I had always been curious about the origin of the surname ...



By David Durose, Lancaster, July 2010

I had always been curious about the origin of the surname Durose, which seems to be French. My father died when I was 13 and his father when I was quite small. I can only remember meeting my grandfather two or three times, so there was no family history handed down from them. They were born and brought up in the Oldham area of Lancashire and apart from my father’s brother I was not aware of any other Durose relatives.

I can remember that there was a county cricketer (Northants) and a Scotland Yard detective with the name, who were in the newspapers when I was at school.

I once spoke to a lady called Savary, who told me that her name was that of a Huguenot family – one of the thousands of protestant refugees, who had such an impact on Britain in the 17th and 16th centuries. She said that my name was probably of the same origin and I had always assumed this to be true until recently.

With the advent of the Internet, the interest in family history and genealogy expanded and I found and joined a message board that connected people who were interested in the research of their Durose ancestors.

The Duroses were spread out throughout the English-speaking world: North America, South Africa, New Zealand and Australia. They all traced their families back to England, rather than France and had different stories for the origins of their family, which all turned out to be wrong. In fact, one researcher had found a Durose in the telephone directory in Paris and called him – only to find that he was English.

The family researchers had studied parish registers and other sources and I was able to bring together the information they had gathered:

• the Duroses who could trace their families back far enough all ended up in the small area around Uttoxeter – in the villages of Bramshall, Leigh or Milwich;

• the family had been - and still are - land owners in the area for many years at least as far back as the 1500s;

• the name does not feature in the standard work on French surnames, although there are quite a number that are similar.

One researcher had read the VCH (Victoria County History) for Staffordshire and reported an interesting entry – a person called William Deuros had been given accommodation at St Thomas’s (Abbey?) in Stafford at the request of the Crown in 1535. He was described as an aged and infirm royal servant.

This turned out to be a false clue as the person was William de Ros (and the year should have been 1315), who died a year later at the sister Abbey of Kirkham, near his Yorkshire estate. However, it did give an accidental clue to the probable date and reason for the first Durose having come to England – the Durose ‘ancestor’.

The Huguenot theory was already looking unlikely, because Staffordshire was not an area for their immigration, neither was the farming community.

I was starting to think that there could be Norman links, since most English people with French surnames are either Huguenot or Norman. I wondered about links to the de Ros family and one person with whom I exchanged information thought I might be a variant of Devereaux. I discounted both of these ideas for various reasons.

I was thinking that the origin of the name would remain a mystery, when I saw a program on TV, presented by Professor Richard Holmes, about the battle of Bosworth (1485). He said that Henry Tudor’s army was mainly French – so I began to wonder if this could be the explanation and so I read a history book about the period.

Henry Tudor had been in exile in Brittany, so I began looking in that area and to try looking into some French web sites. One said that the name had its origin in the Armorican coast and it was a variant of Duros.

I found a Daniel Duros of Dinan, who had published his family tree on the Internet and he told me that the family had once been important in Brittany and that it had a connection with the town of Lanildut.

Lanildut turned out to be only a few miles from the place where Henry Tudor was shipwrecked (le Conquet), so I thought I might be on the right lines. The town has an active local history circle, which has been very helpful in providing information. I also found a discussion group onYahoo in France concerning the Breton Nobility, through which I made contact with a lady called Yvette le Stanc-Roussin, who has been studying her family history for many years and has du Ros ancestors on both maternal and paternal sides.

Mme Roussin had good sources of information, including one of the top Breton historians, Yves Lulzac, who has written a major 4 volume work (5th volume soon to be published) on the forgotten chronicles of the Breton manors, especially those of the Leon.

There are very few Duroses in France, but all in this area or originating there; the Duros spelling is slightly more frequent, but tends to be further away from the manor that is its origin. The Leon is the area now forming the northern half of the Department of Finistere – its main town is Brest. Its religious centre is St Pol-de-Leon and other larger towns include Landerneau, Lesneven, Morlaix etc. In the middle ages and under the ancien regime, Finistere did not exist – Leon was a county and the administrative unit was the diocese. St Pol de Leon was founded by Pol Aurelian; a saint probably related to Ambrosius Aurelianus.

“du” in French means “of the” with a masculine noun but the French word for rose is feminine, so it would be “de la Rose”. Du Rose could mean ‘of the reed’, but this name does not exist and would not make sense.

The name originates in a single family, who occupied the manor called le Ros, which is also spelled le Roz. Roz is a Breton word and Breton is the language of Britain from before the coming of the Anglo-Saxons and English; it is similar to Welsh and virtually identical to the nearly extinct Cornish. In this language, Roz means a hill – often a headland overlooking the sea. The equivalent in Welsh would be “Rhos”. So the name means ‘of the hill’ or ‘of the headland’

Which manor?

There is some question as to which manor du Ros is the origin of the name. A family called du Ros lived in the manor of that name at the end of the 17th century and the beginning of the 18th. Parish registers of Porspoder record the death of Anne Pellen at the age of 60 at the manoir du Ros. She was the wife of Jean Le Ros, brother of François Le Ros. This may have been a simple co-incidence that caused the researcher of Breton surnames to conclude that the family took its name from there.

However, much earlier documents record a family du Ros in the manor of the same name in the nearby village of Treglonou. This goes back to the 14th century and is much more likely to be the origin of the name. This was hidden from the surname researchers because the name of the manor was changed in 1682 to Trouzilit.

In old documents the name varies according to how much it is translated into French or latin:

Breton Ar Ros or An Ros

Partial French du Ros or le Ros

Fully French du Tertre

Latin Tumuli

In Brittany, the use of ‘de, du or de la’ together with the name of a place as part of a name indicated nobility – that the family was, or had been in the past lords of that place. Du, de or de la was referred to as the particule. When families had moved on from the original domain, or where there were branches in different areas, a second particule would be added as a surname, such as ‘de Kersauzon de Penandreff’, de Rodellec du Porzic’ or ‘du Roz de Mesmean’. Such double particules were considered to belong to the oldest of families.

