Rollo by the French king Charles III in 911. In 924 and again in 933, Normandy was expanded by royal grant. Rollo's male-line descendants continued to rule it until 1135. In 1202 the French king Philip II declared Normandy a forfeited fief and by 1204 his army had conquered it.
However, avoiding delving into Rollo and William the Conqueror as that is dealt with in another article, Before 1066 and all that.
Basset One.
Basset One acquired Ouilly Basset, and Normanville in 912, and had a son called Norman.
Ouilly-le-Basset is a locality in Normandy. Ouilly-le-Basset is situated southwest of Plainville, and northwest of Le Bourg d'Ouilly. Ouilly le Basset is also listed as a place in this persons Family Tree.
The village of Normanville is a small French village located north of France. The town of Normanville is located in the department of Eure of the French region Haute-Normandie. The town of Normanville is located in the township of Évreux-Nord part of the district of Évreux.
Location of Basset sites in the Department of Orne, southern Normandy -- Ipsden, CC BY-SA 4.0 , via Wikimedia Commons
On the current Google map there are two Normanvilles, a village to the North and a town East of Pont-d'Ouilly, near Ouilly-le-Basset according to the map above. I have also picked out Le Pommeraye, just to highlight how close it is to Pont-d'Ouilly. Pomeroy being a branch of my family dating back to the Norman Conquest.
I currently don't know which of the two Normanville settlements Basset One acquired in 912, both are a fair distance away from Ouilly-le-Basset
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Basset One
Basset One was before 1066 but as I am not sure of his identity I have left him as the head of the family, as an introduction.
However, according to The St. John Genealogy Project Bathel de Centerille is the person I have been referring to as Basset One. The project also traces his ancestry back to 660 and the Vikings.
Bathel Rognvaldson, de Centerille
On Ancestry Brenda Glaze notes that Bethel was born in Mont-Saint-Michel. Mont-Saint-Michel is a 3 acre rocky islet topped by a famous Gothic abbey, 1 mile off the Northwest coast of France in the Bay of Mont-Saint-Michel in the English Channel. The Island, located 3 miles from the shore during the Middle Ages, is now surrounded by water only two times a month. Its one cobblestone street climbs in three spirals from a great granite base to the towering Benedictine abbey of Mont-saint-Michel, an architectural masterpiece built in the 13th century, replacing the original abbey, which was founded in 708 by St. Aubert, bishop of Avranches, but destroyed by King Phillip II of France in 1203. The abbey served as a prison during Napoleon's reign. Restored after 1863, and connected to the mainland by a causeway, the abbey is preserved as a national historical monument and is one of France great tourist attractions.
Birth: 870
Death: 917 age between(43-51) Rouen, Upper-Normandy, France
Place of Burial: Ouilly-le-Vicomte, Lower-Normandy, FranceRouen, Upper-Normandy, France
From the St John Genealogy Project, we have;
"Bathel de Centerille, Duke of Norman Loire". The St. John Genealogy. https://stjohngenealogy.com/getperson.php?personID=I105553747&tree=OSA0001 (accessed January 31, 2022).
There have been differences in the spelling of Centerille including Centerville and Centeville
His father is recorded as being Rognvald Eysteinsson, Earl of More and the Orcades
and his mother
Ragnhilde de Moere, Countess of Maer,
They had four children:
1. Hrolander Rognvaldson, de Heidmark, b. 854, d. 896 (Age 42 years)
2. Hallad "Maladulc" Rognvaldson, b. abt. 864, d. abt. 920 (Age ~ 56 years)
3. Bathel de Centerille, Duke of Norman Loire
4. Bernard 'the Dane' Rognvaldson, de Estouteville?, b. abt. 874
With his first wife, Ragnhild Hrolfsdottir, Countess of More, b. abt. 830, d. 892 (Age ~ 62 years)
Children
1. Rollo de Normandy, 1st Duke of Normandy, b. abt. 846, d. abt. 928 (Age ~ 82 years)
Bathel's oldest ancestor is Gorr, b. abt. 660, who may be from Scandinavian heritage. Gorr's grandson was Sveiði Heitisson, the Sea King, b. abt. 720.
