Sentimental Sunday ~Faunt~ a One-Name Guild Study

Ten years or so ago I knew only what my Grandfather Ed Faunt told me about the family, which was that the name was Le Faunte and that they were French in origin. Grandpop was close to being correct as I have occasionally seen Le Fante but more often L'Enfant and they were at least political Normans.

What is a political Norman, you might wonder? Well we are not Nordic or Norsemen but rather Neolithically were from Southern France possibly is the Midi-Pyrenees. The DNA experts call "us" Sardinian I2a1 as Sardinia  has a "founder" population of men who carry the same mutations as our men. This indicates a post ice-age presence in that area. There are Neolithic caves further up on the Continent which have  a few matches of farmers who match our lines.

The One- Name Study though is more than that as I should begin to explore all of those who carry the surname. My goodness, what a big job! So all of us Faunt Fant Fonts from Ireland and everywhere we can locate them come under this particular study area. I have a lot to learn.

Henry V and the L'enfants in Normandy

Apparently the L'Enfant family were in the retinue of Henry V between 1417 and 1419 including his siege of Rouen.

On January 7  Power was given to Richard the Earl of Warwick, Thomas Earl of Salisbury, Henry Fitzhugh, Chamberlain, Walter Hunderford, steward  and others to treat for the surrender of Rouen. 

On January 7 " Same for George Dacques,John la Maiguen,John Lenfant, Loveyset Poupart and William Perssen coming to the  Abbey of St. Katherine near Rouen.

January 11 before Rouen "Safe conducts were given to John Lenfant and Lovyset Pourpart coming to Candebec from the Abbey of St. Katherine near Rouen". On January 17  there was an extension of the same safe conduct as well.

On January  23 there was a "Safe conduct given to William Lenfant coming to Rouen with provisions"

On September 27 at Gisors "John Lenfant, Peter Baygnart,John Brianenie,John Oysnel,Robert le Desmaude" and same to Robert de la Haie ,Oliver de Pierrepoint,William Osbert and William Lenfant.

John apparently was in on important negotiations and for sure spoke Norman French as most members of the nobility did at that time.

It also seems pretty clear to me that this is the family of John son of John and John son of Walter who were immersed in the property dispute in Ardscoll September 8, 1374. The inclusion of William Lenfant in these safe conducts and to-ing and  fro-ing in Rouen and Gisors indicates to me that there were numerous members of this family at that time. Perhaps one Walter Lenfant died without issue but clearly not all of them as evidenced by the property decision after 1374.

Also found in records for this time in Kildare are Walter Lenfent, Guy Faunt and Peter Lenfaunt who are ordered to appear with about 20 other men to restore animals taken from an O'Morthe near the town of Leys or Leix. March 12, 1372.

No Less Distinguished In The Field~

                                         
                                                Cill Mhaighneann c. 700AD

Per the book The Judges in Ireland , a knight, Sir Walter L'Enfant, no less distinguished on the field than in council was appointed  the first Justice to hold the pleas in 1290 AD. Four years later he was superseded by another knight Sir Walter de la Haye who also served four years and retired. L'Enfant was reappointed in 1298 and served until 1309 assisted with the help of deputies. 

The same book indicates that he was probably a son of Walter L'Enfant , who held property in Ireland, and entered the King's service in 1270.He served as keeper of the castle of Kildare in 1302 and was  granted protection in Ireland for going beyond the seas in 1210. He left a widow, Elizabeth who married William de Welleslegh, Constable of Kildare Castle. She may not have been his first wife.

Dr. Beth Hartland, in her study of these household knights, believes his son also served the  King at this time. It seems more likely to me that the reference to " Walter the Younger, deputized to deliver seisin of  lands to Edward I" could have been  this Walter as his sons may have been younger.

So this,found in the Close Roll 48 Edward III in 1274 : "John s. of John L'enfaunt petitions that he was seised of certain tenements in Ardscoll in fee, of which John s. of Walter L'enfaunt disseised him, of which disseisin the said John s. of John after the death of the said John s. of Walter brought a writ of novel disseisin against Walter, son and heir of John s. of Walter, as tenant of the said tenements, and recovered same. John s. of Walter was outlawed and the sheriff distrained John s. of John for his debts. He prays remedy, ORDER to do what is required of right and according to the law and custom of Ireland.", may indicate his descendants and  kinfolk in Kildare.

