William Meschin

William Meschin (sometimes William le Meschin; They were the sons of Ranulf de Briquessart, the viscount of the Bessin, and his wife, Matilda, the daughter of Richard le Goz, Viscount of Avranches. The boys were also nephews of Hugh d'Avranches, who had previously been Earl of Chester. There was also an older brother, Richard, who died young, and a sister, who married Robert de Grandmesnil. Meschin went on the First Crusade and was present at the siege of Nicaea in 1097. In compensation, King Henry I of England gave him lands around Allerdale in Cumberland, which centred on Egremont. These lands comprised the lordship, or feudal barony of Egremont. Through his wife, he acquired Skipton, and the lordship, or barony of Skipton. Besides these lands, Meschin also was awarded two escheated properties in Leicestershire, some of which had earlier been lands of Roger de Busli. Other properties in Leicestershire were previously held by Durand Malet and William Blund in the Domesday Book. Meschin also held lands in Lincolnshire and Cheshire from his brother. He and his wife also founded the Augustinian priory of Embsay Priory. Katrina Legg, a historian who studied medieval monasticism, argues that Meschin's main motive for the foundation was to show support for a monastic order that enjoyed the patronage of King Henry I. Against this, Legg feels that Meschin's wife's motives were more probably religious, as she was close to Thurstan, the Archbishop of York. Another religious foundation of Meschin's was St Bees Priory, a daughter house of St Mary's Abbey, York. St Bees was founded around the same time as Embsay, Embsay was founded between 1120 and 1121; and St Bees was founded sometime after 1120.

Meschin married Cecily, daughter of Robert de Rumily. They had one son, Ranulf Meschin, and three daughters, Alice, Avice, Another son, Matthew, who was the eldest son, died before his parents. Avice married as her second husband William Paynel, son of Ralph Paynel, as his second wife. Before 1153 Avice had married as her third husband Walter, the son of Alan de Percy. and second to Hugh de Mortimer.