1st Earl Of Surrey William Warenne

1st Earl Of Surrey William Warenne

Male Abt 1055 - 1088  (33 years)


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  • Name William Warenne 
    Title 1st Earl Of Surrey 
    Birth Abt 1055  Normandie, France Find all individuals with events at this location 
    Gender Male 
    Death 24 Jun 1088  Sussex, England Find all individuals with events at this location 
    Burial Aft 24 Jun 1088  Sussex, England Find all individuals with events at this location 
    Person ID I8042  footsteps | Ancestors
    Last Modified 21 Apr 2025 

    Father Ranulph De Warenne,   b. 12 Dec 1018, Normandie, France Find all individuals with events at this locationd. 15 Feb 1074, Normandie, France Find all individuals with events at this location (Age 55 years) 
    Relationship natural 
    Mother Emma De Saint Martin,   b. 1020, Normandie, France Find all individuals with events at this locationd. 27 May 1074, Norfolkshire, England Find all individuals with events at this location (Age 54 years) 
    Relationship natural 
    Family ID F1617  Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

    Family Gundred Of Chester,   b. Abt 1063, Normandie, France Find all individuals with events at this locationd. 27 May 1085, Norfolkshire, England Find all individuals with events at this location (Age 22 years) 
    Children 
    +1. 2nd Earl Of Surrey William De Warren,   b. Abt 1081, Sussex, England Find all individuals with events at this locationd. 11 May 1138, Sussex, England Find all individuals with events at this location (Age 57 years)  [Father: natural]  [Mother: natural]
    Family ID F4569  Group Sheet  |  Family Chart
    Last Modified 21 Apr 2025 

  • Notes 


    • William de Warenne died from wounds received at the Siege of Pevensey o n 2 4 J u n e 1 088, at Lewes, Sussex, England, and was buried beside his fi rs t w i f e , Gundreda, at the Chapter-house, Priory of St Pancras (Lewes P r io r y ) , Lewes, East Sussex . Their burial locations were lost until in 1 8 4 5 - 4 7 the railway to Brighton was built across the site of the priory a n d a m o n g the finds were lead caskets thought to contain the bones of Wi l l i a m d e Warenne and his wife Gundrada, the founders of t h e priory. T h e l e a d c askets are decorated with rope-mouldings and diagonal ornament a t i o n i nscribed WILLEMS and GUNDRADA respectively. Presently the church o f J o h n t h e Baptist, Southover High Street in Lewes, East Sussex, has th e l e a d c a skets of William de Warenne and wife Gundrada in a special cha pe l a l o n g with the black marble tombstone of Gundrada. The bones found i n 1 8 4 5 w e re reburied under the stone.

      Circa 1054 Duke William gave him the castle of Mortemer, which had been f o r f e i ted by his kinsman, Roger de Mortimer, after the Battle of Morteme r i n F e b r uary of that year. Probably at the same time he acquired lands a t B e l l e ncombre, the castle of which became the caput of the Warenne bar on y i n N o r mandy.
      In 1066, William was one of the Norman barons summoned by William, Duke o f N o r m a ndy, to a Council on hearing that Harold had been crowned King a ft e r t h e d eath of the Confessor. He took part in the invasion of Englan d a n d w a s p resent at the Battle of Hastings. Given Ditchling in Sussex b y W i l l i am the Conqueror which family held for many generations.