https//irelanddecourcydewhurst.blogspot.com.au
De Courcy family from 1066
(Extracts from "A Family Portfolio" by Elizabeth Rennick with permission)
Summary: Our link with the DeCourcys is through a marriage into the Ireland family in the 17th century. The DeCourcys are among the Norman families that became established initially in England, then in Ireland. DeCourcy is the family name for the Irish Barons of Kingsale (or Kinsale), whose ruined castle stands on a headland south west of the city of Cork in the south of Ireland.
There are a number of people of the surname DeCourcy in Australia (in 1995, the Melbourne telephone directory listed six and the Sydney directory 11), but their connection with our line of the family would have to be remote in the extreme. Our own link with DeCourceys is a distant is a distant one but worth recording because they were an interesting and historic family, and because the name has passed down to several family members as a Christian name. Two DeCourcys of note in Australia but not connected with us are Jim DeCourcy (b.1927) the New South Wales test cricketer, and Catherine DeCourcy, author of "The Zoo Story" (Penguin 1995), a history of the Melbourne Zoo. Ms DeCourcy is a member of the prominent Limerick branch of the DeCourcy family. She emigrated to Australia in 1987.
Note: spellings of the name De Courcy vary, some giving "de Courcy" and some "De Courcy". I have standardised the spelling in this book, using "De" (D - capitalised) when the name is used alone and "de" (d - lower case) when part of a full name.
The DeCourcy family is Norman in origin and one of the many such families who went to Ireland, usually for reasons of war or conquest, and made their home there. DeCourcy was the family name of the Barons of Kinsale or Kingsale and according to some genealogists, they derive their descent from the House of Lorraine linked with ("of the race of" the Emperor Charlemagne, who died in 814, and some say they were allied to most of the princes in Europe (A).
According to this genealogy, the most prominent early De Courcy is Richard de Courcy who accompanied William the Conqueror on his expedition to England and was at the battle of Hastings (1).
Richard was the son of a Robert de Courcy, who was Lord Courcy in Normandy and he in turn was the son of Balderic Teutonicus, so called possibly because he had spent some time in Germany and described as a stout and warlike commander.
On the strength of his 1066 expedition, Richard de Courcy was granted several lordships in England, one of which was that of Stoke in the county of Somerset (B). The connection of Stoke with the De Courcys gave rise to the intriguing place name Stogursey, which in the 12th century had been called Stroke Courci. By the 15th century it had become Stogursey, which it is to this day.
A later Robert De Courcy, Baron of Stoke in the time of King Stephen (1094-1154) died in 1171 leaving, according to some authorities, two sons, John and Jordan and a daughter.
John de Courcy, who died about 1219 and was a member of the Somersetshire family, was to become the most famous De Courcy, going down in history as the "conqueror of Ulster". His whole adult life seems to have been spent in fighting battles, building castles and conquering or losing territory (C). There is a good deal of confusion over some aspects of his life, the main difficulty being exactly who his parents were (it is not absolutely clear if he was the son of the above Robert) and who, if any, his descendants were.
John was one of the three leaders who were sent to Ireland by Henry 11 on hearing of the death of Richard de Clare, 2nd Earl of Pembroke, who had been governor in Ireland. By marrying Eva, the daughter of Dermot, the dethroned King of Leinster, Strongbow had himself become King of Leinster. Henry 11 had become jealous of his earl's success in the country and when he did John de Courcy's group were sent over as a conquering force. They sailed in 1177 with 22 knights and about 300 followers. After a rapid march from Dublin they burst upon the city of Down and seized it, securing a land and sea base. The Irish initially fled and although they later tried to recapture the town, they were roundly defeated by John de Courcy's troops (C).
After this success, De Courcy went on to further conquests, fighting no fewer than five battles and obtaining a substantial hold on Ulster, more correctly the province of Uladh, now comprising Down and Antrim. His method was to build castles as he went, putting his followers and kinsmen in them and setting them up as barons or feudal tenants.
John de Courcy married Affreca, a daughter of Godred, King of the Isle of Man, a marriage that brought him into royal circles - he is even spoken of in some documents as "prince" and "earl" of Ulster, but this is not correct.