The Journal of Kildare's interpretation of  a Walter L'enfant as Prior of the Hospital of St.John of Jerusalem at Kilmainham in 1288 must also be a misinterpretation of  the records. I think, rather it means that Walter, then a Justice Itinerant, inspected the Priory at that time.

It seems likely to me that the elder Walter would have been born about 1220 or earlier and could possibly have been one of the first in his family to hold land in Ireland. There was a Nicholas le Enfaunt who served  in Gascony as a knight of Henry III in 1253 with Ralph le Bigot ( Bigod), John de Burgo and many others. It would make perfect sense for this to be brother to Walter the Elder.
The entered into the retinue of this family surely with King John or before.
 
We can pretty surely place this family in Ireland by 1250,and in the service of the Plantagenet Kings possibly before that. As late as 1600s Nicholas and Patrick Ffant have lands both in Limerick and Kildare. The extensive studies of the Close Rolls of the Kings indicate that the family did not hold land in England at that time. This quote is quite specific," getting close to the English court, a more pressing problem in the case of knights like Walter who lacked English land.

Follow Friday ~ Walter L'enfant was 'no less distinguished on the field than in council'

 I am LOVING and following Dr. Beth Hartland of King's College London who has this to say in her study of the knights of Henry III and William I : " Edward I was fortunate to be able to count men of the calibre of Walter L'Enfant and William de Cauneton among his loyal servants in Ireland. The ties of service that bound these Anglo-Irish knights to their kind were nurtured by their retention as household knights..which lasted through their careers. However these links were not retained by royal effort.. Indeed for Edward I..Ireland was a low priority. Rather it was the efforts of the Anglo-Irish community which maintained those links"

She goes on to say things like : " Why men like Walter L'Enfant 'no less distinguished on the field than in council' opted to remain in royal service. "( little money)...and a way of" getting close to the English court, a more pressing problem in the case of knights like Walter who lacked English land "

Guess we know where they lived and did not live..

also " That Ralph Piperd, Lord of Dysert Meath, Deputized Walter the Younger to deliver seisin of this lands to Edward I..is evidence of the standing of the L'enfants within the Lordship"

so proud of this family..

Dr. Beth Hartland is Editor of the Calendar of Henry III Fine Rolls
 (www.finerollshenry3.org.uk)   @Henry3FineRolls

Census Sunday ~ Discovering Louisa Faunt

 I found Louisa Faunt in the 1900 census,some years ago and puzzled at who she might be, thinking I suppose that I knew everything about the family. I did  have the living children documented, or so I thought. So who was this Louisa living in Beverly with a daughter Helen , aged 2 months,named, surely after her mother Ellen?
My Great Grandfather Patrick in his last relationship before his death also has a daughter Helen. Was this Louisa possibly a cousin? I put Louisa in with the " mystery Faunts" like Michael who has a son Walter John die of cholera infantum in 1901 and "our " Michael died unmarried in 1911.

My second clue was the 1885 New Jersey census which showed William, Ellen, William and Nellie as family #81 page 13 in Beverly. Jane( Jennie), Mikle ( Michael), Louisa and Edwin (infant Edward who does not live out the year) are found on page 14 presumably also family #81. My Patrick called "Patsy" here and Mary his wife are called family #113 on page 18 of  the census, which is not viewable.

Shortly after this I found her birth which confirmed that Louisa Fauntt was born 27 Jul 1880 to William Fauntt and mother surnamed Lynch who was born in Ireland.

The 1900 census ( aren't they wonderful!) shows John W. Farley who Louisa marries living in the next house or apartment. That he was Helen's father is sort of confirmed by a newspaper account which shows Clara Farley getting into an argument with our Louisa around this same time.

Beverly NJ was quite the place! Love my Great Aunt Louisa, who I never met and her family, which I now have. A letter I cherish from my Grandmother Retta Swanson Faunt, written before her early death, mentions "Louisie" so  I like to think Patrick and she were close.

Wisdom Wednesday ~ Inscriptions on the Kilmallock Chalices and Family

 In St. Saviour's Church Limerick is the second of the Henry Burgatt chalices and on that chalice are three inscriptions in Latin. When they are translated and considered in context they seem to illustrate more of the family of  Geneta Fant and John Burgate.