The names of other families with whom the French Duroses had connections in Brittany had different Breton / French versions (an Traon / le Traon / du Val; also de Penfentenyo / de Cheffontaines; and de Portzmoguer / Primauguet)

This derivation of the name is confirmed in the reference book ‘Breton surnames of toponymic origin’, a copy of which is in the family history and genealogy section of the Library of Congress, Washington DC. It is considered to be a reliable work by a renowned Breton scholar, F Gourvil – but you would need to know where to look and the book is very difficult to track down. There are 293 place names in Finistere featuring the word Roz, such as Kerros (Hill house) and Lanros (Hermitage or church hill).

Madame Roussin is a dedicated genealogist and a member of the CGF in Brest (Genealogical Centre of Finistere) and the Yahoo group ‘Noblesse Bretonne’ through which I contacted her. A teacher of English from Landerneau, Michel Durose, has been in touch with one of the family researchers who lives in Surrey and has now also joined the CGF. He has found that he and Mme Roussin have common ancestors Goulven du Ros and his wife Jeanne Benjamin.

Mme Roussin has prepared a 100-page study of the du Ros branch of her genealogy and the families with which they are connected, which is of interest to a number of researchers in the area. She has sent me a copy, which is in French and to which I have been able to make a small contribution. It is lodged at the CGF for the use of other genealogists.

A historian, who has a doctorate from the Sorbonne, is also interested in the family history because his wife is descended from them. He has been working independently of Mme Roussin and has discovered additional facts.

He has published his work on the internet at (this page has now been removed)



Summary of the history of the Durose / du Roz(s) family of Brittany, which was an independent Duchy until 1532, when it became part of France.

The du Roz family has an entry in the Nobiliare of Pol Potier de Courcy as follows:

Coat of Arms – Red, with a sword in Silver posed en barre; point uppermost.

Du Roz (in French Du Tertre), Lord of Mesmean, Parish of Ploudalmezeau and of Garzjahan, parish of Plouvien.

Reformations and Musters of 1427 to 1534, parishes of Plouvien, Ploudalmezeau, Plouguin and Kernouez, diocese of Leon.

Lord of Kergratias was “deboute” at the Reformation of 1669 in the jurisdiction of Lesneven.

NOTE – the nobility were exempt from taxation in return for military service. The reformations ensured than nobody claimed this without justification – either letters patent signed by the Duke or later King of France or proof that they were of ancient extraction - descended from the first noble families of Brittany. The Musters (Montres) were gatherings where they had to turn out with their equipment – horse, armour, sword etc. This was on a scale according to their income from land rents. They did not work the land themselves, but had farmers or other nobles who paid rents. However, the farmers owned the buildings and farm equipment, so there were never any serfs as in France or England. The Reformation of 1669 had two purposes: to weed out ‘false’ nobles and to raise money. True nobles who could not provide the necessary documentation were ‘deboute’ – this involved a fine of as much as 400 livres.

1200 – A du Ros is witness to the founding of the Abbey of St Meen.

1320 – A document exists signed by Pope John XXII, appointing a Pierre du Tertre Canon of Saint Malo. This is almost certainly a du Roz, because he previously had a post at Cleder – see below and St Pol de Leon: he was a Leonard.

1380 – the marriage of Marie du Roz, dame of Kersullien (manor near Cleder) with Auffroy Derian, lord of Pratalan in Plouider. Auffroy was the son or brother of Prigent, who was a knight in the retinue of Olivier de Clisson, constable of France.

Their son Yvon (French equivalent of Owen or Owain) married around 1400 with Basile de Coetaudon, dame of Kermenguy and of Kerarbret;. He was captain of Brehat in 1407 and commanded 15 knights in 1420 and in 1424 commanded a company of 22 men at arms, 13 archers and 3 crossbowmen. He is present at the muster of Bourges in 1418. The company would have been in the service of the king of France against the English. Their son Yves marries Marguerite de Saint-Denis around 1440 – Then their Louis marries Meance de Kerliviry; whose son Tanguy married Plezou de Launay.

NOTE – This family changed its name to de Kermenguy and still exists. M Sabine de Kermenguy is involved in a society to preserve the family manor. One of his ancestors was a famous genealogist and historian and he has an illustrated family tree going all the way back to the marriage in 1380 and has been kind enough to send me a photo of it.

This family Derien is said to descend from a younger son Derrien or Dergen of the king or duke of Brittany, - of Alain le grand, who drove the Vikings from the country.

1381 – A du Ros is one of the c200 signatories of the second Treaty of Guerande. This brought to an end the War of Breton Succession. The du Ros would almost certainly have been on the de Montfort side along with the du Chastels. This treaty was so important that it was taken around the Duchy so that all the important families could sign it.

1430 – Jehan or Jean du Roz is the second husband of Catherine de Quilbignon daughter of Amice de Kergroades and Yvon de Quilbignon, sénéchal (steward) of the Lordship of Kerusas – issue of the house of Coatenes in Plouzané marries around 1410 (Amice was the widow of Herve de Kermenou who married around 1400 and daughter of Robert de Kergroades.

NOTE – Catherine de Quibignon was the grand daughter of Hamon II of Kergroadez and Jeanne du Chastel and hence the great great granddaughter of Tanguy du Chastel. These are very illustrious names – Quilbignons gave their name to the town of the same name; in the middle ages more important than Brest, of which it is now a suburb. The family of Kergroadez did not play a great role in history, but after the extinction of the senior branch of the du Chastels they became the leading family of the area and were famous for their bounty to the poor, their tenants and the church. Their castle, the Chateau de Kergroadez has been restored and can be visited.

It is difficult to overstate the status of the du Chastels. Through the marriage of Bernard du Chastel after his return from the crusades to the heiress of the viscounts of Leon, they obtained vast estates and the castle of Tremazan. The name of Tanguy du Chastel is probably one of the most famous in Breton history there have several of that name who distinguished themselves in the service of the Duke and Kings of France.

This Tanguy was a general in the army of the de Montforts in the Breton civil war c1350. He took the side of the de Montforts against the claims of de Blois and won the battle of la Roche Derrien with English help. Another Tanguy was provost of Paris and governor of Roussillon. A Guillaume du Chastel was a trusted servant of the King of France and died saving his life. He is buried at the Basilica of Saint Denis in Paris with the kings of France, one of only two persons other than monarchs to have been buried there.