From the Lives of my Ancestors
It is believed that Sveidi lived in the 5th or 6th century, so right in the middle of Dark Age Europe. he was born in Romsdal, Møre og Romsdal, Norway. Sveidi was the legendary father of Halfdan the Old.
He was a Legendary Viking Sea-king which was the Viking name for a powerful pirate chieftain.
Grandfather, Gór THORRASSON (also known as: Gorr)It is believed that Gór lived between 365 AD – 425 AD.
Father: Heiti ‘Heytir’ “King in Kvenland” GORRSSON
Issue: Halfdan ‘The Old’ SVEIDASSON
This source goes back a further five generations.
From Geni.com
Bethel Bassett (de Centerville) |
|
| Also Known As: | "Bathel", "Basset", "Bethel fitz Osmond" |
| Birthdate: | |
| Birthplace: | Rouen, Upper-Normandy, France |
| Death: | 917 (42-52) Rouen, Upper-Normandy, France |
| Place of Burial: | Ouilly-le-Vicomte, Lower-Normandy, France |
|---|---|
| Immediate Family: |
Husband of Isabell Fitzosmund and Marie Pothier |
Perhaps not so much of a Norman family, but more of a Viking one.
That leads to another observation. Bathel de Centerille, Duke of Norman Loire should read as Bathel Rognvaldson, de Centerille, Duke of Norman Loire. From Viking tradition and today in Iceland, the name of the son is the father's name plus son, hence Rognvaldson or son of Rognvald. For a daughter, dóttir, hence, if he had any they would be Rognvalddóttir.
Rognvald Eysteinsson
Before we go forward we have to go back a little further.
The father of Bathel Rognvaldson, de Centerille, Duke of Norman Loire was Rognvald Eysteinsson, i.e. son of Rognvald. Also Rognvald Eysteinsson is the son of Eysteins.
Rognvald Eysteinsson was titled, jarl (Earl) of More and the Orcades and he was my 10th great-grandfather of wife of husband of 3rd cousin 25x removed. So not a close relation but a relation all the same.
Earl of Where?
Le Orcades translates to The Orkneys.
Norse raiders arrived in the late 8th century and colonized the islands in the 9th century; thereafter the islands were ruled by Norway and Denmark. Celtic missionaries had arrived in the 7th century, but the Norsemen were not converted until much later. Kirkwall’s cathedral, dedicated to St. Magnus, was mainly built by Norsemen during the 12th century. Orkney and Shetland passed into Scottish rule in 1472 in compensation for the nonpayment of the dowry of Margaret of Denmark, queen of James III.
Shetland Islands, also called Zetland or Shetland, group of about 100 islands, fewer than 20 of them inhabited, in Scotland, 130 miles (210 km) north of the Scottish mainland, at the northern extremity of the United Kingdom.
Stone circles and brochs (circular stone towers) furnish evidence of prehistoric settlement, probably by Picts. During the 7th and 8th centuries missionaries from Ireland or western Scotland began conversion of the population to Christianity. In the 8th and 9th centuries Shetland was invaded by Norsemen, who ruled the islands until the 15th century. The principal language of the islands until the 18th century was Norn, derived from Old Norse, and many Norse customs survive. In 1472 the islands, with Orkney, were annexed to the Scottish crown. The islands have nevertheless stood outside the mainstream of Scottish history and traditions.
Shetland Islands were known as Old Norse: Hjaltland. The oldest known version of the modern name Shetland is Hetland. It occurs in a letter written by Harald, earl of Orkney, Shetland and Caithness, in c.1190. By 1431, the islands were being referred to as Hetland, after various intermediate transformations. It is possible that the Pictish "cat" sound contributed to this Norse name. In the 16th century, Shetland was referred to as Hjaltland.
I admit that I was hoping to find an old reference to More being the Shetlands so jarl de More et le Orcades would have been Earl of Shetlands and the Orkneys, but alas only half true.