In 1193 his wife founded the Grey Abbey for Cistercian monks on Strangford Lough, south of what is now Belfast. In 1204 John's forces were defeated by his long time rival Hugh de Lacy and John himself was taken prisoner.
DeLacy obtained a grant for the whole of Ulster and received the title of earl and John again went into the fray, rounding up a pirate fleet and landing at Strangford. But the DeLacy forces routed them completely and John finally fled.
By the early 1200s he had returned to England and by 1210 he was pensioned courtier of King John (of Magna Carta fame), returning to Ireland on at least one occasion, with the King. It appears he died shortly before 22 September 1219.
(Refer to my Post - 29 Generations from King William 1 to Kenneth Dewhurst).
John was bountiful to the church. As well as his Benedictine priory at Ardglass and benefactions to Down Abbey, he founded the priories of Neddrum and Toberglory, both in Ulster, and also Innes Abbey on the island of Innes Courcy, neither of which are mentioned in modern gazetteers.
It seems virtually certain that John had no legitimate children, and although many writers derive the Lords Kinsale from him, this is probably incorrect (B). It is not clear at all where the Barons of Kinsale began or whether John had any real connection with them.
The De Courcy link with our family occurs about four centuries later, in the 1600s, when a Margaret de Courcy married William Ireland. We are not sure where Margaret fits into the De Courcy family tree, but she appears to be the daughter of a Colonel Henty de Courcy, one of three generations of Henry's descending initially from David de Courcy, the 15th Baron of Kingsale. Not are we completely clear who William's father was and his exact link with the earlier Irelands (D). However, Margaret de Courcy's and William Ireland's marriage was to set in train the Ireland line that comes down to our own day.
It was Richard Davies Ireland (1815-1877) who brought our branch of the Irelands to Australia when he emigrated in 1853. (see R.D.Ireland). We still have Ireland cousins: John and Richard who are great grandsons of Richard, through their grandfather De Courcy Ireland and their father Percy Ireland. It is John Ireland who has contributed enormously to this history through his outstanding work of tracing the Ireland pedigree and history and his study of the life of R.D.Ireland. (Refer to Post - Richard Davies Ireland & Sophia Mary Carr by E and Richard Ireland family tree)
Perhaps the most visible reminder of the De Courys and the Barons of Kinsale is the remains of the Ringroan Castle, which stands forlornly at the Old Head of Kinsale, the promontory south-west of the city of Cork. Relatively little is known of the history of the castle, though it appears to have been built by Myles de Courcy some time before the end of the 14th century. The almost total demolition of the castle would have to have occurred some time after 1690, because there is an account of a battle in that year in which Lord Marlborough's army of 800 men at one stage retire into the castle (suggesting an intact building) where "some barrels of gunpowder exploded, killing about 40 soldiers" (F). No doubt the explosions of gunpowder materially damaged the castle, though whether they were responsible for its virtual demise is unclear.
As Barons of Kingsale, the DeCourcys were prominent in west Cork, where branches of the family were established. A century ago, when they were mainly located around Clonakilty, south-west of the city of Cork (and west of Ringroan Castle), the prefix "de" in their name had been dropped, but was later restored (E). Although the barons Kingsale are one of the oldest families connected with County Cork, they have not figured prominently in Cork's history and "there is little left on record to recall their long association with it, extending to over seven centuries" (F). There are only two or three isolated references to the DeCourcys taking any part in the civic affairs of their home count. According to one account, the DeCourcys at one time had great possessions in County Cork, but as far back as the reign of Elizabeth 1, they were noted for their poverty, which kept them in obscurity (F).
But they did have one rather intriguing claim to fame; an ancient privilege of being allowed to wear a hat in the presence of royalty. It is said to have originated with John of Ulster. The cynic might see it as a privilege notable only for its sheer absurdity. At all events, it appears that the Lords Kingsale have in fact only availed themselves of the privilege five times through history, on each occasion causing questions to be asked. The first was Almericus Lord Kingsale in the 1600s in the presence of William 111. According to one account, Almericus, who was "very handsome in his person and of all statue" was admitted to the King's presence and "walked to and fro with his hat on his head".
