William de Chesney

William de Chesney (died 1174) was a medieval Anglo-Norman nobleman and sheriff. The son of a landholder in Norfolk, William inherited after the death of his two elder brothers. He was the founder of Sibton Abbey, as well as a benefactor of other monasteries in England. In 1157, Chesney acquired the honour of Blythburgh, and was sheriff of Norfolk and Suffolk during the 1150s and 1160s. On Chesney's death in 1174, he left three unmarried daughters as his heirs. Early life Chesney was the son of Robert fitz Walter and Sybil de Chesney, and a younger brother of John de Chesney. Sybil was the daughter of Ralph de Chesney. Robert fitz Walter was lord of Horsford in Norfolk, which was originally held by Walter de Caen, Robert's father. The barony was assessed at 10 knight's fees. Roger was the eldest brother of William, but died childless during their father's lifetime. The next son, John, inherited the family lands, but died around 1149 without children. William then inherited the lands. John and William had a sister called Margaret, who was the wife of Haimo de St Clair. Their father married a second time, and had a son named Simon by that marriage. William took his surname from his mother's family, as did his half-brother Simon, who was not related to the Chesney family except by marriage. Two further children of Robert's, Elias and Peter, are known, but whether they were the children of the first marriage or the second is unclear. Chesney should be distinguished from another William de Chesney, who controlled the town of Oxford and its castle as well as the town of Deddington and its castle in the same time period.