It did lead me to Ragnvald Eysteinsson "de Norvège" (Jarl de Moere, des Orcades (Orkney) et des Shetlands) Waelsungen, Where Jarl de Moere and de Raumsdal (869-890), Jarl des Orcades (Orkney) and des Shetlands (888-890). Are or is Moere and de Raumsdal the same as Møre og Romsdal (English: Møre and Romsdal)? Is the confusion just in the various translations.
Location of county Møre og Romsdal in Norway (2020) -- Karte: NordNordWest, Lizenz: Creative Commons by-sa-3.0 de, CC BY-SA 3.0 DE , via Wikimedia Commons
So he is Earl of Møre and Romsdal from 869 and then the crosses the sea to Orkneys and Shetland to become Earl there as well. Possibly by force, but as the Norse invaded and took over in the 8th and 9th centuries the Vikings were probably already established by his arrival. He losses both titles in 890, and presumably his life as well.
geneanet.org
Back to the entry for Ragnvald Eysteinsson "de Norvège" (Jarl de Moere, des Orcades (Orkney) et des Shetlands) Waelsungen,
Born about 830 - Upland, Danemark
Deceased in 890 - Orkney, Orcades, Ecosse, UK, aged about 60 years old
"Captain Hövding" A la fois Chef de tribu et Haut dignitaire militaire assimilé au Connétable (English: "Captain Hövding" Both Chief of the tribe and High military dignitary assimilated to the Constable)
Parents
Eystein Ivarsson "Glumra" (de Norvège) Waelsungen, Jarl de Heidmark ca 810-872
Aseda Ragnvaldsdotter "de Vestfold" (de Norvège) Waelsungen ca 815
Spouses and children
Married to Groa Thorsteindatter "de Norvège" (de Dublin) Waelsungen with
M Hallad Ier Ragnvaldsson "de Norvège" (des Orcades (Orkney)) Waelsungen, Jarl des Orcades (Orkney) ca 850
Married about 853 to Ragnhild Hrólfsdóttir "de Moere" (de Norvège) Waelsungen, Héritière de Moere †888 with
M Ivar Ragnvaldsson "de Norvège" Waelsungen ca 855-872
M Thori Ragnvaldsson "de Moere" (de Norvège) Waelsungen, Jarl de Moere ca 858-ca 912
M Hrolf Ragnvaldsson "Rollon" "Robert Ier" (Duc de Normandie) Waelsungen, Jarl de Normandie ca 864-928..933
M Hrolander Ragnvaldsson "de Heidmark" (de Norvège) Waelsungen, Jarl de Heidmark ca 874
F Torf Ragnvaldsdotter (de Moere) Waelsungen
Hrolf Ragnvaldsson "Rollon" "Robert Ier" (Duc de Normandie) Waelsungen, Jarl de Normandie ca 864-928..933 also known as Rollo.
There is a note attached to this entry which translates to;
Ragnvald Eysteinsson, known as the Wise (born in 840 (!) in Oppland in Norway, died in 890), Earl of Møre.
According to the Saga of the Orcadians, Jarl Ragnvald/Rögnvaldr had been a faithful companion of Harald I of Norway during the latter's subjugation of the country. As a reward and compensation for the death in battle of a son named Ivarr, the king gave him the county of Møre og Romsdal, hence the name Ragnvald of Møre with whom he remained to posterity.
The Heimskringla also states that Rognvald also received Orkney and Shetland from the king, which he entrusted first to his brother Sigurd Eysteinsson, then to his illegitimate sons. The powerful jarl dies with sixty of his men in the fire of his residence during a conflict with Halfdan Halegg and Gudroed Liomi, two sons of Harald Ier who wanted to dispossess him.
He is, with his wife Ragnhilde, daughter of Hrolfr Nefja, the father of:
Rollon, or Hrolfr, the future Duke of Normandy.
Thorir the Silent, who succeeds him as Jarl of Møre.
The Heimskringla also attributes illegitimate sons to him who “had already reached adulthood when their legitimate brothers were still in infancy”:
Halladr, Jarl of Orkney
Torf-Einarr, Jarl of Orkney
Hrollaug
More information from French Wikipedia and English Wikipedia
Discrepancies
There are some discrepancies between the two main sources used herein.