"The King observing him, sent one of his attendants to enquire the reason of his appearing before him with his head covered" (F).
"He replied that he very well knew in whose presence he stood, and the reason why he wore his hat that day was because he stood before the King of England. This answer being told the King, and his Lordship approaching nearer the throne was required by His Majesty to explain himself, which he did to this effect: "May it please your Majesty, my name is Courcy (sic) and I am Lord of Kingsale in your Kingdom of Ireland. The reason of my appearing covered in your Majesty's presence is to assert the ancient privilege to my family, granted by Sir John deCourcy, Earl of Ulster, and his heirs, by John, King of England, for his and his successors for ever".
The King replied he remembered he had such a nobleman and believed the privilege he asserted to be his right and "giving him his hand to kiss, his Lordship paid his obeisance and remained covered".
(Refer to my Post "Short History of the De Courcy family". Reference is made of Almericus, the brother of Margaret De Courcy).
During the reign of King George 111, the then Lord Kingsale, in the King's presence, remained covered, in the presence of ladies. According to this story, the King walked over to him, tapped him on the shoulder and said "I am aware, my Lord, of your right to remain covered in my presence, but you should recollect that you are in the presence of ladies also".
Near to our own era, the DeCourcy privilege in fact proved something of a nuisance. The then Lord Kingsale was attending a levee on June 25, 1859 for Queen Victoria. A very tall man, his Lordship sported a deputy-lieutenant's uniform, "which in those days exhibited a high cocked hat with a long straight feather, so that when he had his hat on he could scarcely enter the door without touching the top of it". A good reason, one might think, for taking the hat off. But nothing was going to stop the good baron from "asserting" his royal privilege and he insisted on leaving it on his head. Some courtiers who rushed to warn him, either to observe normal protocol or to avoid knocking his headgear off, were "prevented from interfering". History does not relate whether in fact the plumed hat came off. At some stage apparently Lord Kingsale approached Her Majesty with hat on, "took if off when passing the Queen, then put it on again and remained covered". It seems his Lordship spent the better part of the levee concerned more with his hat than anything else (F).
The place name Courcy is found in two locations, both small villages, in Normandy. One is about six kilometres east of Coutances on the eastern side of the Cotentin Peninsula. The other Courcy is in the centre of Normany, near Argentin, about sixty kilometres southeast of Caen. There are no obvious remains of the DeCourcys in either village apart from the name. It is interesting that three lines of the family should trace their origins to places very close to one another in Normandy. The Hays are said to have originated in La Haye du Puits, barely forty kilometres north of the Coutances Courcy. The Ruffys trace their origins to Luneray, only one hundred kilometres or so from the Courcy near Caen. (See Hay and Ruffy).
An intriguing memento of the De Courcy family is buried in the gentle valleys and rolling hills of Somerset in England, where the village of Stogursey lives. Originally, its name was Stoke Courcy, but over the centuries, the Somerset accent smoothed it out into one word, Stogursey. Just fourteen kilometres from Bridgewater, in the north of Somerset, and not far from the Bristol Channel, Stogursey is a legacy of the Norman Conquest.
The De Courcys were among the followers of William the Conqueror who were given lands in England. William de Courcy married Emma, daughter of William of Falaise, who had been given the estate in return for service to the King. So the De Courcy family, it is said, built the castle that lies on the edge of the village, and founded a town at its gated. Today very little remains of the castle.
The finest building in the village is undoubtedly the priory church of St Andrew. Monks from the abbey of Lonlay in Normandy came over to found the Benedictine priory at what was then Stoke Courcy in about 1120. A further De Courcy connection arose later that century, in 1183, when John de Courcy, conqueror of Ulster, founded the co-called Black Abbey at Ards in County Down, northern Ireland. Some of the monks from Stogursey, it is said, helped to build the Irish abbey and went there as foundation members. Although the site marked, Black Abbey (called Black because the Benedictine Monks wore black habits) no longer remains.
