Gilbert the father of the first de Lancaster of Kendal

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Andrew and Inge

Gilbert the father of the first de Lancaster of Kendal

Legg inn av Andrew and Inge » 02 des 2006 17:29:20

I wonder if anyone can add or subtract anything from the following musing...

The first person who we know used the name "de Lancaster," at least in a way
which stuck to the family, was William de Lancaster I of the de Lancasters
of Kendal.

He is frequently referred to as "Fitz Gilbert" and the like in contemporary
documents, but despite references to this Gilbert in *secondary* and
non-contemporary literature, for example:
- that he was called "de Furnesio"
- that he was the King's receiver in Furness
- that he had another son Roger fitz Gilbert who married Sigrid the widow of
Waldeve of Allerdale
- that there was yet another son, Robert, brother of this Roger
- that he was a member of the family of Eldred of Workington and his son
Ketel
- that he was a "de Taillebois"

....I can not find any evidence for any contemporary information about him.
(Perhaps the best I can do is, just concerning the last two, refer to the
claims of his descendents concerning the de Lancasters being somehow
descended from "Ketel filius Eutret" and de Taillebois. I think everyone who
looks at the evidence tends to think that if there was a connection it must
have been via widows, illegitimate children or daughters, and therefore
difficult to trace.)

Can anyone name any primary evidence at all concerning Gilbert?

While I remain in this ignorant state perhaps I'll make a few wild
speculative suggestions also, for people to shoot down:

1. If Gilbert used the name "de Furnesio" why not just not assume that he
was a "le Fleming" of Furness? They were using this name right at this
period, and there can't have been too many people living in the area at the
time, let alone using this title.

2. What stops us from suggesting that "fitz Gilbert" was not an early
"surname"? Indeed there was a very famous fitzGilbert family, a branch of
which became the de Clares. For example, William I de Lancastre married an
important member of the family of Richard fitz Gilbert's contemporary fellow
power-broker William de Warrene. It is often remarked that he must have been
well-connected.

3. There were also some fitzGilberts who worked for Mathilda. I understand
that John, her marshall, was a brother of William, was a knight who fought
for her, and then her chancellor. Or were these FitzGilberts of the same
family as Richard?

Best Regards
Andrew

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