The wise men of old sometimes pointed in the general direction when trying to make sense of relationships between families, but they tended to take a more direct route than was the fact, and this was probably the case when the husband of Agnes de Heriz was given a name. The reality was an entanglement of cousins; people of different families taking the same name.

1. Robert de Heriz n 1086 in Broxtow wapentake, Notts., Robert (de Heriz) held of William Peverel in Stapleford 2 carucates.
1.1. Galfr. de Heriz, Lord of Stapleford. When William Peverel I. founded the Priory of Lenton, in the first decade of the twelfth-century, donators to it were his feudatories in Avranches; “les hommes de Guillaume Peverel sont du diocèse d’Avranches”, being “Le premier était Avenel, Raoul Malherbe, Norman de Saint Patrice, Geoffroy de Heriz, Adelelme ou Adelée, Robert de Mortain (Société d’archéologie et d’histoire de la Manche, 1992, Identification des notables de l’Avranchin et du Cotentin cités dans le livre noir de l’abbaye de la Lucerne, 1143-1309, p. 56). Geoffroy de Heriz donated to Lenton two-thirds of his tithes in Stapleford (Mon. Anglic. v. 111b). The Heriz family held the fief of La Hérissiere in La Rochelle, situated six miles from Avranches, in the canton of Haye-Pesne. Le sire de Heriz fit construire son château de la Hérissière, dont les soubassements servent an château actuel. On retrouve également i embases de tour qui indiquent à peu près la superficie de l’ancien château. Revue de l’Avranchin et du pays de Granville, Volumes 27-28 1934. La Hérissiere was a ‘fief de Haubert’, that is, held of the ducal family (D.N. V. XI. P. 379, 1776). It was also called La Rochelle-le-Hericiere (ibid.), and “la Rochelle-Ambleville”, where Guillaume St. Jean’s tenant in 1162 was Roger Heriz (Dubosc Cart. 5-7).
1.1.1. Robert de Heriz, d. 1177, amerced 5 marks in 1176 for forrest trespass. His lands in England passed to his sister, Avicia; his lands in Avranches passed to his sons, Roger and André de Heriz. Roger de Heriz had married a daughter of the very influential Roger-le-Pauvre, noted here: “Robertum abbatem et conventum concessisse W. de S. Johanne universam terram nostram … Nous avons donné deux gerbes de dîme de la terre Cornart à la Pommeraye; l’église de la Rochelle avec ses dépendances, du consentement de Roger-le-Pauvre … Nous avons concédé la donation de Robert Hériz et de ses fils Roger et André, faite pour le salut de son âme et celle de son épouse Agnès, de six quartiers de froment sur son moulin… Le seigneur de Saint-Jean rappelle ses donations dans le diocèse de Coutances et en Angleterre, date sa charte de l’année 1162, et cite, parmi les nombreux témoins, Roger de Saint-Jean…. Nous avons concédé la donation de Robert Hériz et de ses fils Roger et André, faite pour le salut de son âme et celle de son épouse Agnès, de six quartiers de froment sur son moulin… Le seigneur de Saint-Jean rappelle ses donations dans le diocèse de Coutances et en Angleterre, date sa charte de l’année 1162, et cite, parmi les nombreux témoins, Roger de Saint-Jean.

The sheriff accounts for lOOs. for the lands of Robert de Heriz at Stapleford, and 68s. for the corn of the land of Gervase Avenel. Note. — This payment for the land of Robert Heriz of Stapleford curiously commences with the date of the other Robert
Heriz purchasing the lands held by his late brother. These two families must not be confounded. They were separate as early as the foundation of Lenton Priory, when they each granted land out of their domains. This Robert de Heriz seems to have been the last male heir of his family, although the de Ecclestons, who derived descent from his sister and co-heir, assumed the name of Heriz, and the estates continued in their family until the time of Edward III. The sheriff accounts for lOOs. the land of Robert de Heriz at Stapleford, and … 12s. 6d. for the farm of Baselow. (This was Gervase Avenel’s land, for which he paid 20 marcs in 2 Henry II., and which was in the king’s hands in 26 Henry II. This afterwards came to Basset and Vernon.

1.1.2. Avicia de Heriz, m. Richard de Camera.
1.1.3. Agnes de Heriz, m. … de Eccleston, it is said. This is a supposition which is commonly used to explain later associations between the Heriz (by various titles) and the Ecclestons, as in this example: Writ of Right — Robert son of Gilbert and Avice his wife, William de Karlton, William de Eccleston, Geoffrey de Heriz, Hugh son of Syward, Roger le Blunt, Adam Stute’, Alan son of Roger, and Hugh de Stapelford,* re common of pasture in Eccleston. Avice is daughter and heir of Henry de Eccleston who was seised n fee when he died. Defendants call to warrant Adam (br. of William and Henry) son of Ralph (i.e. Radulph de Eccleston);and they come to terms, Adam giving i mark for leave. And Robert and Avice remit all their right and claim in the said land, and Adam gives to them 2 acres in the said vill, of his demesne. 1247. In 1242, Adam de Eccleston held of William de Lancaster by knight’s service, his father having married one of his daughters.