There are no memorials to the De Courcy family in the church of St Andrew, although it is a building of some interest, with some excellent Norman arches. The spaciousness of the interior, quite unlike the churches of rural parishes in south-west England, suggests that it was designed by a continental architect. Because the priory belonged to a foreign abbey, it enjoyed only two centuries of independence, the properties of alien priorities being seized by the Crown. In 1414 the priory was dissolved by Henry V, and the revenue was used to endow Eton College when it was founded in 1440. The provost and fellows of Eton did not enter into possession of the priory until 1465, although since 1453 Eton, as patron of the living, has appointed its vicars.
The church's Verney Chapel contains many memorials to the Verney family, of Fairfield manor, two kilometres west of Stogursey. There is an interesting possibility that an early member of the family, Cecily de Vernai, later allied herself to Richard de Watson (called Richard de Meath), an early ancestor of the Ireland family. (see The Irelands). In recent times, the church has established itself as a local centre for organ and ecclesiastical music (G).
References:
A. O'Hart, "Irish Landed Gentry when Cromwell to England", Jas.Duffy & Sons, Dublin, 1887.
B. Edmund Lodge, "The Genealogy of British Peerage and Baronetage", Hurst and Blackett, 1859.
C. "Dictionary of National Biography:, Oxford, Oxford University Press, 1917.
D. Genealogical papers compiled by John Ireland.
E. Edward MacLysagt, "The Surnames of Ireland",Irish Academic Publishing Company 1989.
F. Antiquarian Remains And Historical Places in the Kinsale District. "Cork Historical and Archaeological Society Journal" Vol XVIII,1912 and Vol XIX, 1913 (National Library of Ireland).
G. Richard Ballard, "The Priory Church of St Andrew, Stogursey", Stogursey P.C.C.
If you have any comments or corrections, please contact the author of this blog Joy Olney via email - joyolney@gmail.com
Margaret de Courcy married William Ireland 1667
(refer to Post - Ireland family 1196-1877 by Elizabeth Rennick)
(refer to my Post - 10 Generations from William Ireland
and Margaret deCourcy to Kenneth Dewhurst)
(refer to my Post - 10 Generations from William Ireland
and Margaret deCourcy to Kenneth Dewhurst)
There are a number of people of the surname DeCourcy in Australia (in 1995, the Melbourne telephone directory listed six and the Sydney directory 11), but their connection with our line of the family would have to be remote in the extreme. Our own link with DeCourceys is a distant is a distant one but worth recording because they were an interesting and historic family, and because the name has passed down to several family members as a Christian name. Two DeCourcys of note in Australia but not connected with us are Jim DeCourcy (b.1927) the New South Wales test cricketer, and Catherine DeCourcy, author of "The Zoo Story" (Penguin 1995), a history of the Melbourne Zoo. Ms DeCourcy is a member of the prominent Limerick branch of the DeCourcy family. She emigrated to Australia in 1987.
Note: spellings of the name De Courcy vary, some giving "de Courcy" and some "De Courcy". I have standardised the spelling in this book, using "De" (D - capitalised) when the name is used alone and "de" (d - lower case) when part of a full name.
The DeCourcy family is Norman in origin and one of the many such families who went to Ireland, usually for reasons of war or conquest, and made their home there. DeCourcy was the family name of the Barons of Kinsale or Kingsale and according to some genealogists, they derive their descent from the House of Lorraine linked with ("of the race of" the Emperor Charlemagne, who died in 814, and some say they were allied to most of the princes in Europe (A).
According to this genealogy, the most prominent early De Courcy is Richard de Courcy who accompanied William the Conqueror on his expedition to England and was at the battle of Hastings (1).
Richard was the son of a Robert de Courcy, who was Lord Courcy in Normandy and he in turn was the son of Balderic Teutonicus, so called possibly because he had spent some time in Germany and described as a stout and warlike commander.
On the strength of his 1066 expedition, Richard de Courcy was granted several lordships in England, one of which was that of Stoke in the county of Somerset (B). The connection of Stoke with the De Courcys gave rise to the intriguing place name Stogursey, which in the 12th century had been called Stroke Courci. By the 15th century it had become Stogursey, which it is to this day.
A later Robert De Courcy, Baron of Stoke in the time of King Stephen (1094-1154) died in 1171 leaving, according to some authorities, two sons, John and Jordan and a daughter.
