The Battle Abbey Roll. Vol. III.
by
The Duchess of Cleveland.
ADDITIONAL NAMES GIVEN BY LELAND.
Prepared by Michael A. Linton
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Geroun : a name found in the Norman Exchequer Rolls 1180-1195, and dating from the Conquest in England. "Thurstin, the subfeudatory of Odo, Bishop of Bayeux, at Foxcote, in Domesday, is said to have been surnamed De Girund, and to have been the same who held Dunton at the same time."—Lipscomb's Bucks. He also held one yoke of land in Buckland, Kent, under Odo. Walter de Gerun, probably his descendant was a benefactor of Leicester Abbey; his grant is confirmed by Henry II.—Nichols. In 1197 Hamund de Girund enfeoffed Walter de la Haia at Foxcote, and sued him for payment through Philip de la Girunde, his son. Walter accordingly paid him five marks of silver and one black horse "Bausein" (Ped. Fin. i. 160). Philip was in possession the following year, and in 1201 pays 15 marks de oblat. and holds three knights' fees of the Honour of Peverell, London (Rot. Oblat. et Fin. 161). He died before 1222, in which year "Rosamunda quae fuit uxor Philippi de Girundi," pays 20 marks fine to marry whom she pleases. (Excerpt, ex. Rot. Fin. i. 81.) Next comes Nicholas de Girunde, probably the son and certainly the heir of Philip, who in 5 Hen. III. had permission to hold a market at his manor of Ashurst, in Kent (Rot. Lit. Claus. 444 b): and then Sir Hugh de Girunde, son and heir, who did homage in 1268 for one knight's fee that he held of the King in Wrenstede and Ashurst, Kent, and two knights' fees in Foxcote and Doddington, Bucks, and in 1292 was excused from attending the assizes "propter aetatem et infirmitatem." His son and namesake had summons to go with horse and arms to Berwick in 1301, and died about 1307; leaving as his successor the last heir, John, whose daughter and heiress, Matilda, was the wife of Sir Henry de Chalfonte, of Chalfonte, Bucks, High Sheriff of the county in 1341.[1] Was this John, who died about 1333, the same "John Gerund" spoken of by Blomfield, "as a person of considerable fortune and eminency of that age, as appears by his being a witness to deeds in which he took place of John de Fitton and Jeffrey de Kerville, Lords of Wiggenhall. He is said to have borne Quarterly Gules and Vert, an Escarbuncle over all Or." The manor of Jerounds, or Gerons, now Garards, in the parish of Great Parndon, Essex, took its name from Walter Jeround, who, dying in 1307, left John his son and heir.—Morant. It will be seen that the date of his death exactly corresponds with that of Hugh de Girunde, the last heir's father, and though there is a mistake in the Christian names, I am inclined to believe they were the same person.