Fief de Mautalent
Introduction:
The fief of Mautalent, also known as Maltalent, is a historical fief located in Guernsey that is believed to have been held by the vassals of the d'Anneville family in the 13th century. As a dependency of the Fief d'Anneville, the manorial rights of the fief were not transferred from the beginning of Anneville and the fief is to be considered still a dependency of Anneville. This fief is mentioned in several historical documents, including the Extent of 1274 and Essays on Guernsey History.
Chronological History:
1274: A jury at St Marie-du-Castel, Guernsey noted that someone “named Mautalent” was a tenant of the Norman part, which paid a rent of 1 quarter of corn, one loaf of bread and a chicken. “Extent of 1274” Societe Jersaise 1877, p 34
1274: The Extent of 1274 also noted that a person called Mautalent forfeited (escheated) two fiefs in Guernsey, the fief de Mautalent and the fief de Suart transferring his allegiance from King John to the King of France. This was understood to protect a larger fief in France (not yet identified) Wendy Stevenson “England and Normandy 1204 - 1259” University of Leeds 1974
1248: The Fief d'Anneville was given to de Cheney.
1299: Philip de Cheney, son and one of the heirs of William de Cheney, asserted before assizes that he enjoyed all the tenements and their appurtenances once held by Sampson d'Anneville and John d'Anneville in Guernsey. . The most likely is that the Fief de Mautalent was later simply merged with Anneville in the livres de perchage, as it no longer had a tenant of its own.
It is worth noting that there is also a similar fief in Jersey under the fief of Anneville of Jersey. According to Ogier, it is not unusual for certain dependent tenures to be called "fiefs" even though they do not possess any of the usual manorial paraphernalia (such as a court). It is believed that Mautalent was a vassal of the d'Anneville family and when his lord d'Anneville obtained possessions in both Guernsey and Jersey, he also obtained some dependent fiefs. When the Seigneur d'Anneville chose to be loyal to France, the Seigneur of Mautalent also did so and lost his fiefs in both Guernsey and Jersey.
1331: The fief of Mautalent belonged to the fief of Anneville. Review of Royal possessions in Guernsey - 1597 - 1331 - noted “all the fiefs except le fieu Maltalent” fief Maltalent as vassal of d’Annevilles This information is cited in "Essays on Guernsey History, Edith Carey La Societe Guernsaise 1936, p 14, p53"
It is also worth noting that Mautalent was a Norman, as his name appears in the list of Companions of William - the Normans who accompanied William the Bastard to Hastings, where they helped him become William the Conqueror. A record of a Mautalent in Les Moitiers d’Allonne in 1492, and earlier charters link the Mautalents with families from this part of Normandy. Since there are many records of Mautalents in Les Moitiers d’Allonne, and very few elsewhere, it is likely that this is where the Mautalent family originated from. Les Moitiers d'Olonne were under the Seigneur of Anneville Guillaume d'Anneville (Décédé vers 1130 Chevalier,seigneur d'Anneville,du Breuil en Saire,d'Ourville,de la Pernelle,du Vicel,de Prétot,du Breuil d'Allonne,de Sortoville en Beaumont,de Saint-Pierre-d'Arthéglise,etc...) son of Sampson d'Anneville that was esquire to William the Conqueror.
The Mautalent and the d'Anneville
In 1114 James de Mautalle was a witness to a charter given by Richard D'Anneville to a church at Lihou in Guernsey; a later survey of 1597 shows a Mautalent fief in Guernsey in 1331 as an Anneville vassal, and another of 1492 shows a Mautalent as an Anneville vassal in Jersey. The Anneville family were overlords of Notre Dame d'Allonne from the 12th to the 14th centuries. The Mautalent fief has maintained its ownership without any transfer of ownership from 1299 to present day and remains under the control of the current seigneur of the d'Anneville fief.
Conclusion:
The Fief of Mautalent is a small but significant landholding of medieval Guernsey. Its history is closely tied to the larger fief of Anneville and its tenants were likely vassals of the powerful d'Anneville family. The Fief of Mautalent played an important role in the political and social landscape of medieval Guernsey and its history is a valuable insight into the island's past. The fief of Mautalent could play a decisive role in refuting the widely held opinion that the fief of Le Comte, even if it did not have a manor, was always the most important fief on the island. The idea is rather that during the period 1135-1168, when it was under the control of Henry I, the fief du Bessin was considered inferior to other fiefs and was fragmented. This could be the reason why it was never represented in the Royal Court (Court of Chief Pleas). Although it was directly dependent on the king and had the largest territory, it had its own court but was not directly represented in the royal court.
