Robert de Wintona

Robert de Wintona (sometimes de Winton, c. 1070, Winton, Kingdom of England – c. 1120) Seigneur de Llanblethian, Llandow, and Llantwit was an Anglo-Norman feudal-baron and lord.

One of the first soldiers to participate in the Norman conquest of Wales, Robert and his progeny served as a formidable local power in Glamorgan and enjoyed significant power during the reign of William II Rufus and his successors.

Life

Exactly when Robert de Wintona was born is unknown, but given his participation in the Norman invasion of Wales in the late 11th century, it can be conjectured he was born between 1050 and 1075. Likewise the name of his parents and otherwise early history is almost completely unknown, save that he was doubtlessly a native of Winton, i.e. Winchester.[1]

Robert de Wintona first appears in historical records in 1090,[2] among the personal retinue of Robert Fitzhamon during the Norman conquest of Glamorgan. That he was among those who lead the invasion may suggest that he was of noble stock. Similar to his prior history, the exact chronology of the Norman conquest is largely unknown, though the dates of its final battles are more easily identifiable; its believed Fitzhamon deposed the king of southern Wales, Rhys ap Tewdwr, in 1090, whereas Iestyn ap Gwrgant, the king of Morgannwg which encompassed Glamorgan, was defeated a year later in 1091. Both kings were killed in battle in 1093. With the native Welsh defeated, the Normans began divvying up the newly conquered lands, with the Bretons and French scrambling to ensure the lands they held in Welsh territory were not encroached upon. It's during this time that a number of Fitzhamon's soldiers were personally appointed lordships, and Robert de Wintona was no exemption.

According to the Golden Grove book of pedigrees, Robert was granted lordship over “Lancuyan”, later recorded as “Lanquian”, an area in what is today Llanblethian, however it also lists his place of residence as Winton, indicating he returned to Winchester despite possessing land in Wales.[3]

It is on this land in Lanquian that Robert is recorded as building a large castellated manor in a valley which is still today called pant Wilkyn, “Wilkin’s hollow”. It is unknown when or where Robert died.

Legacy

Despite his apparent repatriation, Robert de Wintona's descendants continued to exude their power in Wales. Robert's son, Nicolas, is recorded as granting the land of “Llanilltud” to the Gloucester Abbey, indicating it was among the lands Robert was also granted lordship over.[4] It is at this point that the descendants of Robert de Wintona begin disappearing from historical records aside from pedigrees.

It is recorded that Nicolas bore a son named Michael,[5] who in turn bore a son named Wilklyne (sometimes Wilkyne). Wilklyne became the last to directly bear “de Winton(a)” as his byname, as his son is recorded as being named William de Wincestria in all pedigrees.[6] William's son, also named William,[7] bore a child called John who is recorded as being lord of Llandow.[8] John's son Robert Winchester[9] is notable for being the first in the lineage to be recorded as having multiple children, William Winchester, who is the first to have a known spouse, Catrin Winchester, and John Wytcolyne. John Wytcolyne's son later became known as John Wylcolyna, whose son was in turn known as John Wylkyn, from whom the by-names of Wilkin, Wilkins, and other derivatives later emerged.

Notable descendants of Robert de Wintona include Bray Wilkins, Walter Wilkins, and the Powell Wilkins family.

References
  1. Burke's Genealogical and Heraldic History of the Landed Gentry. H. Colburn. 1847. pp. 329–.
  2. William Richard Cutter (1915). New England Families, Genealogical and Memorial: A Record of the Achievements of Her People in the Making of Commonwealths and the Founding of a Nation. Lewis Historical Publishing Company. p. 193.
  3. Per FamilySearch:
    • British Genealogy, book 4 p. D120
    • Family History Library (FHL): FHL microfilms 104,355 and 104,390 item 2
    • The Golden Grove Books of Pedigrees, book 5 p. C731
    • Family History Library (FHL): FHL microfilms 104,349-104,351
    • Glamorgan History and Pedigrees [NLW Ms. 11964], pedigree Wilkins
    • Family History Library (FHL), microfilm: FHL microfilm 104312 item 1
  4. Per FamilySearch:
    • British Genealogy, book 4 p. D120
    • Family History Library (FHL): FHL microfilms 104,355 and 104,390 item 2
    • The Golden Grove Books of Pedigrees, book 5 p. C731
    • Family History Library (FHL): FHL microfilms 104,349-104,351
    • Glamorgan History and Pedigrees [NLW Ms. 11964], pedigree Wilkins
    • Family History Library (FHL), microfilm: FHL microfilm 104312 item 1
  5. Per FamilySearch:
    • British Genealogy, book 4 p. D120
    • Family History Library (FHL): FHL microfilms 104,355 and 104,390 item 2
    • The Golden Grove Books of Pedigrees, book 5 p. C731
    • Family History Library (FHL): FHL microfilms 104,349-104,351
    • Glamorgan History and Pedigrees [NLW Ms. 11964], pedigree Wilkins
    • Family History Library (FHL), microfilm: FHL microfilm 104312 item 1
  6. Per FamilySearch:
    • British Genealogy, book 4 p. D120
    • Family History Library (FHL): FHL microfilms 104,355 and 104,390 item 2
    • Glamorgan History and Pedigrees [NLW Ms. 11964], pedigree Wilkins
    • Family History Library (FHL), microfilm: FHL microfilm 104312 item 1
  7. Per FamilySearch:
    • British Genealogy, book 4 p. D120
    • Family History Library (FHL): FHL microfilms 104,355 and 104,390 item 2
    • The Golden Grove Books of Pedigrees, book 5 p. C731
    • Family History Library (FHL): FHL microfilms 104,349-104,351
    • Glamorgan History and Pedigrees [NLW Ms. 11964], pedigree Wilkins
    • Family History Library (FHL), microfilm: FHL microfilm 104312 item 1
  8. Per FamilySearch:
    • British Genealogy, book 4 p. D120
    • Family History Library (FHL): FHL microfilms 104,355 and 104,390 item 2
    • The Golden Grove Books of Pedigrees, book 5 p. C731
    • Family History Library (FHL): FHL microfilms 104,349-104,351
    • Glamorgan History and Pedigrees [NLW Ms. 11964], pedigree Wilkins
    • Family History Library (FHL), microfilm: FHL microfilm 104312 item 1
  9. Per FamilySearch:
    • Welsh Genealogies, AD 300-1400, vol. 3 p. 125; vol. 5 p. 298; vol. 7 p. 472; vol. 25 p. 940
    • Family History Library (FHL): FHL book 942.9 D2bp; FHL microfiche 6025561
    • Welsh Genealogies AD 1400-1500, vol. 8 p. 1414
    • Family History Library (FHL): FHL book 942.9 D2bw
    • Heraldic Visitations of Wales and Part of the Marches Between the Years 1586 and 1613, vol. 1 p. 225, 233
    • Family History Library (FHL): FHL book 942.9 D23d; FHL microfilm 176,668
    • British Genealogy, book 1 p. 31, 97, 212; book 4 p. 120
    • Family History Library (FHL): FHL microfilms 104,355 and 104,390 item 2
    • The Golden Grove Books of Pedigrees, book 5 p. C731; book 6 p. D787, 790; book 21 p. 135
    • Family History Library (FHL): FHL microfilms 104,349-104,351
    • Glamorgan History and Pedigrees [NLW Ms. 11964], pedigree Wilkins
    • Family History Library (FHL), microfilm: FHL microfilm 104312 item 1


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