Jean de Gisors (1133–1220) was a
Norman
Norman or Normans may refer to:
Ethnic and cultural identity
* The Normans, a people partly descended from Norse Vikings who settled in the territory of Normandy in France in the 10th and 11th centuries
** People or things connected with the Norm ...
lord of the fortress of
Gisors in
Normandy, where meetings were traditionally convened between
English and
French
French (french: français(e), link=no) may refer to:
* Something of, from, or related to France
** French language, which originated in France, and its various dialects and accents
** French people, a nation and ethnic group identified with Franc ...
kings. It was here, in 1188, a squabble occurred that involved the
cutting of an elm.
Initially he was a vassal of the king of England -
Henry II and then
Richard I. During this time he also owned property in
Sussex
Sussex (), from the Old English (), is a historic county in South East England that was formerly an independent medieval Anglo-Saxon kingdom. It is bounded to the west by Hampshire, north by Surrey, northeast by Kent, south by the English ...
and the manor of Titchfield in
Hampshire in England.
Some time between 1170 and 1180 he purchased the manor of
Buckland, Hampshire from the de Port family.
On this newly purchased land he founded the town of
Portsmouth as one end of a trade route between England and France. The original settlement of Portsmouth was a planned town on a medieval grid pattern, of which other examples can be found in places like
Salisbury. Much of this original grid pattern is still visible in the
Old Portsmouth district of Portsmouth.
One of the first acts ordered by de Gisors in Portsmouth was the donation of land to the Augustinian canons of
Southwick Priory
Southwick Priory or Our Lady at Southwick () was a priory of Augustinian canons founded in Portchester Castle on Portsmouth Harbour and later transferred north to Southwick, Hampshire, England. It ceased at the Dissolution of the Monasteries ...
so that they could build a chapel "to the glorious honour of the martyr Thomas of Canterbury, one time Archbishop, on (my) land which is called Sudewede, the island of Portsea",
Thomas Becket having spent much time in Gisors. This foundation of the Church of St Thomas of Canterbury was to eventually become
Portsmouth Cathedral
The Cathedral Church of St Thomas of Canterbury, commonly known as Portsmouth Cathedral, is an Anglican cathedral church in the centre of Old Portsmouth in Portsmouth, England. It is the cathedral of the Diocese of Portsmouth and the seat of ...
.
However the royal patronage of de Gisors was not to last, as after his support for an unsuccessful rebellion in Normandy in 1193 he paid the price by forfeiting all his lands, including Portsmouth, to
Richard I.
In popular culture
In
conspiracy theories, such as the one promoted in ''
The Holy Blood and the Holy Grail'', Jean de Gisors has been alleged to be the first
Grand Master of the Priory of Sion (1188–1220).
References
External links
The Founding of PortsmouthOrigins of Old Portsmouth
{{DEFAULTSORT:Gisors, Jean De
1133 births
1220 deaths
Anglo-Normans
People from Portsmouth