5. Bartlett Family
History

        It has been said that if you can trace your lineage back to the houses of Europe you have traced it back to Adam & Eve.. For what it is worth, it has been established, however weakly documented, that a line that uses the Bible will reach back to Adam.
        The Bartlett family owes it's beginning to King Pepin and Queen Bertha of France. The parents of King Charles I (aka Charlemagne)  and his sister Bertha.  Now Bertha married Milo, Duke of Aigiant and they are the parents of the Bartlett line. Their son, christened by the name of Berthaelot, a diminutive of Bertha became the favorite of his uncle (Charlemagne) who watched over him.
        On one occasion, during the Festivale of Pentecost,  at the Great Court and Tournament,  an important event relating to the Bartlett Coat-of-Arms occured.
        It seems that a son of the Duke of Aymon, named Raynard, ventured into the chambers of the King demanding a payment in gold for the death of his uncle Bevis. Charlemagne,  enraged by the insolence, removed the glove from his left hand and threw it into Raynards face,  thus creating a challenge to which Raynard chose to withdraw. Berthelot retrieved the glove from the floor returning it to Charlemagne.   Among other things, Berthelot was a master of chess. History says that,  Sir Gordon,  known as the mischief-maker,  coursed Barthelot to challenge Raynard in a game of chess.  After playing six games,  tempers rose and the meet erupted with words and blows upon which Raynard picked up the heavy gold chess board and brought it down on the head of Berthelot sending him to the floor. Where upon  Raynard drew his sword and brought it down splitting Berthelot's head leaving him dead on the ground. Charlemagne hearing of the death of his nephew decreed that the Berthelot family would be recognized by three left-handed gloves with gold tassels to be emblazoned upon it's Coat-of-Arms.              

     Our story continues many years later in the country around Liseux along the River Tougues in Normany. It is the year 1066 and we find one Adam de Berthelot living there as a minor nobleman. He is the personal esquire   of Guido de Brionne, a Norman Knight.
          Guillaume, Duke of Normany, has decided to carry   out an invasion of England. All those owing him their allegiance and others wishing to attend were called to serve. Guido de Brionne was one commanded to assemble with his men and materials. This included Adam de  Berthelot. When the Normans landed on the beaches of Pevensey near Hastings in Sussex on September 19, 1066 Adam de Berthelot and Guido de Brionne were among them.
         About this time we find that Guillaume is changed to William and Guido de Brionne has become de Bryan or  Brian. The name Berthelot is being spelled variously  as Barttlelot, Bartelot, Barthelot and Bartlett. Thus  we now have a brief account of the family prior to arriving in England and how they got there.
         In Stopham, Sussex, resided an ancient Saxon  family by the name of Ford, existing long before the Conquest. As the principle of "To the victors go the spoils," land wrested from Anglo-Saxon owners was  granted to officers of the conqueror. Thus a part of
 the Ford estate was given to Brian, who became Brian  de Stopham, and a part to Adam Berthelot. By the four- teenth century the Stopham family was reduced to a daughter who married John Bartlott who then became  owner of the whole of the Ford estate.
         The Bartlett line went from Adam de Berthelot  who was buried in Stopham Church to his sam William  then to William's son John Esq., to John's son Richard  and to Richard's son Thomas. All of whom are buried  in Stopham Church. Thomas Esq. married Assoline de Stopham, the daughter of John de Stopham and their son John, married Joan de Stopham, heir and daughter of John de Stopham. Their son John who died in 1453, married Joan de Lewknor, daughter of John de Lewknor.  It was their son, Richard, who died in 1482, married to Petronilla~ heir general to Walton. From there we come to their son, John~ who died in 1493, married to Olive Arthur, daughter of John Arthur of London and heiress of Syheston. Their sons: Richard of Stopham died at Tourney, France in 1514, married to Elizabeth Gates, the daughter of John Gates. And , William, born ca. 1469 and died in 1530.