Another Tanguy was an ambassador of both the Duke of Brittany (Francis II) and of the King of France and was present at the engagement of Edward IV of England.

Brest is a modern town as a result of virtual destruction in WWII. Two of the medieval remains in the town are the bastille de Quilbignon and Tanguy’s tower, which is a museum; named for Tanguy du Chastel.

Brittany had adopted the French feudal system and the du Chastels were the feudal overlords of the Manor du Roz in Lanildut. Although the ‘other’ manor du Ros in Treglonou had the de Rohans as overlords, they had by then inherited the du Chastels lands and titles. The du Roz appeared at the musters alongside the Seigneur du Chastel and both manors formed part of the coastal defences of the Leon by controlling the entry into the Aber Ildut and the Aber Wrac’h. There is a military emplacement a few yards away from the manor, which was in ruins in the 1770s, but has been restored and is inhabited. It is very likely that members of the du Roz family would have been present at some of the events with which the du Chastels were involved.

The family de Kerlec’h was a branch of the du Chastels (specifically a “ramage” – which indicates direct male descendants, who changed their name as part of a marriage contract) and provided godparents and witnesses at a number of du Roz christenings and weddings in later centuries.

According to an old Breton saying, the du Chastels were one of the 4 great families of the Leon: The antiquity of Penhoet; the wealth of Kermavan; the chivalry of Kergournadeac’h; the bravery of the Chastel.

Jehan du Roz is the son of Yvon du Roz and Marie le Hellez, who rendered account to the lordship of Keroulas in 1436 and 1459 for their lands of Kerdelvaz in Larret.

(Ref: Lulzac – chronicles and letter).

1448 Jehan du Roz is Lord of Garzjahan at the tax reformation of parish of Plouvien

(ref Ployen dec’h hag hirio; volume 1

1471 – Henry Tudor is shipwrecked at Le Conquet after fleeing with his uncle Jasper via Tenby after Lancastrian defeat at Tewkesbury in the Wars of the Roses. He is 14 and has spent most of his life at Pembroke castle for protection. They are kept in safety in various places for nearly 14 years. After complaints by the kings of England and France, who would both like to get their hands on him for different reasons, their English bodyguard is replaced by Bretons under the command of Jean du Quelennec, Admiral of Brittany at the ducal castle of Suscinio. They are later moved to the castles of Elven and Josselin under the command of the de Rieux family.

NOTE – the de Portzmoguer family, who ere neighbours of the du Roz and with whom there were family connections, were a branch (ramage) of the Malestroit family, who built the castle of Elven, where Henry Tudor was accommodated.

One of the writers who provide much information of the period from a French perspective is Philippe de Commines. He mentions Tanguy du Chastel’s presence at the French court at the time of the Wars of the Roses.

1477 Guillaume du Ros and Marguerite le Dimanac’h were lords of Penzes and Kerguelven

(Ref – monography of Plouvien by Canon Perennes corrected by M Lulzac)

1479 – Proceedings taken by Guillaume de Kergroades lord of Stang an Heol against Ollivier du Ros. Nothing is known of the purpose of the litigation, but the declaration made by G de K is still held at the court of Saint Renan.

1480 Jacob Quillian and Jehanne du Ros marry their daughter Isabelle to Jehan Touronce lord of Lannenec in Lanrivoaré (son of the procurator fiscal of the lordship of du Chastel and Jehanne de Kermelegan)

(ref – Lulzac chronicles – volume 2 manor of Coatmanac’h now in Saint Renan)

1480 – 20/12/80 – succession of Herve du Ros – act passed by Paul du Rest, notary royal at Lesneven, concerning the inheritance of the land of Herve Ros by Ollivier du Ros and his sisters

(Ref departmental archives of Finistere 4E 131 61)

1481 – Guyon Duval and Ollivier du Tertre (=du Ros) are mentioned in the muster of the nobility. Ollivier is represented by Morice Lesguen, archer, at the muster received at Lesneven (note – he is without doubt the orphan of Herve and had sisters).

Ollivier le Roz is listed as being with the lord du Chastel at the muster as an archer in brigandine. Also du Tertre represents master Guillaume Kergadiou, because he is ill. (also 1481, parish of Plourin)

There were clearly two persons called Ollivier du Ros in 1481. One was forming part of the garrison of Tremazan castle and the other too young to appear at the muster. A relative or family friend will have stood in for him, as was the custom.

(ref notebooks Arzel)

NOTE – The manor of Kergadiou was a neighbouring estate of Garzjahan and a member of this family was a captain under admiral du Quelennec. Another was a counsellor to Duchess Anne. A few centuries later, they provide central characters in the novel Scaramouche by Sabatini, made into a film. There are a number of family connections between the du Roz and the de Lesguen family.

1483 – Some of the most famous events in English history – the death of Edward IV; the princes in the tower; the usurpation by Richard III. Henry Tudor becomes the only claimant to the throne and hundreds of English nobles gather with him in Brittany.

1485 – Battle of Bosworth, Henry Tudor returns with English nobles, French mercenaries and a small group of Breton supporters sets sail from Normandy; lands in Wales and defeats Richard III at Bosworth. He becomes King Henry VII.

1488 – In Brittany, the Battle of Saint Aubin, the Bretons suffer a heavy defeat at the hands of the French; betrayed by some of their eastern nobles; Duke Francis dies shortly after and is succeeded by Anne aged 12

1498 to 1501 – Jehan du Ros was tresorier de guerre (officer of state – similar to minister of war) under Duchess Anne of Brittany. She was also Queen of France, twice, widowed at the age of 21 (Charles VIII) and married his successor Louis XII in 1499.

‘There is no documentary proof that he is from the same Leon family’

(Ref Lulzac – letter) Alain Noel’s research indicates that this is the same Jehan du Ros who married Catherine de Quibignon.

Jehan was also Greffier or recorder to the parliament of Francis II.

This is a brief show of independence after the death of Charles VIII, after a thousand years of self rule, Brittany becomes part of France in 1532.

