Gospatric Lord of Workington in Coupland

  General Notes:

From Register & Records of Holm Cultram, p. 18-21, the Family of Workington

Orm
|
Gospatic, 1158-79
|
Thomas de Workington, d. 1201 m. Grecia
|
Thomas, eldest son and Patrick de Culwen, c. 1250 ¹³⁸⁸

  Noted events in his life were:

• Background Information. ¹⁶⁰
Gospatric, who died in 1179, of High Ireby, Lord of Workington in Coupland; exchanged his lands with his cousin, William I de Lancaster (son of Gilbert, 4th Baron of Kenda) for the lands of William de Lancaster at Workington in Coupland. He married Egeline, perhaps the daughter of Ranulf Engaine.

~Weis' Ancestral Roots of Certain American Colonists Who Came to America before 1700, 8th Edition, 34:24

• From Gen-Medieval Archives: Gospatric Fitz Orm's mother, Gravelda of Dunbar . ^193,599
From: "Douglas Richardson" <royalancestry@msn.com>
Subject: Re: Gospatric Fitz Orm's mother, Gravelda of Dunbar
Date: 28 Nov 2005 12:16:24 -0800

As I showed in earlier posts, Ebrea de Trevers' husband, Ranulph Engaine, was evidently living after 1122, when they gave propety in Henrickby (or Herriby) to Carlisle Priory. This dating makes it virtually impossible for Ebrea de Trevers to be Gospatric Fitz Orm's mother, as I will demonstrate below.

We know that Gospatric Fitz Orm issued a charter to St. Bees Priory sometime in the period, 1138-1157, which charter was witnessed by his first cousin, Alan Fitz Waltheof, his brothers-in-law, William and Gilbert Engaine, his wife Elgiva, his mother-in-law, Ebrea [de Trevers], and his three sons, Thomas, Adam, and Robert [Reference: Register of the Priory of St. Bees (Surtees Soc. 126) (1915): 60-61].

We can date the charter as being 1138-1157, as Alan Fitz Waltheof's father, Waltheof Fitz Gospatrick, died in 1138, and William Engaine died in 1157 [References: Sanders, English Baronies (1960): 23; Keats-Rohan, Domesday Descendants (2002): 246]. If we assume that Gospatric Fitz Orm's sons were of sufficient age to witness the charter, it means that Thomas his eldest son was approximately age 20 in or before 1157, or before in or before 1137. Yet, incredibly, you have Thomas being born a full generation later at ca. 1155-1160. Likewise, we know from other records, that Thomas Fitz Gospatric' son-in-law, William de Furness (or Fleming), was of age before 1164. Again, I find it incredible that you have Thomas Fitz Gospatric being the same approximate age as his son-in-law.

Elsewhere, I've determined that Thomas, son of Gospatrick Fitz Orm, had a grandson, Michael de Furness, who was aged 6 in 1204, or born about 1198. Michael de Furness would, of course, be a great-grandson of Gospatrick Fitz Orm. Using the 85 year rule of thumb for three generations which I have employed in earlier posts, if we subtract 85 years from 1198, we obtain an estimated birthdate for Gospatric Fitz Orm of circa 1113. We get a similar corresponding result in chronology for his son, Thomas Fitz Gospatric, when we subtract 85 years from the approximate birthdate of his great-grandson, William de Furness, who I believe was born c. 1215-1219. 85 years substracted from c. 1215-1219 indicates an estimated birthdate of 1130/1134 for Thomas Fitz Gospatric.

Using these records, the following chronology can be constructed which
harmonizes well with the facts as we have them:

1. Gravelda (or Gurwelda, Gimilda) of Dunbar, born before 1075, minor and unmarried at her father's death in 1075. She married Orm Fitz Ketel, who I believe was an adult in 1094.

2. Gospatric Fitz Orm, born say 1110, died c. 1177. He married Egliva Engaine, daughter of Ranulph Engaine (living after 1122) and Ibrea (or Ybri) de Trevers.

3. Thomas Fitz Gospatric, born say 1130/5, died 1201, married Grace
_____.

4. Aline Fitz Thomas, born say 1160/5, living 1219, married William de Furness (or Fleming), he was of age before 1164.

5. Michael de Furness, born about 1198 (aged 6 in 1204), died 1230/34.

6. William de Furness, born c. 1215/1219 (allegedly aged 14 at his father's death), living 1262.

I'm sure that more evidence can be provided to show that Gospatric Fitz Orm was born in or before 1110. For now, I think the above is sufficient to prove that the theory you have presented in your recent Foundations article regarding Gospatric Fitz Orm's maternity is untenable for three reasons: (1) Passage of lands; (2) Onomastic evidence; and most basic of all, (3) chronology. Also, your interpretation of the Latin phrase "matre ejus" can not be sustained.

Best always, Douglas Richardson, Salt Lake City, Utah

Gospatric married Egeline d’Engaine, daughter of Ranulf d’Engaine and Ibria de Trevers Heiress of Burgh-by-Sands.¹⁶⁰ (Egeline d’Engaine was born in Workington, Cumberland, England.)