Gunnora (Gonnor) DE CREPON

Other Events:

• FamilySearch ID: G39Q-HBK
• Name: Gonnor De CREPON
• _UID: 5A335DB7DA964FACAA2D335ABBBB4F4F8453

Notes:

Curt Hofemann, [email protected], in a post-em, wrote:

Apparently she was not "de Crepon" & her parentage is unknown:

The name of the father of Gunnor is unknown. Herbastus is derived from the name of her brother Herfast/Arfastus, but is unsupported. [Ref: Todd A Farmerie message to Gen-Medieval 6 Nov 1996]

The greater part of our information about Gunnor and her relations is derived from those additions to the History of William of Jumieges for which Robert de Rotigny is responsible. It is Robert who preserved the story of how Richard I of Normandy became enamoured of the beautiful Senfrie, wife of one of his foresters, and how Senfrie contrived to substitute her sister Gunnor for herself, to the Duke's ultimate satisfaction. [Ref The Sisters and Nieces of Gunnor, Duchess of Normandy by G.H. White in the Genealogist, New Series 1921 v37 p57]

Parentage of Gunnor and her siblings is unknown. While some sources call her father Herfastus, this was in fact the name of her brother. She has also been claimed as a daughter of the Danish royal family, but there is no evidence for this, and the context of her coming to attention of Richard I and the family's subsequent rise to power militates against her being a royal daughter. Douglas argued, based on the donations of brother Arfast to the monastery of St. Pere, that the root of the family was in the Cotetin region of Normandy, but van Houts has suggested that the Cotetin land was granted to Arfast, rather than inherited by him. Thus we are left with the more ambiguous statement of Torigny and others that she was a member of a Norman family of Danish origins. [Ref: Todd A Farmerie message to Gen-Medieval 5 Jan 1997]

Gunnora ... was not "de Crepon", nor was she daughter of Herbastus de Crepon of Denmark - her brother Herfastus/Arfast appears to have received Crepon only after Gunnora took up with Richard I, and thus the family was not originally from there. Likewise, while she is said to be of a noble family of Danish ancestry, it is not stated that her father was from Denmark (the family probably arrived with Rollo, in the generation of her (unknown) grandfather. [Ref: Todd A Farmerie message to Gen-Medieval 28 Jul 2000]

Research note 1: Was her father Herfast de CREPON or King Haraldblaafand of DENMARK? There is a lack of consensus on this. -Charlotte's Web Geneology http://www.charweb.org/gen/rjones/d0042/g0000020.htm#I239

Research note 2: father: Harald I Blaatand, Bluetooth, King of Denmark [Ref: McBride2 (possibly citing Wurts)]

My notes on Gunnora:
This is the same Gunnora known as Gunnora of Crepon, but both are of little value. Gunnora was NOT of Denmark. Some inventive genealogist somewhere along the line decided to make her daughter of Harald Bluetooth, but there is no basis for this, and what we know of her indicates it is not really a possibility worthy of consideration. Her nephew later was called "of Crepon" but he likely gained his posessions through Gunnora's marriage to the Duke, rather than this representing the original home of the clan.

What can be said of Gunnora's parents? Nothing! She was not daughter of Harfast, as (too) often stated. Her family was likely of the minor Norman nobility, since her oldest sister was married to a forester at the time Richard first bumped into the girls. That's it.

Richard I of Normandy first bedded, and later married Gunnora, whose ancestry is entirely unknown. She is sometimes said to be daughter of a King of Denmark, but this is incorrect. [taf]