1503 – Reformation and Muster of the nobility:

Loys an Ros – injunction to arm himself, parish of Ploudalmezeau

Loys du Tertre – represented by Ollivier du Tertre summoned for appearing without equipment

Deryan an Ros – injunction to equip himself, parish of Plouguin

Yvon du Ros - represented by Christopfle le Palier, vougier (spear bearer) parish of Plourin Ploudalmezeau

Jehan du Ros – injunction to equip himself

Guillaume du Ros – in brigandine with javelin

(ref Antiquities of Finistere by the Chevalier de Freminville)

“1535 – In Stafford, England, William Deuros is given accommodation at St Thomas’s at the request of the crown (Henry VIII). He is described as an elderly and infirm royal servant.” This would make him a contemporary of Henry VIII’s father, Henry Tudor, if he had survived. However, further research showed him to be almost certainly William de Ros, treasurer of England of the prominent Anglo Norman family which died out in the 16th century. And the date was 1315.

(Ref – VCH County History; Staffordshire)

1544 – Guillaume du Ros, lord of Kerros and Isabelle de Saint-Gouesnou (daughter of Bertrand de Saint-Gouesnou and Isabelle Kervizin, heiress of Keruznou). They had children, of whom:

1. Tanguy (c1550) du Ros, lord of Penzes, notary in the town of Ploudalmezeau c 1572

2. Guiomarc’h (Breton form of Guillaume or William), married Marie Jacob (they had at least 2 children of whom two brothers seem to have married sisters – Jean, Lord of Kervizin married Francoise Traon or du Val and Mathieu who married du Val or Traon. Letter from M Lulzac)

Tanguy du Ros married Françoise de Kernatous,

And they had one daughter:

1. Louise, dame of Penzes, who married Maurice Simon, lord of la Palue (Son of Guillaume lord of Tromenec, who killed Francois de Kermavan in a duel in 1600 and Jehanne de Kergadiou. They live in Plouvien. They have children born in Plouvien: 11/11/1593 Francois lord of la Palue who married Barbe Denis 14/2/1595; Guillaume 17/7/1596; Jeanne 20/12/1598; Henry lord of Kerenez and Penzes who married Catherine de Coetnempren, 30/8/1600; Jean 10/2/1607; Louise, who sold a house and land in the bourg of Ploudalmezeau to Prigent de Lesguen

(ref Lulzac chronicles, vol 3 manor of Keruznou Vean and letter)

The family de Saint-Gouesnou is one of the oldest and most powerful of the Leon, they owned the castle of Breignou, which is surrounded by water. It is also known as Castel Gleb.

Tanguy’s daughter Louise is buried in the chapel of Ste-Catherine in Plouvien. Through her, much of the heritage of the du Ros, passed to descendants with other surnames. But she had a number of fascinating descendants, including: Jean-Gilles du COËTLOSQUET was the great-grandson of Louise and a prominent church leader. He became bishop of Limoges and was appointed tutor of the royal children of France. He was responsible for the upbringing of Louis XVI and his siblings.

Madame Roussin has traced the ascent of Maurice Simon to a Viscount of Leon who accompanied William the Conqueror and he is also descended from Etienne de Blois – who is known as King Stephen of England. The French Duroses are descended from him through other routes, because he married his daughter to Herve de Leon – for a short time Earl of Wiltshire and holder of the Honour of Eye.

There follow many christenings, weddings and deaths. They involve many of the gentry families of the area: an Traon (du Val), de Lesguen, du Beaudiez, Simon de Tromenec, le Veyer, de Penfentenyo, Touronce

12/6/1661 – at Plouvien, marriage of Hervé du Ros, (son of esquire xxxx, and demoiselle Marie le Veyer) and Anne de Penfeuntenio, daughter of esquire Francois and Anne de Portzmoguer. (witnesses – Claude de Carné, Hervé de Keroullas, Demoiselle Anne de Portzmoguer. Note, Francois is the son of Laurent de Portzmoguer and Annette Jacquette Simon.

(ref – parish of Plouvien CGF Finistere)

NOTE – Herve is described as the Seigneur of Kergratias near Plouguerneau. The name indicates that this was a manor and village. In the early years of the next century, the Manor and the entire parish to which it belonged was engulfed by sand during storms. This is now being excavated and is a museum – Iliz Coz (Old Church in Breton). This disaster may be partly to blame for the family’s lowered social status.

The de Penfentenyo family still exits and provided two war heroes of the 20th century – after whom a section of the French special forces is named.

In his book on Breton surnames F Gourvil says that the family du Ros had fallen into a commoners condition by the eve of the Revolution.

Some decades later, the abbot Arzel, whose ancestor married a Duros was curate of Ploudalmezeau. He wrote note book about the events in the town and the noble families of the area. He lists births, marriages and deaths from 1604 to 1854 and says of the ‘house of du Ros’ had some time since fallen into poverty, so that it was hardly true that they were noble.

In 1854 he says that another Jehan du Ros had left Brittany to live in the monastery of Gethsemany in the USA. This was set up by monks who were unhappy with changes taking place in the Catholic Church in France.

There is no evidence of Protestantism in the du Ros of Brittany. Protestantism in Brittany was limited to a few noble families and the region did not suffer from the religious troubles until the end of the 16th century. When Henry IV became King of France, he had protestant leanings, and fighting devastated Brittany around 1590 in the War of the League. This was between those who thought the king should be replaced – supported by the Spanish – and those loyal to him. The Leon is conservative and mainly supported the King. It was ravaged by two pillagers – Anne de Sanzay, Count of Magnanne (a man) and Guy Eder de la Fontanelle.

The chateau / manor of Lesmel in Plouguerneau was extorted from its owners (two widows) by the Magnanne and later recovered by its rightful owners. It passed to Catherine du Ros and one of her descendants became bishop of Quimper.

The ‘Dark Ages’ and before

It is impossible to provide a definite history of the family before the late middle ages, but what can be deduced of the group to which they belong from the general sweep of Breton history? There was a huge migration of population from the British Isles to Brittany, then called Armorica, from around the year 400 to 700. They came at first as part of the army of the Roman Emperor of the west, Magnus Maximus. He made Conan Meriadec king of Armorica and Dumnonia (now South West England) – his first castle is said to have been at Lanildut and the Breton family de Rohan claim to be direct descendants.

