The Battle Abbey Roll. Vol. I.
by
The Duchess of Cleveland.

Prepared by Michael A. Linton
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Camuile : "from Camville or Campville, near Coutances, in the Cotentin. Richard de Camville, surnamed Puignant, had a grant of Middletune and Godendune, Oxford, in barony. William de Camville, his brother, held Godintune from him in 1086 (Domesd.)."—The Norman People. The ancient castle of Middleton Stoney is "supposed to have been built in the reign of Stephen by Richard Camvil, a loyal and powerful baron, and Lord of this town, en the site of a Saxon military work, and continued the residence of his descendants for nearly one hundred years."—Bullington and Ploughley's Oxfordshire. No vestige of it is now to be seen, though some fragments remained in Leland's time. "The village and castell of Middeltune in Oxfordshire is two myles by west from Burchester (Bicester)) and the castell stood hard by the churche. Sum pices of the walles of yt yet apeare, but almost the whole site of it is overgrowne with bushys." This Richard, who also held Lilburne Castle in Northamptonshire, and gave his name to Charlton-Camville (now Charlton Horethorne) in Somersetshire, founded Combe Abbey in Warwickshire. His son—another Richard—received a royal grant of Cornbury Forest for five years at an annual rent of £3; and in 1164 "was summoned to the great council of Clarendon, where he signed the famous constitutions enacted for reducing the monstrous pretensions of the clergy." He was several times employed by Henry II.: "the last public commission which he received from him was to convey intelligence to the King of Sicily of his sovereign having granted him his daughter in marriage." Richard Coeur de Lion appointed him one of his admirals in the expedition to the Holy Land in 1190; and afterwards joint Governor of Cyprus with Sir Roger de Turnham; but, "becoming soon tired of this inactive life, without waiting for the permission of the King, he followed the army to Palestine, and joined the besiegers before the walls of Acre, where he died the same month." The next in succession, Gerard, acquired with his wife Nichola, daughter and co-heir of Robert de Haia, a vast fortune, and the offices of Constable of Lincoln Castle and Sheriff of Lincolnshire. During Coeur de Lion's absence abroad, he plotted treason with Prince John, and on the King's return, was "disseized of his castle and shrievalty of Lincoln; and, within a week after, accused of harbouring and abetting thieves who robbed the tradesmen going to Stamford Fair, and likewise of high treason." He only obtained the King's pardon by a payment of 2,000 marks. But John made him ample amends on his accession, and Gerard basked in the smiles of royalty till his death in 1214. Richard, his son, married another heiress, Eustacia, daughter of Gilbert Basset, Lord of the neighbouring town of Bicester, and Idonea, their only child, carried Middleton and all their possessions to her husband William Longespe, a son of the Earl of Salisbury.

A younger brother of Gerard's had, however, left descendants in the male line. His name was William, and he was seated at Clifton-Campville in Staffordshire, which according to Erdeswick, was held by the Camvilles from 1200 to 1315. His wife Albreda, the daughter and heiress of Geoffrey Marmion, brought him three sons: 1. Geoffrey; 2. William, of Arewe (Arrow) and Seckington in Warwickshire, whose line expired with his grandson Sir Gerard; and 3. Thomas, Presbyter, Justic. Reg. 13 Henry III. Geoffrey, the eldest, who received a writ of military summons in 1293, and a summons to parliament in the following year, married a second and greater heiress, Maud, daughter and heir of Sir Guy de Bryan, by Eve, daughter and heir of Henry de Tracy; and in 1258 held in her right twenty-eight knight's fees "for that part of the honour of Barnstaple that had belonged to Oliver de Tracy." Their son William was likewise a baron by writ, but left none but female heirs. Erdswick accords him only a single daughter, Maud, first married to Sir Richard Vernon of Haddon, and then to Sir Richard Stafford of Pipe in Staffordshire, whose son was summoned to Parliament in 1371 as Baron Stafford of Clifton. On the other hand, Burton, in his History of Leicestershire, gives a separate wife to each of these sons-in-law, for he says, that besides Maud, who, being the eldest co-heiress, conveyed Clifton Camville to the Staffords, Lord Camville had a younger daughter named Margery, wedded to Vernon of Haddon Hall.