This Gervase of Cornhill or Gervase FitzRoger was one of the most prominent of the London citizens during the reigns of Stephen and Henry II. He was born about the year 1110 and he died about the year 1183. He was a landowner in the City and in the country. The Manor of Chalk, which had been granted to his father, Roger, was afterwards granted to him. In the records of the Duchy of Lancaster (1123-1136) is a grant of land in “Eadintune” by William Archbishop of Canterbury to Gervase and Agnes his wife. Agnes is described as the daughter of Edward of Cornhill and Godeleve his wife. The name of Gervase occurs twice under Stephen and “innumerable times” (Round) under Henry II., both in a public and a private capacity. Gervase was not only a merchant: like all successful merchants of the time he advanced money on mortgage and obtained lands by foreclosing.
The strange history of the Cnihten Gild and its dissolution has already been told. The light of reality is thrown upon this event when we read that Edward of Cornhill was one of the Gild; that Edward of Southwark, the father of Godeleve, and William of Southwark her brother, were witnesses of the deed conveying Portsoken to the Holy Trinity Priory, as well as Roger, Gervase’s father.
Turn again to Gervase of Cornhill. His son Henry, Sheriff of London, Kent, and Surrey, married Alice, a daughter and heiress of the English branch of the De Courceys. She afterwards married Warin FitzGerald. The daughter of Henry and Alice, Joan de Cornhill, married Hugh de Neville, Forester of England. I think that nothing, so far discovered, better illustrates the position of the London merchants than this genealogy and these facts, rescued by a laborious antiquary from the scanty records of the time. We see the Barons of London on an equality with the Norman aristocracy, acting with them, and intermarrying with them; acquiring lands in the country; going on pilgrimage to the Holy Land; becoming the principal actors in that most remarkable event,—the Dissolution of the venerable Saxon Gild and the transfer of the property which they held in trust to a Religious House. We see a merchant of London holding the post of Justiciar. I wish it had been possible for Mr. Round to have carried his researches further into the annals of this family. One knows not where their descendants might be found at the present day.
One more episode in the history of Gervase has been unearthed by Mr. Round (Feudal England, p. 471).
The manor of Langham in Essex, near Colchester, was part of the property of the great Clare family. It was given by Richard de Clare, some time before the year 1086, to Walter Tirel, who married his daughter Adeliza. Sometime between 1138 and 1148, Hugh Tirel sold the manor, or raised money upon it, the purchaser, or the lender, being Gervase of Cornhill, who obtained possession of it either by foreclosing the mortgage or by purchase, Hugh Tirel himself taking a part in the Crusade, while the London merchant, staying at home, profited by the religious enthusiasm of the time. Fifty years later, Richard I. granted permission to Henry, son of Gervase of Cornhill, to enclose and impark his woods at Langham. “Thus,” says Round, “did the wealthy Londoner become a country squire some centuries ago.” (See Appendix V.)
A tabular representation of the tree is shown [here].