Many of the place names of the area indicate the origins of the settlers – Leon was called Domnonee at one time; the town Plouguerneau means ‘the parish of Cornwall’. Many places in Breton-speaking areas begin with Ker-, which is the equivalent of Car or Caer, meaning house or the village around a house. The Romans called Exeter Isca Dumnoniorum, but the British called it Keresk.

Settlers from South West England and South Wales were not invaders, they shared a common culture with the Gallo-Romans who lived there and the Leon had been largely depopulated because they could not defend the coast against Saxon raids. The Britons were also suffering raiding mainly from Picts and Scots as the Romans withdrew and then also by Saxons.

As members of the Leon medieval nobility ‘of the sword’, the Duroses will probably trace their ancestry back to the early counts and kings of Brittany and to the aristocracy of South West England and South Wales under the Roman occupation.

In more recent times, an Alfred Duros, who was born in Brittany became leader of the resistance in WWII in the town of Conde sur Vire (Normandy). He was captured by the Nazis and died in Dachau concentration camp. One of the main streets in Conde has been named after him.

Page from the nobility book of Pol Potier de Courcy, showing the coat of arms of the du Roz family.

[pic]

Photograph of the Manor du Roz as it is today (by Gildas Saouzanet)

** permission is being sought to show this image!**

Although, the work of Alain Noel, shows that a du Ros was lord of the place of the same name in Treglonou in the 14th century.

It is more probable that the family takes its name from a different manor, now called Trouzilit.

Yves Lulzac’s book on the Breton manors says that the lords of Trouzilt moved to the manor du Ros in Treglonou and changed its name to Trouzilit. It is very unlikely that F Gourvil would have known this when he wrote his book on surnames and the pictured house would have been the only likely candidate.

The manor has been fully restored and is a leisure and equestrian centre.



The links between the Durose ancestors in France and Henry Tudor’s exile in Brittany

Much of the information in this section is taken from the book 'the Making of the Tudor Dynasty' by Prof Ralph A Griffiths and Roger S Thomas.

Henry Tudor - who would later become King Henry VII - was a Lancastrian, through his mother Margaret Beaufort. She was a descendant of Edward III, and of his son John of Gaunt Duke of Lancaster. His father, Edmund, died before Henry was born and Henry spent most of his early life in Pembroke Castle, in protection from the Yorkists.

On his father's side, Henry claimed descent from the old Welsh / British kings. In fact, after becoming king, he commissioned a genealogist to prove his descent from King Arthur. His grandfather, Owen Tudor, had made a very surprising marriage for those days, when he married Catherine of Valois, the widow of Henry V (of Agincourt fame). So through his grandmother, he was descended from the French royal house of Valois and Saint Louis (Louis IX).

Besides his mother, his most influential relative was his uncle Jasper, who would share his exile in Brittany. Henry was only 14 when the Lancastrians were decisively beaten at Tewkesbury in 1471.

Edward IV was king, he had powerful brothers and heirs and the Yorkist rule seemed secure. Henry only had a very tenuous claim to the throne, but he was the closest thing the Lancastrians had - and so his life was in danger.

Jasper knew King Louis XI of France, who offered them sanctuary, so they set sail from Tenby in mid-September for France.

As they sailed around the western tip of Brittany, which was then an independent duchy, there was a storm and they were forced to land at Le Conquet. Philippes de Commynes - Louis XI's chronicler - confirms that the news of their landing soon reached the Breton court and mentions the presence of Tanguy du Chastel at the French court.

The Duke of Brittany - the last - was Francis II. He swore to protect them and treated Henry and Jasper very well at Nantes. They were minor pawns in the triangular affairs of state between England, France and Brittany. Louis XI wanted them to strengthen his position against England and Edward IV would have loved to eliminate the only surviving potential Lancastrian claimant. ( Jean du Ros was recorder of the parliament of Francis II.)

They were transferred to Vannes. Edward IV sent Anthony Wydville as an envoy to Brittany to secure their release to him.

For a year they were accommodated at the castle of Suscinio under the supervision of Jean du Quelennec, Viscount du Faou and Admiral of Brittany. They then returned to Nantes - Suscinio was thought to be too susceptible to attack from the sea.

In 1474, under pressure from Edward and Louis, Francis II separated Henry and his uncle under Breton guards. Jasper was sent to Josselin castle, which had been temporarily abandoned by the de Rohan family. Henry was taken to the castle of Largoet, where he stayed in the famous Tour d'Elven with the de Rieux family, who had children of a similar age.

In 1476 they were under guard at Vannes. In one of his moments of weakness, Francis agreed to send Henry to Edward in England. He was sent to Saint Malo as the first stage of his journey. This had happened while Jean du Quelennec was away from court. When he returned, he was furious that Francis had acted this way and broken his pledge to Henry. Pierre Landais, Francis's chief counsellor was despatched to Saint Malo in order to try to retrieve the situation. It was a very close run thing (and a largely unknown turning point in English history!).

Both were returned to the Breton court at the Chateau d'Hermines at Vannes. Louis XI applied more pressure in 1477 and in 1482, when envoys were sent with large sums of money.

Other Bretons involved in guarding the exiles included Bertrand du Parc (600 livres per year to accommodate Jasper) and Jehan de Guillemet, Vincent de la Landette (probably an error, should be Landelle) and Louis de Kermene. In 1482 they were in the hands of Jean de Robihan (Robien).

In 1483 Henry's circumstances were changed dramatically by events in England. Edward unexpectedly died, his brother denounced him as illegitimate (rightly it seems) and his sons disappeared under dubious circumstances. Richard of York seized the throne. As a result of Richard III's ruthless behaviour, he quickly became unpopular and Henry became the only real alternative. An abortive uprising took place, in support of which Duke Francis was willing to commit 5000 Breton troops. They were to sail from Saint Malo, Brest, Auray and Dufou.

