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FitzMartin was the surname of a Norman family based in England and Wales between 1085 and 1342.
Contents
Family origins
The first known member of the family was William Martyn de Tours, who records show was born c. 1020 to Nicholas de Caineis in Tours,Puy-de-Dome, Auvergne, France. As an adult Sir William Martyn joined William the Conqueror in his invasion of England. William became the King of England after a successful military campaign which began at the Battle of Hastings in 1066. Sir William Martyn obtained the lands of Combe Martin in Devon, England, then engaged in his own battle against Wales, acquiring by force a barony in Pembrokeshire. Sir William Martyn, Lord Combe Martin, Lord Kemys, married Geva de Burci, daughter and sole heiress of Serlo de Burci, feudal baron of Blagdon in Somerset. By Geva de Burci, William Martyn he was father to a Sir Robert FitzMartin.
In his lifetime, Sir William Martin's son was known as Robert FitzMartin (i.e. French fils de, "son of"), and this patronymic developed into the surname FitzMartin. Sir William Martyn died c. 1094, and was buried at St. Dogmaels Abbey, Pembrokeshire, Wales.
Geva's second husband, William de Falaise, is listed in the Domesday Book of 1086 as a landowner in Devon, Dorset and Somerset. The bulk of the estates of Serlo de Burci, including the feudal barony of Blagdon in Somerset and Dartington, Devon, later devolved on Robert.
Other children of Sir William Martin and Geva de Burci, include son Nicholus, son William and a daughter Avice
Armorials
The Arms of FitzMartin are: Argent two bars gules. The arms of Nicholas FitzMartin in Glover's Roll of Arms (no. 202) show a label azure for difference. The label is charged on each point with three bezants for William Martin in Collins Roll (134) and for another William Martin in Segar's Roll (171) and Gwillim's Roll (60) where there are five points to the label each charged with three bezants.
Robert fitz Martin
Robert FitzMartin was born between 1070-1080 in the Lordship of Cemais (or Kemys), Pembrokeshire. He was the son of William Martyn de Tours 1st Lord of Cemais by his wife Geva De Burci. He married Alice De Nonant (or Maud Purvell).
The children of Robert FiztMartin and Alice De Nonant (or Maud Purvell) were:
The Lords of Cemais
The Lords of Cemais (or Kemys) in Pembrokeshire from the early 12th century are as follows:
The Martin feudal barons
The FitzMartin's oldest feudal barony had its caput at the manor of Blagdon, Somerset, or possibly at Dartington, Devon. They later inherited in addition the feudal barony of Barnstaple in Devon. Their descent was as follows:
Martin born c. 1052, at Blagdon, Somerset, England, died before 1086. He married Geva de Burci, daughter of Serlo de Burci, c. 1074. She was born c. 1058, and lived in Somerset and Dorset, England. She died after 1086.
Martin and Geva de Burci's child was:
Robert Fitz Martin c. 1084, at Blagdon, Somerset, England, died before 1159. He married Adelise c. 1106, and Alice de Nonant, daughter of Roger de Nonant, c. 1132. She was born c. 1108, died after 1175.
Robert Fitz Martin and Alice de Nonant's child was:
William Fitz Martin born c. 1140, in Blagdon, Somerset, England, died in either 1208 or 1209. He married Angharad verch Rhys c. 1168, She was the daughter of Rhys ap Gruffydd, Prince of South Wales, and Gwenllian verch Madog.
William Fitz Martin and Angharad verch Rhys' child was:
William Fitz Martin was born c. 1176, in Blagdon, Somerset, England. He died on 15 February 1215 or 1216. He married Avice de Toriton c 1199. She was born c 1184 and died after 1246.
William Fitz Martin and Avice de Toriton's child was:
Sir Nicholas Fitz Martin was born c. 1212, in Blagdon, Somerset, England, and died 1282. He married an unknown woman c. 1232, and then Isabel in either 1259 or 1260.
The child of Nicholas Fitz Martin and and his unknown first wife was:
Sir Nicholas FitzMartin [f] was born c. 1236, in Somerset, England, and died c. 1260. He marriedd Maud de Brian before 1257. She was the heiress of the feudal barony of Barnstaple, Devon, and the daughter of Guy de Brian and Eve de Tracy. Nicholas had pre-deceased his father Nicholas FitzMartin (died 1282), feudal baron of Blagdon, Somerset. Maud then married Geoffrey de Camville (died 1308), of Clifton Campville, Staffordshire, who had summons to attend the king at Portsmouth, with horse and arms, to embark in the expedition then proceeding to Gascony. He was subsequently summoned to parliament as Baron Camville, of Clifton, in the county of Stafford, from 23 Jun 1295 to 22 February 1307. Camville survived her by about 29 years during which time he retained possession of the barony under the curtesy of England.
The barony of Barnstaple was recovered on Geoffrey's death by Maud's son William I FitzMartin (died 1324). He married Eleanor Fitz Piers bef Jan 1281/82, daughter of Sir Reginald Fitz Piers (Fitz Herbert), Knight, and Joan de Vivonia.
The son and heir of William Martin and Eleanor Fitz Piers was William II FitzMartin who died sine prole in 1326, leaving as his co-heirs his surviving sister Eleanor FitzMartin (died 1342), who also died without progeny, albeit having married twice, and James Audley, 2nd Baron Audley (died 1386), the son of his other sister Joan FitzMartin (died 1322), by her second husband Nicholas Audley, 1st Baron Audley (died 1316) of Heleigh Castle, Staffordshire. Joane Martin was born c. 1290, in Barnstaple, Devonshire, England, and died c. 1321. She married Henry de Lacy, Earl of Lincoln, and then Sir Nicholas de Audley, Lord Audley, c. 1312, in Staffordshire, England, son of Nicholas de Audley and Catherine Giffard.
CP: Vol VIII[530-537]; AR: Line 63A[31], Line 71[33], Line 122[32].
End of the Line
The last of the senior line of the family, Eleanor, died in 1342. By this stage, junior branches of the family were already established in Waterston, Dorset (later of Athelhampton); St. David's, Wales; and by 1365 Thomas Martyn had settled in the town of Galway, Ireland. The Martyn family in Devon continued in several branches, at Oxton, Lindridge, Tonacombe, Hempston, Plymouth, etc.