Richard fitz Gilbert

     Richard was born in 1030. Richard married Rohese Giffard in 1054. Richard accompanied his reputed kinsman William, Duke of Normandy into England and served at the Battle of Hastings, and assisted William in subduing the Anglo-Saxons. He was rewarded with 176 lordships and large grants of land in England, including the right to build the castles of Clare and of Tonbridge. Richard's land holdings were huge. In the county of Surrey alone, his lands had a value of £241: which was only 30% of the value of his English land holdings, making his English holdings worth 800 pounds. A very large number for this time period. Within Surrey, Richard owned manors in the following places: Albury, Beddington, Bletchingley, Buckland, Chelsham, Chessington, Chipstead, Chivington, Effingham, Apps in Elmbridge, Farleigh, Immerworth (Kingston upon Thames), Long Ditton, Mickleham, Molesey, Ockley, Old Malden, Shalford, Streatham, Tandridge, Tolworth, Tooting, Walton-on-Thames, Warlingham, Tillingdon, and Woldingham.On William's death, Richard and other great Norman barons, including Odo of Bayeux, Robert, Count of Mortain , William fitzOsbern and Geoffrey of Coutances, led a rebellion against the rule of William Rufus in order to place William's brother, Robert Curthose on the throne. However, most Normans in England remained loyal. William Rufus and his army successfully attacked the rebel strongholds at Tonbridge, Pevensey and Rochester. This overthrow of the castle Tonbridge came before 1090, but resentment against William Rufus was heightened and continued to fester. Thus it is no surprise that the arrow that killed William came from a townsmen of Tonbridge and not coincidentally, a son-in-law of Richard.² Richard departed this life in 1090 in St Neots, Huntingdonshire, England, at St. Neots Priory.