A DISTINGUISHED MEETING OF THE DE VERDUN PRECEPTORY NO. 613
The Preceptory was honoured on Monday 28th September 2026 by the presence of the Provincial Prior,. David Bull, Past Great Herald, accompanied by the Provincial Marshall, Nick Simpson, Past Great Herald. Their attendance brought distinction to what proved to be a significant and well‑supported meeting.
A highlight of the evening was the presentation of Knight of the Order Patents to Patrick Tvilum and Andrew Stilgoe, marking an important milestone in their progression within the Order.
The meeting then proceeded to the Installation of Geoff Phipps, who was installed as Eminent Preceptor with ceremony and sincerity. Following his installation, the Eminent Preceptor appointed and invested his Officers for the ensuing year.
Historical Connection and Insight: The de Verdun Family and the Hospital of St John at Misterton. The Hospital of St John at Misterton was established in the early twelfth century by Roesia de Verdun, second wife of Bertram de Verdun, together with their fifth son Nicholas. Intended as a place of care and refuge, the Hospital provided a home for one priest and six poor men, while also offering hospitality to impoverished travellers passing through the area.
The de Verdun family’s connection to Lutterworth stretches back to the Domesday Survey (1081–86), which records the lands of Lutresurde, around 1,500 to 1,600 acres held by Maino the Breton. Upon Maino’s death, his son Harmo ceded the lands to Bertram de Verdun, making him the first of the great Verdun line to hold the Lordship of Lutterworth.
Bertram was succeeded by his eldest son Norman, Lord Chamberlain and Treasurer to King Henry I, and later by Norman’s son, another Bertram, Sheriff of Leicestershire and founder of Croxden Abbey in 1176. This Bertram accompanied King Richard I on the Crusades and was present at the Siege of Acre, which was entrusted to his custody after its surrender. He died at Joppa in 1192.
His marriage to Roesia produced several sons, and upon the death of their second son Thomas without issue in 1199, the estate passed to Nicholas, the fifth son. Together with his mother, Nicholas founded the Hospital at Misterton, an enduring testament to the family’s commitment to charity, faith, and service.
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