Martyn Family History

Scott H. Martyn
Glen Ellyn, IL  60137
Please type this address in your email program to contact me

William DE COMYN [6415]
(1084-1159)

 

Family Links

Spouses/Children:
1. Sybyl DE GIFFARD [6416]

William DE COMYN [6415] 1517

  • Born: 1084, Fonthill Gifford, Wiltshire, England 1517
  • Marriage (1): Sybyl DE GIFFARD [6416]
  • Died: 1159 at age 75 1517
  • Buried: 1160 1517

   FamilySearch ID: LBDP-C3G.

  General Notes:

The Sir William Comyn, Chancellor of Scotland shown here is very possibly NOT Richard's father, but more likely Richard's uncle. The above William apparently did not have any off-spring and in 1144, after three years of fighting at Durham his "favorite nephew", another William died. Therefore, "Yet the families social climbing in Scotland continued after 1144 through William's remaining nephew Richard who benefitted from the patronage of King David and especially his son, Earl Henry, to become the real founder of the Comyn family's landed fortunes." Being Richard's uncle, William would have been Richard's father's brother. And it is highly unlikely that the brother's would both have been named William. Richard's father's name is here-to-for unknown. So, the Comyn direct line most probably ends with Richard Comyn Lord of Tynedale, 1115 - 1177.
About Sir William de Comyn, Constable of Scotland
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Comyn_(Chancellor)

See "My Lines"
( http://homepages.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~cousin/html/p64.htm#i8195 )

from Compiler: R. B. Stewart, Evans, GA

( http://homepages.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~cousin/html/index.htm )

William Cumin (or de Comyn, de Commines etc.)(died c. 1159) was a medieval Bishop of Durham elect, and Lord Chancellor of Scotland.
Cumin was the grandson of Robert de Comines.[1] The de Comines were a family from Comines in Flanders. Several of Cumin's were clerks in the chanceries of King Henry I of England and King Henry II of England, as well as in the dioceses of Rouen and Bayeux. A John Cumin, who became Archbishop of Dublin in 1182 may also have been a relative.[2] William Cumin was Archdeacon of Worcester by March 1125 and the chancellor of King David I of Scotland[3] before 1136.[2] David was the uncle of the Empress Matilda.[4] Cumin was educated by Geoffrey Rufus, who had been chancellor to King Henry I of England and Bishop of Durham.[5] Cumin was captured at the Battle of the Standard in August 1138, but was set free at the instigation of the papal legate, Alberic of Ostia.[2]

At the time of the death of Geoffrey Rufus, most of the diocese of Durham was under the control of King David. With the death of Geoffrey, David tried to gain control of the English diocese by installing his own candidate into Durham, this being his chancellor, Cumin.[6] When David came south to meet with the Empress, he stopped in Durham, where he refused to allow the burial of the previous bishop until Cumin was allowed into the see.[7] Cumin was intruded into the see of Durham about 11 May 1141, but was never consecrated.[3] However, when the Empress was driven from London in June 1141, this deprived Cumin of some support.[5] Cumin still had the support of one of Geoffrey's nephews and support in the cathedral chapter and castle. But he was opposed by Ranulf, the nephew of Bishop Ranulf Flambard, who was an archdeacon at Durham, and by the papal legate to England.[4] Another supporter was William of Aumale, Earl of York, who attempted to marry one of his nieces to Cumin's nephew who held Northallerton in the North Riding of Yorkshire.[8]

By 1142, David had withdrawn his support, and Cumin resorted to using a forged letter of support from the papacy in an attempt to get consecrated.[2] Eventually Cumin was deprived of his benefices by Pope Innocent II about 14 March 1143 as well as being excommunicated.[3] Around this time his soldiers were described as 'incessantly making forages;whatever they could lay their hands on they plundered....wherever these men passed it became a wilderness. Their torments were of many and various kinds, difficult to describe and difficult to believe. Men were hung fromthe walls of their own howses....others...plunged into the bed of the river....everywhere throughout the town there were groanss and various kinds of deaths'. Simeon of Durham At the same time, the pope ordered a new election held at York Minster which selected the Dean of York, William of St. Barbara.[6] Cumin, however, still had the support of two of the local magnates, Henry, Earl of Northumbria and Alan, Earl of Richmond, and Cumin garrisoned the priory.[7] In 1144, Cumin negotiated a settlement of the dispute, in which he relinquished his claims to Durham in exchange for lands to endow his nephew Richard. Cumin was imprisoned for a time, but eventually returned to the south of England where he had the support of Gilbert Foliot, then Abbot of Gloucester.[2]

Theobald of Bec, Archbishop of Canterbury then took up Cumin's cause in about 1146, and Theobald lobbied the papacy for Cumin's absolution.[2] Cumin was restored to some of his benefices by 1152, and was once more Archdeacon of Worcester by 1157. He died probably about 1158 or 1159.[9]

Two of Cumin's nephews served as knights in Scotland. William is noted as a knight by the Durham chronicle, and Osbert served Henry, earl of Northumberland. Both died in the before 1144 during the conflicts in Durham. Another nephew, Richard Comyn, received the honour of Richmond as part of his uncle's settlement at Durham. Richard was the ancestor of the Comyn family of Scotland.[2]

From: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Cumin
_____________________

RICHARD IS LISTED AS WILLIAMS NEPHEW IN WIKIPEDIA
William Comyn
M, #3933, d. before 1140
Father John Comyn d. a 1135
Mother (Miss) Giffard
William Comyn married Maud Banaster, daughter of Thurston Banaster. William Comyn died before 1140.
Family Maud Banaster d. c 1222....these dates are inconsistent as husband died 82 years before wife
Child
Richard Cumin, Justiciary of Scotland+ d. 1189
From: http://our-royal-titled-noble-and-commoner-ancestors.com/p131.htm#i3933
___________________

http://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Comyn-11

William Comyn
Born about 1084 in Altyre, Morayshiremap Son of John Comyn and Unknown (Giffard) Comyn [sibling(s) unknown] Husband of Maud (Banastre) Comyn \emdash married [date unknown] [location unknown] Father of Richard Comyn

  Noted events in his life were:

1. He was Archdeacon of Worcester about 1157. 1519

2. He worked as a Bishop of Durham between 1141 and 1143. 1519


William married Sybyl DE GIFFARD [6416] [MRIN: 5380].