| History |
Richard le Goz (d. 1082 or after), son of Thorstein le Goz, Viscount of Avranches. Viscount of Avranches. Richard’s grandfather was Ansfred the Dane. Note that a woman identified as a possible daughter of Richard I of Normandy, Guimara (b. 986), is reputed to have married Ansfred II the Dane.[1] According to Hughes, Ansfred was the great-grandson of Rognvald Eysteinsson, Earl of the Orkneys.[2]
William the Conqueror, as Duke of Normandy, bestowed on him the title of Viscount of Avranches sometime before 1046. Richard may also have been Lord of Creully and entrusted with the castle of Saint-James-de-Beuvron, built by William in 1067 shortly after the war against the Bretons of 1064-66.
Richard supported William at the Battle of Hastings in 1066 but is not among the proven Companions of William despite some claims. He provided 60 ships to support the invasion but it is not true that his son Hugh was in command of this fleet.
Between 1070 and 1079, Richard was involved in a ruling between Raoul Tesson and the Abbey of Fontenay. Around 1076 he was one of the judges who pronounced an award against Robert Bertram.
Richard married Emma, who is believed to be the daughter of Herluin de Conteville and Herleva (mistress of Robert I of Normandy and mother of William the Conqueror), and so sister of Robert, Count of Mortain (Companion of William) and Odo, Bishop of Bayeux. Richard and Emma had five known children and probably more:
Hugh d’Avranches, Earl of Chester and Viscount of Avranches
Helisende, married to William II, Count of Eu
Gilbert d\'Avranches, Lord of Marcey
Margaret, married to Ranulf, Viscount du Bessin. Their son was Ranulf le Meschin, 3rd Earl of Chester
Judith, married to Richer de l\'Aigle (died in the Battle of Saint-Suzanne).
Ranulf became Earl of Chester after his cousin Richard d’Avranches died in the White Ship disaster of 1120. Also, Judith and Richer lost two of their grandsons in this tragedy, sons of Gilbert (d. abt 1118) (Godefroi (Godfrey) and Engenulf (Engenouf) de l\'Aigle).
Richard le Goz died in 1082 and was succeeded by his son Hugh as Viscount of Avranches. [1] |
| History |
Richard was probably of Scandinavian origin. Some sources give his father as Thurstein Goz, son of Ansfrid the Dane _(Turstenus, cognomento Guz Ansfridi Dani filius)._
The name of Richard\'s wife is unknown but they had two sons and three daughters, of whom Hugh, Margaret and Judith would have progeny.
Duke William gave Richard the viscounty of Avranches, possibly after the banishment of Guillaume Guerlenc, comte de Mortain about 1055/56. He may also have been lord of Creully. Shortly after William\'s war against the Bretons in 1064, he gave Richard the castle of Saint-James-de Beuvron that William had built. On some lists Richard appears among those followers of William who fought at the Battle of Hastings, but his presence is not certain.
In the 1070s Richard became involved in the conflict between Raoul Tesson and the abbey of Fontenay. In 1076 he was one of the judges who pronounced sentence against Robert Bertram, one of William\'s knight companions at Hastings. [2] |
Ellie Wood Keith Genealogy
Abt 1020 - 1082 (~ 62 years)
(Age ~ 54 years) [putative]