John de Courcy, who died about 1219 and was a member of the Somersetshire family, was to become the most famous De Courcy, going down in history as the "conqueror of Ulster". His whole adult life seems to have been spent in fighting battles, building castles and conquering or losing territory (C). There is a good deal of confusion over some aspects of his life, the main difficulty being exactly who his parents were (it is not absolutely clear if he was the son of the above Robert) and who, if any, his descendants were.
John was one of the three leaders who were sent to Ireland by Henry 11 on hearing of the death of Richard de Clare, 2nd Earl of Pembroke, who had been governor in Ireland. By marrying Eva, the daughter of Dermot, the dethroned King of Leinster, Strongbow had himself become King of Leinster. Henry 11 had become jealous of his earl's success in the country and when he did John de Courcy's group were sent over as a conquering force. They sailed in 1177 with 22 knights and about 300 followers. After a rapid march from Dublin they burst upon the city of Down and seized it, securing a land and sea base. The Irish initially fled and although they later tried to recapture the town, they were roundly defeated by John de Courcy's troops (C).
After this success, De Courcy went on to further conquests, fighting no fewer than five battles and obtaining a substantial hold on Ulster, more correctly the province of Uladh, now comprising Down and Antrim. His method was to build castles as he went, putting his followers and kinsmen in them and setting them up as barons or feudal tenants.
John de Courcy married Affreca, a daughter of Godred, King of the Isle of Man, a marriage that brought him into royal circles - he is even spoken of in some documents as "prince" and "earl" of Ulster, but this is not correct.
In 1193 his wife founded the Grey Abbey for Cistercian monks on Strangford Lough, south of what is now Belfast. In 1204 John's forces were defeated by his long time rival Hugh de Lacy and John himself was taken prisoner.
DeLacy obtained a grant for the whole of Ulster and received the title of earl and John again went into the fray, rounding up a pirate fleet and landing at Strangford. But the DeLacy forces routed them completely and John finally fled.
By the early 1200s he had returned to England and by 1210 he was pensioned courtier of King John (of Magna Carta fame), returning to Ireland on at least one occasion, with the King. It appears he died shortly before 22 September 1219.
(Refer to my Post - 29 Generations from King William 1 to Kenneth Dewhurst).
John was bountiful to the church. As well as his Benedictine priory at Ardglass and benefactions to Down Abbey, he founded the priories of Neddrum and Toberglory, both in Ulster, and also Innes Abbey on the island of Innes Courcy, neither of which are mentioned in modern gazetteers.
It seems virtually certain that John had no legitimate children, and although many writers derive the Lords Kinsale from him, this is probably incorrect (B). It is not clear at all where the Barons of Kinsale began or whether John had any real connection with them.
The De Courcy link with our family occurs about four centuries later, in the 1600s, when a Margaret de Courcy married William Ireland. We are not sure where Margaret fits into the De Courcy family tree, but she appears to be the daughter of a Colonel Henty de Courcy, one of three generations of Henry's descending initially from David de Courcy, the 15th Baron of Kingsale. Not are we completely clear who William's father was and his exact link with the earlier Irelands (D). However, Margaret de Courcy's and William Ireland's marriage was to set in train the Ireland line that comes down to our own day.
It was Richard Davies Ireland (1815-1877) who brought our branch of the Irelands to Australia when he emigrated in 1853. (see R.D.Ireland). We still have Ireland cousins: John and Richard who are great grandsons of Richard, through their grandfather De Courcy Ireland and their father Percy Ireland. It is John Ireland who has contributed enormously to this history through his outstanding work of tracing the Ireland pedigree and history and his study of the life of R.D.Ireland. (Refer to Post - Richard Davies Ireland & Sophia Mary Carr by E and Richard Ireland family tree)
 |
| Remains of the De Courcy family's Ringroan Castle at the Old Head of Kinsale, near Cork sketch by Joan Rennick. |
Perhaps the most visible reminder of the De Courys and the Barons of Kinsale is the remains of the Ringroan Castle, which stands forlornly at the Old Head of Kinsale, the promontory south-west of the city of Cork. Relatively little is known of the history of the castle, though it appears to have been built by Myles de Courcy some time before the end of the 14th century. The almost total demolition of the castle would have to have occurred some time after 1690, because there is an account of a battle in that year in which Lord Marlborough's army of 800 men at one stage retire into the castle (suggesting an intact building) where "some barrels of gunpowder exploded, killing about 40 soldiers" (F). No doubt the explosions of gunpowder materially damaged the castle, though whether they were responsible for its virtual demise is unclear.
