Events
Date of Birth: unknown.
Place of Birth: unknown.
Date of Death: unknown.
Place of Death: unknown.
Vincent notes that William makes his first appearance in documents from the 1120s.
Relationships
Father: unknown.
Mother: unknown.
Probably William was a son or descendant of the William Crassus who appears in a confirmation to the monks of St. Etienne at Caen issued by William the Conqueror before 1077 (Vincent, p. 144).
Spouse: a member of the Taisson family of Thury, lords of St-Sauveur-le-Vicomte in the Cotentin peninsula. This relationship is given by Vincent (pp. 144-6).
Children:
(Complete source citations for facts about the children on this page are currently outside of the scope of this project. The information below comes from Vincent.)
William “primogenitus” (fl. 1160 - died before 1219) married a daughter of John Marshal.
William “parvus” (fl. before 1183).
Henry (fl. 1178).
Robert (fl. 1178).
Evidence
from the Cartulary of Bradenstoke Priory:
Waleswood
517 [I170 X I180] Notification by Ralph Ierlum, about to depart, that he has surrendered to William Crassus the land of Wales pertaining to Ralph’s manor of Leston, which William“ Taissy, grandfather of Ralph, gave to William Crassus, grandfather of William Crassus, as a marriage portion. Since Ralph had given part of that land to Robert, son of the seneschal of Normandy, while it was in his hand, and before William Crassus had claimed it, he wishes that land ofthe same value should be given to William in exchange for Ralph’s manor of Leston. Witnesses: Rob. abbot of Fountains, Hen. de Tilleio, Rob. son of Erneis, Rob. de Cambrai, Ric. Dastmel, Hugh de Clinchampo, Ranulf de Hamarr’ and Rob. his son.
a William: Vit. has Ralph.
References
The Cartulary of Bradenstoke Priory (Vera C.M. London ed.) (Wiltshire Record Society, 1979).
Vincent, Nicholas. “The Borough of Chipping Sodbury and the Fat Men of France (1130-1270)” in Transactions of the Bristol and Gloucestershire Archeological Society 116 (1998), 141-59.