Michael Linton's Bayeux Tapestry: 1066 - A Medieval Mosaic and Puzzles

Maleherbe :

in modern phraseology, mauvaise herbe—a weed. Unpromising as this name may sound, it yet takes the highest rank for seniority among its Norman compeers. "The house of Malherbe," says the Nobiliaire de Normandie, "is one of the most ancient of the province. If we may put faith in a Latin title deed cited by Duchesne, and taken from the History of Vincentius, it descends from a Danish noble, the companion-in-arms of Rollo. Raoul de Malherbe was one of the knights that accompanied William the Bastard when he conquered England in 1066. His descendants formed seven principal branches, namely, those of the Seigneurs de Bouillon-d'Arry; de Missy; du Bois d'Escure: de Fresnay: d'Armanville: de la Pigaciere: and de Digny: and finally that of the Marquises de Malherbe. The present head of the family" (this was written in 1862) "is Dominique Henri de Malherbe, General commanding the sub-division at Alencon." They bear Ermine six roses Gules, three, two, and one. One of the branches displayed only three roses.

Far different was the bearing of the English Malherbes. They adopted, in a chastened and mortified spirit, a coat interpreting the noxious significance of their name, viz., Or a chevron Gules between three nettle-leaves erect proper. No Sir Ralph Malherbe is entered in Domesday; but seven of the family occur in the Liber Niger. The Malherbs of Finniton in Devonshire were, according to Prince, "a very antient tribe, that flourished there and at Winton-Malherb from near the time of the Conquest down to the last age; about thirteen generations following, some of which were knights." Ralph de Malherbe held of William de Tracy in 1165. In Somersetshire "the manor of Kingston was, in the time of Henry II., the possession of the family of Malherbe, who were lords also of Shipham, Rowborough, and many other adjacent manors. But in the ninth year of Richard I. Robert Malherbe made a grant of this lordship to Milo de Sancto Mauro, from whence the place was afterwards called Kingston-Seymour."—Collinson's Somerset. Another Robert Malherbe is found in the county, c. 1272.—Rotuli Hundredorum. Was it one or other of these Roberts who bestowed upon Croxton Abbey two bovrates in the Fee of Griseley?—v. Nichols' Leicester. Druettus and Drogo Malherbe were seated in Northamptonshire, temp. Hen. III. and Ed. I. (Hundred Rolls): and Michael and his son Nicholas in Kent, where they have left their name to Boughton-Malherbe. John and Richard Malherbe, at the same date, were resident in Bedfordshire. Four under-tenants of the name held of Simon de Beauchamp there in 1165. "Rainthorpe in Norfolk was given in 1189 by Richard I., to Oliver Malherbe. Sir Ralf Malherbe was Lord in 1280."—Blomfield. Contemporary with him was a William de Malerbe, a land-owner both in Norfolk and Lincoln (Rotuli Hundredorum), probably descended from the Roger who held of the Bishop of Lincoln in 1165. Candel-Malherbe preserves the name in Dorsetshire: as does Cricket-Malherbe, held under the Barons Montacute, in Somersetshire. Hugo de Malherbe held of Roger de Mowbray in Yorkshire (Liber Niger). John Malerbe of Hoton was a benefactor of Newnham Priory (Mon. Angl.): and either he, or another John Malherbe, was part-founder of Thurnholme Priory, Lincolnshire, in the time of King John. Again, a John de Malherbe married the sister and heiress of Roger de Montbegon, who brought him the castle and honour of Hornby^[123] in Lancashire, and left an only daughter and heiress, Clementia, married to Eudo de Longvilers.—Bain's Lancashire. In Scotland, Sir Gilbert de Malherbe was executed as a traitor, having engaged in 1320 in a conspiracy against Robert Bruce. Eustace Malherbe of Stamford was Assessor of the King's tax there in 1305.