House of Belléme.

Belléme Arms

Researching my family tree a few years ago on my father’s side I found that I was related to the Belléme family in Northern France who down through the ages were quite an important family who fought with William the Conqueror in 1066 and as a reward the family were given Essex and other lands in England.

This sparked my interest in just how far back through history could I go to get to know my ancestors. The earliest records were of a Yves de Belléme but I could not find a date for him. His son William de Belléme was easier to find (960-1028) with the consent of Richard I Duke of Normandy he constructed two castles, one at Alencon and the other at Domfront, he also held the Lordship of the castle de Belléme. In a charter to the Abbey of Lonlay he describes himself as William princeps and provinciae principatum gerens indicating like so many of that period, that he regarded himself an independent ruler of these domains. Two of his sons died in his life time leaving his last son Robert to inherit, however there is a record that he died in prison due to trying to take his neighbours lands.

Ives followed as the next Lord but he wanted to go into the church, which he did and became a Bishop, therefore his brother William held the lands for him and inherited everything after his brothers death.

While as self serving as his brothers were he was more treacherous and really stands out as a vicious killer. He was going to marry the daughter of a nobleman named Arnulf, but he had his future wife strangled on her way to the church. He eventually married the daughter of Ralf de Beaumont, Viscount of Le Mans. However, at this wedding he had one of his guests seized and imprisoned. To avenge this his quest sons took Williams lands and shortly afterwards his son Arnulf rebelled against his father and exiled him. This is not the end of William who later recovered the lands after his son Arnulf died.

I hope that you enjoyed this early history of my ancestors as much as did researching them.

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October In The Perigord.

‘Season of mists and mellow fruitfulness’ (Ode to Autumn, John Keats) is one of my favourite English poems which applies equally to France, if not more so. It is a tranquil time when the tourist crowds dwindle and we see the last of the large motor homes leave the area until next year.

Look no forest.

Bright sunshine through in the afternoon is still here, which is a welcome relief from the often misty and chilly start to the day. It is a gathering time from the last of the grape harvest and the start of the gorgeous walnut and mushroom picking period of the year.

until later in the day

One morning you can wake to sky’s of azure blue and a frosting of ice, the next day to bitter cold and damp ‘pea soup,’ (dense fog) that hides the buildings, church and the forest from view. There is a plus side to this time of year which I love, first is the roaring of the stag, that low deep noise is just amazing. Secondly, is the ‘mist’ which caused the illusion of castles in the sky, a truly magical experience.

Château de Castelnaud-la-Chapelle floating above the mist.

Thirdly, is the gorgeous colouring of the changing leaves from green to the splendid russet colour.

Later on in the month much of the forest will also change to a gorgeous golden colour before the leaves fall to the ground. To create habitats for creatures to burrow under to escape the winter chill.

Gorgeous views when the sun is bright in the afternoon.

Over the years I have become accustomed to planning for winter a lot more than I ever did in England. Do we have enough wood and oil to last us through the winter months. A good stock of candles is a must just in case we have power cuts. Plenty of bread flour, yeast, jams, chutney to be stored in the pantry. Not forgetting a good supply of cat food just in case we get iced or snowed in and we cannot get to the big supermarket. Last but not least, buying vegetables to freeze for the winter months ahead. Yesterday for example we made pumpkin soup, today vegetable soup and tomorrow potato and leek soup. Which all adds to our winter store of seasonal vegetables.

It is still possible to sit outside and enjoy the sunshine.

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