On 30 October, they were at Paimpol. The expedition was cancelled because of a storm.

In 1484, ships were again made ready at Morlaix, Saint-Pol-de-Leon and Brest, but this enterprise also failed.

A substantial court in exile formed around Henry in Brittany. Several hundred English nobles - both Lancastrian and disaffected Yorkists - arrived and a substantial movement was created to attempt to overthrow Richard and have Henry crowned. Henry swore an oath at Vannes that he would marry Elizabeth of York in order to unite the warring houses, if he was successful in becoming king. She probably had a better claim to the throne than he did. Henry kept his pledge, but after a short delay probably intended to underline his own right to the throne through conquest, rather than through his marriage to Elizabeth.

1n 1485 Henry and his supporters moved to France. Louis XI had died and his successor, Charles VIII (or more likely, Anne of Beaujeu, who acted as regent for her young brother) financed an army with which Henry would land in Britain. His army consisted of several hundred English nobles, two thousand French mercenaries and a small group of Breton followers.

Henry landed in Wales, where he was sure his welcome would not be hostile, and marched into England, stopping to spend a night at Stafford. Richard, whose army, estimated at 10,000, had been mustered in expectation of Henry's landing, was engaged at Bosworth. The outcome of the battle is well known. Many of Richard's army did not seem to have the heart for the battle and Richard, realizing that a decisive act was required, attacked Henry personally. He was killed - reputedly by Henry's bodyguard.

After the battle, it is thought that the French mercenaries all returned home. But little is known about Henry's Breton followers.

Section 2 - Circumstantial evidence

This section gives circumstantial evidence that the common ancestor of the Durose family in England and therefore in the rest of the world outside Brittany was a member of the du Ros family from Brittany and probably one of Henry Tudor's followers at the battle of Bosworth.

Linguistic

The name Durose only occurs in France in the department of Finistere, where it is the modern form of the name of a single family du Ros. The fact that the modern spelling of the name is the same on both sides of the channel tends to indicate that the pronunciation has remained unchanged for a long time. The name is not one that would naturally occur in an English-speaking country. In the past, the name was also spelt du Roz - the final 's' is pronounced and not omitted, as it would be in modern French.

The name is a semi-francization – a partial translation from Breton into French – of the Breton form ar Roz. This means in English 'of the hill' or 'of the headland'.

The spelling of the name has remained constant in England for at least 400 years. A document showing a church seating-plan for the church of Bramshall shows two Thomas Duroses, dated 1637.

There is a branch of Duroses outside France who we can assume not to be of English origin. Pierre Michel Durose is the assistant minister for education in Haiti. He is probably descended from Francois du Ros, who was attested on a neighbouring island in the 17th century.

Timing

The Durose / du Ros family history in Brittany can be traced back further than in England (several references in the 1300s and one on the 1200s). English birth, marriage and death records seem to dwindle as you get back to 1600. But there is evidence of land holding from the lord of the manor in the Bramshall area in the 1500s. The rent due is considerably less than other tenants.

All the Duroses outside Brittany and Haiti trace their family lines back to England, Bramshall and to a small number of individuals around 1600. It is likely that, around about 1500 to 1550, they only existed in two places in the world. The most likely explanation for this is that a single individual or small family group migrated from Brittany about 1500.

The date of the battle of Bosworth (1485) fits in very well as a possibility.

Were there any other migrations from the continent? A great many migrants bearing French surnames migrated during the wars of religion, but these were later and they were mainly artisans and craftsmen, rather than land owners and farmers. Staffordshire was not an area in which they settled. Before this, general migration was not common and a foreign national would have needed permission from the monarch (deed of denization) to hold land.

Are there other possibilities? Could the name be a transformation of an earlier, probably Norman name? Two main possibilities exist - de Ros (a Norman family, who were with William the Conqueror) and Devereaux (who were big landowners in Staffordshire in the 15th century). Both of these seem very unlikely. The de Ros were a very important family, but the name was actually pronounced to rhyme with goose (and was often spelled Roos or Roose). They also ran out of male heirs and the family name around that period was Manners. As for Devereaux (a Hereford family), they were active in Staffordshire for a very short time. The Devereaux acquired estates in the area by marriage, but then chose the wrong side at Bosworth. Neither of these suggestions can explain the Duroses in France, who have no connection with either of these Norman families. The Devereaux habit of spelling their name Deverose – which sometimes appears as Deuerose – has caused some confusion, but all have been identified as Devereaux. The Christian name Walter is a good indicator of this family.

Status and social factors

A key figure in the history of the Breton Duroses was Jehan (or Jean) du Ros. He was born around 1430 and must have been a man of some standing. He was lord of Garzjahan, a manor in Plouvien, and around married 1460 Catherine de Quilbignon. She was the granddaughter of Hamon II of Kergroades and Jeanne du Chastel and the heiress of Porzic. He became 'tresorier des guerres' for Anne of Brittany towards the turn of the century. Yves Lulzac gives the dates as 1498 to 1501.

The brother of Hamon de Kergroades - Robert III - was married to Isabeau du Quelennec, making her the great aunt of Jehan du Ros's wife, Catherine. Jean du Quelennec, admiral of Brittany, of the same family was one of Henry Tudor's guards was her cousin.

Jehan du Ros had a number of children. If we are looking for a possible first English ancestor who came across with Henry, then possible candidates would have nothing documented about them in Brittany after 1485. One such candidate is Ollivier du Ros. His exact date of birth is not known, but he is described as being a minor at the muster of nobles in 1481.

The link to the du Chastel and de Kergroades families causes excitement amongst genealogists in Brittany, because these were two of the most powerful families of lower Brittany. The du Chastels played an enormous role in history - not only in the local area, but also in France and even Rome as warriors, churchmen and advisors to kings. There is a Duchastel room in the Louvre museum.

Descendants of the du Ros family (although not bearing that name) were also involved in the events of the hundred years’ war. Marie du Ros married Aufroy Derian - son or brother of Prigent, who had been in the retinue of Ollivier de Clisson, constable of France, in 1378. De Clisson was a famous Breton warrior and the constable was the person who exercised command of the army on behalf of the monarch. Around the same time a Jeanne du Tertre (daughter of Guillaume du Ros) married another member of the de Clisson family, also called Ollivier).

