| (Witness) Anecdote | | He was referenced in the family history. On the left bank of the river Somme not far from Amiens, stand the ruins of the castle of Picquigny, the ancestral home of the Vidames de Picquigny. This castle, and later the family, are supposed to have received the name from one Pignon or Picgnon, one of the generals of Alexander the Great, who landed on this bank, and built the foundations of the castle (Jacque de Guise, "Annal de Hainaut," I:72). The ruins are plainly to be seen from the train on the journey from Calais to Paris.
The province of Picardy is said to have taken its name from the castle - so thought Bartholomew Anglicus who took the idea from oen Erodoc, author of a description of the country ("Mems. de le Soc. des Antiquaries de Picardie," t.XIV:40).
The earliest references to the Picquigne family are found in the works of l'Abbe Lambert d'Ardes, who was Canon of St. Omar, and lived in the early part of the thirteenth century. His writings cover the period extending from the year 800 to the year 1208.
In his "Historia Ghisnensium Comitum" in speaking of William, the Castellan of St. Omar, he says, "This William first married a wife descended from the most noble family of Charlemagne, King of the Franks, the daughter named Melisande of Arnulph vice-lord of Pinkin.("Rec. des Hist. des Gaules et de la France," XIII, p.429, cap. 46; Bouquet [on binding], Benedictines Rel.of Cong. of St. Maur [on Title Page].
Andre Duschene, another historian mentions, as the Vidame or Viscount of Picquigne, "Arnould or Ernulph whose daughter Milesende said to be of royal descent (ex regio Caroli Magni sanguine orta) married in 1084 Guillaume, Chatelaine of St. Omar" (Andre Duschesne, "Histoire des Comtes de Guines", 53, 79, 90, 91 (1631); Lamberti Ardensis, "Historia Chisnens," cap. XLVI; apud Rer. Gall. Scrip. t.XIII, p.129).
Also we find in the writings of Jacob Meyer, in 1561, a reference to the above Melisande and her royal descent (Jacob Mayer, "Ann. Rer. Flandric" (1561)).
Ordericus Vitalis, the monk of the eleventh cebtury, whose writings are considered by scholars to be most authentic, also makes mention of the Picquigny family. "This family descended from the Viscounts of Picquigny, one of the greatest houses in the north of France, and maternally derived from Charlemagne" (Ordericus Vitalis, "Rec. des Hist. des Gaules et de la France," XIII: 429).
The duchess of Cleveland also states as follows: "A castle had existed at Picquigny as early as the eighth century, and became the head of a barony to one of the greatest houses in France, maternally derived from Charlemagne" (The Duchess of Clevelend, "The Battle Abbey Roll," XIII:8).
Another reference to the family: "The Vidames de Picquigny were among the magnates of medieval France; hereditary officers of the Bishops of Amiens, their house in that city is still called 'le Vidome'. Two members of their house followed the Conqueror to England: Ansculf de Pinchengi and Ghilo, his brother. The former had died before the completion of the Domesday Survey, leaving a son and heir, William, who succeeded to his father's only Northants manor, that of Barnack. Ghilo obtained a barony of which the caput was at Weedon, and which took from his descendants its name of 'Weedon Pinkeney'" (J. Horace Rounds, "Introduction to Domesday Survey," Vist. Hist. of Northampton)..
The ancestry of Arnulph, Vidame of Picquigny, is obscure, but although the name of his wife is unknown, the above references may be taken as good authority that she descended from the great Charlemagne.
The children of Arnulph and his wife, to whome we have references were:
- Eustache
- Guermonde
- Ansculph
- Ghilo
- Melisande, who married William of St. Omar
There were probably others. Historians in and about the thirteenth century took small account of the females in a family. In this particular case, the daughter, Melisande, might have never been mentioned had she not married the prominent William, lord of the castle of St. Omar.
L'Abbe Lambert d-Ardes was the priest of Ardes, but also Canon of St. Omar, so he had every possible opportunity of learning the history of the people of the district.
Although the Lords of Picquigne lived in Picardy, they held lands also in Normandy which were located near Vernon-on-the-Seine (F. Meyer "Histoire de Vernon," 333). This may explain why Ansculf and Ghilo, two of the younger sons of Arnulph, Vidame of Picquigny, went to Normandy. The eldest son by right of primogeniture would succeed his father, and there may have been more incentive for the younger ones to move to Normandy.
In a manuscript on "the Lords of Picquigny from the eleventh to the fourteenth centuries," we find that "Anscorf and Ghilo, sons of Arnulph, Vidame of Picquigny, went to Normandy" (Mas Latrie, "Tresor de Chronologie," P.1660(1889). Arch. Nat. R. 1-35).
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| (Witness) Anecdote | | He was referenced in the family history. Here (in Normandy), William, Duke of Normandy, would be their lord paramount. As tenants of his, it is not surprising that they followed his train to England. There was not only the lure of great adventure, but also mush to be gained, if the invasion proved successful, in the way of vast estates in England. Domesday Book records the extensive lands bestowed on both Ansculf and Ghilo by the Conqueror, in recognition of their services.
The decisive battle in the Conquest of England was the battle of Hastings, which was fought on October 14, 1066. We are told tthe stuggle lasted "until after nightfall," and William, the Conqueror, lost no time in having a roll call of his troops as the following shows:
The daie after the Battel verie earlie in te morning, Odo, Bishop of Baieux, soong Masse for those that were departed. The Duke, after that desirous to Know the estate of his Battell, and what people he had therein lost and were Slaine, he caused to come unto him a clerke that had written theire names when they were imbarqued at Saint Valerie, and commanded him to call them that had been at the battell and had passed the Seas with Duke William."
On this Roll we find the name spelled Piquegny and Pinkeny. The names of those that were at the Conquest of England; Le Sire de Piquegny. "Out of the ancient Chronicles of England, touching the names of other Normans which seemed to remaine alive after the battel, and to be advanced in the signiories of this land:" P. de Pinkeny.
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| Anecdote* | | After the Conquest, the English branch of the house of Picquigny was quickly established, and Domesday Survay shows that Ansculf was awarded lands in Bucks, Berks, Worcestershire and Surrey; he held office as Sheriff of Surrey an Bucks, in which latter county he is stated to have held part of the Manor of Ellesborough which had belonged to Harold, and to have exchanged it, at the command ot the King, with Ralph de Talbpis, for one half of Risborough, which formed part of the possessions of William, son of Ansculph (Lipscombe, "Hist. of Bucks," II: 173).
Ansculf was dead before the great survey was completed in 1086, but his son, William Fitz-Ansculf was then of much importance, not only having in herited his father's lands, but having himself received many manors and lordships direct from the Conqueror. History assigns him land in twelve counties, one of which was Wiltshire, (Lyson, "Magna Britannia", "Vict. Hist. of Berks") and his center was at Dudley in Worcestershire.
Lyson asserts in his "Magna Britannia" that Ansculf had another son Hugo, who was granted a manor in Oxfordshire, but this may be a mistaken reading of Domesday Book and no corroboration of the statement has been traced. Certainly the founder of the English house of "de Pynkenyes" was Ghilo, brother of Ansculf, who was at first only known by that title but later, possibly after the death of Absculf or Fitz-Ansculf, he assumed the "de Pynkenye".
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