FITZPONS Richard

1070 - Abt 1130  (60 years)

• Name	FITZPONS Richard
  Birth	1070
  Gender	Male
  Death	Abt 1130	England
  Notes	Richard was the heir of Drogo fitz Pons (Drew son of Pons), and from his name it seems almost certain that both had a father with the same unusual name Pons. In other words, it seems Richard and Drogo were brothers. Note: This person is not known to have used the surname 'Clifford.' His son Walter was the first person known to use that as a family name. Family names were still uncommon in France, including Normandy. Richard Fitz Pons literally means Richard son of Pons. It would be very surprising if "fitz Pons" was a heritable surname this early. There was no standard spelling so Pons, Ponz, Ponce are all possible. This was presumably the name of Richard's father. (It would be unusual for a patronymic name to be fixed this early.) It is a relatively unusual name, Pontius in Latin. The official language used in most documents was Latin. A typical Latin format for these names is used for Keats-Rohan's entry for him: "Ricardus filius Pontii".[1] A small number of charters are the key genealogical sources for Richard. Richard made grant of the church at Leach to Great Malvern Priory. This names two brothers, Simon fitz Pons and Osbern fitz Pons who witnessed the charter.[2] A charter of Henry I dated to about 1126-7 confirms another grant to Malvern, this time of the church in Richard's castle at " Cantarabohan " (Cantref Bychan). This names his wife Mathilda and his son and heir Simon.[2] In about 1127 Richard exchanged land with his wife Maud (Matilda). This was commented upon by the famous genealogist J.H. Round, who demonstrated using this charter that Maud was the daughter of Walter of Gloucester. Furthermore, the daughter of Richard and Maud married Elias de Giffard.[3] This charter once again names the two brothers Osbern and Symon fitz Pons as witnesses. It also gives two sons, Roger fitz Richard and his brother Walter. Also about 1127, Richard granted Aston to his wife Maud. This charter named Richard's heir as Simon (without any surname or patronymic given). Round also commented upon this one.[3] He commented: "The execution of this charter at Clifford implies that the family already resided there, though it has been supposed that Richard's son was the first to do so. Simon, Richard's heir apparent, sanctions the charter "in stradia," that is, probably, at Ystrad (the " Estradel " of the Malvern charters)." With his wife Maud of Gloucester we therefore know he had the following children: Simon Roger Walter Bertha, who married Elias de Giffard Research notes There seems to be no reason to suggest that Richard was the heir of his apparent brother Walter, although this has been put forward by very well respected researchers such as Keats-Rohan. Concerning the relationship of Richard to the brothers Drogo fitz Pons and Walter fitz Pons, who were both landholders in the 1086 Domesday book, Round (Charter 13, p.24) is apparently the source for both Sanders and Keats-Rohan. He remarked: Richard fitz Pons was the undoubted ancestor of the great house of Clifford. He was the heir, and presumed brother, of Drogo fitz Pons, who held Aston [" hestonia "] in 1086 as an under-tenant of the Bishop of Worcester. The absence, however, of his name in Domesday, and the facts of chronology, render it at least equally probable that he was a nephew, as that he was a brother, of Walter fitz Pons. In that case he, with his brothers Osbert and Simon, would be the sons of a younger Pons. Later researchers have followed Round to some extent. Sanders (p.35) felt comfortable to say Richard was Drogo's brother.[4] Keats-Rohan (p.938) says he was his nephew. Instead of proposing the existence of an unknown "Pons fitz Pons", like Round, she suggests that Richard is the son of Drogo and Walter's brother named Simon.[1] Round however only seemed to suggest the possibility of Richard being a nephew as a secondary and more complex option. It requires either an unknown father Pons the son of Pons, who also does not appear in Domesday, or else we must propose that "fitz Pons" was being used by him as a heritable family name. Round also seems to have made a mistake interpreting one of the relevant charters, which probably influenced Keats-Rohan. He states that the manor of Leach in Gloucestershire had been divided between Symon fitz Pons and Walter fitz Pons at Domesday, who Round describes as "presumed brothers" (p.22). In fact it was divided between Walter and Drogo.[5] What's more, the part which Walter held seems to have been the same as Southrop, which, along with all his other manors, seems to have gone to completely different heirs.[6] Sources ↑ 1.0 1.1 Keats-Rohan, Domesday Descendants, pp.938-9. ↑ 2.0 2.1 Dugdale Monasticon III, Great Malvern Priory, Worcestershire, IV, p. 448. ↑ 3.0 3.1 J. H. Round, Ancient charters, royal and private, prior to A.D. 1200, p.20ff. ↑ Sanders, "Clifford" in English Baronies, pp.35-6. ↑ https://opendomesday.org/place/SP2005/eastleach-martin/ ↑ 'Southrop', in A History of the County of Gloucester: Volume 7, ed. N. M. Herbert (Oxford, 1981), pp. 129-136. British History Online http://www.british-history.ac.uk/vch/glos/vol7/pp121-136 [accessed 10 February 2023]. See Also: [We should remove anything which can not been cleaned up and shown to be really relevant] Cawley, Medieval Lands Project CLIFFORD WmSmith62 - Madison County, Indiana, USA - private tree Maclean, John. Historical and Genealogical Memoir of the Family of Poyntz (William Pollard, Exeter, 1886) Part 1, Page 28: "Simon fitz Pons inherited the manor of Swell, the tithe of the demesne of which he granted to the Church of Tewkesbury." https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_Fitz_Pons Ancestral Roots 8th ed. 2004 F.L. Weis Line 29A-28 page 37 Clifford pedigree titled 'Table Showing the Descent of the Barony of Clifford' familytreemaker.genealogy.com/users/c/l/i/Debra--Clifford/WEBSITE-0001/UHP-0065.html (broken link not on archive.org 21 May 2024) http://freepages.school-alumni.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~dearbornboutwell/fam4695.html
  Person ID	I60214	Freeman-Smith
  Last Modified	27 Jan 2026

  
  

  Father	UNKNOWN Pontius,   b. Abt 1030, Normandy, France d. Bef 1086, England (Age < 55 years)
  Relationship	natural
  Family ID	F347644	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

  Family	FITZWALTER Matilda,   b. Aft 1087, Frampton, Gloucestershire, England d. Aft 1127, Frampton, Gloucestershire, England (Age > 40 years)
  Marriage	1113
  Children	1. FITZRICHARD Bertha,   b. Abt 1107, Bronllys Castle, Breconshire, Wales d. Aft 1167, Brimpsfield, Gloucestershire, England (Age > 61 years)  [Father: natural]  [Mother: natural]
  Family ID	F26721	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart
  Last Modified	27 Jan 2026