Seigneur Nicolas DE BACQUEVILLE

   General Notes:

Following copied from website at [http://www.moonrakers.com/genealogy/baskerville/baskerville_family_histor y.htm]:

BASKERVILLE FAMILY HISTORY

Supplied by Brian Erwin

Edited by Peter Baskerville Rance

In October 1990 an original copy of The Herefordshire Magazine dated 1907, published at 84 Broad Street, Hereford, containing an article on the Baskerville family, written by Madeline Hopton on Page 280, and was found. And this, along with our own family documents and other research, was used to correct the following account. Parts of which have been handed down the family since 1907. There are many Baskerville arms but those given to the Hereford line are appropriate to a family who have lived So much on the border of Wales and are now residing in the Principality. The arms are 'Argent', a chevron gullies between three heurts’. These heurts are taken from a small round berry called the ‘Whortle or Whin berry' of deep blue color, which grows upon the Welsh mountains. The heraldic expression 'hurt' denotes color and shape of the charge on the shield. The crest is a wolf's head erased holding in its mouth a broken spear with five drops of blood. In 'olden tines' wolves were hunted in Wales to exterminate them and no doubt some brave act of saving life from a wolf's clutches may have given rise to this heraldic cognizance. The motto is 'Spero ut Fidelis' the translation of which has been stated to be "I hope as faithful" or "Hope through Faith".

It has been claimed that the family of Baskerville can trace descent from the Emperor Charlemagne, Hugh Capet King of France, Kenneth King of Scotland, Rodrick King of Wales and MacMorrough King of Leinster in Ireland, [1990 P.B.R. In my research I have found nothing which justifies this claim]. The Baskervilles have a truly royal ancestry, and their pedigree, which has been authentically deduced and duly registered in the College of Arms, is a large one. Burke writes of the family as 'one of the most ancient and honorable in England.

Their connection with Herefordshire began with the ancestor who came over to help William the Conqueror, from Normandy, [They may have come over late in William I reign to assist Bernard Newmarch in his raid on Wales]. The name Baskerville is probably derived from Basquevillein in the Pays de Card, or Bosherville near Rouen. He was NICHOLAS DE BASQUERVILLE, a son of Balderic the Teuton, and was a cousin to William I. (From NICHOLAS and Baldric, so we learn from Wace's 'Roman de Rou' came from Martels de Basqueville, who fought at Senlec. The same name does not appear in Domesday Book, but we find the 'Martels' in Essex and Suffolk.] It is said that NICHOLAS DE BASQUERVILLE's name, together with that of the founder of the 'Mynors' was on the Roll of Battle Abbey,[1990 P.B.R. Along with hundreds of other families who contributed money to the building of the Abbey, at Hastings. I believe these rolls were lost and are no longer available to prove this point. It is said that in the Roll of Battle Abbey the name is spelt 'BECEURVILLE' with arms 'Argent, a chevron 3 hurts' This coat may be a later addition, for temp; Henry III. It was charged with 3-torteaux gules. Soon after the torteaux appears as 'hurts' i.e. blue spherical roundels were substituted for red torteaux]

   Marriage Information:

Nicolas married Albréda. (Albréda died on an unknown date.)