As Barons of Kingsale, the DeCourcys were prominent in west Cork, where branches of the family were established. A century ago, when they were mainly located around Clonakilty, south-west of the city of Cork (and west of Ringroan Castle), the prefix "de" in their name had been dropped, but was later restored (E). Although the barons Kingsale are one of the oldest families connected with County Cork, they have not figured prominently in Cork's history and "there is little left on record to recall their long association with it, extending to over seven centuries" (F). There are only two or three isolated references to the DeCourcys taking any part in the civic affairs of their home count. According to one account, the DeCourcys at one time had great possessions in County Cork, but as far back as the reign of Elizabeth 1, they were noted for their poverty, which kept them in obscurity (F).
But they did have one rather intriguing claim to fame; an ancient privilege of being allowed to wear a hat in the presence of royalty. It is said to have originated with John of Ulster. The cynic might see it as a privilege notable only for its sheer absurdity. At all events, it appears that the Lords Kingsale have in fact only availed themselves of the privilege five times through history, on each occasion causing questions to be asked. The first was Almericus Lord Kingsale in the 1600s in the presence of William 111. According to one account, Almericus, who was "very handsome in his person and of all statue" was admitted to the King's presence and "walked to and fro with his hat on his head".
"The King observing him, sent one of his attendants to enquire the reason of his appearing before him with his head covered" (F).
"He replied that he very well knew in whose presence he stood, and the reason why he wore his hat that day was because he stood before the King of England. This answer being told the King, and his Lordship approaching nearer the throne was required by His Majesty to explain himself, which he did to this effect: "May it please your Majesty, my name is Courcy (sic) and I am Lord of Kingsale in your Kingdom of Ireland. The reason of my appearing covered in your Majesty's presence is to assert the ancient privilege to my family, granted by Sir John deCourcy, Earl of Ulster, and his heirs, by John, King of England, for his and his successors for ever".
The King replied he remembered he had such a nobleman and believed the privilege he asserted to be his right and "giving him his hand to kiss, his Lordship paid his obeisance and remained covered".
(Refer to my Post "Short History of the De Courcy family". Reference is made of Almericus, the brother of Margaret De Courcy).
During the reign of King George 111, the then Lord Kingsale, in the King's presence, remained covered, in the presence of ladies. According to this story, the King walked over to him, tapped him on the shoulder and said "I am aware, my Lord, of your right to remain covered in my presence, but you should recollect that you are in the presence of ladies also".
Near to our own era, the DeCourcy privilege in fact proved something of a nuisance. The then Lord Kingsale was attending a levee on June 25, 1859 for Queen Victoria. A very tall man, his Lordship sported a deputy-lieutenant's uniform, "which in those days exhibited a high cocked hat with a long straight feather, so that when he had his hat on he could scarcely enter the door without touching the top of it". A good reason, one might think, for taking the hat off. But nothing was going to stop the good baron from "asserting" his royal privilege and he insisted on leaving it on his head. Some courtiers who rushed to warn him, either to observe normal protocol or to avoid knocking his headgear off, were "prevented from interfering". History does not relate whether in fact the plumed hat came off. At some stage apparently Lord Kingsale approached Her Majesty with hat on, "took if off when passing the Queen, then put it on again and remained covered". It seems his Lordship spent the better part of the levee concerned more with his hat than anything else (F).
