Sir Ralph de Berners Knight

  Noted events in his life were:

• Background Information. ¹²³⁷
The manor of Barnesbury, earlier called Bernersbury of Iseldon Berners, originated in 5 hides held by Hugh de Berners from the bishop of London in 1086, which before 1066 had been equally divided between Sired, canon of St. Paul's, and the canons as demesne. [V.C.H. Mdx. i. 120] Although the 5 hides were said to be in the vill of Stepney, they were clearly in Islington, where lords called Ralph de Berners made grants before 1176 and 1253 [E.A. Webb, Rec. of St. Barts., Smithfield (1921), i.342] and where tenants were suitors of the Stepney view of frankpledge in the 14th century. Sir William Berners held lands in Islington before 1220, when his widow Beatrice claimed from William's son Sir Ralph Berners, of Berners Roding (Essex), a third of her husband's free lands in Islington, and Sir Ralph was summoned to acquit the service which William had owed the bishop for a free tenement there. [Cur. Reg. R. viii. 299] It was probably his son Sir Ralph who held 1/2 knight's fee in Islington in 1242-3. [Bk. of Fees, ii. 899] The latter's son, also Sir Ralph de Berners (d. 1297), of West Horsley (Surr.), custodian of the Tower of London, held at his death the manor of Iseldon of the bishop for 1/2 knight's fee, rent, and suit at the bishop's three-weekly court at Bishop's Stortford Castle.

~A History of the County of Middlesex, Volume VIII, pp. 51-57

• Background Information. ¹²³⁵
Sir Ralph de Berners of Berners Roding & Berston, Knight, Lord of West Horseley in Surry, in right of his Wife, Patron of the Church there, son of Sir Ralph de Berners and Maud Fitz Walter, was constituted Custos, or Gurdian of London, 1289, 17 Edward I, when the Citizens of London forfeited their Priviledges. He died 25 Edward I and was buried in Christ-Church, London. His children were Roger de Berners, second son; Sir Edmund de Berners of West-Horseley, Knight, married Amy; Sir John de Berners, married daughter of Sir William Fynderne, Knight, Lord of Amerdin-hall, Rosse, and Thunderley in right of his wife; Maud, wife of William Watervil, Lord of Mannor of Panfeild; and Cicely, wife of Sir Stephen of the Marsh, Knight, who bought all the Vill of Common-Waldingfeild in Suff.

Berner Pedigree from The Historical Antiquities of Hertfordshire, Volume I, pp. 315-316