Notices of the Ellises of England, Scotland, and Ireland, from the conquest to the present time

MANOR OF HURST-PIERPOINT. 3
inheriting, even at that early period, frequently imposed her
patronymic on her husband and son, that truth requires ex-
treme caution in admitting prevalent statements of this nature,
which arise from conclusions too hastily formed. In the case
before us, though the Robert of Hurst is not called by his
surname in Domesday, yet that document, in giving the under-
tenants of William de Warren in Suffolk, mentions Robert,
Godfrey, and Rainald " de Petraponte," as owners of lands
which appear by subsequent deeds to be possessed by the
Pierpoints of Hurst; and other their possessions in Sussex
can be traced up to their Domesday owners, " Godfrey" and
* " Robert." In the Gallia Christiana (vol. ii., Appendix) a
charter is cited, dated 1059, by which Robert de Petrapont
and his brother Godfrey gave the tithes of Cuverville to a
monastery. 1
There can be little doubt that these are the same persons
as the Domesday tenants. Where a mesne tenant holds largely
of his superior lord, he is often found to be his son or other
near relative ; such was undoubtedly the case with the Pier-
points and Warrens. In Sussex, Robert de Pierpoint held
58 hides of land, and Godfrey 24 — together 82 hides, or
about 9000 acres of land. To this enumeration should be
added the possessions of William Fitz-Reinald, who had
Poynings and other manors amounting to 30 hides, nearly
4000 acres ; for this person also held land in Wretham, in
Suffolk, the manor of the Pierpoints ; and it is probable he
was son of Reinald de Pierpoint before mentioned. In order
to ascertain what relation the Pierpoints might be to the
Warrens, an inspection of the pedigree of the latter 2 makes
us acquainted with a " Godfrey," uncle of the William de
1 " Gilston of G-ileston, to which there 2 Mr. Watson's handsomely embellished
was a manor or lordship attached, was volumes, Memoirs of the Earls of Warren,
so called from Sir Giles Pierpoint, one are generally resorted to for information
of Bernard Newmarch's knights. Joyce, on this family ; but that work is well
daughter and heir of John Pierpoint alias known to be, in many respects, quite
Parkville, married Walter or Watkin untrustworthy : abounding with hasty
Gunter, eighth in descent from Sir Peter, conclusions, false deductions, erroneous
a contemporary of Sir Giles." — (Jones's statements, and quotations from bad or
Mist, of Brecknock, vol. ii. part 2, p. 593.) doubtful authorities. The pedigree of the
In the pedigree of Gunter, in Vincent's Warrens at the end of this paper is com-
Sussex, quoted in Dallaway's Chichester piled from deeds and other documents
'Rape, Richard Gunter, seventh in descent by the late Mr. Stapleton (a very safe
from Jenkin Gunter, temp. William I., authority), and brought together by Mr.
marries Maud, daughter and heiress of Eyton, in his excellent Antiquities of
John de Pierpoint. Shropshire.