The Duroses in France - Summary
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.
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The Duroses in France - Summary
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-deLeon 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’
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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.
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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)
http://gemh.free.fr/dossiers.php?dossier=33
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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
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The Duroses in France - Summary
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.
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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.
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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 <unknown> 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.
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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
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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.
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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.
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Page from the nobility book of Pol Potier de Courcy, showing the coat of arms of the
du Roz family.
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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.
http://www.manoir-trouzilit.com/
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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.
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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.
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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
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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.
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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
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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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