Sidebar to Peverel History
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In reply to:
PEVEREL/FITZALAN/FITZWARIN
2/06/01
Hatfield Peverel is a village to the east of Chelmsford popular with those who commute to London.
Its origins can be traced back to the Domesday Book when . . . "HADFELDA (was) held by Ranulfus in demesne: it was held by Ailmarus in the time of King Edward for a manor, and for ix.hides and lxxx11.acres".
The village derives its name from Ranulph Peverel, a knight of William the Conqueror who married Ingelrica daughter of Ingelric one of the richest and most powerful Saxon noblemen in Essex, the founder of St. Martin's-le-Grand in London.
Ingelrica was a beautiful woman, and thereby attracted the attention of William the Conqueror. When the King became tired of her, she was permitted by her Royal seducer to marry Ranulph whose name is on the roll of Battle Abbey.To atone for the errors of her early life Ingelrica founded, in this village, a college of Secular Canons, dedicating it to St. Mary Magdelene. She died in the years about 1100 and was buried in the Collegiate Church. The original Priory, of which the Church formed part, was founded in the 11th century but is no more.There is however another Priory on almost the same site built around 1790 which today stands in magnificent parkland having been restored by its present owners.
By the time of the building of this 'new' Priory the village had changed little over the previous 700 years, however the coming of the railway saw a gradual erosion of the rural way of life and by the middle of the 20th century Hatfield Peverel was expanding very quickly. Today it is principally a dormitory village having good access to London by both rail and road.
Robert le Bastard, another recipient of Duke William's [the Conqueror] favours who is claimed to be an illegitmate son of the Duke, the other one being William Peverel who received holdings in Shropshire.William the Conqueror believed in keeping light control over his newly conquered kingdom. He did this by creating a network of knights and dispatching them to the four corners of the land. One of his most trusted was William Peverel, founder of Peveril Castle.
The castle itself stands on a commanding crag in the Peaks and was known as the Castle of the Peak in medieval times. The area generally was a divide between the hostile north of the kingdom and the more peaceful south. But it was important economically as well as strategically, since the region was rich in valuable silver and lead mines which had to be closely guarded.
The forests of the area were much prized for their hunting, and the castle continued to be used as a hunting base long after it had outlived its military use. Although no more than a ruin today, Peveril Castle gives you an eerie idea of a Norman keep at its most imposing.
King John Lackland (24 Dec 1167 -- 19 Oct 1216) retained the castles of Nottingham, Peverel, Tickhill, Gloucester, Wallingford, Eye, Exeter, Launceston, and some others in his lands.John, youngest son of Henry II and Eleanor of Aquitaine is usually referred to as ``Count of Mortain'' before ascending to the throne of England. Between Jul and Dec 1189, Prince John was given by Richard amongst others, the honor of Peverel.After Richard's return in 1194, John's honors were reduced to the following: count of Mortain, lord of Ireland, and earl of Gloucester.