Marmion (surname)
Marmion is a surname found in France, Great Britain and Ireland, of Norman-French origin. English writers have mistaken the origin of the name as stemming from the French 'Marmiton' or 'Marmite' in the sense of a kitchen utensil or worker. Whereas actually it derives from the ancient and medieval meaning of 'marmite' as a representative of another person, filling in a role for another – and in this case relates directly as an occupational name concerning the noble office of 'champion' of the Duke of Normandy held by the family from at least the 11th century. The function was to stand-up to any challenges against the legitimacy of the Duke, and the office continues to this day in the title 'Champion of England' still held via a distaff descent of a Marmion heiress to the Dymoke family. References are cited below.
Marmion of Lincolnshire and Warwickshire
The first Marmions in Britain were Normans, who received English land after the Norman Conquest. The family retained their properties at Fontenay-le-Marmion in Normandy, where the head of the family was a Viscount and held the office of 'Champion of the Duke of Normandy', and following the Duke's conquest of England, also served as Hereditary Champion for the Kings of England.[1][2][3] The family traces itself: to Baron Robert Marmion, who died in 1144, to his father Baron Roger who died 1131 and to his father Viscount Robert who died 1106 who was as Champion of Normandy allied to Robert Curthose, and who soldiered on the lst Crusade 1096–99, to his father Roger-le-Viel (Roger the Old) who was present with his son at the Norman Conquest of England (at Hastings 1066) and who died c.1075, to his father William who died c. 1055 who had entered Normandy with Rollo the Viking, for the Marmions were originally of Viking origin as were all the Normans.
Notable English Marmions
- Robert Marmion of Tamworth and Scrivelsby, baron and judge (d. 1218), supporter of King Richard-the-Lionheart and present with other Marmions at the signing of the Magna Carta. Father of a Baron Robert-the-Elder and a Baron Robert-the-Younger. Another son, William, was a Baron by summons 1264 and held the Barony of Torrington in Lincolnshire which became extinct at his death. The family also held the Barony of Llanstephan in Wales via conquest of the then Baron Marmion, Roger, in 1114–15, and that title passed via the Marmion Llanstephan female line to the family of DeCamville by the early 13th century. The title of Llanstephan is now extinct
- Sir William Marmion of Scrivelsby, a grandson of the Robert above and son of Robert-the-Younger – called "the Perfect Knight" (d. 1276). His wife was a grandchild of King John of England, and his son Sir John came to possess the Barony of Winteringham in Lincolnshire as a Baron by summons in 1294, continuing in the Marmion family until later merged into the families of Fitzhugh and Parr (last wife of Henry VIII being Catherine Parr) and now represented by the Earls of Pembroke (Herbert family)
- Baron Philip Marmion, died in 1292 a son of Robert-the-Elder He was the oldest grandson of Baron Robert who died 1218 and the last direct Marmion holder of the combined Barony of Tamworth and Scrivelsby. Philip held many important offices under the kings of England. He was also a baron by summons to Parliament in 1261. His titles of Tamworth and Scrivelsby, and the 'championship office', passed to his daughters via fee simple, the barony of Tamworth to one and Scrivelsby to another along with the championship office. That championship office continues to this day in the noble family of Dymoke of Scrivelsby, and is styled 'The Honourable the Champion of England'; and indeed the office was last performed at the Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II in 1952. The baronies of Tamworth and Scrivelsby are not extinct but rather are 'in abeyance' among various descendants of those titles
- Shackerley Marmion, a relatively famous dramatist (1603–1639), with plays performed at the Court of King Charles I and whose works have been republished even into the 20th century.
Marmion of Ireland
The first Marmion in Ireland arrived with the Anglo-Normans in the first invasions of 1169–71. The progenitor was Sir Robert Marmion of 'Fidun' where he built a castle (modern Fathom, County Armagh – a strategic defensive area for the Norman-Irish). He was the younger son of Sir Richard Marmion of Gloucester. He is documented in lists of Strongbow's companions and also in a 'prest' of knights held by King John in Dublin in 1210. Immediate descendants were a Bishop Philip of Ardfert and a Sir Gilbert, also mentioned as of 'Fidun'. The Marmions later gave up living at Fidun due to frontier pressures and removed to close-by Carlingford where they were important burgesses and leaders for centuries, until the then Chief-of-Name Marmion forfeited all his lands as an 'Irish Papist' to the Cromwellian invaders, circa 1655.