St John Genealogy Project | gw.geneanet.org | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Relation | Name | Birth | Marriage | Death | Age | Relation | Name | Birth | Marriage | Death | Age | ||
| Head | Rognvald Eysteinsson, Earl of More and the Orcades | Head | Ragnvald Eysteinsson "de Norvège" (Jarl de Moere, des Orcades (Orkney) et des Shetlands) Waelsungen | 830 | 890 | 60 | |||||||
| Wife | Ragnhild Hrolfsdottir, Countess of More | 830 | 892 | 62 | Changed from 848 - 892 age 44 to b. abt. 830, d. 892 (Age ~ 62 years) after contact | Wife | Ragnhild Hrólfsdóttir "de Moere" (de Norvège) Waelsungen, Héritière de Moere | 853 | 888 | ||||
| Son | Ivar Ragnvaldsson "de Norvège" Waelsungen | 855 | 872 | ||||||||||
| Son | Thori Ragnvaldsson "de Moere" (de Norvège) Waelsungen, Jarl de Moere | 858 | 912 | ||||||||||
| Son | Rollo de Normandy, 1st Duke of Normandy | 846 | 928 | 82 | Obviously Rollo was not born 2 years before his mother (Corrected by amending mother) | Son | Hrolf Ragnvaldsson "Rollon" "Robert Ier" (Duc de Normandie) Waelsungen, Jarl de Normandie | 864 | 928 .. 933 | ||||
| Son | Hrolander Ragnvaldsson "de Heidmark" (de Norvège) Waelsungen, Jarl de Heidmark | 874 | |||||||||||
| Daughter | Torf Ragnvaldsdotter (de Moere) Waelsungen | ||||||||||||
| Wife | Ragnhilde de Moere, Countess of Maer | 845 | 888 | 43 | Second wife died before first wife. Multiple wifes? | ||||||||
| Son | Hrolander Rognvaldson, de Heidmark | 854 | 896 | 42 | |||||||||
| Son | Hallad "Maladulc" Rognvaldson | 864 | 920 | 56 | |||||||||
| Son | Bathel de Centerille, Duke of Norman Loire | ||||||||||||
| Son | Bernard 'the Dane' Rognvaldson, de Estouteville? | 874 | |||||||||||
| Wife | Groa Thorsteindatter "de Norvège" (de Dublin) Waelsungen | ||||||||||||
| Son | Hallad Ier Ragnvaldsson "de Norvège" (des Orcades (Orkney)) Waelsungen, Jarl des Orcades (Orkney) | 850 | |||||||||||
| Illegitimate | |||||||||||||
| Son | Bernard ou Bertrand Ragnvaldsson "Le Danois" "de Norvège" (Vicomte de Rouen, Seigneur d'Harcourt et de Pont Audemer) Waelsungen, Vicomte de Rouen | 880 | 955 | ||||||||||
| Son | Hrollaug Ragnvaldsson (de Norvège) Waelsungen | 878 | 931 | ||||||||||
| Son | Einar Ier Ragnvaldsson "Torf Einarr" "de Norvège" (des Orcades (Orkney)) Waelsungen, Jarl des Orcades (Orkney) | 920 | |||||||||||
I think I am reasonably convinced that we are looking at the same family, with descrpencies in the details and in different languages. The gw.geneanet.org seems more complete in terms of names, titles, dates, and people. Rollo is on both sides to the same mother and father.
However, I can't see Bathel de Centerille on the right side. If this one place is the only suggestion that Bathel de Centerille is linked Rognvald Eysteinsson then one first impression I should discount it. Lets not get to hasty though, if Bathel de Centerille is the head of the Basset Family, and he is related as half brother to Rollo, it does explain why the Basset Family became quite so influential in Norman England. They would by that link been related to the King.
Another extract from the Battle Abbey Roll.
