This page begins with a genealogical table of three
intersecting lines of ancestors to my part of the
Gurney family.
It includes a long royal line that takes one back to the earliest
Anglo-Saxon kings. From France, we see a link to Norsemen from
the same origins as those who invaded England, but who invaded
and conquered Normandy. These ancestors became Normans. Eventually,
a number of them setled in Gournay en Brae in Normandy from which
the Gurney name originates. These people did not have last names,
so a person named Hugh became Hugh de Gournay. There are ancient
ruins in Gournay of his castle. He became William the Conqueror's
chief lieutenant in the Battle of Hastings in 1066. But, I am
getting ahead of myself.
The next line is that of the Mayflower Compact. Looking at the
chart will illustrate how the first and second lines intersect.
The last family line is that of the direct descendants using the
name, Gurney. This line begins in 1603 with a John Gurney who came
to New England as a young man. He had a son, named Richard and from
him, descend a continuous line of Gurneys to my immediate family
(the last entries in this column). This line illustrates the fascinating
coincidence of history in that one man, Benoni Gurney, becomes a
link to each of the other lines: Royal and Mayflower lineage.
The chart shows this linkage.
There is a very interesting, again coincidental, event that brought
out the revelation that these three lines were linked. Again, it's
one man, an uncle of mine, who provides the critical link. More on
that at another time.
In the meantime, one may explore some of the history of the time of
William the Conqueror at another Gurney site:
information from the Trivett family in England. It goes into some
of the Gurneys in England who, I do not believe, were related,
although we have no information on the background of the
first identified Gurney in the immediate line, John. Perhaps someone
could supply that missing link.
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