Walter de Giffard, 3rd Count of Longueville

1010 - 1085  (~ 75 years)

• Name	Walter de Giffard
  Suffix	3rd Count of Longueville
  Born	ca 1010	Longueville, Normandy, France
  Gender	Male
  Died	ca 1085	Staffordshire, England
  Buried	St Mary and St Chad Churchyard, Brewood, Staffordshire, England
  	Grave location, biography, and church photo: http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=159904423
  Notes	Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Walter_Giffard,_Lord_of_Longueville Also known as Giffard of Barbastre, he was a Norman baron, a Tenant-in-chief in England, a Christian knight who fought against the Saracens in Spain during the Reconquista and was one of the 15 or so known Companions of William the Conqueror at the Battle of Hastings in 1066. Walter was the son of Osborne de Bolbec, Lord of Longueville and Avelina, sister of Gunnora, Duchess of Normandy. As such he was a cousin of William the Conqueror. From the mid 1040s Walter's name appears among the loyal supporters of William the Conqueror. Walter was at the Battle of Mortemer and was among the Norman barons who surprised and defeated Counts Odo and Renaud leading the French contingent attacking Normandy from the east. He and another great vassal, Robert of Eu, encountered Odo's army encamped in the village of Mortemer with no sentries and the soldiers were drunk. The Normans attacked the French while they slept, most being either killed or taken prisoner. While Odo himself escaped, when King Henry I learned of the fate of his brother Odo's army he promptly withdrew his remaining forces and left Normandy. In 1054 Walter was in charge of maintaining the siege of Arques castle, against William of Talou, who had rebelled against the Conqueror. Like many other Norman and French knights during the eleventh and early twelfth centuries, Walter served as a Christian knight in Spain (c.?1064-65) against the Moors. His nickname "le Barbastre" was earned when he took part in the Siege of Barbastro, against the Moors in 1064. Walter was also one of the first, if not the first in England to go on pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela, which he did after the siege of Barbastro and before returning to Normandy. By the time of the Norman Conquest of England, Walter had returned to Normandy bearing a gift of a magnificent war-horse from the King of Spain for Duke William of Normandy [the Conqueror]. This was the same Spanish war-horse Duke William called for on the morning of the Battle of Hastings. In early January of 1066, after Duke William received news of the crowning of Harold Godwinson as king of England, he called together a meeting that included six of his key magnates, Walter Giffard being one of them. After telling them of his plan to invade England and take the crown they all advised him they supported him fully but suggested he call a meeting of all his vassals, which William did. In the preparation stage for the Battle of Hastings, Walter was one of the Norman magnates who provided ships for William's invasion fleet. In his case, he provided thirty. Walter was one of two who, having been offered the privilege of carrying William's standard in the battle, respectfully refused. Although by this time an older warrior with white hair, he wanted both hands free to fight. As a reward for his participation, Walter was granted the feudal barony of Long Crendon, comprising 107 manors, 48 of which were in Buckinghamshire. The date of his death is not recorded, but his son Walter succeeded him before 1085. Walter was married to Ermengarde, daughter of Gerard Flaitel. Walter and Ermengarde were the parents of: 1. Walter Giffard, 1st Earl of Buckingham. 2. William Giffard, Bishop of Winchester. 3. Rohese Giffard (d. aft. 1113), married Richard fitz Gilbert, Lord of Clare. 4. Lora Giffard, married Sir Robert de Hampden.
  Person ID	I36251	Master File
  Last Modified	6 Oct 2016

  
  

  Father	Osborne de Bolbec, 2nd Count of Longueville
  Mother	Aveline
  Family ID	F14962	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

  Family	Ermentrude Flaitel,   b. ca 1014, Normandy, France ,   d. ca 1103, Staffordshire, England  (Age ~ 89 years)
  Children	1. Rohese de Giffard,   b. ca 1034, Longueville, Île-de-France, France ,   d. 1118, St. Neots, Cambridgeshire, England  (Age ~ 84 years)
  Last Modified	6 Oct 2016
  Family ID	F14960	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart