Warenne Family Ancestry

History of Warren Family
This history assumes that all Warren Family Lines originated with a family of Norman Knights that resided in an ancient castle on the River Warenne in France and that played a very critical role in assisting William of Normandy with his famous conquest of England for which they were handsomely rewarded. These early Warennes had also intermarried with the highest of French and English aristocracy that provided a ancient bloodline to King Charlemagne.

Vikings & Norman Knights (790-1066)
The Family of Warenne originated from Normandy France. The de Warenne surname derives from the castle of that name on the River Varenne which flows through territory that William acquired in Upper Normandy. Ruins of this old 11th Century castle are found today near Bellencombre, Seine-Maritime. This family is believed to be descendants of Scandinavian Vikings.

Vikings
The period from the earliest recorded raids in the 790s until the Norman conquest of England in 1066 is commonly known as the Viking Age of Scandinavian history. Vikings used the Norwegian Sea and Baltic Sea for sea routes to the south. The Normans were descended from Danish and Norwegian Vikings who were given feudal overlordship of areas in northern France — the Duchy of Normandy — in the 10th century. In that respect, descendants of the Vikings continued to have an influence in northern Europe. Likewise, King Harold Godwinson, the last Anglo-Saxon king of England, had Danish ancestors.

Patriarch
Ranulf I de Warenne (998-1058), is the earliest documented patriarch of the Warren Family. He was a Norman Knight - lived at Castle de Warenne in France. He had two sons; Rodulf, father of the Warenne Family, and Roger of Mortimer, father of the Mortimer Family. See Ranulf I de Warenne (998-1058)/descendants for the first few generations of his descendants.

Politics
Roger received the Mortimer surname for conquering another Norman castle of that name. The grandsons of Ranulf I would later become involved in a dispute over possession of the Mortimer castle, but later reconciled in time to both join William in his conquest of England.

During this time the authority of the French king was very weak, and Normandy saw much intrigue and violence amongst the various landlords.

1066
This political landscaped changed significantly in the year 1066. That was when many of the Norman knights aligned with a fellow named William who had become involved with a dispute with his childess cousin, Edward the Confessor, to inherit the English crown.

This argument climaxed into victory in September of that year when these Norman knights sailed in a large invasion force and did battle at Hastings with Harold Godwinson, who had been named the next king by Edward on the latter's deathbed in January 1066.

The winner of this contest, William the Conqueror, rewarded his fellow knights with vast tracts of English land. It appears that none were rewarded more handsomely than our William de Warenne, who would be titled the 1st Earl of Warenne. This reward indicates that he was a very high ranking lieutenant in the Norman army.

Earls of Warenne (1066-1304)
William de Warenne, who crossed with William I. in 1066, was a distant cousin of the Conqueror, his grandmother having been the sister of Gunnora, wife of Richard I. of Normandy.

Genealogists have hotly disputed whether or not William de Warenne's wife Gundred, was the daughter of the Conqueror (as alluded to on her gravestone.) However more recent discoveries are leading us to believe that the gravestone description is a bit misleading and actually refers to a more distant family connection.

The Earldom of Surrey was first created in 1088 for William de Warenne, as a reward for loyal service to William during the Conquest. He received the lordship of Reigate Castle in Surrey, but also had holdings in twelve other counties. Perhaps because he held little property in Surrey, the earldom came to be more commonly called of Warenne. It was held by William de Warenne's son and grandson, both also named William, and then by the husbands of Isabella, daughter of the third William de Warenne.

Lewes Castle, the Early English ancestral home of the Warenne Family, stands at the highest point of Lewes, East Sussex, England on an artificial mound constructed with chalk blocks. It was originally called Bray Castle. It was the scene of many historic events in early English history. The first fortification on the site was a wooden keep, later converted to stone. It is unusual for a motte and bailey construction in that it has two mottes. It is one of only two such remaining in the country, the other being Lincoln. The Barbican is a particularly fine example of its type. Today this castle museum is open to visitors. Lewes Castle was built in 1069 by William de Warenne, 1st Earl of Surrey. William de Warenne and his descendants also had estates and built castles in Reigate, Surrey (Reigate Castle) and in Yorkshire (Sandal Castle and Conisbrough Castle).

William and his wife also founded a nearby religious order, Lewes Priory. This place recorded much of the early Warenne family history and also became the burial place for early family members.

The Earls of Warenne were very active in English politics and battles of the time. William de Warenne, 3rd Earl of Surrey (1120-1148) even sailed to Paris to negotiate an English-French treaty and then later died fighting in the Crusades in Asia Minor.

Lewes Castle was the site of the Battle of Lewes in 1264. Here King Henry, supported by John, 7th Earl of Warenne lost the battle to rebel barons and was forced to sign the Mises of Lewes.

When the last of the Warennes John, the 7th Earl died without issue in 1347, he was buried in Lewes Priory. The earldom (of Surrey) then passed to John's nephew, Richard FitzAlan, 10th Earl of Arundel, although he did not assume the title until after the death of the previous earl's widow in 1351. It was also held by his son, who forfeited it upon his execution in 1397.

For more info see: Gundred Family Documents -

See also the Warenne Chronicle - Oxford Medievel Text - publ 2013 by Elizabeth Van Houts and Rosalind Love. (A small portion of which is visible in Google Books)

See also the Dictionary of National Biography, Volume 1 - by Sir Sidney Lee, Sir E. T. Williams, C. S. Nicholls, Robert Blake, Helen M. Palmer, L. G. Wickham Legg, John Regina. pg 1367-68.

Lord of Ightfield (1304-1485)
We are currently working to fill in a distinct gap in the Warren Family History covering the 14th and 15th Centuries of English history.

The modern Warren family is believed to trace through John de Warenne, 6th Earl of Surrey who died in 1304. He had son named John, who was named the 7th Earl of Surrey, but who died without issue. (Another son named William died in a jousting tournament accident.) It is believed there was an illegitimate son named Griffen thru which the Warren Family lineage is traced.

During this time period, the Warrens moved from Lewes in East Sussex, down the English coastline to Nayland, located near the Suffolk/Essex county border. However the village of Ightfield appears to be far away in Shropshire which is near Liverpool on the west coast of England.


 * Ancestral Roots of Certain American Colonists Who Came to America Before 1700 by Frederick Lewis Weis, Lines: 83-28, 153A-20, 153A-29, 161-27.

Here is the descent as it is usually given: 1. William de Warenne, Earl of Surrey, son of Hameline "Plantagenet." 2. Griffin de Warren, illegitimate son, dead 1286, m. Isabel de Pulford, sister of Robert, rector of Coddington, Cheshire, widow 1286 and 1298. 3. John de Warren, lord of Ightfield jure ux (through marriage), liv. 1289, m. Audelin, daughter and heir of Griffin de Albo Monasterio/Whitchurch [these earliest two generations seem kind of suspicious]. 4. Griffin de Warren of Ightfield, m. Wynifred, d. & coh. of William Broxlon of Chester. 5. John de Warren of Ightfield, liv. 1314, 1335, m. Ellen, d. of John Chorleton. 6. Griffin de Warren of Ightfield, d. 1356, m. Maud/Matilda, d. of Fulke, Lord Strange of Blackmere, afterwards married Sir Piers (or Peter) de Cornwall, lord of Kinlet, Shropshire. 7. Griffin de Warren of Ightfield, m. Margaret Corbet, daughter of Sir Piers de Corbet. 8. John Warren of Ightfield, d. ca. 1413, m. Matilda/ Margaret/ Emma, daughter of Sir John Cheney of Willaston. 9. Margaret Warren, sister and coheir, m. William Mainwaring, d. 1498/9, had Ightfield, Shropshire, and Stratton, in Tilston, Cheshire, with lands in Broxton. But I don't have Morris's notes to the pedigree so I don't know what further evidence he uses to establish the line. Sources: Memoirs of the Ancient Earls of Warren and Surrey, and Their Descendants to the Present Time by John Watson pg 215-220. He cites Vincent's Cheshire that is said to contain a complete pedigree of this Griffinus de Warenna, son of John Warenne, Earl of Surrey.

Warrens of Nayland (1485-1580)
The Warren Family wills recorded in Nayland Parish substantiate the Warren family line back to Robert Warren (1485-1544) and his brother Thomas (residing at Nayland-Wissington, Suffolk Co). Records refer to Corlie Estate located in this parish.

Rosamary Knox, a local historian of the town, wrote me in Oct 2013. The Warren Family lived in a farmhouse on Corlie Road (now called Cawley Road). The house has since burned down and replaced with a more modern structure. Most of the inhabitants of this region of Wiston and the rural bit of Nayland were smallish farmers and there was no large land owner resident in this parish.

The earliest source of documents on the Warrens here is the Wiston Manorial Documents beginning in 1351 and show a John Waryn present here by 1359.

Nayland village and the adjoining rural hamlet of Wissington (these days usually called 'Wiston'), were originally two separate parishes. However, in 1883 they were united into one civil parish, Nayland-with-Wissington, although the two ecclesiastical parishes remain separate. Nayland and Wiston lie on the northern bank of the River Stour that divides Essex and Suffolk.
 * History of Nayland-with-Wissington - Local Parish History

Early New England Immigrants (1580-1650)
There are three distinct branches of the Warren Family that settled in the early 1600's in New England all are believed to be descendants of the William de Warenne, 1st Earl of Surrey (1055-1088).


 * 1) John Warren, The Immigrant 1585 - Sailed to American with Gov Winthrop on the Arabella in 1630. Many descendants (includeing US presidents and famous celebrities) with direct lineage to the Earl of Surrey.  This wikia project researches this line of the family - my direct ancestors.
 * 2) Richard Warren (c1580-1628) - Sailed on the Mayflower and settled Plymouth Colony. Includes several descendants that played a very prominent role in Boston during the American Revolution.  Direct lineage to Medieval England cannot be traced.
 * 3) Daniel Warren (?) - Third Family.

Warenne Family Lineage
There is some uncertainty between #08 and #12. See Warenne line to Warren of Nayland, Suffolk.

Lineage of French Royalty
William de Warenne, 2nd Earl of Surrey (1080-1138), a English Knight married to Elizabeth de Vermandois of French Royalty including The Emporer Charlegmagne. See also Monarchs of France.


 * House of Capet Wikipedia

Medieval English Royalty

 * Hamelin Plategenet, 5th Earl of Surrey - Grandson of Fulk I, King of Jerusalem (c1090-1143). Descendant of Charlemagne (747-814) - Charlemagne's ancestry goes back to Marcomir der West-Franken (c 43BC).

Other Warren Family Genealogies

 * Moses Warren Immigrant Ancestors - Moses Warren II and his wife, Priscilla Nurse - are my 7th Generation Ancestor. (5th Great, Grand Father). Almost all of their ancestors came to American 5 Generations previously in the Great Migration of the 1630s to General Winthrop's Watertown Colony. Through this pedigree chart they have many connections to prominent early New England families.

Famous Descendants of Ranulf I de Warenne

 * George Washington - Descendancy by Roger Mortimer
 * George Washington - Descendancy by William de Warenne and Hamelin Plantagenet who had a daughter that married John I, King of England.

Famous Descendants of John Warren
List of famous descendants of  John Warren 1585, Immigrant to America

King Philip's War (1675-1678)
Several prominent members of the Warren Family participated in this battle in the early history of New England, an armed conflict between Native American inhabitants of present-day southern New England from 1675–1676. It was very costly in terms of lives and property.


