Baron Robert de Turnham & Lady Joanna Fossard

 973530162. Baron Robert de Turnham & 973530163. Lady Joanna Fossard

~1159, Robert of Thornham born in Kent, England, s/o §§Robert de Turnham. [Robert younger brother of Stephen de Turnham (486764626).]

1176-82, Joanna born in England, d/o §§Baron William Fossard, the younger (b.~1150, fl.1185) [s/o §§Baron William Fossard  (b.~1125, fl.1168, d.1180-85), s/o Robert, gggs/o Nigel F. Fossard].

Aft. 1185, Johanna’s father died.

9/3/1189, Richard I succeeded King Henry II of England.

12/12/1189, Robert de Turnham and his brother Stephen with King Richard departed on the 3rd Crusade.

7/1190, The English and French armies met at Lyons; where they learned that the German Emperor, leading his forces to the crusade, had died in an accident.

1191, Stephen de Turnham the Admiral of the English crusader fleet, Robert a fleet commander. (S) History of the Royal Navy, V1, Nicolas, 1847, P435.

1191, The crusaders captured the city of Messina, Sicily, after they had refused to let the English ships land.

4/1191, 24 ships sank in a storm on the way to Cyprus.

6/15/1191, King Richard sailed for Palestine leafing Richard de Camvill and Robert of Turnham as justiciars in Cyprus.

1191, At the battle of Cyprus, Robert commanded a force that defeated a group of Cypriot rebells.

7/1191, The crusaders captured Acre. Many of the forces, especially the Germans, returned home.

9/5/1191, The crusaders defeated Saladin at the battle of Arsuf.

12/1191, The crusaders arrived at Beit Nuba, 12 miles from Jerusalem, but decided not to besiege the city.

8/1/1192, The crusaders conducted a sea assault on Jaffa, which had been recaptured by Saladin.

9/29/1192, King Richard assigned Robert’s brother Stephen de Turnham to escort Queen Berengaria and Joan of Acre back from Palestine to Rome.

10/9/1192, King Richard turned the crusade over to Henry of Champagne, and left to return to England; but was captured in route. [King Richard’s release would require a “king’s ransom.”]

4/1193, Robert arrived back in England ‘cum hernasio regis.’ (S) DNB, Stephen, 1909, P1297.

1/17/1194, After traveling down the Rhine, Queen Eleanor and her contingent arrived at the imperial court in Germany with the 67 hostages and the rest of the intial 100,000 silver marks of ransom for King Richard. Robert of Thornham was one of the hostages.

4/1194, King Richard returned to England from captivity. [It only took King Richard 2 weeks to recover his lands and castles, the last to fall being Nottingham castle; after which he supposedly meets Robin Hood in Sherwood forest.]

1194, Robert appointed sheriff of Surrey. (S) Medieval English Sheriff, Morris, 1968, P163.

1/9/1195 at Brionne, Robert of Thornham, seneschal of Anjou, with King Richard. (S) Itinerary of King Richard I, Landon, 1935, P100.

[–––Robert & Joanna–––]

1195, Robert granted the marriage of Joanna.

1196, Robert led an army into Brittany in an [unsuccessful] attempt to capture Arthur, duke of Brittainy [Richard’s cousin and lineal successor to the throne of England on the death of King Henry II.]

1196-7, Robert married Joanna, who was underage [over 14, under 21].

1197 at Angers, Robert of Thornham, seneschal of Anjou, gave a charter in favor of Montmoutier’s priory of Carbay, attested by Andrew de Vitre. (S) Charters of Duchess Constance of Brittany, Everard, 1999, P197.

1197, Alexander, a monk of Ford abbey, Lincolnshire, appointed as Father Abbot of Fountains, immediately went to France to seek an interview with Sir Robert de Thornham, who had recently obtained judgement assigning him the grante and lands at Wharrom; asking [unsuccessfully] for Sir Robert to waive his claims. [Robert did waive his claims after the death of King Richard.] (S) Transactions – East Riding, V1, 1893, P10.

1199, Robert de Turnham, seneschal of Anjou. (S) English Ecclesiastical Studies, Graham, 1929, P225.

4/6/1199 at King Richard died. Prince John went immediately to Chinon to take control of King Richard’s treasures in Normandy, which were in the custody of Robert de Turnham. (S) History of Great Britain, V5, Henry, 1800, P228.

5/27/1199, John succeeded King Richard I of England.

1199, Robert de Turnham paid 5 marks ‘pro habendo feodo ispius quod captum fuit occasione Judeorum.’ (S) Jewish Communities, Dobson, 2010, P46.

9/1200, Robert de Thornham demanded advowson of the church of Doncaster against the abbot of St. Mary’s, York. [Robert claimed the right of his wife as ggd/o Robert Fossard; Robert Fossard having paid 500 marks silver for the entire town of Doncaster.] (S) Secular Jurisdiction of Monasteries, Shirley, 2004, P137.

11/22/1200, at Lincoln, Robert de Turnham [and his brother Stephen] a witness when King William the Lion of Scotland did homage to King John.

1201, Robert appointed seneschal of Anjou and Gascony.

12/12/1201, Letters sent requiring the Gascon bishops to supply their service To Robert of Thornham as if to the King in person. (S) Magna Carta, Holt, 1985, P44.

12/4/1202, A letter to Robert Turnham, seneschal of Poitou: “… Martinus Algeis senescallum nostrum Gwasconiae et Petragor. …” [King John divided Gascony and Poitou.] (S) Loss of Normandy, Powicke, 1999, P30.

1203, Robert [unsuccessfully] laid siege to the city of Angers; during which he was captured.

1204, Robert [imprisoned], 1 of 8 ‘curiales’, relieved as sheriff of multiple counties. (S) Reign of Henry III, Carpenter, 1996, P157. [7 curiales relieved of 13 sheriffdoms.]

1205, Robert ransomed from captivity.

9/1205, Robert regained his lost sheriffdom in all of his counties. (S) Reign of Henry III, Carpenter, 1996, P158.

1206, Robert’s claim of the advowson of Doncaster settled with a concord. (S) Secular Jurisdiction of Monasteries, Shirley, 2004, P138.

1206, Robert with King John landed at La Rochelle and recaptured Angiers.

10/26/1206, King John and King Philip agreed to a truce; after which King John returned to England.

2/21/1207, Robert of Burgate 1 of 2 witnesses to an order sent by the king for Robert of Thornham to take corn to Flanders. (S) Household Knights of King John, Church, 1999, P68.

1207, Robert, high sheriff of Surrey.

1207, Robert named seneschal of Poitou.

1208, When Robert returned to England from Poitou, he spent the night at Taunton castle. (S) King’s Bishop, Barefield, 1968, P106.

4/26/1211, Robert died in the presence of the Bishop of Winchester; leaving estates worth over £400 yearly. (S) Magna Carta, Holt, 1992, P311.

[––Johanna––]

By 1214, Joanna died.

(S) English Historical Review, 1964, P516.

Family notes:

1168, William Fossard rendered £21 for 31.5 knights’ fees. (S) Scutage and Knight Service, Baldwin, 1897, P76.

1180, Both William Fossard senior and junior were living; the younger witnessing a grant of his father. (S) Jews of Angevin England, Jacobs, 1893, P70.

1185, William Junior in a charter of Gilbert de Monte. (S) FMG.

The Crusade memories of Robert of Turnham appear in the Meaux chronicle. (S) England and the Crusades, Tyerman, 1988, P66.

Child of Robert and Joanna:

i. Isabel de Turnham (486765081), born aft. 1200 in England.