The only historical document from this period is the Extente of 1248, which mentions that the inhabitants of Guernsey owed 70 livres tournois in taxes and were exempt from serving in the army, talage and other tributes, but had to accompany the Duke of Normandy when required. The Extente also mentions that Radul de Walemoun held court hearings on the islands and fixed the rents.
It is possible that the d'Anneville family supported Geoffrey of Anjou during this period and in return received land in Catel, which they later gave to the Mautalent as tenants. The fief of Mautalent is a sub-fief of Anneville in Jersey and it would be unexpected for it to be an independent fief in Guernsey.
The ownership of this fief by the Anneville family belies the assumption that they did not own land in the Catel area, which was considered part of the Fief du Bessin. The fief du Bessin consisted of the Vintaine de L'Epine, the parishes of Castel, St Saviour's and St Pierre-du-Bois and became known as the fief Le Comte in 1120 when Ranulf, the "Vicomte du Bessin", was made Earl of Chester. During the 12th century, the fief was divided into sub-fiefs, including Fiez Rozel, Fief Longues, Fief Suart and Fief Sotuas. The fief of San Michel originated from a donation of uncultivable wasteland to the monastery of the same name.
Before 1205, a person named Mautalent owned may be the feudal estate of Suart and for sure the fief of Mautalent, the latter of which may have been in Catel. The extente of 1274 says Maltalent is in Catel as it has an ambigous statement that could lead to fief le Comte or to fief Saint Michel. In 1274 a jury at St Marie-du-Castel in Guernsey recorded that a person named Mautalent was a tenant of a Norman share and paid a rent of 1 quarter of corn, a loaf of bread and a chicken. This information is puzzling because theoretically the Mautalent family had left the island by 1204. It is possible that the main branch of the family left the island but a secondary branch remained on Guernsey. By 1331 the fief was considered to be under Anneville, although many historians claim that the two fiefs were confused. However, it is undisputed that Mautalent was a vassal of the Seigneurs of Anneville in Normandy. Research on the Clan Maitland in Scotland suggests that all members of the Clan Mautalent probably came from the same town in Normandy under Anneville. The Mautalent family was undoubtedly a feudatory of Anneville: in 1114, James de Mautalle witnessed a charter given by Richard d'Anneville to a church at Lihou in Guernsey.
The transfer of part of the fief of Bessin to Anneville may have led to confusion about the transfer of possession of the fief of Le Comte. In 1299 and 1309, the de Chesneys were asked to prove their claims to part of the sea wreck and the court and hunting rights on the king's fief. They confirmed that the fief had been given to Anneville by Le Comte of Robert, Earl of Mortain, and sold to them by Baldwin de Vere. This claim may have been accepted because the Le Comte fief was inferior in the period 1135 to 1168, because some lands of the fief du Bessin were already under Anneville (the fief de Mautalent) and because the Le Comte fief was not directly represented at the royal court. However, the actual possession of fief Le Comte passed through several hands: from Henry II, King of England, to Geoffrey Wake, to Hugh Wake, to Baldwin de Vere, to his grandson and finally to Sir William de Chesney in 1253
Source:
"Extente de 1274" Societe Jersaise 1877, p 34
Wendy Stevenson “England and Normandy 1204 - 1259” University of Leeds 1974
"Essays on Guernsey History" Edith Carey La Societe Guernsaise 1936, p 14, p 53
James Marr, ‘Guernsey People’
Rolls of the Assizes in 1309, page 167
Archive.org
Societe Jersiaise website (https://collections.societe.je/) for the Extentes from 1274 to 1749
Charters linking the Mautalents with families from Les Moitiers d'Allonne / Breuil (https://gw.geneanet.org/pierfit?lang=fr&p=guillaume&n=d+anneville&oc=12)
On the origin of the name Mautalent https://clanmaitland.uk/about-the-clan/origins historic references at https://electricscotland.com/webclans/m/MautalenttoMaitland2014.pdf