 * Daniel Warren 1628A

French & Indian War (1754-1763)

 * Daniel Harrington (1733-1758) - Died at Ft Edwards during the French & Indian Wars - son of Daniel Harrington (1707-1795) - Grandson of Elizabeth Warren (1673-1774). Fort Edwards is a prominent fort in Nova Scotia.

American Revolution Soldiers (1774-1783)
Descendants of John Warren and many of their cousins and in-laws fought in the American Revolutionary War.
 * Moses Warren II (1760-1851) - ( MWarrenI, DWarren,  JWarren,  DWarren,  John Warren 1585) - Revolutionary War Veteran, included in the group betrayed by Benedict Arnold at West Point.
 * Nathaniel Ball (1717-1814) - Revolutionary War Veteran
 * Daniel Nurse (1729-1805) - Soldier of the American Revolution
 * Josiah Rogers (1760-1841) - Son in law - Soldier of the American Revolution - Connecticut Militia
 * Daniel Harrington (1707-1795) - In 1775 served on the Marlborough NH Committee of Correspondence and then with the Minutemen at Lexington.

New England Businessmen

 * Luther Taylor Harrington (1848-) - Senior partner of the Boston Jewelry firm Harrington & Freeman, founded in 1797.

Famous Leaders

 * George Herbert Walker Bush - ( PS Bush, SPBush,  HFay,  SHFay,  SPPFay,  JFay,  JFay,  HChild,  JChild,  MWarren,  DWarren,  John Warren 1585) -  and his son George Walker Bush (1946) - 41st and 43rd Presidents of the U.S. -  Vice President, Representative, U.N. Ambassador, C.I.A. Director, and oil company executive, married Barbara PIERCE (b. 1925), 38th First Lady.
 * James Abram Garfield (1831-1881) - AGarfield,  TGarfield  SGarfield,  TGarfield,  MBigelow,  SBigelow, MWarren,  John Warren 1585) - 20th U. S. President, Maj. General with Civil War service as a Col., professor. He was a U. S. Representative, President Elect, and Senator Elect at the same time (Nov. 4-8, 1880). Garfield was shot July 2, 1881 by Charles J. GUITEAU, and died Sep. 19, 1881. He had married Lucretia RUDOLPH (1832-1918), 17th First Lady. (1880 Census @ Washington DC as Ohio Senator.)

Western Pioneers

 * Daniel Warren (1786-1862) ( MWarrenII, MWarrenI,  DWarren,  JWarren,  DWarren,  John Warren 1585) - (Son of Revolutionary War veteran Moses Warren II) led a large part of the Warren family to settle a new town of Warrensville in Cuyahoga County, Ohio in the early 19th century. He is credited as the town founder. Warrensville was eventually incorporated in the city of Cleveland proper. Journals of early Mormon missionaries from nearby Kirtland OH, record a lot o5 activity in this town on their first visit in November 1830. Some of these Warren descendants joined the Mormons.
 * Almira Jane Reid (1840-1912) ( SPrentiss, PWarren,  MWarrenII,  MWarrenI,  DWarren,  JWarren,  DWarren,  John Warren 1585) - Mormon Wagon Train Pioneer in 1861 traveled from Iowas to Utah.

Other Prominent Descendants

 * Lucille BALL (1911-1989) - HBall, JBall, CMBall, IBall3, IBall2, IBall1, JHowe, SBigelow, JBigelow, JWarren. - Television producer, comedienne, and actress, married Desiderio Alberto 'Desi' ARNAZ III (1917-1986) and Gary MORTON.


