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 () was King of England The monarchy of the United Kingdom, commonly referred to as the British monarchy, is the form of government used by the United Kingdom by which a hereditary monarch reigns as the head of state, with the ...

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

justice In its broadest sense, justice is the idea that individuals should be treated fairly. According to the ''Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy'', the most plausible candidate for a core definition comes from the ''Institutes (Justinian), Inst ...

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

feudal baron 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 be ...

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. 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'', 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 bee ...

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 Royal justices were judges in medieval England with the power to hear pleas of the Crown. They were roving officials of the History of the English monarchy, king of England, sent to seek out notorious robbers and murderers and bring them to justic ...

.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 da ...

women at

Maiden Bradley Maiden Bradley is a village in south-west Wiltshire, England, about south-west of Warminster and bordering the county of Somerset. The B3092 road between Frome and Mere, Wiltshire, Mere forms the village street. Bradley House (Wiltshire), Brad ...

, 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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Further reading