The first inscription  reads "Dom. Callaghanus O'Callaghan et Juana Butler vxor ejus fieri fecerant pro conventu Killocensi: ord. " which may read loosely  " Donated by Callaghan O'Callaghan and his wife Juana Butler of  Killocensi.

Second Inscription is " Henrico Burgatt. Orate pro Mauritio Gibbon, filio Comitis Albi. Requiescat in pace. 1639 "  and probably reads and means " Henry Burgate. Pray for Maurice Gibbon, son of the Earl of white (FitzGibbon the  White Knight)  Rest in peace. 1639.

 

Third Inscription is Thos. Burgat  and under it is Joana Butler.

 

It is  possible that Henry Burgate is praying for his brother-in-law Maurice Gibbon who was son of Gibbon FitzGibbon called the White Knight. Maurice FitzGibbon married Ellen/Helen Burgate. 

It is also possible that it refers to Joan ( Juana) Butler's son from her first marriage to Maurice Fitzgibbon. Maurice "Oge" Fitzgibbon the 12th White Knight who died May 30,  1611 at the age of fourteen.

Henry Burgate was the uncle of the 13th White Knight and was Prior of Kilmallock Abbey  in 1639.

I have also just found that Anne Browne of Awney was wife of  Thomas Burgatt senior. He dies in 1688 and his widow marries Foulcke Monslowe  and petitions for the lands he lived on in Ballyregan.

                                                                          

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Mappy Monday ~ Fants near Baile an Fhóntaigh in Desmond Wars

"Desmound is a parcel of the Countie of Kerry and is deuided into three Baronies and an half. The South part doth bound with certayne mountaynes of Bear and Bantry beginninge from Killmallockoshista and continuinge to O Leary and O donouans landes in the countie of Corke."

This is a momentous period time for our family, from the dissolution of the religious houses between 1537-1547, to the Desmond Rebellions ib 1569-1583. They are attainted for treason, lost their lands, fortunes and their lives.

A James Ffant of Fantstown ,we know was attainted for the murder of Patrick Ffant, at a town gate in Kilmallock in 1583 or 1586( accounts vary). Was he the James who owned the Castle or did he just live nearby? It is said that Genet Ffant who married John Burgatt was his daughter, and since we know that Thomas Burgatt was castle tenant in 1586, we assume this to be true. Possibly also Thomas Burgatt was given the wardship of Genet  and thus was able to marry his son to her. We know they married and lived in a manor at Galbally Abbey in 1604, and that their children were born about that time. We do not know how old they were when they were married, although it is quite possible they were still quite young.

Another James Ffant who works for George Thorneton the Marshal or President of Munster was pardoned for some treasonous activity at this time and since the Marshal was pardoned in 1583 it was likely that was the date. James was said to be a tenant  in Ballanny Tipperary, further away.

In 1595 a grant was given to Captain Robert Collum, of the various lands of James Ffant and Robert Ffant in various places in Limerick, as well as two messuages  in Kilmallock town. Messuages meant a house and outbuildings with the land adjacent to them, and attainted usually meant  treason at this time. John Faunt from Fantstowne was a Kerne (soldier) in 1567 and as a horseman received a pardon in 1584. Also receiving pardons were Richard, Limerick yeoman and James and John Fant of Clangibbon Cork. It is quite possible some of these were brothers to Genet and for sure were related to her.

Others appearing in records at this time were Nicholas Oge Ffant and his wife Margaret Coyne, Patrick and Stephen. We know these folks all survive the Civil Wars which went on for eleven years.
They surely lived nearby at this time  but begin to move away to Tipperary and Cork and other places not in Ireland.

This is a description of the area  then called Fantstown,
Baile an Fhóntaigh or  the town of An Fóntach (le Faunt) from Limerick Diocesan Heritage Project
" The village of Bulgaden is about 3 miles from Kilmallock off the R515. The parish is called Bulgaden/Martinstown but in old editions of the Catholic Directory the parish was known as Bulgaden and Ballinvana. Today the parish is made up of parts of the old parishes of Ballinvana (which was also called Athaneasy) and Kilmallock. Ballinvana has also been called Kilbreedy Major and Fantstown over the years in various sources."