General Notes

[From "The Origin of Some Anglo-Norman Families"] concerning origin of Gournay family:

Gournay-en-Bray - This was a fortified town.  The family is so well known that it is sufficient to refer to the documents in Daniel Gurney, "Record of the House of Goournai".

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The following is excerpted from a post to SGM, 11 Sep 2002, by Douglas Richardson:

From: Douglas Richardson (royalancestry@@msn.com)
Subject: Re: Wife of Hugh II de Gournay
Newsgroups: soc.genealogy.medieval
Date: 2002-09-11 22:06:28 PST

GOURNAY FAMILY

1. HUGH DE GOURNAY, of Caister, Norfolk, Mapledurham, co. Oxford, seigneur of Gournay-en-Brie, Gaillefontaine, etc., son and heir, born about 1091 (of full age in 1112).  During his minority, he was raised by King Henry I and his lands were administered by Drew de Monceaux, his step-father.  He married (lst) BEATRICE DE VERMANDOIS, daughter of Hugh le Grand, Count of Vermandois and Valois, Count of Amiens and Crepy, by Alix, daughter and heiress of Herbert IV, Count of Vermandois and Valois.  They had one son, Hugh (d.y.).  He joined Stephen, Count of Aumale, and others in 1118, in an attempt to place William Clito, son of Robert, Duke of Normandy, on the throne.  He seised the castle of Plesssis and ravaged Norman terrritory.  King Henry I crushed the revolt at Noyon in 1119, after which he submitted and was pardoned.  In 1134 King Stephen granted him the manors of Wendover, co. Buckingham and Houghton Regis, co. Bedford.  Beatrice was living 1144.  In the period, 1147/55, he witnessed a charter for his nephew, Roger de Mowbray.  In 1147 he accompanied King Louis VII of France to the Holy Land.  This crusade was unsuccessful and returned in 1149.  He married (2nd) MILLICENT (or MELISENDE) DE COUCY, widow of Aleaume Fitz Adam, Governor of the Citadel of Amiens, daughter of Thomas de Coucy (or de Marle) (descendant of Charlemagne), seigneur of Coucy, Marle, de la Fere and Boves, Count of Amiens, by his 2nd wife, Melisende de Crecy, daughter and heiress of Guy de Montlhery, Chatelain de la Ferte.  They had two sons, Gerard and Hugh, and one daughter, Aidieve (wife of Nicholas de Stuteville, of Kimberley, Norfolk).  He and his 2nd wife were benefactors of the Abbey of Bec.  They founded the Abbey of Gaillefontaine in the period, 1144/64.  HUGH DE GOURNAY died in 1181, said to be ;very old.;  His wife survived him.