Bernard was born about 1080, the son of unknown parents. The place is not known.
His wife was Nest. They were married, but the date and place have not been found. Their only known child was Sybil (1096-1143).
| Event | Date | Details | Source | Multimedia | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Birth | ABT 1080 |
Note 1
!Stylename: de Neufmarché, Bernard, conqueror of Brecon [~1080-?]
!Source: Internet Archive. Ancient charters, royal and private, prior to A.D. 1200. https://dn721602.ca.archive.org/0/items/ancientchartersr10grea/ancientchartersr10grea.pdf
OCR text, slightly cleaned:
H rex Angl. Archiepis. Epis. Abbibs. Com. Vic.
7 Omibe baronibe suis. franc. 7 Anglis. 7 fidelibe
suis toti Anglie. 7 Walie ; sal. Sciatis me dedisse. 7
firmit ccessisse Miloni de Gloec Sibilia filia Beorndi de
nouo mercato cu tota tra Beorn patris sui. 7 matris sue
po morte eoz. ul pri si uoluerint. scilicet in uita eoz. cu
hoc maritagio. scilicet Talgart. 7 foresta de Stradewi.
7 Castello de haia taillata. 7 tota tra de Bren. usq ad
diuisas tre Ric fil Pontii. scilicet usqe Canterbochan. 7
Coura qanda uilla in Anglia. 7 feodu. 7 seruitiu Rogi
de Baschieruulla. 7 feod. 7 seruit Willi reuelli 7 feod.
7 seruit Robti de Turbtuulla. 7 feod". 7 seruit Picardi.
Et uolo 7 pcipio. qd oms tenentes de pdicto Maritagio
faciant ei hominagiu ligiu in mea salua fidelitate sic dno
suo. Et oms tenentes totis tre pdicti Beorn similit
faciant ei hominagiu ligiu sic dno suo in mea salua
fidelitate. 7 Beorn qandiu tra tene uoluerit. Et hoc ei
dono. 7 ccedo. sicut emptione Beorn qua mi reddidit.
7 hoc req'sitione ipsis Beorn. 7 Yxoris sue. 7 Baronu
suoz. Et uolo , 7 firmit pcipio. ut ita bene. 7 honorifice
teneat. 7 q'ete. 7 libe. sic Beorn unqa melis. 7 honorifi-
centis tenuit. t. Rogo Epo sar. 7 Rob Epo linc. 7
Ran Cancell:. 7 Rob fit Regis. 7 Willo de Tancuilla. 7
Nig de Albin. 7 Pag fil Johis. 7 Gaufr fil Pag. 7
Gaufr de Glint. 7 Rad basset. 7 Willo de albin brit.
Ap Wintonia. Eod anno. in^ pascha. 7 Pentecost.
Rex dux in Vxore filia ducis de Luuain.
Google Translate:
H king of England Archiepis horse Abbibs Com. Vic.
7 Omibe his baronies French 7 English. 7 faithfully
to his whole England 7 Walie; salt You should know that I gave 7
affirms that he passed away to Milo of Gloec, Sibilia, daughter of Beorndi
the new market with all of his father's Beorn. 7 of his mother
after death ul pri if they will. namely, in the life of Eoz. with
this marriage of course Talgart 7 in the forest of Stradewi.
hold 7 what are you 7 book so Beorn unqa melis. 7 honorific
He held hundreds. t. I am asking Epo sar. 7 Rob Epo linc. 7
Ran Cancel:. 7 Rob becomes King. 7 Willo de Tancuilla. 7
Nig of Albin. 7 Pag fil Johis. 7 Gaufr becomes Pag. 7
Gaufr de Glint 7 Rad basset 7 Willo de Albin brit.
Ap Wintonia In that year in the Passover 7 Pentecost
King dux in Vxor, daughter of the duke of Luuain.
7 The castle was carved from these. 7 all through Bren. so on
diuisas tre Ric fil Pontius. of course until Canterbochan. 7
A small town in England. 7 fee 7 The service of Rogi
de Baschieruulla 7 fees 7 seruit Willi Reuel 7 fee
7 he succeeded Robert de Turbtuulla. 7 fee.
And I want to take 7 that all the holdings of the aforesaid marriage
Let them do him a little homage in my wholesome fidelity, thus
his own And oms holding all the three pdicts like Beorn
Let them pay homage to him like this in my life
faithfulness 7 Beorn willed to hold it for a long time. And this to him
gift 7 I leave as the purchase of Beorn which he returned to me.
7 this req'sition to Beorn himself. 7 Yxoris sue. 7 Baron
suoz. And I will, 7 affirms the pcipio. so well 7 honorifically.
NOTES. <<<< from source.
Its date, its witnesses, and the subject of this grant all combine to
make this charter one of exceptional importance.
The date is fortunately determined by the statement in the record
itself, and its limits are even further reduced by our knowledge that the
King, this year, spent his Easter at Berkeley, and was at Westminster by
Whitsunday [Ang. Sax. Chronicle].
Miles of Gloucester was the son of that Walter of Gloucester with
whom we have already met [p. 4]. His wife Sibyl was the daughter of
Bernard de Neufmarche, the conqueror of Brecon, by his Welsh wife. Nest.
She having declared that their heir Mahel was not her husband's son, he
was in consequence disinherited in favour of their daughter Sibyl [Giraldus
Cambrensis, Rolls Series, vi. 29]. By this charter their whole possessions
were secured to Sibyl at their death [or, if they would, before],
and she was bestowed in marriage on the son of a favourite officer
of the King, receiving as her immediate portion the manor of Talgarth,
the castle of Hay, the forest of Ystradyw [now the Hundred of Crickhowell
in south-east Brecon], and other lands, with the service of certain
knights' fees. "Coura" is Much Cowarne, co. Hereford, near Ullingswick
[vide infra., p. 19], the tithes of which were given by the family to St.
Peter's, Gloucester. In the Testa [p. 65] it is still entered as held of the
honour of Brecknock. The name of "haia taillata " should be noticed, as
giving us the origin of "Hay" and as representing apparently the French
"haie taillee," or cut hedge.
The incidental allusion to Richard Fitz Ponz shows him already in
possession of his Welsh property, "Cantref Bychan" [East Carmarthenshire,
lying along the left bank of the Towy, between it and Brecon]; and, in the
four tenants by knight-service on Sibyl's maritagium, we obtain valuable
genealogical evidence with an early mention of knights' fees. It should be
noticed that Bernard's knightly tenants are spoken of as his " barones."
The references to "liege homage," with the reservations in favour of
the royal supremacy and of Bernard's life-interest, are worthy of attention
The most important name in the list of witnesses is that of Robert,
“the king's son," who here attests in his rightful place at the head of all
the laity beneath the rank of earl. This charter is, therefore, evidence
that he was not yet Earl of Grloucester at the date of its execution. The
other witnesses are found in constant attendance at Court.
William Picard, probably representative of the Picard of this charter,
is found in the Liber Niger holding two knights' fees of Margaret de Bohun,
the heir of this marriage.
A dating clause of this character is, though common in cartularies,
rare in original charters. Its change from the first to the third person suggests
its addition by the scribe. There are other instances in point.
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Notes: The following were not surnames, but given names and were used in true patronymics.
Paganus = Pain = Paen = Pagen = Payn. Ponz = Pons = Pontius.
Pons and Payn were different but parallel Norman given names:
Paganus = Payn/Paen/Fitz-Payn.
Pontius = Pons/Fitz-Pons.