Gerard de Furnival
Encyclopedia
Gerard de Furnival was a Norman
knight
and Lord of Hallamshire
(now part of Sheffield
, England
) and Worksop
. De Furnival's father was also called Gerard de Furnival, and had fought with Richard I
at the Siege of Acre.
De Furnival was married to Maud, the great-granddaughter of William de Lovetot
, and it was by this marriage that the lordships of Hallamshire and Worksop came into the Furnival family. However, this inheritance was not without competition, as although the eldest branch of De Lovetot ended in a female heiress, there was another branch still existing, which sprang from the William de Lovetot, by his younger son Nigel. With the death of Maud's father (also called William de Lovetot), the rights of this branch were vested in Maud's cousin, Richard de Lovetot, who seems to have acquiesced in the transit of the great property of the family to Maud, her husband, Gerard de Furnival, and her issue.
During the Fifth Crusade
De Furnival travelled to Jerusalem, where he died in 1219. He was succeeded by his son, Thomas de Furnival, who also subsequently died in the Holy Land (1238).
Normans
The Normans were the people who gave their name to Normandy, a region in northern France. They were descended from Norse Viking conquerors of the territory and the native population of Frankish and Gallo-Roman stock...
knight
Knight
A knight was a member of a class of lower nobility in the High Middle Ages.By the Late Middle Ages, the rank had become associated with the ideals of chivalry, a code of conduct for the perfect courtly Christian warrior....
and Lord of Hallamshire
Hallamshire
Hallamshire is the historical name for an area of South Yorkshire, England, in the current city of Sheffield.The origin of the name is uncertain. The English Place-Name Society describe "Hallam" originating from a formation meaning "on the rocks"...
(now part of Sheffield
Sheffield
Sheffield is a city and metropolitan borough of South Yorkshire, England. Its name derives from the River Sheaf, which runs through the city. Historically a part of the West Riding of Yorkshire, and with some of its southern suburbs annexed from Derbyshire, the city has grown from its largely...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
) and Worksop
Worksop
Worksop is the largest town in the Bassetlaw district of Nottinghamshire, England on the River Ryton at the northern edge of Sherwood Forest. It is about east-south-east of the City of Sheffield and its population is estimated to be 39,800...
. De Furnival's father was also called Gerard de Furnival, and had fought with Richard I
Richard I of England
Richard I was King of England from 6 July 1189 until his death. He also ruled as Duke of Normandy, Duke of Aquitaine, Duke of Gascony, Lord of Cyprus, Count of Anjou, Count of Maine, Count of Nantes, and Overlord of Brittany at various times during the same period...
at the Siege of Acre.
De Furnival was married to Maud, the great-granddaughter of William de Lovetot
William de Lovetot
William de Lovetot, Lord of Hallamshire, possibly descended from the Norman Baron Ricardus Surdus, was an Anglo-Norman Baron from Huntingdonshire, often credited as the founder of Sheffield, England....
, and it was by this marriage that the lordships of Hallamshire and Worksop came into the Furnival family. However, this inheritance was not without competition, as although the eldest branch of De Lovetot ended in a female heiress, there was another branch still existing, which sprang from the William de Lovetot, by his younger son Nigel. With the death of Maud's father (also called William de Lovetot), the rights of this branch were vested in Maud's cousin, Richard de Lovetot, who seems to have acquiesced in the transit of the great property of the family to Maud, her husband, Gerard de Furnival, and her issue.
During the Fifth Crusade
Fifth Crusade
The Fifth Crusade was an attempt to reacquire Jerusalem and the rest of the Holy Land by first conquering the powerful Ayyubid state in Egypt....
De Furnival travelled to Jerusalem, where he died in 1219. He was succeeded by his son, Thomas de Furnival, who also subsequently died in the Holy Land (1238).