Gunnora, Duchess of Normandy, and her siblings




an Unknown Forester of Arques, he was the father of:

1. Senfria/Seinfreda md Unknown Forester of St. Vaast d'Equiqueville, parents of:

    Josceline md Hugh de Montgomery, parents of:
      Roger I de Montgomery (ca 985-aft 1037), father of:
        Roger II de Montgomery (ca 1022-1094), First Earl of Shrewsbury

2. Gunnora md Richard I of Normandy, (933-996), Duke of Normandy, parents of:

    Richard II of Normandy (ca 962-1027), Duke of Normandy, father of:
      Robert I of Normandy (993-1035), Duke of Normandy, father of:
        William of Normandy (1028-1087), Duke of Normandy, King of England

3. Wevia md Osbern de Bolebec, parents of:

    Osbern de Bolebec, father of:
      Walter Giffard (ca 1020-1084), documented companion of William the Conqueror at Hastings, 1066.

4. Duvelina md Torulf/Thorold of Pont-Audemer (said to be brother of Turketil, progenitor of the Harcourts), parents of:

    Humphrey de Vieilles, father of:
      Roger de Bellomont (ca 1016-1094), father of:
        Robert de Beaumont (ca 1049-1118), First Earl of Leicester, documented companion of William the Conqueror at Hastings, 1066.

5. Arfast/Herfast, father of:

    Osbern, father of:
      William Fitz Osbern (ca 1027-1071), Earl of Hereford, documented companion of William the Conqueror at Hastings, 1066.
As the story goes, Duke Richard of Normandy, became infatuated with one Senfria, a daughter of the forester of Arques, but she, being already married and wishing to keep her family in good favor with the Duke, arranged for the introduction of Duke Richard to her younger sister, Gunnora. He was betrothed about 945, and eventually married in 960 Emma Capet. After Emma's death about 968, Richard married Gunnora in Christian marriage, to legitimate their children.

Gunnora and her siblings were undoubtedly of Danish origin, but it is currently believed that this family had been established in Normandy for at least one, perhaps several, generations. There is absolutely no known proof that Gunnora and her siblings were of Danish royalty, and there is also no precedence for identifying any of the sisters as "de Crepon". Their father was a forester, which was not a position likely to be held by a family of nobility. Only their brother, Herfast (or Arfast) was sometimes styled "de Crepon", this by virtue of property he held.

As can be seen by the abbreviated lineage chart here, these four sisters, along with their brother, had immense genetic influence upon the peoples of England. There are many additional relationships, somewhat more obscure, but nevertheless of profound impact, through the nieces of these four sisters. Mr. Todd Farmerie has posted a synopsis of Robert de Torigny's writings in regard to Gunnora and her sisters which can accessed HERE.
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