 John (One Eye) Monoculus, son of Richard fitz Ranulf and N.N..BORN_SHORT 1056 Vains, Manche, Normandy, France, DIED_SHORT 1138 Saxlingham, Norfolk, England, 81 or 82 years JOHN, son and heir, was presumably born before 1056, for about 1076 he suddenly claimed and seized the mill of Vains, but after a trial before the King's Court judgement was delivered against him. As John son of Richard he gave the tithe of Saxlingham, Norfolk, to St. Peter's Abbey, Gloucester, in the time of Abbot Serlon (1072-1103/4). In 1086, described as John nepos W., he was a tenant-in-chief in Norfolk, his estates including the manor of Saxlingham to which the church was appurtenant; and as John nepos Walerami (sic) he held also the single manor of Elsenham ("Alsenham"), in Essex, in chief, and a carucate and a half at Saxlingham of the abbot of St. Benet of Holme. He is said to have been given the advowson of Hockham, Norfolk, by Roger Bigod (died 1107). Nothing is known of his marriage, death or burial. John, surnamed Monoculus from having but one eye, had three sons, Paganus, Eustace, and William. These brothers were witnesses to the foundation of the abbey of Cirencester, co. Gloucester, 1133. Marriage/ Related to:  Cecily of YorkshireChildren: | |||
1) Payn fitz JohnHe was an Anglo-Norman nobleman and administrator, and one of King Henry I of England's "new men". Payn, along with his brothers, rose through their ability to become important royal officials during the reign of King Henry. Payn was rewarded with marriage to Sybil Talbot in 1115, and among the lands he gained control of through his wife was Ludlow Castle, which he augmented with further land acquisitions. Payn, held the office of sheriff in two counties near the border with Wales. He also served as a royal justice, hearing legal cases for the king in much of western England. Although his family had originated in Normandy, Pain appears to have mostly concentrated his career in England and the Welsh Marches. After the death of King Henry in 1135, Payn supported Henry's nephew, King Stephen, and was with the new king throughout 1136. On 10 July 1137 Payn was killed by the Welsh in an ambush, from a javelin blow to the head. He had been attempting to lead a relief expedition to garrison at Carmarthen when the ambush was sprung. His burial was in Gloucester Abbey, with the funeral service conducted by Robert de Bethune. A number of barons from the Welsh Marches attended, including Miles of Gloucester. After his death, his widow continued to hold Ludlow Castle until the summer of 1139, when she was forced to surrender it to King Stephen. Stephen then gave Sybil in marriage to Joceline Dinan, who also acquired Ludlow Castle through his new wife. This set up the background to Gilbert Lacy's attempts to seize Ludlow from Dinan, which forms the basis for the medieval Welsh romance work Fouke le Fitz Waryn. His heirs were his daughters, Cecily and Agnes. Cecily married Roger Fitzmiles, 2nd Earl of Herefordson, the son of one of Pain's close associates, Miles of Gloucester and Agnes married Warin de Munchesny. | |||
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