General Notes

BARONY OF GIFFARD (I)

SIR JOHN GIFFARD, of Brimpsfield, Badgeworth, Stonehouse, Stoke Gifford, and Rockhampton, co. Gloucester, Elston, Orcheston St. George, Sherrington, Ashton, and Broughton Gifford, Wilts, son and heir of Sir Elis GIFFARD, of Brimpsfield, &c. (who died shortly before 2 May 1248) (c1), by his 2nd wife, Alice, sister of Sir John MAUTRAVERS, of Lytchet Matravers, Dorset (a). He was aged 16, or 16 and more, at his father's death (b1). With several other barons, he seized the Bishop of Hereford, 11 June 1263, and took him to Eardisley Castle. On 18 August following, he was among those who made a treaty with Edward, the King's son. He had just been appointed, 7 August, by the advice of the Magnates of the Council, Keeper of the castle of St. Briavel and the forest of Dean, during pleasure, and he was pardoned, 18 September following, for all trespasses committed by reason of non-observance of the Provisions of Oxford. He was appointed joint Keeper of the counties of Gloucester, Worcester, and Hereford, 24 December 1263. In 1264 he belonged to the baronial party, and in April, being in command at Kenilworth, he surprised and destroyed Warwick Castle, taking the Earl and Countess prisoners. On 14 May following he was at the battle of Lewes, where he was taken prisoner early in the day, but he had already captured William la Zuche. He was one of those prohibited, 16 February 1264/5, from taking part in the tournament at Dunstaple, and ordered to attend a Council on the morrow of Ash Wednesday [19 February] following. He changed sides together with the Earl of Gloucester and others, and was in the King's army at the battle of Evesham, 4 August 1265. In consideration of his services at this battle, he was pardoned, 9 Oct. 1265, for having adhered to Simon de Montfort at the battle of Lewes, and for all other trespasses committed up to the said 9 October. He was one of the commissioners empowered, 24 April 1274, to make a truce at the ford of Montgomery, in a month from Easter [29 April], between Llewelyn ab Gruffyd, Prince of Wales, and Humphrey de Bohun of Brecknock. On 6 November 1281 he had licence to hunt wolves, with his own hounds, throughout all the King's forests in England. He was appointed Keeper of the castle of Llandovery, co. Carmarthen, 9 April 1282, and of that of Builth, co. Brecknock, 14 October following, both during pleasure. On 18 November 1283 the King granted him, in fee, the commote of Is-cennen, co. Carmarthen, to hold by the service of a knight's fee: and, on 8 February 1289/90, the castle of Dynevor in that county, for life, as a refuge for himself and his men: he was ordered to deliver this castle to Walter de Pederton, 29 July 1297. He was present at the assemblies held at Berwick in October and November 1297, to discuss the various claims to the Crown of Scotland. He was Captain of Podensac in Gascony, which town he surrendered to the French, in 1294/5. He was summoned for Military Service from 18 July 1257 to 7 May 1299, to attend the King at Shrewsbury, 28 June 1283, to attend the King at Salisbury, 26 January 1296/7, to a Military Council, 20 August 1297, and to Parliament from 24 June 1295. to 10 April 1299, by writs directed Johanni Giffard, or Gyffard, occasionally with the addition de Brimmesfeld', whereby he is held to have become LORD GIFFARD.

He was affianced, at the age of 4 years, to Aubrey DE CAUMVILLE (who was about the same age), but he did not marry her (b2). He married, 1stly, Maud [c2], widow of Sir William LUNGESPEE, of Amesbury, Aldbourne, and Trowbridge, Wilts, Canford, Dorset, Bicester, Oxon; Brattleby, co., Lincoln, &c. (who died between 23 December 1256 and 3 January 1256/7], and daughter and heir of Sir Walter DE CLIFFORD, of Clifford co. Hereford, Cortham, Salop, &c., by Margaret, daughter of Llewelyn ab IORWERTH, PRINCE OF NORTH WALES. She, who was living 1 December 1281, died s.p.m., not long afterwards. He married, 2ndly, in 1286, Margaret, widow of Sir John DE NEVILLE, of Hallingbury, Wethersfield, Great Totham, Great Wakering and Langharn, Essex, Alphington, Devon, &c. who died shortly before 20 May 1282. He died at Boyton, Wilts, 29 May, and was buried 11 June 1299 in Malmesbury Abbey. His widow's dower was ordered to be assigned, 1 August 1299, and on 5 August she was assigned the manors of Stonehouse, Stoke Gifford, Elston, and Broughton Gifford. She died shortly before 13 December 1338.  [Complete Peerage V:639-44, (transcribed by Dave Utzinger)]

(c1) In 1221 this Elis stated that "Osbertus Giffard, antecessor suus qui venit ad conquestum Angl' tenuit manerium de Bimesfeld' . . . et post eum Elias flius suus . . . et post eum Elias filius illius Elie et pater suus."  At least one generation is here omitted.  The Elis living in 1221 was son and heir of Elis III, by Maud, daughter of Morice fitz Robert fitz Hardinge, of Berkeley: which Elis III owed 100 marks 'pro fine terre sue' in 1166 and died before Michaelmas 1190, when William le Mareschal owed 140 marks for the custody of the lands of Elis Giffard.  Elis III was son and heir of Elis II (who became a monk in Gloucester Abbey), by Berta (living 1167), sister of Walter de Clifford, of Clifford and Glasbury, and daughter of Richard fitz Ponce.  In 1130 Elis II rendered account of 100 marks of silver for the relief of his father's lands, being son and heir of Elis I, by Ala, his wife.  Before 1096 Elis I had succeeded his father Osbern Giffard, the Domesday tenant of Brimpsfield, Stoke, Rockhampton, Elston, Orcheston, etc.

(a) John Mautravers gave the manor of Ashton and the advowson of the church of St. Peter at Codford, Wilts, to Elis Giffard in free marriage with Alice his sister, to hold to them and their heirs of their bodies, by the service of a knight's fee.

(b1) "Elias Giffard".  He held the manor of Winterburne (now Elston), of the King in chief, as the head of his barony; the manor of Sherrington pertaining to that barony; and that of Ashton, held of John Mautravers in free marriage.  Heir [name cut away] his son aged 16 [rest cut away].  The proof of age of this heir, John Giffard, is undated and defective, but it states that he was born on the day of St. Wulstan (19 Jan).

(b2) So the proof of age mentioned above.  She was probably the Aubrey de Canville, a nun of Polesworth, who was elected Abbess in Dec 1276 or in the following month.  The marriage was contracted at Arrow, co. Warwick, and she must have been a daughter of Thomas de Camville, of Arrow, and a descendant of Aubrey Marmion, Lady of Arrow, wife of William de Caumville.

[c2] Maud Lungespee notified the King that John Giffard had abducted her from her manor of Canford, Dorset, and taken her against her will to his castle of Brimpsfield, and there detained her. John appeared before the King, and professed himself ready to prove that he did not abduct her against her will, and offered a fine of 300 marks for the marriage already contracted, as it was said, between them, provided she made no further complaint against him. On 10 March 1270/1 the King ordained that if she were not content, the said fine should be void, and John should stand his trial at a month from Easter. And as she was too unwell to appear before the King, commissioners were sent to inquire into the truth of the matter, and to certify the King thereof. John and Maud, and her Ist husband, William Lungespee, were all descended from Richard fitz Ponce. Why John Giffard should have referred to himself as being of the race of Le Lungespee as in the proof of age mentioned above he is said to have done-is not explicable; unless, indeed, the sobriquet was derived from the family of Clifford.