About 1100, Eccleston was divided between Albert de Greslye and Roger de Busli. (Francis Gastrell, Notitia Cestiensis: Or Historical Notices of the Diocese of Chester). Albert de Greslye (it is said) married the daughter of Nigellus, a Norman knight. and became possessed of the manor of Manchester. This Nigellus has been claimed to have been Nigellus de Statford (Dugdale tome. i., p. 156), but the fact of him being named in several documents as “Nigel de Torp” (juxta Burnsall) mitigates against this. Nigel was a man of Roger of Poictou: “In the Domesday Survey, the south of Lancashire is included in Cheshire, the hundred of Amounderness in Yorkshire, and that of Lonsdale is comprised under Westmorland, Cumberland, and Yorkshire. The dale or vale of the Lune is formed into one word in this record, where it occurs as a manor, surveyed under Craven in the West Riding of Yorkshire. “Two manors. In Lanesdale and Cocreham, Ulf and Machall had two carucates to be taxed. Here Lanesdale seems to denote Thurnham, but the latter occurs as Tiernum in earl Tosti’s manor of Haltune. In a charter of the 2d of king John, by which the lands formerly belonging to Nigellus Camerarius, probably the chamberlain of the great earl Roger de Poictou, were granted to Henry Fitz Hervey and his heirs (c. 1200), land towards or opposite the valley of Loon is mentioned”. (Edward Baines, History of the County Palatine and Duchy of Lancaster, Volume 4, 1868). Eccleston: Galf de Eccleston 1 fee of Richard de Stapelford, Hugh fil Rad de Gresley 3 fees. ‘Of the land of Roger de Poitou were two manors in Hainton, one held by Albert, ancestor of the family of Grelle or Gresley, with soke in Sixhill, Barkwith, and Southry, which is thus entered. “Second manor. In Haintone Clac and Sendi had one carucate and half a bovate subject to Danegeld. Land to two ploughs. There Albert, the vassal of Roger, has one plough and three villains ploughing with three oxen, and fifty-four acres of meadow. In the Catalogue of tenants of lands in Wraghehou wapentake, in 1108, Robert Greslet one carucate and four bovates and a half in Caldecote of the king. In his descendants the manor of Hainton with the inland in Barkwith, held by Albert, father of Robert, remained, and was held by this John de Wurth of Thomas de Grelle, together with the barony of Scoteny, acquired by descent from Ralph de Criol. The chief seat of the family of Grelle or Gresley, in Lincolnshire, was at Swineshead in the parts of Holland, Lincolnshire, which was belonging to Robert Gresle in 1185, then in his minority, and son of Albert de Gresle and of a daughter of Thomas Basset.

‘Pedigrees constructed from the Pipe Rolls’.
1. “Rad’us de Gresley et Agnes uxor ejus”, probably Agnes de Heriz. He was probably the same as mentioned herein: Charter of William Earl Ferrers, confirming the grant by Ralph de Seile to Ralph de Gresley, of his mill at Seile; with the Earl’s seal; circa 1168. Charter of Ralph de Greeley, founder of the Preceptory of Hether, Leicestershire, granting land to Merevale Abbey, with his seal. At the conquest the Countess Judith held 4 carucates; 4 villans had 1 plough; soon afterwards it came to the family of Ferrers, who gave it to the Gresleys, and in the reign of Henry II. Ralph Gresley gave the church and all Heather to the Knights Hospitallers.
1.1. Agnes. The exact period when Claydon passed to its subsequent possessors is unknown: but in the time of Henry III. this manor was held by Hugh Fitz-Ralph for two knight’s fees, and of the old feoffment, so that it must have been granted out before the end of the reign of Henry I. This Hugh is supposed to have taken the name of Gresley, or Greseley, upon marrying Agnes, sole daughter of Ralph de Greseley, who might probably derive his descent from the subfeudatory of the Peverells in Bottle-Claydon, at the Norman survey.
1.1.1. Radulphus. In 1211, Ralph de Gresele held three knight’s fees of the honour of Peverell, of which two were in Claydon; and married Isabel, daughter of Robert de Muschamp, with whom, on payment of a fine in 1219, he was admitted to the lands of Robert de Muschamp her brother. Hugh Fitz-Ralph, husband of Agnes de Greseley, paid one mark scutage, in 1234, for one fee in Claydon, of the honour of Peverell. He had two sons, Hugh and Ralph. Eustachia, daughter of the latter, carried this manor in marriage to Nicholas de Cantilupe, between whom and Joane, formerly wife of Ralph Fitz-Hugh, a fine was previously passed of Claydon, by which it was settled upon her for life. Rot. Fin. 44 Hen. III.

1.1.3.1. Galfr. (Geoffrey) de Eccleston (Heriz), who held Stapleford, and with the consent of his mother, Alice, gifted to Lenton. Galfridus de Eccleston’ debet x li. pro habenda saisina de terra quam Avicia que fuit uxor Ricardi de Camera. (Pipe Roll, 1224).
1.1.3.1.1. Richard de Heriz (de Stapleford), held that manor in 1250, his son, Hugh, being aged 25 years. Galf de Eccleston i fee of Richard de Stapelford, Hugh fil Rad de Gresley 3 fees.
1.1.3.1.1.1. Hugh de Heriz, died seized of this fee in 1297.
1.1.3.1.1.1.1. Richard de Heriz, born 1282, d. bef. 1316.
1.1.3.1.1.1.1.1. Richard de Heriz, b. November 7, 1307.
1.1.3.2. *Hugh de Heriz, de Stapleford.
1.1.3.3. Robert de Heriz.
1.1.3.4. Richard de Heriz.

Gresleys by other names.