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TURBERVILLE family of Coity, Glamorganshire

The Turbervilles were a family with many branches established in several counties. The name is spelled variously. They probably accompanied the Conqueror and appear on the 'Roll' of Battle abbey. This article will be concerned with the Glamorgan branch only. The following appears to be the succession of the lords of Coity :

PAYN (PAGANUS) I was apparently granted the lordship of Coity, comprising the manors of Coity Anglia and Coity Wallia, by Robert Fitzhamon. Alone among the Glamorgan lordships it was held on the easy tenure of serjeanty of hunting, probably because of the importance of its strategic position. Payn I was known as ' the Demon ' (' Y Cythraul '), but nothing is known of the reasons for this derogatory epithet. He only appears as witness to charters in 1126 and 1129. The pleasant story of his marriage to the daughter of the Welsh chieftain of Coity, and the less pleasant story of his giving Fitzhamon a blow that rendered him imbecile, seem to be devoid of historical foundation. SIMON, son of Payn I, succeeded him and died without issue. GILBERT I, brother of Simon, followed. He made grants to Ewenny Priory, which were confirmed by Maurice de Londres before 1148. PAYN II, son of Gilbert I, succeeded. He was alive in 1202, but died c. 1207. GILBERT II, son of Payn II, was granted seisin of the lordship in 1207. He married Matilda (or Agnes), daughter of Morgan Gam of Afan, and acquired through her the manor of Landymôr, in Gower. He seems to have joined in the baronial opposition to John, as he was regranted seisin of his lands in 1217 as ' he had returned to faith and service of the lord king ' (Henry III, then an infant). At the same time he acquired the manor of Newcastle, previously held by Morgan Gam, and from that time Coity and Newcastle devolved together. GILBERT III succeeded his father and was in possession of Coity and Newcastle (the latter among the new feoffments, i.e. post 1135) at the time of the 'Extent' of Glamorgan in 1262. He died some time before 1281. RICHARD I, son of the last named, followed, but only for a short time, as according to G. T. Clark he died in 1283. PAYN III, son of Richard, succeeded and married Wenllian, daughter of Sir Richard Talbot, of Richards Castle. He was ' custos ' of Glamorgan in 1315, and changed many of the officials, among them Llywelyn Bren (Llywelyn ap Gruffydd) of Eglwysilan. The enmity thus aroused was the chief cause of Llywelyn Bren's rebellion. Payn died c. 1318. GILBERT IV, son of Payn III, succeeded. He married Cicely, daughter of John, lord Beauchamp of Hache. He recovered the Gower property of Llandymôr in 1336, and was present at the siege of Calais in 1346. In 1337 he was granted the wardship of the royal castle of Cardigan and the seneschalship of the county for life. He apparently died in 1349. GILBERT V, son of the last named, succeeded, but little is known of him. He apparently died without issue, and the property reverted to RICHARD II, son of Payn III, who also died without issue and probably unmarried. With him the direct line of the Turbervilles came to an end, and the properties descended through CATHERINE, daughter of Payn III, to Sir Roger Berkerolles of East Orchard.

There were numerous cadet branches of the Turberville family in Glamorgan; some of them were probably illegitimate in origin.

Author

Published date: 1959

Article Copyright: http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC-RUU/1.0/

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