They had two sons as recorded earlier:

Jean - who was captain of Brehat in 1407 and commanded a force of 22 esquires, 13 archers and 3 crossbowmen.

Yvon - noble of the Léon, in 1396 was at the muster at Gien-sur-Loire in 1418 with 15 knights of his company, in the service of the King of France against the English. Yvon's descendants eventually took the name de Kermenguy.

In 1792, Marie Terese de Kermenguy would marry Joseph Rene du Parc.

During his exile, Henry was housed at the Chateau de Largoet. This was built by the family de Malestroit. In 1630, Matthieu du Ros married Jeanne Touronce, who was the daughter of Anne de Portzmoguer. The Portzmoguer family is a ramage (branch) of Malestroit.

Another of Henry's guards was Jean de Robihan (modern spelling de Robien). In 1853 Jean V de Robien married Helene de Coëtnempren de Kersaint. In 1588, Henry Simon, who was the son of Louise du Ros and Guillaume Simon married Catherine de Coëtnempren and in 1692, Francois de Kersauzon, the son of Jean and Catherine du Ros married Francoise de Coëtnempren.

Another Jean de Robihan (possibly too young to be the same one) married in 1503 Gilette de Languéouëz - a family with close connections with the du Chastels.

Geographical

The small port of le Conquet is very close to both of the possible origins of the du Ros name - the manors of the same name in Lanildut and more probably in Treglonou, now called Trouzilit.

According to the web site of the castle of Tremazan, during the second half of the 15th century the coast of the Leon had a virtually permanent garrison commanded by the Sire du Chastel made up of his relatives to protect against attacks by the English. It mentions Guillaume de Kerlec'h (a ramage of du Chastel) a family that would provide a number of godparents at du Ros christenings in future years and also the family de Kermenou, to which the du Ros also had links. The older Ollivier du Ros is said to be with the Sire du Chastel at the montre (muster) of 1481. He was excused from the muster because he was defending the castle.

The Duroses of France today are descended from this family and I believe that the English ones are too. The timing is right and Henry spent 14 years in the same social circle as the Breton du Ros (as shown by the mostly remote links to Henry's guards) who were also involved in the great events of the period.

There were many opportunities for them to have met Henry at the place of his shipwreck; as one of his guards; during the preparation of one of the abortive invasions at Brest or through Jehan, who was active at court. I think there is a great deal of circumstantial evidence to indicate a high probability that the first Durose in England was a follower of Henry Tudor.

Further links found subsequently -

The senior branch of the du Chastel family of Tremazan became extinct in the 1500s due to lack of male heirs and their lands passed by marriage to the de Rieux. A de Rieux was made guardian to Anne of Brittany and was a central figure in the events that occurred after Francis’s death.

Madame Roussin asked the forum ‘noblesse bretonne’ if any of the contributors had any information about Henry Tudor, and they provided two further connections.

The fleet prepared at Brest to support Henry in his failed invasion (1483) was commanded by Jean du Quelennec. There are other family connections between the french Durose ancestors and the naval families of the period – Portzmoguer and Coetanlem.

By Bosworth, Henry had survived three shipwrecks. He attributed his good luck to the intervention of a Breton saint – Armel – who was revered in the area where the du Ros live. Plouarzel is named after him. Henry commissioned a stained glass window at Merevale abbey. Merevale is not far from Staffordshire, and is considered a possible true site of the battle of Bosworth. Both Merevale and Bramshall have links to the de Ferrers family.

Bramshall – the links with Brittany, the West Country and Henry Tudor

I have pointed out the strong circumstantial evidence placing the Durose ancestors in Brittany among the Bretons who were involved with Henry Tudor (King Henry VII) during his 14-year exile there.  It also places them in right area at the right time (late 15th Century) and even into the modern era.  The port at which Henry was shipwrecked - le Conquet - is part of the commune of Plougonvelin, where, until the elections of 2008, the mayor's son-in-law was called Pierre Durose. He is a senior fire officer and played football for Brest.

 

There remained a big question - what connection could there be between the village of Bramshall in the heart of England and Brittany?  The answer can be deduced from the work that Terry did in finding documented evidence of a Richard Durose in Bramshall as a tenant of Fulke Greville in the 1580s.  Richard had a position in the village as a Juror on the Court Baron, which would have met to decide on issues relating to the administration of the manor.  Richard clearly was not an immigrant

himself - he was well established and the forename Richard is virtually unknown in the area where the Duroses originate in Brittany.

 

The Grevilles were a prominent landed family, but they held Bramshall because of being lords Willoughby de Broke.  The Barony of Willoughby de Broke is the key to the link with Brittany.  It was a title that carried great prestige and as a result it was claimed through the female line by the Greville and then Verney families.  The current holder of the title - the 21st Baron is currently one of the hereditary peers elected to sit in the Lords after the house was reformed.

 

There were two Fulke Grevilles and the older one had married Elizabeth Willoughby of the great West Country family.

 

The key figure linking Bramshall to Henry Tudor, the West Country and Brittany is the first Lord Willoughby de Broke - previously known as Sir Robert Willoughby, who died in 1502.

 

The names of Willoughby and Durose are both closely linked to Bramshall.  There are adjacent streets named Durose Court and Willoughby Court in the village.  The Willoughby family, or the families who inherited the title of Willoughby have been lords of the manor of Bramshall since some time between 1485 and 1502.  They are also patrons of the church of St Lawrence.

 

The Willoughby family arrived with William the Conqueror and took their name from a village in Lincolnshire.  A branch was established in Wiltshire where they held Broke or Brooke Hall near Westbury.  During the Wars of the Roses, they seem to

have been Yorkist and one died at the battle of Tewkesbury 1471, after which Henry Tudor was taken to safety by his uncle.

