Seigneur Gerard de Gournay & Dame Ediva de Warenne

 80007784. Seigneur Gerard de Gournay & 80007785. Dame Ediva de Warenne

~1060, Gerard born in France, s/o 160015568. Hugh de Gournay & 160015569. Basile Flaitel.

5/1066, Philip, age 14, became acting King of France.

10/14/1066, William the Conqueror defeated and killed King Harold at the Battle of Hastings to become King of England.

~1068, Edith born in England, d/o 639664244. Earl William de Warenne I & 639664245. Gundred ?.

~1072, ‘Domino meo Hugone Gurnacensi et filio eius Girardo et uxore eius Basilia’ consented to the donation by ‘Radulfus cognomine Havoth’ to Jumièges. (S) FMG.

1082, Gerard and his father witnessed the charter founding Holy Trinity of Caen, France, by King William.

9/9/1087, King William the Conqueror died; leaving Normandy to his son Robert, and England to his son William Rufus.

1088, Gerard supported William Rufus of England against against his brother duke Robert of Normandy, delivering Gournai, La Ferte-en-Bray, and Gaillefontaine. [Forming a barrier against France.]

1088-89, Duke Robert, with the help of King Philip of France, laid siege to and captured Gerard’s castle of La Ferte.

1089, Gerard held Ecouche.

[––Gerard & Ediva––]

Bef. 1091, Gerard married Aiedieve.

1091-92, Ralph de Tony, not getting help from Duke Robert, sought the help of his northern allies Stephen of Aumale and Gerard of Gournay, in his conflict with Guillaume, comte de Evreux. [This conflict lasted 3 years.]

2/1092, An agreement between King William of England and his brother Robert, duke of Normandy, Robert surrendered the lands of Gerard de Gournay and of Ralph de Conches [Tony] to William. (S) Robert Curthose, Aird, 2011, P140.

By 1093, Gerard’s father died.

1095, Robert, comte of Eu, Stephen de Aumale, and Girard de Gournai, Ralph de Conches, Robert, comte de Meuland, Walter Giffard, Philip de Briouze, and Richard de Courci were all firmly aligned with King William of England. Gerard was given multiple manors in Norfolk.

9/1096, Gerard de Gournai [and his wife] accompanied Duke Robert Courteheuze as he set out on crusade. They traveled south to Lucca, then Rome, then the south coast of Italy to the port of Bari. Not having access to ships, they wintered at Calabria.

4/1097, The crusaders sailed from Brindisi to Durazzo; then overland by the Via Egnatia road to Constantinople.

6/1097, The crusaders reached Nicea, joining a siege in process, while being harrassed by mounted archers of Kilij Arslan [who’s wife was in the city].

6/30/1097, Half the forces a day ahead of the other half encamped in a valley near Dorylaeum in Aisa Minor. The next morning they were attacked by archers of Kilij Arslan. Forming a defensive perimeter, they held off the attack until the Moslems were suprised by the arrival of the 2^nd half of the force and had to flee, leaving behind horses and camels, as well as treasure. The crusaders then moved south.

8/1097, The crusaders reached Iconium in Asia Minor, closely populated by Armenian Christians.

8/1097, Traveling east, the crusaders engaged Seljuks at Heraclea, easily winning the city. The crusaders then divided their forces again, one part taking the Roman road that went shortest distance, but required difficult mountainous conditions; the other taking a longer, safer route, that could encounter early snowfalls. Gerard was with the Duke on the longer route with the main body of forces to Caesarea-in-Cappadocia.

1097, Leaving Caesarea, they traveled through the mountains capturing small towns including Coxon. [From a letter of Stephen of Blois: “… we conquered for the Lord all Romania and afterwards Cappadocia. And we learned that there was a certain Turkish prince Assam, dwelling in Cappadocia; thither we directed our course. All his castles we conquered by force and compelled him to flee to a certain very strong castle situated on a high rock …”] Clearing the Taurus mountains, they arrived at Antioch [which Stephen of Blois said of it: “a very great city, stronger than one can imagine, and utterly impregnable.”]

10/1097 at Antioch, the crusaders 1^st captured the Iron Bridge to seal access from the east.

12/1097-2/1098, Cold and rain prevented much activity. [A chronicler noted that by February, as many had died of sickness as had died in battle.]

6/3/1098, In a swift assualt through gates opened by crusaders that had scaled the walls at night, Antioch fell. The next day they were attacked by a Moslem army of Kerbogha, who laid siege to the city. [During this time they discovered the lance that was used to pierce the side of Jesus – which they saw as divine intervention on their part.]

6/28/1098, The crusaders went on the offensive and attacked, driving off the disorganized opposition.

1/13/1099, The crusaders started towards Tripoli [leaving there May 16^th], and then to Jerusalem.

6/7/1099, The main army came in sight of Jerusalem.

7/8/1099, Gerard with the crusaders captured Jerusalem.

8/12/1099, Gerard fought with Duke Robert at the battle of Ascalon.

By 2/1100, Gerard’s mother died. (S) FMG.

1100, Gerard returned from the crusade.

8/2/1100, Henry I crowned King of England.

1104, Gerard living.

Gerard died on a pilgrimage to Jerusalem. [Ediva was with him.]

[––Ediva––]

Ediva married 2^nd Dreux de Monceaux (d.1131).

(S) The Record of the House of Gournay, Gurney, 1845, P84. (S) Conqueror’s Son, Lack, 2007.

Family notes:

·         Some biographies have Gerard dying at Antioch in 1098; but the record states “Hughes de Gournay”. (S) FMG.

Children of Gerard and Ediva:

i. Amice de Gournay, born ? in France.

Bef. 6/1189, Amice married Richard de Talbot. (S) FMG.

ii. Hugh de Gournay (40003892), born ~1092 in France.

iii. Gundred de Gournay (378250241), born ~1095 in France.