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

MANOR OP HURST-PIERPOINT. 23
the Diclionnaire Genealogique, 3 vols.l2mo, Paris, 1757, Sable
fretty argent, on a chief of the last a demi-lion rampant issuant
gales. As these arms substantially were the ancient arms of
the Champaignes and Campions of England, there can be
little doubt that the Campions of Normandy were cadets of
the Champaignes of Maine, the coat of the latter containing
their lion rampant ; and that the Campions of England came
from either the main stock or the Norman branch, but pro-
bably from the latter.
At first sight, it might be presumed that this ancient and
distinguished family sprung from the Counts of Champagne.
Desbois, without the slightest authority, attributes to them the
arms of the latter ; but is totally silent as to their supposed
derivation from that royal race. The Dictionnaire Genea-
logique begins its account of the family with an allusion to it,
but does not pretend to connect them, and gives for their
arms the fretty coat, as does also a more modern authority,
De Courcelles. The account in Hozier {Armorial de la Fi ance)
pretends to derive them from the Counts of Champagne, and
attributes to them their arms, but without the slightest proof.
The fact is, the country whence the name is derived, and
in which the estates constituting the barony are situated, is an
open champaign country or district, and many places therein, as
may be seen on a good map, are distinguished from others of
the same name, aux bois, by the suffix en champaigne, as our
Weald is distinguished from the Downs, and has, moreover,
the signification of district, as Champaign d'Alencon, &c.
Desbois says that the name of Champagne, however, was
first assumed by Hubert III., it is to be presumed not before
his marriage in 1080. It may be, that the first mention of
the family with that designation which happens to be met
with is in the person of this Hubert ; but its use must un-
questionably have been much earlier, for the Campions of
Normandy were evidently not descended from this Hubert,
but from some earlier ancestor.