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Fridebern 2
Fridebern ‘of Stutton’ (Suff.), fl. 1066
Male
DWP
4 of 5
Summary
Fridebern 2 was a king’s thegn holding a manor in south-east Suffolk TRE assessed at 2 carucates; the TRE value is uncertain but in 1086 it was 40s.Distribution map of property and lordships associated with this name in DB
List of property and lordships associated with this name in DB
Holder 1066
| Shire | Phil. ref. | Vill | DB Spelling | Holder 1066 | Lord 1066 | Tenant-in-Chief 1086 | 1086 Subtenant | Fiscal Value | 1066 Value | 1086 Value | Conf. | Show on Map |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Suffolk | 32,6 | Stutton | Friebernus | Fridebern 'of Stutton' | - | Geoffrey de Mandeville | Raynelm 'of Stutton' | 2.00 | 2.00 | 2.00 | E | Map |
| Totals | ||||||||||||
Profile
Fridebern 2 held a manor at Stutton, overlooking the estuary of the River Stour in south-east Suffolk. DB states that he was a thegn of the king, which could mean that he was commended to King Edward (Edward 15), one of the king’s dependent tenants, or both. The entry does note that Fridebern held the soke of his land, however, as well as giving some details of the manorial resources TRE. From the latter it appears that his manor practiced a mixed agriculture.The name Fridebern was extremely rare, and it is therefore possible that Fridebern 2 was also the man whose name is twice spelt Frieb’n’ in DB and who held a manor at Stow Maries, 41 miles away in Essex and, like Stutton, passing to a subtenant of Geoffrey de Mandeville (Geoffrey 5) after the Conquest. However, the distance is perhaps too great given the sizes of the estates, there was the potential for linguistic or scribal confusion between the names Fridebern and Fridebert (cf. Dodgson 1985: 43), and Geoffrey de Mandeville’s lands were too varied for succession to him to be a particularly reliable indicator of TRE tenure. For these reasons, the balance of probability just favours interpreting the TRE holder of Stow Maries as Fridebert 2, who held several manors in Essex including one just three miles away from Stow Maries. Indeed, it is possible that Fridebern 2 and Fridebert 2 were the same person, especially as Fridebert 2 was also on one occasion described as a thegn; but here the distance just swings the balance of probability the other way and they are treated as separate here.
Despite the rarity of the name, Fridebern 2’s estate was also, at over 30 miles, probably too distant from the tiny holding of Fridebern 3 (whose lands passed to a different successor) for a connection between them to be considered, nor is there reason to associate him with the men of that name who occur as minor tenants of Bury St Edmunds in 1086.
Bibliography
Dodgson 1985: J. McN. Dodgson, ‘Some Domesday personal-names, mainly post-Conquest’, Nomina 9 (1985), 41-51