Bernard de Croft

• Preferred Name: Bernard de Croft^{[1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] [7]}
  
• Alternate Name: Bernard le Barb (the Bearded)
  
• Gender: M
  
• FSID: LVQS-59L
  
• LifeSketch: 1086 with note: Description: He held Croft at the time of the Domesday survey
  
• LifeSketch: with note: Description: He was the founder of the Croft family
  
• Birth: ABT 1026 in Normandy, France at LATI: N8.928 LONG: E0.5326
  
• Source URL: in the-croft-family.html
  
• LifeSketch: with note: Description: He held more lands other than Croft under Durand, the Sheriff of Gloucester.
  
• Religion: In his later years, Bernard became a monk in Thetford, Norfolk, England at LATI: N2.4509 LONG: E0.6638
  
• Death: AFT 1098 in Leominster, Herefordshire, England at LATI: N2.2261 LONG: E2.7436
  
• LifeSketch: with note: Description: Monastic deeds discovered at the British Museum in the last century confirm that Bernard had a son named Gilbert, and that Gilbert had a son named Hugh.
  
• Notes:

  === Life Sketch ===
  In the middle of the 11th century Herefordshire was placed under a Norman Earl of the highest rank – Ralf, son of Drogo, Count of the Vexin Normand, and Goda, daughter of King Ethelred II. By the time of the Domesday Book (1086), the area including Leominster and Croft was held by William de Schoies. According to the Domesday Survey, Croft, Leominster, Waverton (Wharton), and Newton were held by Bernard ‘the Bearded’ (Bernard le Barb), as an under tenant of William de Schoies, his overlord. Bernard also held more lands under Durand, the Sheriff of Gloucester. This Bernard became Bernard de Crofte, the founder of the Herefordshire family of Croft. It’s thought that Bernard was born around the year 1040, so it’s unlikely that he was born in England. More likely he came to England from Normandy as a young man in the years before the Conquest. There is no actual evidence for this however, as no documents referring to his origin exist.
  
  Monastic deeds discovered at the British Museum in the last century confirm that Bernard had a son, Gilbert, and that Gilbert had a son, Hugh. These charters read as follows:
  The Charter of Gilbert de Crofte, lord of the soil of Waverton.
  “Gilbert de Crofte, by grant of Sir Robert son of William, granted two parts of the tithe of Waverton to the church of St. Mary of Thetford in free alms, as his father Bernard, before he had become a monk there, gave to them in free alms. These being witness: Arnold, priest of Dile, Aubrey the knight, Walter de Traverley, Arnold de Snareshell, Aubrey the Prior’s servant, Hildemer, Arnold the boy.
  The Charter of Hugh de Crofte.
  “Know all men present and to come that I, Hugh, son of Gilbert de Crofte, and my brothers, have granted to God and St. Mary and the monks of Cluny who are at Thetford, in free alms the tithe of Waverton, as our grandfather Bernard, who became a monk at Thetford, and our father Gilbert, gave it. And we were made brethren and sharers in all the benefits which are done in the aforesaid church of St. Mary. And we will, with the help of God, keep and preserve this gift, as also our heirs after us, for the health of our souls and the souls of all the faithful of God."
  These charters show that by the later part of his life, Bernard had the power to grant these tithes, and that his son and grandson had the power to confirm the grants for all time.
  He gave the tithes of Waverton to, and became a monk of, Thetford Priory, Norfolk. He was mentioned in Domesday Book as holding lands in Croft, Wharton, and Newton, Herefordshire.
  
  The most noteable Croft family in England originate in the county of Herefordshire. The word ‘CROFT’ is of Saxon origin, and refers to a farm. In fact, in the north of England and in Scotland, farms can be still be referred to as ‘Crofts’, and farmers as ‘Crofters’. However, the CROFT family are not of Saxon origin, but were Normans introduced to Herefordshire before the Conquest, in the time of Edward the Confessor (around 1050). The family were styled ‘de Crofte’ (meaning ‘of Croft’) for four hundred years, the name being taken from the place which they settled and made their home. Croft Ambrey, the iron-age hill fort situated close by Croft Castle (the home of the Croft family) dates back to the 4th century B.C. and is said to be the site of Caractus’s resistance against the Romans in the 1st century A.D.; the name ‘Croft Ambrey’ comes from the British King Aurelius Ambrosius who made it his camp in the 5th century A.D.
  