There are several things going on here. First of all, the father of Gunnora and siblings is not known. Attempts to name him Herbastus probably originated in confusion with her brother. Second, Gunnora had three sisters, Senfria/Senfreda, Wevia, and (Avelina). The first married an otherwise unknown forester. The latter two are confused by our two sources, one claiming that it was Wevia who married Osbern, and the other that Wevia married Turold of Pont Audemer, and by deduction, (Avelina) married Osbern. We know that Osbern married one of them, and a recent analysis suggests that it was Wevia for nomenclatural reasons. (Specifically, Turold and wife had a granddaughter named Duvelina, and it is hyposthesized that she was named for her grandmother, and that Duvelina is the authentic name of the sister, rather than Avelina. Finally, in which generation was Osbern's. This is unambiguous. She was sister of Gunnora and the others. There is no source before recent times that claims otherwise. There are two probable origins for the error that she was niece of Gunnora. First, due to the error in naming her father Herfastus, someone aware that this was the name of Gunnora's brother assumed then that Avelina's father was Gunnora's brother (the name of Gunnora's father being unknown, and probably unknowable). The second possibility is a confusion of uncle and nephew. Harfastus/Arfast had a son Osbern of Crepon, and perhaps someone confused this man with Osbern of Bolbec. Still, we know for certain that Osbern of Bolbec married a sister of Gunnora. [Ref: Dave Utzinger message to Gen-Medieval 29 Jul 2000]

Regards,
Curt

Gunnora married Richard I "Sans Peur" Duke Of NORMANDY, 3rd after 962 in France. Richard (son of William I "Longsword" FITZROBERT, 2nd and Sprota (Adela) Of Senlis) was born on 28 Aug 933 in F?camp, Normandie (Normandy, France); died on 20 Nov 996 in F?camp, Normandie (Normandy, France); was buried in F?camp, Normandie (Normandy, France). [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

1. Robert Count Of Evereaux Of NORMANDY was born about 965 in , Normandie; died in 1037.
2. Maugher (Mauger) Earl Of Corbeil De NORMANDY was born about 967 in Normandie (Normandy), France; and died.
3. Hedwig Of NORMANDY was born about 970 in Normandy, France; died on 21 Feb 1033-1034; was buried in Rennes, Bretagne, France.
4. Mahaud De NORMANDIE was born about 974 in Normandie (Normandy), France; died before 1017.
5. Richard II "The Good" Duke Of NORMANDY, 4rd was born on 20 Nov 974 in Normandie (Normandy), France; died on 28 Aug 1026 in L'abbaye DE Fecamp; was buried on 29 Aug 1026 in F?camp, Normandie (Normandy, France).
6. Havoise De NORMANDIE was born about 977 in Normandie (Normandy), France; died on 21 Feb 1033-1034; was buried in , Rennes, Bretagne.
7. Ralph Auberee Of Normandy Count Of IVRY was born in 978 in Ivry-La-Bataille, Evereux, Eure, Normandie, France; died after 1034.
8. B?atrix (Beatrix B?atrice) Of NORMANDY was born about 980 in Normandie (Normandy), France; died on 18 Jan 1033-1034.
9. Emma Princess Of NORMANDY was born about 982 in Normandie (Normandy), France; died on 6 Mar 1051-1052 in , Winchester, Hampshire, England; was buried in St Martin's Church, Winchester, Hampshire, England.
10. Emma Of Normandy was born in 986; and died.

Other Events:

• FamilySearch ID: G8ST-XJY
• Name: Herbastus "Not" De CREPON
• Name: Herbastus De CREPON
• Name: Herbastus De CREPON
• _UID: 8E5995C67F774B15BD5E9C1C8A476BC86F50

Notes:

BIOGRAPHY: Royality for Commoners specifies that he is the same as King of Denmark, Haraldblaafand. BIOGRAPHY: History of Normandy; Under Roman domination the region formed part of Gallia Lugdunensis (Celtic Gaul). With the Frankish invasions it was made a constitiuent part of the Kingdom of Neustria. It came to be known as Normandy about 911, when Charles III King of France, turned it over to Rollo, the leader of a menacing band of Viking raiders. In 1066 a descendant of Rollo, William II, duke of Normandy, led an invasion of England and established himself there as William I, King of England. Normandy remained an English possession until conquered in 1204 by Philip II Augustus, King of France. During the Hundred years' War, the region was held at various times by both Frenct and English forces; it was finally recovered by the French in 1450. The Channel Islands, which were once a part of Normandy, remained in the possession of England. Normandy was the location of the Allied invasion of German-occupied france during World War II.

Apparently there is no evidence of what the name was of the father of Gunnor, Senfrie, Herfast, and Avelina. Ancestral Roots states he was a forester of Arque. He was not of Crepon, but later genealogists mistakenly thought the family was of Crepon because Herbastus' son, Herfast, received lands in Crepon, probably due to the relationship of his sister with Duke Richard.

