THE HONOR OF GLOUCESTER
HOW CATHERINE LOWNDES STONE WAS ABLE TO COLLECT MONEY FROM:
WOOLSTONE, MILTON KEYNES, AND GREAT CRAWLEY VILLAGES
NORMAN ORIGINS
Walter Gifford known as “Fat Cheeks” was the son of Osbern De Bolebec who was Lord of Longville-la-Gifast in Normandy- (Now Loungueville – Sur Scie)
Walter charged in on the English Standard at Hastings and for his services he received land in ten counties, but his main estate was in Bucks where his “Caput” and Castle was at Long Crendon.
Walter had a holding of 2½ hides in Great Crawley which was entered in the Doomsday Book under Hardmead and he acted as one of the Doomsday Commissioners.
His son and successor Walter Gifford was Earl of Buckingham, a supporter of William Rufus and was his Chancellor.
The grandson Walter Gifford died without issue so in 1164 the “Honor” reverted to King Henry II who was desperately short of money so kept it for the Crown.
In 1189 King Richard I needed cash for the Third Crusade so he divided and sold the lands to Richard Fitz Roger de Clare, Earl of Hertford and Isabel the wife of William Marshall, Earl of Pembroke both of whom claimed descent from Rohese the first William Gifford’s’ sister.
Richard Fitz Roger’s son Gilbert inherited the Earldom of Gloucester and married Isabel one of William Marshalls’ daughters whereby certain positions of the Gifford Honor in Bucks became reunited and merged in the greater “Honor of Gloucester”.
Eventually Francis Duncombe brought the Honor for £48.7s.6d and sold it in 1719 to William Lowndes.