Walter de Giffard, 3rd Count of Longueville

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.


Buried:
Grave location, biography, and church photo:
http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=159904423

Walter married Ermentrude Flaitel. Ermentrude (daughter of Gerard Flaitel) was born ca 1014, Normandy, France; died ca 1103, Staffordshire, England; was buried , St Mary and St Chad Churchyard, Brewood, Staffordshire, England. [Group Sheet]

Notes:

Wikipedia
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rohese_Giffard

Sometimes called Rose or Rohais, she was a Norman noblewoman in the late 11th and early 12th century.

Giffard was the daughter of Walter Giffard. Her maternal grandfather was Gerard Fleitel. Walter Giffard was the lord of Longueville-sur-Scie in upper Normandy.

Giffard was the wife of Richard fitzGilbert, the son of Gilbert, Count of Brionne. Domesday Book records him as the eighth richest landowner in England, with lands centered on two locations ? lands in Kent and Surrey grouped around Tonbridge and lands in Essex and Suffolk grouped around Clare.

Their children were Roger, Gilbert, Walter, Robert, Richard,Godfrey, Rohese (or Rohais), and Adelisa. Roger received the Norman lands after Richard FitzGilbert's death, Gilbert received his father's English lands, Walter was given a Welsh lordship by King Henry I of England, and Robert was given lands around London by King Henry I. Richard became a monk at Bec Abbey and was later abbot of Ely Abbey. The last son, Godfrey, is known only from his burial at Clare. Rohais married Eudo Dapifer and Adelisa married Walter Tire.

Giffard occurs in Domesday Book as a landowner in her own right. Richard died between 1085 and 1087, as his son Gilbert witnesses a charter of King William II of England in that year. Rohese survived him and was still alive in 1113, when she gave a gift to St Neot's Priory which had been founded as a dependent priory of Bec on Rohese's own manor of Eynesbury. Rohese's descendants eventually were the heirs to the lands held by her father, receiving half the estates of Long Crendon in Buckinghamshire in the reign of King Richard I of England (r. 1189-1199).

Buried:
Grave location, biography, and graveyard photo:
http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=159273740

Rohese married Richard Fitz Gilbert, 1st Lord of Clare. Richard was born ca 1035, Brionne, Normandy, France; died 1090, Huntingdonshire, England; was buried , St. Neots Priory, St Neots, Cambridgeshire, England. [Group Sheet]

Notes:

Wikipedia
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gilbert_Fitz_Richard

Gilbert, born before 1066, was the second son and an heir of Richard Fitz Gilbert of Clare and Rohese Giffard. He succeeded to his father's possessions in England in 1088 when his father retired to a monastery;his brother, Roger Fitz Richard, inherited his father's lands in Normandy. That same year he, along with his brother Roger, fortified his castle at Tonbridge against the forces of King William Rufus. But his castle was stormed, Gilbert was wounded and taken prisoner. However he and his brother were in attendance on King William Rufus at his death in August 1100. He was with Henry I at his Christmas court at Westminster in 1101.

In 1110, King Henry I took Cardigan from Owain ap Cadwgan and gave the Lordship of Cardigan, including Cardigan Castle to Gilbert Fitz Richard. Gilbert founded the Clunic priory at Stoke-by-Clare, Suffolk. He died in or before 1117.

About 1088, Gilbert married Adeliza/Alice de Claremont, daughter of Hugh, Count of Clermont, and Margaret de Roucy. Gilbert and Adeliza had at least eight children:

1. Richard Fitz Gilbert de Clare, d. 1136.

2. Gilbert Fitz Gilbert de Clare, d. 1148, 1st Earl of Pembroke.

3. Baldwin Fitz Gilbert de Clare, d. 1154, m. Adeline de Rollos.

4. Adelize/Alice de Clare, d. 1163, m. (ca. 1105), Aubrey II de Vere, son of Aubrey I de Vere and Beatrice. She had 9 children and in her widowhood was a paid pensioner at St. Osyth's, Chich, Essex.