I will leave the "de Crepon" name with the family, just as I have the Plantagenet name with that family, although the Plantagenets were not known by that name until Richard, Duke of York in the 1400's. However I will put a "not' in front of everybody but the son, who was "de Crepon".

Relationship (J,M&L):
33rd Great-grandparent

Occupation:
Forester of Arque

Herbastus married Gunnhild OLAFSDOTTIR about 959. Gunnhild was born in 923 in Uppsala, Sweden; died in 1000 in Longueville, Aqaluitaine, France. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events:

• FamilySearch ID: G8ST-QDR
• Name: Gyrithe Olafsdotter Princess Of SWEDEN
• Name: Gyrithe OLAFSDOTTER QUEEN OF DENMARK
• _UID: 17583E47B13D479C99B5FD7C8906FB9DB3A2

Notes:

Source: lorenfamily.com

Relationship (J,M&L):
35th Great-grandparent

Other Events:

• Clan: ; House of Piast
• FamilySearch ID: LHY9-RBR
• TitleOfNobility: ; 3rd Duke of the Polans
• Religion: ; Slavic paganism

Notes:

Siemomysl or Ziemomysl (died c. 950? 960) was the third duke of Polans of the Piast dynasty, and the father of Poland's first Christian ruler, Mieszko I. He was listed by Gallus Anonymous in his Gesta principum Polonorum and was the son of Lestek, the second known Duke of the Polans. According to Gallus' account and historical research, Siemomysl has been credited with leaving the lands of the Polans, Goplans and Masovians to his son Mieszko I, who further expanded them during his reign.

According to modern Polish historian Henryk Lowmianski, Siemomysl aided the Ukrani uprising against the Germans in 954 AD.

He supposedly reigned from around 930 (although some historians believe that he reigned from around 950). Siemomysl united the lands of Polanie, Goplanie, and Mazowszanie (however, some historians think that perhaps his father did it first). His burial place is unknown.

Siemomysl's wife (or wives) is unknown. There is a theory that the daughter of Wlodzislaw, prince of the Ledzianie tribe, could have been Siemomysl's wife, but there is no historical evidence to support this. Formerly it was thought that his wife was named Gorka, but Oswald Balzer refuted this view in 1895. Mieszko I and Czcibor were his sons.

Other Events:

• Clan: ; House of Piast
• FamilySearch ID: 2RJQ-38K
• Name: Lestko
• Name: Leszek, Lestko
• Religion: ; Slavic paganism

Notes:

Lestek (also Leszek, Lestko) was the second duke of Polans, and son of Siemowit, born c. 870? 880, mentioned in the oldest Polish chronicle, Gesta principum Polonorum by Gallus Anonimus. The dukes of Polans were the foundation of the Piast dynasty, the first historical ruling dynasty of Poland.

Initially, no-one doubted the historicity of Lestek. In the second half of the nineteenth century, however, his existence began to be questioned. The issue was basically settled thanks to an article written by Henryk Lowmianski, in which he came out in favor of the credibility of Gallus Anonymus's account, and thus in favor of the historicity of the three direct predecessors to Mieszko. This view is dominant in the Polish historiography.

The origin of his name is not known, but it can be derived from the old Polish word lscie which means "crafty". It is believed this is a diminutive of the Slavic name Lscimir or Lscislaw. The number and existence of Lestek's wives or consorts are unknown. A theory by Stanislaw Zakrzewski claims Lestek (or Lestko) could have been married to a Moravian princess. Another theory (inferred from the descriptions of a Belgian chronicler from the 14th century) is that a Saxon princess could have been Lestek's wife and that they had a son, Ewraker, later the Bishop of Li?ge. Lestko's son, Siemomysl, was the next ruler of the Polish state

Leszek married Princess Unconfirmed, of Poland. Unconfirmed was born in 869 in Poznan, Wielkopolskie, Poland; died in 920 in Poznan, Wielkopolskie, Poland. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events:

• FamilySearch ID: LZGW-NC1