The illustrious de Vere family appears to have originated from the Counts of Vermandois. Alberic de Ver (1040-1112) accompanied William the Conquerer over to England and his family rose to prominence in the years immediately following the conquest. His grandson, Aubrey de Vere (1137-1194) , became the first Earl of Oxford. The family held the earldom among the male line for twenty generations, losing it for want of a male heir in 1703. One of the most powerful and noble families in Britain, almost noble all British noble families, and the royal family, descend from Alberic de Ver and his progeny.
