Manasser Biset (sometimes Bisset or Manasseh Biset;Friend "Master Odo" ''Speculum'' p. 642 died 1177) was an Anglo-Norman nobleman and royal official during the reign of King

Henry II of England Henry II (5 March 1133 – 6 July 1189), also known as Henry Curtmantle (french: link=no, Court-manteau), Henry FitzEmpress, or Henry Plantagenet, was King of England from 1154 until his death in 1189, and as such, was the first Angevin king ...

. Biset was one of the most frequent witnesses on Henry's documents, and served the king as a

justice Justice, in its broadest sense, is the principle that people receive that which they deserve, with the interpretation of what then constitutes "deserving" being impacted upon by numerous fields, with many differing viewpoints and perspective ...

and in financial matters. He was rewarded with lands in England which have led him to be considered the first feudal baron of Biset.

Life

Biset was the son of William Biset and Hawisa. The elder Biset held lands in Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire as the tenant of

Stephen, Count of Aumale Stephen of Aumale (–1127) was Count of Aumale from before 1089 to 1127, and Lord of Holderness. Life He was son of Odo, Count of Champagne, and Adelaide of Normandy, countess of Aumale, sister of William the Conqueror.George Edward Cokayne, '' ...

. Besides Manasser, William and Hawisa had another son named Henry.Keats-Rohan ''Domesday Descendants'' p. 177 Biset was a follower of Henry fitzEmpress and was a witness to charters of Henry's issued in France in the period 1151 to 1153.Loyd ''Origins of some Anglo-Norman Families'' pp. 15–16 Biset obtained the office of ''

dapifer A steward is an official who is appointed by the legal ruling monarch to represent them in a country and who may have a mandate to govern it in their name; in the latter case, it is synonymous with the position of regent, vicegerent, viceroy, king ...

'', or steward, to Henry II shortly before Henry became king of England. Biset was with Henry in England in 1153, as he was a witness on documents drawn up for Henry in England during the early part of 1153. In April through December 1154, Bisset only witnessed Henry's documents that were drawn up in France.White "End of Stephen's Reign" ''History'' p. 17 footnote 54 The king gave lands in Nottinghamshire, Worcestershire, Wiltshire, and Hampshire to Biset. These lands came to be considered the

feudal barony A feudal baron is a vassal holding a heritable fief called a ''barony'', comprising a specific portion of land, granted by an overlord in return for allegiance and service. Following the end of European feudalism, feudal baronies have largely been ...

of Biset, and Biset as the first baron.Sanders ''English Baronies'' pp. 5–6 Besides the steward's office, Biset was also a baron of the exchequer and a royal justice.Warren ''Henry II'' p. 309 He was one of the most frequent witnesses on Henry's documents. Before 1164, Biset founded a hospital for

leper Leprosy, also known as Hansen's disease (HD), is a long-term infection by the bacteria ''Mycobacterium leprae'' or ''Mycobacterium lepromatosis''. Infection can lead to damage of the nerves, respiratory tract, skin, and eyes. This nerve damag ...

women at Maiden Bradley, Wiltshire, and gave it lands including the manor of Bradley, which had come to him through his wife.Pugh and Crittall (ed.) "Houses of Augustinian Canons" ''History of the County of Wiltshire''

Family and death

Biset married Alice, who was the sister and heiress of Gilbert de Falaise, lord of Cany in France. Manasser's heir was his son, named Henry Bisset, who was still underage at his father's death in 1177. The administration of the lands and the custody of the heirs was given to Biset's nephew.Waugh "Reluctant Knights and Jurors" ''Speculum'' p. 980 footnote 150 Besides his son, Biset also had a daughter, Margaret.

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Life

Family and death

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