 * Sophia Prentiss (1828-1888) ( AWilcox, MWarrenII,  MWarrenI,  DWarren,  JWarren,  DWarren,  John Warren 1585) - wife of Dr Willard Bliss (1825-1889) - a physician and they resided in Washington DC. Dr Bliss was one of the attending Presidential Physicians to Pres Garfield when he died from his assasination. He was also Surgeon General of the Army and the doctor who treated Gen Zachary Taylor for malaria.
 * Vincent Leonard PRICE (1911-1993), - VLPrice, HEWhite, RJWhite, MBigelow, TBigelow, JBigelow, SBigelow, SBigelow, MWarren, JWarren - Actor appearing in over 175 films spanning over 50 years beginning in 1938, honored with Life Career Awards in 1986 by the Academny of Science Fiction,, nd Horror Films, and in 1991 by the Los Angeles Film Critics Association, radio drama star, and noted art collector and critic. Married first 1938 (div. 1948) actress Edith BARRETT (1907-1977), second 1949 (div. 1973) costume designer Mary GRANT (1917-2002), and third 1974 actress Coral BROWNE (1913-1991).
 * Clarissa Harlowe 'Clara' BARTON (1821-1912) - SBarton, DMoore, DLearned, ELearned,SBigelow, MWarren, JWarren. - Founder and first president (1882-1904) of The American Red Cross, distributor of medical supplies during the Civil War, patent office clerk, and schoolteacher.
 * Frank Nelson DOUBLEDAY (1862-1934) - EMDickinson, ABigelow, ABigelow, JBigelow, TBigelow, SBigelow, MWarren, JWarren - Publisher and president of Doubleday, Page and Co., Inc., and founder of Doubleday and Company, married first Neitje DeGRAFF, and second Florence VanWYCK.
 * Carole LOMBARD (1908-1942) - EKnight, ACheney, AWillard, JWillard, JNWillard, SHastings, SFiske, MWarren, DWarren, JWarren - Film actress and comedienne, with roles in Man of the World (1931), No Man of Her Own (1932), and other, with nomination for an Oscar for her role in My Man Godfrey (1936). She was born as Jane Alice PETERS. Married first William POWELL, and second Clark GABLE.
 * Abbott Lawrence LOWELL (1856-1943)  President of Harvard University (1909-1933), political science educator, author and attorney, married 1879 Anna Parker LOWELL. Brother of Amy LOWELL and Brother - Percival Lowell (1855-1916) - Astronomer, builder of Lowell Observatory, author and predictor of the discovery of Pluto (by C. W. TOMBAUGH in Jan. 1930, not W. E. DISNEY in Aug. 1930). - Mother KBigelow, TBigelow, TBigelow, DBigelow, JBigelow, MWarren, JWarren
 * Lucy STONE (1818-1893) - FStone, FStone, EBigelow, DBigelow, MWarren, JWarren.- Woman-suffrage and legal rights advocate, founder and editor-in-chief- of The Woman's Journal (1870-1893), a leader of the first National Woman's Rights Convention (1850), and graduate of Oberlin College (1847). She and Notable Cousin Susan B. ANTHONY were descendants of David and Ursula STONE.
 * Raquel WELCH [Jo Raquel TEJADA] (b. 1940) - JSHall, ESHall, JSHall, HSHall, MLElliott, EMorton, HDexter, HStone, SStone, ABigelow, DBigelow, MWarren, JWarren. - Entertainer noted primarily for her physical attributes, with film, stage and television roles.
 * Eli WHITNEY (1765-1825) - EWhitney, MChild, JChild, MWarren, DWarren, JWarren. - Inventor of the cotton gin.

References for Warenne Family History

 * http://www.warrenfamilyhistory.com/
 * http://www.bigelowsociety.com/rod/warren1.htm - Warren Family History from Bigelow Family Society.
 * http://www.edmund-rice.org/ - Edmund Rice 1638 Association - Family Genealogical Database and research.  - His Ancestors and Descendants.
 * The Generations of the Warren Family
 * The New England historical and genealogical register - Volume 64 - Page 353-360. Summarizes the Generations of Robert Warren to John Warren in medieval England.

Page Stub Starts

 * Emily Miller (1811-1885)
 * John Kishbaugh (1815-1860) - Google Research check - lots of sibblings