Remember a few days ago John Fitz Roger became a gentleman by marrying a widow, Elizabeth de Furneaux? Well, they were the land holders at Bryantstone, in England.
Here's some interesting history about her. Her ancestor was among the Normans who came to England with William the Conqueror...though the Rogers line as de Hautvilles, had also come from Normandy originally before going to Sicily for a few generations, where they became kings. And her mother's family is a link to various early Royals in England. (no room for that today, so I'll post it later).
The Furneaux family was very influential in English society for many years and closely connected to the Plantagenet's. Odo
deFornell or Furneaux was born about 1040 in Normandy and came to
England with William the Conqueror, his son Sir Alan deFurnellis or
Furneaux was born about 1075 in Normandy but settled in Devon and
received from King Henry I a manor house and land near Honiton, Devon.
He married and had four sons: Sir Alan, a Justiciary, 1165; Philip;
William and the eldest, his son and heir Sir Galfride or Geoffrey
deFurnellis or Furneaux who was born about 1117-22 and was appointed
Sheriff of Devon. He was a very influential man; was knighted and
married late - about 115 5. He had four sons - Geoffrey, born about
1158; Sir Robert, born about 1160, S ir Alan, born about 1162 and his
eldest son and heir -Sir Henry (1) de Furnellis or Furneaux born about
1156. He also became Sheriff of Devon. He married, abo ut 1180, Johanna,
daughter of Robert Fitz William, who brought to her husband th e manor
of Ashington in Somerset. Having by right of his wife become Lord of th e
manors in Somerset, he ultimately settled there; and had a least one
son, Henr y deFurneaux (2), born about 1181. Henry (1) died in 1214. The
eldest sons, an d our ancestors, in the next two generations were
called Matthew. Matthew (1), born about 1220, was a Sheriff of Devon
under King Edward I (1276). Matthew (2) was born about 1245 and, about
1270, married Matilda (or Maud), daughter of Sir Warren deRalegh of
'Nettlecombe' in Somerset. Sir Walter Raleigh, who became famous two
centuries later, was a descendant of the same Ralegh, or Raleigh family.
Matthew (2) also had a son, Sir Matthew (3) (ancestor of Thomas Rogers
but not the eldest son in this generation) who was Lord of Ashington -
his principal residence - and then became a Knight and was summoned to
do military service against the Welsh in 1295 and against the Scots in
1296-7-8 and 1300. He was Sheriff of Somerset, Dorset & Devon
variously, for terms covering many years during the period 1304-1316,
the year of his death. In 1312 he had custody of Devon and the King's
Castle of Exeter; and in 1315 was custodian of the counties of Somerset
& Dorset, and the Castle of Shireborn. He was a prominent member of
the Furneaux family.
His son and heir was Sir Symon deFurneaux, born
about 1271. Symon married Alice, daughter of Sir Henry de Umfraville of
Penarth Point in Glamorgan Wales. He was one of the principal landowners
of his county and died without surviving male issue (his only son,
William, born in 1328, did not survive his father). Among the many
honors bestowed upon him was a Knighthood of the Shire of Somerset, in
the Parliament of Edward III (1328)
Sir Symon's only surviving child, and sole
heiress, was his daughter, Elizabeth deFurneaux born in 1330. She
married first about 1350, Sir John Blount, Knight and a Constable of the
Tower by whom she had a daughter Alice about 1351. Sir John died about
1384, leaving an attractive and wealthy widow, who inherited many large
estates. Dame Elizabeth's second marriage was to John FitzRoger and she
thus became the patriarchal mother of the later, distinguished
ROGER-FURNEAUX FAMILY of England
So we have the first posthumous birth by her mother! As well as a 56 year old (Dame Elizabeth) giving birth to her second child. And none of the records I can find give any death date or mention of her first child, Alice Blount.
OK, it's all going to be straightened out eventually I'm sure.
Back to the details of the children:
----------------------------------
3.
Sir John Fitz Roger, was born 1386-7.
He married Agnes de Mercaunt of
Seamer, Suffolk Co. in 1406 when he was just past the age of 19. He was
the manager of the vast Furneaux estates and bought 'Benham-Valence' and
other properties in Berkshire and Dorset. He received a Knighthood
through recognition of military service performed. He was one of the
wealthiest people in his section of England. He and Agnes had two sons,
John and Thomas. He died 4 Oct 1441 at his home at Bryanstone, and is
buried at St. Martin's Church there [picture below].
His will was dated 21 Sep and
proved 10 Nov 1441 and it was at this time the 'Fitz' to the Roger name
was dropped and ultimately a terminal 's' added.
 |
| St. Martin's Church, Bryanstone, UK (now part of a school) |
4.
Thomas Rogers, b. c1408 of Ashington, Somerset, in one of the
Roger-Furneaux mansions, residing there until grown, then permanently
settled at Bryanstone, Dorset. He was the Burgess, Mayor and Sheriff of
Bristol in 1455, 1458 and 1459 he m. unknown spouse. Manor of Oare,
Wilcot, Swanborough Hundred, Wiltshire was held by Thomas Rogers (d.
circa 1479) when it passed to his son William Rogers, then to his son
Sir Edward Rogers whose son George Rogers married Jane Winter.
(Victoria County History of Wiltshire). He had a son, Thomas, by his
first wife who was born in 1435. In his second marriage he had a
daughter, Elizabeth. Thomas Rogers (4th generation) never claimed the
property of his father so it went to his sister.
Source:
History of MF Planters by L.C. Hills:
History of MF Planters by L.C. Hills:
