The Battle Abbey Roll. Vol. III.
by
The Duchess of Cleveland.

Prepared by Michael A. Linton
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Saunsouere : or Sans-avoir; a family that belied its appellation by acquiring considerable property in this county. "It is," says Banks, "recorded to have been of very early note, inasmuch as Matthew Paris recites that Walter Sensavior was one of the first Crusaders, anno 1096, but afterwards miserably perished in that expedition of holy infatuation." The first mentioned in England is Sir Ralph Sanzaver, who in 1165 held one knight's fee in Devon of the King in capite. From him came another Ralph, "who had a license for free-warren at his manor in Spartegrave (Spargrove) in Somersetshire, and at Biggeneure (Bignor) with the hamlet of Rogate, in Sussex. This Ralph is probably the same who, in 45 Hen. III., had summons to attend the parliament convened to meet at London in that year, but which, according to Holinshed, the barons refused to attend. When he died there is no mention; but Hugh Saunzauer, 12 Ed. I., appears to have died possessed of the estates before mentioned; to whom succeeded Ralph Saunzauer, his son, according to Collinson, who settled a great dispute respecting certain lands appertaining to his manor of Saunzaver, in Somersetshire, with the Abbot of Glastonbury. This Ralph, though unnoticed by Dugdale in his History of the Nobility, is mentioned by him in his Lists of Summons to parliament, where his name is among those who, in the character of barons, were summoned the 22nd Ed. I., to attend the King to advise on the affairs of the realm, though no place of meeting was appointed in the writ. He died 8 Ed. II., being then seised with Christian his wife of Bignor in Sussex, Gratisden, in Huntingdonshire, and Croxton, in the county of Cambridge. He had issue another Ralph Saunzaver, but he never was noticed in the same baronial capacity as his father."—Banks. Was this the same Sir Ralph spoken of by Hasted as of Tramhatch in Kent, temp. Ed. III.? The arms of Hugh Sauzaveir are thus given in the Camden Roll; Azure, 3 crescents, 2, and 1, between 9 cross crosslets Or. In the reign of Henry VII., John Seintsaver, no doubt their descendant, was among the gentlemen of Somersetshire "qualified to be Knights of the Bath."

In Norfolk "Simon Senzaveir gave to the church of the Holy Trinity at Norwich a third part of his tithes at Trekestone, which gift he confirmed upon the altar before the monks of the place, for the soul of his brother Warine, whom the monks had taken into the bede roll of their brethren, when he died."—Blomfield. The first mention of the family in the Eastern Counties is in 1165, when Thomas Sanzaveir held of Walter Fitz Robert's barony in Essex.—Liber Niger.

Then we meet with them again in Cumberland. Gilbert Sanzaver witnesses Robert de Vaux's foundation charter of Lanercost Priory.—Mon. Angl.