"Yet it may probably admit of some doubt, whether Ordericus be not a little mistaken, when he represents him of an ignoble race; the more especially so, when it is related of Richard his son, that abounding in wealth, he built a strong castle upon his inheritance in Normandy; which makes it the more likely, that Ralph, his father, was descended from some ancient house in that country; for if he were raised from a low estate to the high rank he enjoyed, it does not appear very feasible that he should have any inheritance worth erecting a castle upon."—Banks.
Rollo
Hrolf Ragnvaldsson "Rollon" "Robert Ier" (Duc de Normandie) Waelsungen, Jarl de Normandie ca 864-928..933 also known as Rollo.
Rollo, 1st Duke of Normandy. I have mentioned Rollo in a previous article.
Before 1066 and all that
Battle of Hastings
The Battle of Hastings was fought on 14 October 1066 between the Norman-French army of William, the Duke of Normandy, and an English army under the Anglo-Saxon King Harold Godwinson, beginning the Norman conquest of England. It took place approximately 7 miles (11 kilometres) northwest of Hastings, close to the present-day town of Battle, East Sussex, and was a decisive Norman victory.
However, it was not just a stroppy Frenchman trying his luck on the shores of England. Not surprisingly it goes back much further and is just a little bit complicated.
Lets go back to a Viking called Rollo and latterly Gaange Rolf. He was a pagen who lived between 860 and 930, or thereabouts. His Scandinavian name Rolf was extended to Gaange Rolf because he became too heavy as an adult for a horse to carry, therefore he had to walk.
Rollo emerged as the outstanding personality among the Norsemen who had secured a permanent foothold on Frankish soil in the valley of the lower Seine. Charles the Simple, the king of West Francia, ceded them the lands between the mouth of the Seine and what is now Rouen in exchange for Rollo agreeing to end his brigandage, and provide the Franks with protection against future Viking raids. Rollo is recorded as having seized Rouen in 876. So it appears that Rollo was a bit of a warmonger who stole or coerced land from the Franks. In so doing he became the first leader of the land that became known as Normandy.
According to Dudo, Rollo struck up a friendship in England with a king that Dudo calls Alstem. This has puzzled many historians, but recently the puzzle has been resolved by recognition that this refers to Guthrum, the Danish leader whom Alfred the Great baptised with the baptismal name Athelstan, and then recognised as king of the East Angles in 880.
Dudo records that when Rollo took Bayeux by force, he carried off with him the beautiful Popa or Poppa, a daughter of Berenger, Count of Rennes, took her in marriage and with her had their son and Rollo's heir, William Longsword.
In return for formal recognition of the lands he possessed, Rollo agreed to be baptised and assist King Charles III in the defence of the realm. Rollo took the baptismal name Robert. However, his tomb in Rouen Cathedral refers to him as Rollo.
The areas of Bessin and Maine were also conceded to Rollo shortly after 923. Basically he continued to grow his empire until his death.
Rollo's son and heir, William Longsword, and grandchild, Richard the Fearless, forged the Duchy of Normandy into West Francia's most cohesive and formidable principality. The descendants of Rollo and his men assimilated with their maternal Frankish-Catholic culture and became known as the Normans, lending their name to the region of Normandy.
Rollo is the great-great-great-grandfather of William the Conqueror, or William I of England. Through William, he is one of the ancestors of the present-day British royal family, as well as an ancestor of most current European monarchs and a great many claimants to abolished European thrones.
The background to the battle was the death of the childless King Edward the Confessor in January 1066, which set up a succession struggle between several claimants to his throne. Harold was crowned king shortly after Edward's death, but faced invasions by William, his own brother Tostig, and the Norwegian King Harald Hardrada (Harold III of Norway). Hardrada and Tostig defeated a hastily gathered army of Englishmen at the Battle of Fulford on 20 September 1066, and were in turn defeated by Harold at the Battle of Stamford Bridge five days later. The deaths of Tostig and Hardrada at Stamford Bridge left William as Harold's only serious opponent. While Harold and his forces were recovering, William landed his invasion forces in the south of England at Pevensey on 28 September 1066 and established a beachhead for his conquest of the kingdom. Harold was forced to march south swiftly, gathering forces as he went.
more later
Norman de Bassett de Centeville
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