 

After the death of Edward IV (1483) and the usurpation of power by Richard III, Robert Willoughby became part of the uprising against Richard.  The rebellion of the Duke of Buckingham failed and he was executed - Robert Willoughby survived and fled across the channel to Henry Tudor in Vannes, Brittany.  He was attainted and his lands confiscated.  Henry had been ready with a Breton army and fleet to support the rising.  The fleet was commanded by Jean IV du Quelennec, Viscount

du Faou and Admiral of Brittany.  He was the cousin of Jean du Ros wife - Catherine de Quilbignon.  Jean du Quelennec had been Henry's strongest supporter at the court of Duke Francis II.  Jean du Ros held the position of Greffier to the parliament of Francis II - this would be the person responsible for recording the proceedings.

 

Sir Robert Willoughby also had some family connections with Brittany.  He was descended from Margery de la Zouche.  The Zouches were a Breton family descended from Eudes de Porhoet.  The branch of this family that stayed in Brittany became known as de Rohan.  Robert's wife was also descended from the Cardinham family and his daughter married Lord Denham these are from the English branch of the de Dinan family settled in the West Country.  Eudes de Porhoet and the de Dinan family both appear in Madame Roussin's study of the Breton du Ros.

 

Robert Willoughby was involved in the battle of Bosworth and became Henry VII's ‘right-hand man'.  He was not a political advisor, but a man who was completely trusted to carry out difficult tasks - especially military ones - on behalf of the king.  In recompense he was raised to the peerage - the Barony Willoughby de Broke was created for him.  He was made a Knight of the Garter.

 

Immediately after Bosworth, Willoughby was sent to Sherrif Hutton in Yorkshire to take the young Earl of Warwick (son of the Duke of Clarence) into custody to prevent Yorkist uprisings.  He also was given the responsibility of conducting Henry's future wife to safety.

• He made the arrangements for Henry Tudor's coronation as Henry VII.

• He was made the Steward of the king's household.

• He was made Steward of the Duchy of Cornwall.

• He was sent as an ambassador to Brittany.

In 1488 when war broke out between France and Brittany, he was put in charge of raising a force to support Francis II against the French but it was too late. The Bretons lost at St Aubin du Cormier and shortly after Duke Francis died.

There followed a little-known war concerning the future of Anne of Brittany who at 12 was the richest heiress in Europe. She was married by proxy to Emperor Maximillian and then to two successive kings of France.  Although she is revered almost as a saint in Brittany, her marriages led to the union of Brittany and France in 1532.

In 1489, French forces had occupied many Breton towns and Henry raised an army to protect Anne’s interests against the French.

Willoughby de Broke was put in charge of this army of about 8,000 men.  He was in Brittany again for about a year.  He had been promised the towns of Brest and Morlaix as surety, but the Bretons allowed the French into Brest first, remembering how difficult it had been to dislodge the English from there in the 100 years war.  The area between Brest and Morlaix is where the French Duroses are to be found now. Willoughby occupied Concarneau instead of Brest.

Another family with connections to the French Durose ancestors who appear in Madame Roussin's study was also involved at this period - the Coetanlem family of Morlaix provided troop transport and had previously harassed the shipping of Richard III. Willoughby's army in Brittany was ultimately unsuccessful, but his terms of reference were purely defensive.

After returning to England, Willoughby was again sent to France in support of Brittany, when he was admiral of the fleet that landed in Calais.  The cause of Breton independence was already lost and most historians believe Henry's motives were purely to obtain recompense of his expenses.  This invasion led to the treaty known as the Peace of Etaples.  Henry also supported the Breton plot against the French in 1492.

 

Robert Willoughby, first Lord Willoughby de Broke died in 1502.  He chose to be buried in Callington in Cornwall.  Sometime between 1485 and 1502 he had been granted the manor of Bramshall, which was inherited by his son - also Robert.

 

In 1542 there was a disputed inheritance and the de Broke lands were split.  Elizabeth W married Fulke Greville and brought Bramshall and the title Willoughby de Broke to that family.  Because the Grevilles were based in Warwick, the historical link between Bramshall and Brittany would be lost.

The prominence of the Willoughby family and their possession of Bramshall are a direct result of the service rendered by the first Baron Willoughby de Broke to Henry Tudor, much of which occurred in Brittany.

 

There may be significance in the fact that Bramshall church is dedicated to St Lawrence.  This is not rare, but Lawrence is a saint particularly venerated in Brittany.  Hence the Presqu'ile Saint Laurent (St Lawrence Peninsula) in the Durose area of Brittany and the St Lawrence River in Canada - named by a Breton.

 

Saint Lawrence and Callington have both been associated with the Arthurian legends, which were influential in Henry’s time.

Callington is twinned with Guipavas the site of Brest airport.

 

Interesting reading: there have been many books written about this period of history and all mention Robert Willoughby in some capacity.  In addition to Madame Roussin's study on the Breton du Ros family, the following have proved useful.

 

1 The Making of the Tudor Dynasty by Griffiths and Thomas

This is a good read and covers Henry's period in Brittany well.  It is also available in many public libraries in England.

 

2 The Strife of the Roses and Days of the Tudors in the West by W H Hamilton Rogers

This is a wonderful old book that takes the form of a 19th century train journey through the West Country in search of traces of the heroes of Bosworth.  Original copies are expensive but you can still get modern paperbacks and it is on Google Books.  Contains a drawing of the tomb of RW at Callington

 

3 The King’s Army into the Partes of Bretaigne’: Henry VII and the Breton Wars, 1489–1491. John M. Currin

This historical article is available as a download.  It is full of detail on Willoughby's time in Brittany and is full of original sources - Letters between Willoughby and the various parties including Duchess Anne.  (Jean du Ros became her War Treasurer a decade later).  The article argues that Henry Tudor's commitment to Brittany after Bosworth has always been underestimated.

 

4 Son of Prophesy by David Rees

This book gives the details of Henry Tudor's welsh origins and examines how important they were in the lead up to Bosworth.

 

5 The Rise and Fall of a Noble Dynasty: Henry VII and the Lords Willoughby de Broke. D. A. Luckett

This historical article can be downloaded, but it is relatively expensive and does not shed much light on the Willoughby connections with Bramshall.  It uses Robert Willoughby as an example of a man who could rise to the highest position through the trust and patronage of a king and his son as an example of the reverse process.

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