Judith of Lens, Countess of Northumberland

Female 1055 - 1090  (35 years)


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  • Name Judith of Lens 
    Suffix Countess of Northumberland 
    Birth 1054-1055  Lens, France Find all individuals with events at this location  [1, 2, 3
    Gender Female 
    Death ~1090  Fotheringay, Northamptonshire, England Find all individuals with events at this location  [2, 3
    Person ID I51122  The Hennessee Family
    Last Modified 26 Sep 2019 

    Father Lambert II, Count of Lens,   b. Lens, France Find all individuals with events at this locationd. 1054, (France) Find all individuals with events at this location 
    Mother Countess Adelaide of Normandy,   b. ~1030, Normandie, France Find all individuals with events at this locationd. Bef 1090, (Normandie, France) Find all individuals with events at this location (Age ~ 59 years) 
    Marriage (Normandie, France) Find all individuals with events at this location  [2
    Family ID F19048  Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

    Family Waltheof Huntington, Earl of Northumbria   d. 31 May 1076, St. Giles Hill, Winchester, England Find all individuals with events at this location 
    Marriage Aft Jan 1070  [1, 3
    Children 
     1. Maud of Huntingdon, Queen Consort of Scotland,   b. ~1074, Northumberland, England Find all individuals with events at this locationd. 1130-1131, Scone, Perthshire, Scotland Find all individuals with events at this location (Age ~ 56 years)
     2. Uctred FitzWaltheof,   b. Aft 1070, Tynedale, Scotland Find all individuals with events at this locationd. 1152, Johnstone, Dumfries-shire, Scotland Find all individuals with events at this location (Age ~ 81 years)
    Family ID F19044  Group Sheet  |  Family Chart
    Last Modified 30 Apr 2023 

  • Event Map
    Link to Google MapsBirth - 1054-1055 - Lens, France Link to Google Earth
     = Link to Google Earth 

  • Notes 
    • Countess Judith (born in Normandy between 1054 and 1055, died after 1086), was a niece of William the Conqueror. She was a daughter of his sister Adelaide of Normandy, Countess of Aumale and Lambert II, Count of Lens.
      Life

      In 1070, Judith married Earl Waltheof of Huntingdon and Northumbria. They had three children. Their eldest daughter, Maud, brought the earldom of Huntingdon to her second husband, David I of Scotland. Their daughter, Adelise, married Raoul III de Conches whose sister, Godehilde, married Baldwin I of Jerusalem.

      In 1075, Waltheof joined the Revolt of the Earls against William. It was the last serious act of resistance against the Norman conquest of England. Judith betrayed Waltheof to her uncle, who had Waltheof beheaded on 31 May 1076.

      After Waltheof's execution Judith was betrothed by William to Simon I of St. Liz, 1st Earl of Northampton. Judith refused to marry Simon and she fled the country to avoid William's anger. William then temporarily confiscated all of Judith's English estates. Finally, Simon married Judith's daughter, Maud, in or before 1090.

      Judith founded Elstow Abbey in Bedfordshire around 1078. She also founded churches at Kempston and Hitchin.

      She had land-holdings in 10 counties in the Midlands and East Anglia. Her holdings included land at:

      Earls Barton, Northamptonshire
      Great Doddington, Northamptonshire
      Grendon, Northamptonshire
      Ashby Folville, Leicestershire
      Lowesby, Leicestershire
      Merton, Oxfordshire
      Piddington, Oxfordshire
      Potton, Bedfordshire
      Sawtry, Huntingdonshire

      The parish of Sawtry Judith in Huntingdonshire is named after the Countess.
      From the Domesday Book

      In POTONE Hugh holds ½ virgate of land from the Countess. Land for 1 plough; it is there, with 1 smallholder. The value is and was 5s; before 1066, 2s. Earl Tosti held this land in Potton, his manor.

      Countess Judith holds POTONE herself. It answers for 10 hides. Land for 12 ploughs. In lordship 3½ hides; 3 ploughs there. 18 villagers and 2 Freemen with 8 ploughs; a ninth possible. 13 smallholders and 3 slaves. 1 mill, 5s; meadow for 12 ploughs; pasture for the village livestock. In total, value ¹12; when acquired 100s; before 1066 ¹13. King Edward held this manor; it was Earl Tosti's. There were 4 Freemen who had 1 hide and 1 virgate; they could grant to whom they would.

      In (Cockayne) HATLEY Countess Judith holds 3 hides and 2½ virgates as one manor. Land for 6½ ploughs. In lordship 1 hide and ½ virgate; 2 ploughs there. 8 villagers with 4½ ploughs; woodland, 4 pigs. Value ¹6 5s; when acquired 100s; before 1066 ¹6. Earl Tosti held this manor. It lies in Potton, the Countess' own manor. A Freeman had 1 virgate; he could grant and sell, and withdraw to another lord.

      Ranulf brother of Ilger holds EVERTON from the Countess. It answers for 5 hides. Land for 5 ploughs; 2 ploughs there; 3 possible. 4 villagers; 5 smallholders. Meadow for 1 plough. Value ¹3; when acquired 100s; as much before 1066. Earl Tosti held this manor. It lay in Potton, the Countess' own manor.

      end of biography [2]

  • Sources 
    1. [S9980] "Maud, Countess of Huntingdon" biography, accessed & downloaded Thurssday, November 17th, 2016 by David A. Hennessee, ht.

    2. [S12587] "Judith of Lens", Biography, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Judith_of_Lens, https://www.undiscoveredscotland.co.uk/usfeat.

    3. [S14615] "Richard Comyn (1190-1244)", Biography, Ancestors & Descendants, to view source information, select tab, "Ancestors", ht.