Historically, the heaviest concentration of the name is indeed found in County Louth, in Carlingford and Dundalk; and then later in Lecale Barony of County Down and County Meath from the 150's, with a smaller branch in County Cork from the 17th century. The Marmions still remain numerous in Louth. There was some emigration of Marmions from Louth to the Mourne area of County Down in the 18th century but there is no further family representation in that area at present.
Irish Marmions
- Columba Marmion, Irish Benedictine monk (1858–1923) and famous author of numerous works, of the County Meath branch; beatified as 'Blessed Columba Marmion' by the Pope, Rome 2000. Other early Marmions in religion in Ireland were Bishop Philip Marmion of Ardfert in County Kerry, c. 1257–64, Dom Laurence Marmion a Cistercian Monk and lawyer of St. Mary's Abbey Dublin, c. 1340, and William, a brother Knight of the Order of St. John-of-Jerusalem (Knights of Malta) and Deputy Commander of the Prior of Kilmainham, c.1471–72, and Reverend Richard Walton Marmion, 1816–1893, of a Protestant Cork branch of the family who was an important Church of Ireland priest.
- Bishop John Marmion (c.1500–1571), R.Catholic priest then reformed Bishop of Down 1568–71, and Captain Nicholas Marmion, a famous Soldier (c.1540–1598), both of the main branch of the family – Carlingford, County Louth
- General Michael (Miguel) Marmion (1726–1818), a 'Wild Geese' who left Dundalk 1736; graduate of Spanish Military Academy 1758, served 46 years active duty including being Chief Engineer of Venezuela and Governor of Guyana in South America. Was preceded in Spanish service by Captain Dominic Marmion (Regiments of Colonels O Sullivan Mor and Murphy, circa 1650's) and indeed by a Marmion officer in the very first Irish regiment in Spanish service, that of Colonel William Stanley, 1587. An Ensign Joseph Marmion served the Irish cause in the Regiment of Lord Gormanston at the Battle of the Boyne in 1690.
- Anthony Marmion, United Irishman leader of the main Marmion family branch – executed for rebellion 1798; statue of 'Maid of Erin' in Dundalk town square is dedicated to him and a fellow rebel, John Hoey. Anthony's sister Anne was the mother of the P.J. Carroll who started the famous tobacco company of Dundalk in the early 19th century.
MAIN LINE FAMILY TREE
Roger, Baron of Tamworth, Scrivelsby & Llanstephan, who died 1131 and had sons Robert and Roger. He was married to Millicenta D'Abetot (one reference cigtes her name as Abilene), a daughter of either Robert Dispensier (also called Robert D'Abetot or Robert-the-Steward) or of his brother Urse D'Abetot, a powerful person and Sheriff of Worcestershire. The Marmions returned to Normandy after the Battle of Hastings in 1066, undoubtedly due to the 'champion' office and to William-the-Conqueror retaining Normandy as the centre of his government – and wanting some loyal supporters remaining there though many Normans did immediately received English lands. Thus the Marmions did not immediately take up any grants of land in England as some English historians have incorrectly written. The family did not receive any important English lands until the capture of Normandy by King Henry I, youngest son of The Conqueror, in 1106. The Marmions had retained support for the oldest son of the Conqueror, Robert Curthose, who was captured by the usurping Henry in 1106 and then locked up in prison in Wales until his death in 1134–35. Henry I, now Duke of Normandy as well as King of England, desired to reconcile with the followers of his brother and that policy led to Robert Marmion and his son Roger receiving Tamworth (probably 1106–08) and Scrivelsby at the forfeiture of the Lincolnshire lands by the son of Urse D'Abetot (1110), for the Marmions were already related to the D'Abetots via Roger's marriage to a daughter of that family. Roger went on to win a lordship in Wales after 1110, at Llanstephan and thus at his death 1131) he held the lordships of Tamworth, Scrivelsby, and Llanstephan. As with many of the Norman barons, the Marmions retained their Norman title of Viscount of Fontenay-le-Marmion and Norman lands as well as having the new English lands and English titles, until King John of England lost Normandy to the French in the early 13th century. From that time the Norman barons who still held lands in Normandy as did the Marmions were forced to eventually relinquish them to the French king. Details of descent from Roger follow and it is noted that the marriage of Robert immediately below to Millicent of Rethel daughter of the Count of Rethel resulted in a Marmion distaff descent thereafter from numerous royal and noble houses of Europe, including Charlemagne and Alfred-the-Great being great-grandparents x-times removed, for Millicent of Rethel indeed descended from numerous such houses. Roger who died 1131 divided his lordships as follows, between his two sons Robert and Roger:
Robert, c. 1090–1143(4), Baron of Tamworth and Llanstephan — Roger, c.1092–1160,
= Millicent of Rethel whose father Gervais was a brother Baron of Scrivelsby, of King Baldwin II of Jerusalem. Robert was controversial whose son Geoffrey
and died in battle with the Earl of Chester exchanged in 1166 the
lordship of Llanstephan
with his lst cousin Robert
Baron of Tamworth
_____________|_________________________________________________
Robert, c.1120–1181, Richard, c.1121–1190,
Baron of Tamworth & Llanstephan of Gloucester whose younger
to 1166 and Baron of Tamworth & son Robert C.1150–1225 went
Scrivelsby from 1166 into Ireland with Strongbow.
= an Elizabeth of Rethel Richard's older son was a Geoffrey.
_____________|__________________________________________________________________________________
Mabel c. 1163–1210 Robert Marmion, c.1160–1218 William c.1158–1210
=Hugh de Say = (1)Maud de Beauchamp = (2)Phillippe
| |
Robert-the-Elder, c.1182–1243 Robert-the-Younger, c.1190–1242
=Juliane de Vassy =Avice de Tanfield
| |
| |
Philip, c.1215–92 William, c.1223–bef.1276 (called 'the Perfect Knight)
=(1)Joan de Kilpeck =(2)Mary Cantilupe =Lorette de Dover, granddaughter of King John
| | | | | of England
| | | | |
Mazera, c.1245–70 Maud JoAnne(1) JoAnn(2) John, c. 1255–bef.1322, created Baron Marmion
=Ralph deCromwell =Ralph =William =Sir Thomas = Isabel of Winteringham
about 1262 Butler, deMortain, deLudlow |
dsp dsp | |
also: an illegitimate son,Sir daughter into John, Lord Marmion, c.1292-30 Apr 1335
Robert,living 1324,a famous Dymoke family =Maud de Furnival
knight, of Warwickshire = with title of |
Elizabeth Fitzralph Champion of |______________________________________________
| England | | |
Amica Avice, c.1310. Joan, c.1318–1362 Robert,dsp 1360
= John de Whitacre =John de Grey =John Bernake Lord Marmion
References
- http://www.irishtimes.com/ancestor/surname/index.cfm?fuseaction=Go.&UserID
- History of the Marmion Family in Ireland and in General, Douglas, County Cork, 1997, 194 pages, illustrated
- 'The Marmion Family of Carlingford to 1660', in Journal of the County Louth Archaeological and Historical Society, number 2, 1998, 249–60 and 'Bishop John Marmion of Down: Raking the Ashes', in Lecale Review, Journal of (County) Down History, number 5, 2007, 69–7
- re the correct derivation of the Marmion name, see Grand Dictionnaire Universel Du XIXe Siecle, Tome I, Geneva and Paris, 1982, re the ancient meaning as papelard or hypocrite, in the sense of a representative or substitute for another, and thus relating to the historic office held by the head of the Marmion family which the name signified; explained in depth in A Marmion Miscellany, Limerick City, Ireland 2002, 195–97.