Gurnerd History, Family Crest & Coats of ArmsEtymology of GurnerdWhat does the name Gurnerd mean? Gurnerd is a name that was carried to England in the great wave of migration from Normandy following the Norman Conquest of 1066. The Gurnerd family lived in Gournay-en-Brai in the Siene-Maritime region of France. 1 Early Origins of the Gurnerd familyThe surname Gurnerd was first found in Norfolk where they held a family seat as Lords of the manor of Bray, and were granted the lands by William the Conqueror for their assistance at the Battle of Hastings in 1066 A.D. It is claimed that this ancient race was one of the first Vikings to settle in Normandy, and became Lords of Gournay, which became a town, Gournai-n-Brai, in the arrondisement of Newfchatel. There were two Hughs of Gournays at the Battle of Hastings, father and son, and their son Gerard de Gournay married Edith the daughter of Gundrada, the daughter of William the Conqueror. 2 Another source differs with the spellings and origin of the name. "Hugo de Gournay, Lord of Gournay, in Normandy, who bore, for arms, pure sable, was one of the barons who commanded at the battle of Mortimer, against the French in 1054. Subsequently, coming over to England with Duke William, he participated in the victory of Hastings, and was rewarded with the manorial grants in Essex, which he held at the period of the General Survey. His son, Gerard de Gournay, Baron of Gournay, in Normandy, and Baron of Yarmouth in England, greatly increased his power and influence, by marrying the Conqueror's granddaughter, Editha, dau. of William de Warren, Earl of Surrey." 3 Farrington-Gurney in Somerset was the site of an ancient family seat. "This place takes the adjunct to its name from the Gournays, its ancient possessors, of whom Sir Thomas de Gournay was concerned in the murder of Edward II. at Berkeley Castle, for which his estates were confiscated." 4 To underline the long and steeped history of the family we include this early entry. Sir Matthew Gourney (1310?-1406), was an English soldier, "fourth son of Thomas Gourney, one of the murderers of Edward II, who was afterwards banished from England, and in the parliament held at the end of 1330 was condemned during his absence. Next year he was arrested at Burgos in Spain, but escaped, only, however, to be recaptured at the end of 1332 at Naples; he died in 1333 while on his way back to England as a prisoner. Mathew Gourney was born at Stoke-under-Hamden in Somersetshire about 1310. He became a distinguished soldier of fortune. Froissart terms him a 'moult vaillans chevalier.' He was first mentioned as being at the battle of the Sluys (1340). " 5 We now move to Bideford, Devon where a famous bridge was erected. "It is quite uncertain when it was built, the early records having been destroyed ; but, as the oldest seal of the borough in existence, of fourteenth-century date, has the bridge for device, so old at least must Bideford Bridge be. According to tradition, no foundation could be laid until Sir Richard Gornard, or Gurney, the parish priest, dreamt that a rock had been rolled to the site to serve for that purpose, and, going there in the morning, found his dream accomplished ; whereupon the work was soon completed. " 6 Early History of the Gurnerd familyThis web page shows only a small excerpt of our Gurnerd research. Another 200 words (14 lines of text) covering the years 1565, 1622, 1626, 1641, 1645, 1655, 1665, 1683, 1685, 1688, 1719, 1721, 1741, 1770, 1777, 1779 and 1896 are included under the topic Early Gurnerd History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Gurnerd Spelling VariationsBefore English spelling was standardized a few hundred years ago, spelling variations of names were a common occurrence. Elements of Latin, Norman French and other languages became incorporated into English throughout the Middle Ages, and name spellings changed even among the literate. The variations of the surname Gurnerd include Gourney, Gurney, Gurnie, Gurnee, Gournie, Gournee, Gurnay, Gournay, Gurnard and many more. Early Notables of the Gurnerd familyOutstanding amongst the family at this time was Marie de Gournay (1565-1645), a French writer, who wrote a novel and a number of other literary compositions, including two protofeminist works, The Equality of Men and Women (1622) and The Ladies' Grievance (Les femmes et Grief des dames, 1626); Sir Thomas de Gournay; and Sir... Migration of the Gurnerd familyIn England at this time, the uncertainty of the political and religious environment of the time caused many families to board ships for distant British colonies in the hopes of finding land and opportunity, and escaping persecution. The voyages were expensive, crowded, and difficult, though, and many arrived in North America sick, starved, and destitute. Those who did make it, however, were greeted with greater opportunities and freedoms that they could have experienced at home. Many of those families went on to make important contributions to the young nations in which they settled. Early immigration records have shown some of the first Gurnerds to arrive on North American shores: Edward and John Gurney who settled in Cambridge Massachusetts in 1630; Etienne Gournet settled in Louisiana in 1757.
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