Sir Robert de Gournay

Sir Robert de Gournay

• BIRTH 1205 Somerset, England
• DEATH 22 Apr 1269 (aged 63–64)
• BURIAL St. Mark's Church Bristol, Bristol Unitary Authority, Bristol, England
• PLOT South Aisle - or St Andrew's - Chapel

He held 21 knights fees over Somerset and Gloucester.

https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Gournay-49

This Robert is generally described in old books as the son of Eva de Gournay who was a sister to Maurice of Gaunt. His father's name was Thomas de Harptree, son of a William of Harptree. He took his mother's surname, as in fact she also had done.[1][2][3][4]

Biography

Lord of English Combe

He was the son and heir of Thomas Fitz William and Eve de Gournay.

He married Hawise de Longchamp and they were the parents of Anselm de Gournay, Lord of Beverstone.

Together with his uncle Maurice de Gaunt he was the co-founder of of St Mark's Hospital in Bristol, otherwise known as Gaunt's Hospital.

As nephew and heir of Maurice de Gaunt, he had livery of the lands descended to him from Robert Fitz Harding, his grandfather, including the Castle and Manor of Beverstone, the Manor of Were, and etc., 6 and 24 Nov 1230.
He fought in Wales, 1257 and 1258

He joined the Barons against Henry III, but had letters to treat for peace, 21 Feb 1266

There is some conflict on parentage, some genealogies have him as the son of Anseln de Gournay and Eve Fitzrobert.

'Hospitals: St Mark, Billeswick, called Gaunt's Hospital', in A History of the County of Gloucester: Volume 2, ed. William Page (London, 1907), pp. 114-118. British History Online http://www.british-history.ac.uk/vch/glos/vol2/pp114-118 [accessed 15 August 2020].

31. THE HOSPITAL OF ST. MARK, BILLESWICK, CALLED GAUNT'S HOSPITAL (fn. 1)

Maurice de Gaunt, great-grandson of Robert Fitzharding, (fn. 2) built an almonry in Billeswick and entrusted the administration of his charity to the monastery of St. Augustine's, Bristol. (fn. 3) On condition of a yearly gift of 60 loads of corn, of beans, and of peas, and a rental of £10, the abbot and convent undertook to feed one hundred poor people in the almonry each day and to maintain a chaplain. (fn. 4) In his will (fn. 5) Maurice de Gaunt provided a permanent endowment for the almonry, consisting of the manor of Poulet in Somersetshire, several mills, and rents in Bristol. (fn. 6) After his death on 30 April, 1230, (fn. 7) 'his nephew and heir,' Robert de Gurnay, confirmed the endowment, (fn. 8) and in 1232 Henry III confirmed the possessions of the master of the almonry of Billeswick, which also included the manor of Stokeland, the gift of Andrew Lutterel. (fn. 9) Robert de Gurnay made the hospital a separate foundation, independent of the monastery of St. Augustine, with a master and three chaplains as a governing body.

Family

http://fmg.ac/Projects/MedLands/ENGLISHNOBILITYMEDIEVAL3.htm#_Toc38...

THOMAS FitzWilliam of Harptree (-before 1213).  "Hathewisia de Gurneio" noted that "Alexander de Bidicumba" had sold “totam terram suam de Cliveware...quam Robertus de Gurneio pater meus ei...dedit” to “Thome filio Willelmi” by undated charter, witnessed by “...Matheo de Gurneio...”[1074]. 

m as her first husband, EVA [de Berkeley/de Gournay], daughter of ROBERT de Berkeley & his first wife Hawise de Gournay (-before 1213). 

Thomas & his wife had one child:

a)         ROBERT de Gournay (-[1269]).  The 1227 Pipe Roll records "Robertus de Gurnaco filius et hæres Thomæ de Harpetrie" and "Robertus de Gurnay hæres Evæ de Gurnay" making returns[1079].  Stapleton quotes (in translation) the donation by “Robert de Gurnay, son and heir of Eva de Gurnay” of the advowson of Inglishcombe church to Bermondsey monastery, for the souls of “Thomas my father, Eva my mother, Hawisia de Gurnay my grandmother”, dated 1227[1080].  "Robertus de Gurnay heres Mauricii de Gaunt" protested that “juris...in tribus hundredis de Beminstr, Hareclive et de Porbir” reverted to “Thomam de Berkel” after the death of Maurice, but his claim was rejected, dated 1230[1081].  His claim was presumably dismissed because these properties were the subject of the charter dated to the reign of King John under which “Maurice de Gant” granted “the three hundreds...Bedminster, Portbury and Hareclive” [in Somerset], which “Robert Fitzharding gave to Robert Juvenis his father”, to “Thomas de Berkeley” provided the grantor died without an heir[1082]. 

m HAWISE de Longchamp, daughter of ---.  Gurney names "Hawisa de Longchamp" as the wife of Robert de Gournay, commenting "of what family of Longchamp she was does not appear, but probably of the baronial family of that name seated at Wilton in Herefordshire”[1083]. 

Robert & his wife had one child: 

i)          ANSELM de Gournay (-before 28 Oct 1286).

Comments

soc.gen.medieval John Watson, Apr 12, 2011, 5:54:38 PM “ Hawise, widow of Henry de Longchamp of Wilton”

Whether she was divorced, or whether Henry died, I don't know, but Hawise later turns up again in 1269 as the widow of Robert de Gurney [Gurnay / Gournay] of Beverstone, Gloucestershire. On 26 May 1269 William Ernaldi was granted the marriage of Hawise de Longo Campo, late the wife of Robert Curtenay [Gurnay], tenant in chief, or of any fine she may make with the king for the marriage or the forfeiture due if she marry without the licence of him or the said William [8]. On 15 June 1269 the king granted her reasonable dower from Robert's lands [9]. Hawise is given as the mother of Robert's heir Anselm in all pedigrees of the Gurney family, but this is not possible. Anselm was of full age in 1269, when the king granted him the lands of Robert his father [10], so was born before 1249. As can be seen above, Hawise was married to Morgan ap Hywel at this time.

References

• http://www.mathematical.com/gournayrobert1205.html No wife named
• http://powys.org/pl_tree/ps32/ps32_393.html “ Heir to his mother and to his uncle Maurice de Gaunt. I cannot work out which of his mother's husbands his father was!“
• Early Yorkshire Charters: Volume 6, The Paynel Fee, Volume 6. edited by William Farrer, Charles Travis Clay. Page 36. GoogleBooks
• A P Baggs, R J E Bush and Margaret Tomlinson, 'Parishes: Charlton Mackrell', in A History of the County of Somerset: Volume 3, ed. R W Dunning (London, 1974), pp. 95-110. British History Online http://www.british-history.ac.uk/vch/som/vol3/pp95-110 [accessed 15 August 2020]. Charlton Mackrell, Lytes Cary. “ Maud married William son of John of Harptree (d. 1232) and was succeeded by her grandson Robert de Gournay, son of Thomas of Harptree. (fn. 163) Their descendant, Anselm de Gournay (d. 1286), was stated to hold the overlordship of Lytes Cary in 1284–5. (fn. 164)”