5. Hervey de Clare, Lord of Montmorency.

6. Walter de Clare, d. 1149.

7. Margaret de Clare, d. 1185, m. (ca. 1108), Sir William de Montfitchet, Lord of Stansted Mountfitchet.

8. Rohese de Clare, d. 1149, m. (ca. 1130), Baderon of Monmouth

Buried:
Grave location, biography, and historical drawing of the priory:
http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=159792533

Gilbert married Adeliza de Clermont. Adeliza (daughter of Hugh de Breteuilde, 4th Count of Clermont and Marguerite de Ramerupt, Dame de Roucy) was born ca 1058, Northamptonshire, England; died ca 1125, England. [Group Sheet]

Notes:

Wikipedia
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_Fitz_Gilbert_de_Clare

Richard was the eldest son of Gilbert Fitz Richard de Clare and Adeliza de Claremont. Upon his father's death, he inherited his lands in England and Wales.

Directly following the death of Henry I, hostilities increased significantly in Wales and a rebellion broke out. Robert was a strong supporter of King Stephen and was a royal steward at Stephen's great Easter court in 1136. He was also with Stephen at the siege of Exeter that summer and was in attendance on the king on his return from Normandy. At this point, Richard apparently demanded more land in Wales, which Stephen was not willing to give him.

In 1136, Richard had been away from his lordship in the early part of the year. He returned to the borders of Wales via Hereford in the company of Brian Fitz Count, but on their separating, Richard ignored warnings of the danger and pressed on toward Ceredigion with only a small force. He had not gone far when, on 15 April, he was ambushed and killed near Llanthony Abbey, north of Abergavenny. Today the spot is marked by the 'garreg dial' (the stone of revenge). He was buried in Tonbridge Priory, which he founded.

Richard married Alice, sister of Ranulf de Gernon, 4th Earl of Chester, by her having:

1. Gilbert Fitz Richard de Clare, d. 1153 (without issue), 1st Earl of Hertford.

2. Roger de Clare, d. 1173, 2nd Earl of Hertford.

3. Alice de Clare (Adelize de Tonbridge), m. (1) about 1133, Sir William de Percy, Lord of Topcliffe, son of Alan de Percy and Emma de Gant; (2) Cadwaladr ap Gruffydd, brother of Owain Gwynedd

4. Robert Fitz Richard de Clare, perhaps died in childhood

5. Rohese de Clare, m. Gilbert de Gant, Earl of Lincoln.

The Welsh won a crushing victory over the Normans at the Battle of Crug Mawr, just outside Cardigan. The town of Cardigan was taken and burnt, and Richard's widow, Alice, took refuge in Cardigan Castle, which was successfully defended by Robert Fitz Martin. She was rescued by Miles of Gloucester, who led an expedition to bring her to safety in England.

Buried:
Grave location, biography, and historical photos:
http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=63613455

Richard married Alice de Gernon. (daughter of Ranulf le Meschin, 3d Earl of Chester and Lucy of Bolingbroke) [Group Sheet]

Notes:

Wikipedia
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aubrey_de_Vere_II

The eldest son, another Aubrey de Vere, was later created Earl of Oxford, and his descendants held that title and the office that in later centuries was known as Lord Great Chamberlain until the extinction of the Vere male line in 1703.

Aubrey's wife Adeliza, daughter of Gilbert fitz Richard of Clare, survived her husband for twenty-two years. For most of that time she was a paid pensioner at St. Osyth's Priory, Chichester, Essex.

Their known children are:

1. Aubrey de Vere, 1st Earl of Oxford (married 1. Beatrice, countess of Guisnes, 2. Eufemia, 3. Agnes of Essex)

2. Rohese de Vere, Countess of Essex (married 1. Geoffrey de Mandeville, 1st Earl of Essex, 2. Payn de Beauchamp)

3. Robert (married 1. Matilda de Furnell, 2. Margaret daughter of Baldwin Wake)

4. Alice "of Essex" (married 1. Robert of Essex, 2. Roger fitz Richard)

5. Geoffrey (married 1. widow of Warin fitz Gerold, 2. Isabel de Say)

6. Juliana Countess of Norfolk (married 1. Hugh Bigod, 1st Earl of Norfolk, 2. Walkelin Maminot)

7. William de Vere, Bishop of Hereford (1186-1198)

8. Gilbert, prior of the Knights Hospitaller in England (1195-1197)


9. a daughter (name unknown) who married Roger de Ramis.

Buried:
Grave location, photos of priory, and biography:
http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=74171052

Adeliza married Aubrey de Vere, II. Aubrey was born ca 1085, Essex, England; died May 1141, London, England; was buried , Colne Priory, Earls Colne, Essex. England. [Group Sheet]