Events
Date of Birth: about November 1202.
Place of Birth: unknown.
The date is given by the Complete Peerage (5:pedigree chart after p. 320).
Date of Death: 21 April 1236.
Place of Death: unknown.
The date is given by the Complete Peerage (5:pedigree chart after p. 320).
Relationships
Father: Ralph Avenel (died about 1217).
This relationship is given by the Gloucestershire VCH (5:sub English Bicknor). Maclean (pp. 313-314) notes that Ralph was probably the son of another Ralph, who was probably the son of Robert Avenell.
Mother: Margaret (died between 1217 and 1236).
This relationship is given by Maclean (p. 315).
Spouse: Aline.
This relationship is given by the Complete Peerage (5:pedigree chart after p. 320).
Children:
Cecily (Douce) Avenel married Sir John de Muscegros.
Evidence
From the Calendar of Inquisitions Post Mortem (20 Hen. III, p. 1):
William Avenel
Writ to the constable of St. Briavell, 5 May 20 Henry.III. Inq. (undated.)
Dulcie, his daughter, is his heir.
[Gloucester.] Bikenor in the Forest of Dene, 2 carucates land held of the king in chief (service unspecified).
C. Hen. III. File 1. (4.)
from the Fine Rolls:
1223 22 Nov. Cirencester. Somerset.
To John of Monmouth. William Avenel has made fine with the king by 40 m. for having the land formerly of Ralph Avenel, his father, which he ought to hold of the king in chief and which falls to him by hereditary right, with the bailiwick and castle of Bicknor . And because William has given the king surety by John de Bernay for rendering that fine, order to cause William to have full seisin without delay of the aforesaid land formerly of Ralph that falls to him by inheritance, with the aforesaid bailiwick and castle of Bicknor. Witness H. etc.
24 May.
Marwell. Concerning the fine of Robert de Muscegros for custody of the land and heiress of William Avenel . Robert de Muscegros has made fine with the king by 200 m. for having custody of the land formerly of William Avenel until the full age of his daughter and heiress, together with the custody and marriage of the same heiress, so that Robert is to render 50 m. per annum of the aforesaid fine, namely 25 m. at Michaelmas in the twentieth year, 25 m. at Easter in the twenty-first year, and 50 m. thus each year from year to year until the aforesaid fine is paid to the king. If death befalls the aforesaid heiress before that fine is paid to the king, Robert is to be quit from that which will then need to be rendered to the king. Order to the constable of St. Briavels to cause him to have full seisin of all lands and tenements formerly of the aforesaid William in his bailiwick, together with the aforesaid heiress, as aforesaid.
[in the Roll]
References
Calendar of Inquisitions Post Mortem, Volume 1: Henry III (1904).
Cokayne, George Edward, and Vicary Gibbs; et al. The complete peerage of England, Scotland, Ireland, Great Britain and the United Kingdom, extant, extinct, or dormant [2nd ed.]. (London: St. Catherine Press, 1910-59).
Henry III Fine Rolls Project. The National Archives and King’s College London (accessed17 February 2023).
A History of the County of Gloucester: Volume 5: Bledisloe Hundred, St. Briavels Hundred, The Forest of Dean (1996), [Victoria County History].
Maclean, Sir John. “Family of Avenel” Transactions of the Bristol and Gloucestershire Archaeological Society for 1879-1880 (Volume 4) pp. 313-319.