The place name Courcy is found in two locations, both small villages, in Normandy. One is about six kilometres east of Coutances on the eastern side of the Cotentin Peninsula. The other Courcy is in the centre of Normany, near Argentin, about sixty kilometres southeast of Caen. There are no obvious remains of the DeCourcys in either village apart from the name. It is interesting that three lines of the family should trace their origins to places very close to one another in Normandy. The Hays are said to have originated in La Haye du Puits, barely forty kilometres north of the Coutances Courcy. The Ruffys trace their origins to Luneray, only one hundred kilometres or so from the Courcy near Caen. (See Hay and Ruffy).
Courcy, Normandy
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| The entry to Courcy near Argentin, central Normandy. |
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| Old house in the village of Courcy. |
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| A leafy lane through the village of Courcy. |
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| Entry to the second Courcy, near Coutances. |
An intriguing memento of the De Courcy family is buried in the gentle valleys and rolling hills of Somerset in England, where the village of Stogursey lives. Originally, its name was Stoke Courcy, but over the centuries, the Somerset accent smoothed it out into one word, Stogursey. Just fourteen kilometres from Bridgewater, in the north of Somerset, and not far from the Bristol Channel, Stogursey is a legacy of the Norman Conquest.
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| Map of Britain, Ireland and France showing places associated with the De Courcy family. Inset map shows the two Courcy villages in Normandy, with nearby towns. |
The De Courcys were among the followers of William the Conqueror who were given lands in England. William de Courcy married Emma, daughter of William of Falaise, who had been given the estate in return for service to the King. So the De Courcy family, it is said, built the castle that lies on the edge of the village, and founded a town at its gated. Today very little remains of the castle.
The finest building in the village is undoubtedly the priory church of St Andrew. Monks from the abbey of Lonlay in Normandy came over to found the Benedictine priory at what was then Stoke Courcy in about 1120. A further De Courcy connection arose later that century, in 1183, when John de Courcy, conqueror of Ulster, founded the co-called Black Abbey at Ards in County Down, northern Ireland. Some of the monks from Stogursey, it is said, helped to build the Irish abbey and went there as foundation members. Although the site marked, Black Abbey (called Black because the Benedictine Monks wore black habits) no longer remains.
There are no memorials to the De Courcy family in the church of St Andrew, although it is a building of some interest, with some excellent Norman arches. The spaciousness of the interior, quite unlike the churches of rural parishes in south-west England, suggests that it was designed by a continental architect. Because the priory belonged to a foreign abbey, it enjoyed only two centuries of independence, the properties of alien priorities being seized by the Crown. In 1414 the priory was dissolved by Henry V, and the revenue was used to endow Eton College when it was founded in 1440. The provost and fellows of Eton did not enter into possession of the priory until 1465, although since 1453 Eton, as patron of the living, has appointed its vicars.
The church's Verney Chapel contains many memorials to the Verney family, of Fairfield manor, two kilometres west of Stogursey. There is an interesting possibility that an early member of the family, Cecily de Vernai, later allied herself to Richard de Watson (called Richard de Meath), an early ancestor of the Ireland family. (see The Irelands). In recent times, the church has established itself as a local centre for organ and ecclesiastical music (G).
Photos of Stogursey, Somerset
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| Stogursey, the town in Somerset that was originally called Stoke Courcy. |
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| St Andrew's Church in Stogursey, Somerset, England. |
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| The town centre of Stogursey, Somerset, England. |
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| The Priory Church of St Andrew, Stoke Courcy. Sign still bearing the old name. |
References:
A. O'Hart, "Irish Landed Gentry when Cromwell to England", Jas.Duffy & Sons, Dublin, 1887.
B. Edmund Lodge, "The Genealogy of British Peerage and Baronetage", Hurst and Blackett, 1859.
C. "Dictionary of National Biography:, Oxford, Oxford University Press, 1917.
D. Genealogical papers compiled by John Ireland.
E. Edward MacLysagt, "The Surnames of Ireland",Irish Academic Publishing Company 1989.
F. Antiquarian Remains And Historical Places in the Kinsale District. "Cork Historical and Archaeological Society Journal" Vol XVIII,1912 and Vol XIX, 1913 (National Library of Ireland).
G. Richard Ballard, "The Priory Church of St Andrew, Stogursey", Stogursey P.C.C.
If you have any comments or corrections, please contact the author of this blog Joy Olney via email - joyolney@gmail.com
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