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  Croft Castle
  Croft Castle (photo by Graham Taylor - Creative Commons Licence)
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  Introduction
  Croft Castle (photo by Tony Hisgett - Creative Commons Licence)
  Croft Castle was founded as a Norman earthen stronghold near the border of Wales, near the iron-age hill fort at Croft Ambrey. The castle as it can be seen today was errected around 1400, and was converted into manor house in the 16th century (the walls and towers were perforated to create windows). Its ostentatious interior dates mostly from the 18th and 19th century.
  
  History
  The story of the Croft family starts in 1100 with Jasper de Croft, knighted during the First Crusade (see Bouillon) and Bernard de Croft, who according to the Doomsday Book, owned the land around the castle in 1103.
  
  In the 13th century, the Lord of Croft helped the captured Edward I to escape to Croft. In 1461, the battle of Mortimer's Cross, that saw the final victory of the Yorkist over the Lancastrians in the Wars of the Roses, took place on the land of Croft.
  
  The Crofts sided with the King during the Civil War, and the Royalists had to dismantle the castle to prevent the Parliamentarians from using it.
  
  In 1746, the indebted Croft family had to sell the castle, which was acquired by Richard Knight. The Trustees of Sir James Croft bought the property back in 1923 and the castle is still occupied by this family nowadays.
  
  === HINT: https://www.familysearch.org/wiki/en/Croft,_Herefordshire_Genealogy ===
  Search Croft Castle https://www.google.com/search?q=Jasper%20Croft%201100%20-%20crusades%20-%20Knt%20of%20the%20Sepulchre%20heir%20-%20Croft%20Castle,Herefordshire,England%20genealogy
  
  === Burkes Peerage p 686 became a monk menti ===
  Burkes Peerage p 686 became a monk mentioned in Domesday book
  
  === Jasper's were half brothers? ===
  https://www.geni.com/people/Sir-Jasper-Croft/6000000009915915001
  https://www.geni.com/people/Jasper-Croft/6000000003828405955

1. Gilbert de Croft, b. 1090 in England     d. AFT 1120 in England
2. Jasper de Croft, b. ABT 1048 in Croft Castle, Croft Ambrey, Hereforshire, England     d. AFT 1098 in Kingdom of Acre Israel

1. Title: Wikiwand: Croft Castle
   Publication: Name: https://www.wikiwand.com/en/Croft_Castle;
   
2. Title: History of Croft Castle and the Croft Family
   Publication: Name: https://www.ancestry.com/mediaui-viewer/collection/1030/tree/27040905/person/12463680963/media/5d51442c-1c78-4ab3-9318-54a603b5db35?_phsrc=ABW11&usePUBJs=true;
   
3. Title: “The House of Croft of Croft Castle by Owen George Scudamore Croft
   Publication: Name: https://archive.org/stream/houseofcroftofcr00crof/houseofcroftofcr00crof_djvu.txt;
   Note: Thoroughly researched history of the Croft family with extensive documentation
   Page: Lists source documents of the de Croft familiy starting with Bernard, the founder of the family in England
   
4. Title: "The Crafts Family: A Genealogical and Biographical History of the Descendants of Griffin and Alice Craft, of Roxbury, Mass. 1630-1890," by William Francis Crafts
   Author: Gazette Printing Company, 1893
   Publication: Name: https://books.google.com/books?id=M3XCFlk3sVMC&dq=bernard+de+croft&q=croft#v=onepage&q=croft%20castle&f=false;
   
5. Title: Our Royal, Titled, Noble, and Commoner Ancestors & Cousins
   Publication: Name: https://our-royal-titled-noble-and-commoner-ancestors.com/p1040.htm#i31225;
   
6. Title: Geni: Bernard de Croft
   Publication: Name: https://www.geni.com/people/Bernard-Croft/6000000003828405962;
   
7. Title: Croft Family History
   Publication: Name: http://croftfamilyhistory.weebly.com/the-croft-family.html;