lazoucheorigins.html

ORIGINS OF

THE

FAMILY LA ZOUCHE

(I) APPENDIX.

Extract from,

The History And Antiquities Of Leicestershire.

VOL III.PAGE 562.

John Nichols

'The Family Of Zouche descended from Geoffrey, second son of Alan, Viscount Of Rohan, in Little Britaine in France, ( by Constance his wife, daughter of Conan le Groffe, Earl Of Britaine, and Maud his wife, natural daughter of King Henry I of England; who bore, Gules, ten bezants Or, called le Zouch ( which in French signifieth a stock) for that he, in the Reign of King Henry II, coming over into England, was the founder of another stock, here propogated from him. And, for that this family was descended from a daughter and heir of Conan the Groffe, Duke Of Bretagne, who bore for his arms a shield only ermine, did likewise assume this addition to their coat from The House Of Bretagne, viz. a quarter ermine, which by the cadets and younger houses still obeserved and kept, though with several differences. Some bore the quarter indented in the base; some the ermine in Chief, some the bend, some the sess, some in chevron, some in bend engraled; which I have seen thus varied in divers old rolls; others charging quarter ermine, as with a mullet, annulet, fleur de lis, and cinqufoil, which are yet to be seen in Harringworth Church,Co Northampton.

That the ancient and noble family of 'The Zouche's is branched from the Earls Of Brittainy, all our Genealogists agree: though they do not deduce the time of that descent in each part alike.

William la Zouche, in a confirmation to the Monks of Swavsey, in Cambridgeshire, of the grants made by his ancestors to the Abbey of St Segius and Bachus, in Anjou, (where unto this Abbey of Swavsey was a cell) calls Roger la Zouch his father, and Alan la Zouche, Earl Of Brittainy ( son of Geoffrey) his grandfather. Which William died in 1199; for then it appears, that Roger his brother gave to the King, one hundred pounds, for livery of his lands; and 1203, upon collection of the fourth seutage of King Johns time, paid 200 marks. This Roger in 1213 attended that King into Poitou; and standing firm to him in that turbulent time, towards the latter end of his reign obtained a grant of the Manors of Petersfield and Maple Durham, Co Southampton, which were part of the lands of Geoffrey de mandeville, one of the rebellious Barons, then in arms against him. In 1218, he procured a grant from King Henry III, of all the lands in the Manor of Goftelei, Co Norfolk, which Falcase de Breant not long before held, and which formerly appertained to the Viscount of Rohan ( Geoffrey la Zouch, father of Alan before mentioned). In 1219, he agreed to pay the King a fine of one palfrey, for a fair to be held yearly on the eve and day of St Helen, and a market to be held weekly, on Wednesday, at his Manor of Ashby; and in 1229 was constituted Sheriff Of Devonshire. In 1250, he had a confirmation from the King of the Manor of Swavesey, and of all his lands in Fulburne, Co Cambridge, which he possessed by the gift of the before specified Alan, Viscount of Rohan, in exchange for all those lands which the said Roger then possessed in Brittainy; and continued Sheriff of Devonshire to the end of 1231.

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