Roland Danvers

• Preferred Name: Roland Danvers^{[1] [2]}
  
• Alternate Name: Roland Danvers
  
• Alternate Name: Roland de Anvers
  
• Gender: M
  
• Birth: 1030 in Aluers, Normandy, France
  
• MilitaryService: 1066 in Dives-sur-Mer, Basse-Normandie, France at LATI: N9.2864 LONG: E0.0997
  
• Death: 1086 in Black Bourton, Oxfordshire, England at LATI: N1.7342 LONG: E1.586
  
• FSID: G68F-N76
  
• Alt.+Death: 1081 in Oxfordshire, England at LATI: N1.8574 LONG: E1.2935
  
• Title (Nobility): with note: Description: Sir Knight
  
• Notes:

  === Life Sketch ===
  Roland d'Alvers was born in France c.1027. He came to England in the service of William the Conqueror. He settled in Oxfordshire and left three sons, Ranulph (or Ralph), Roger and Almar. He is generally accepted as the progenitor of the English d'Anvers/Danvers lines. He died c.1081.
  
  Historians tell us that Danvers is a toponym, from the town of Anvers. Anvers, however, is the French name for Antwerp. As a follower of William the Conqueror it is not likely that Roland's family was from Antwerp. There is a suburb of Paris known as Alvers-sur-Oise, which might have given Roland the descriptive name of "d'Alvers." One source gives him a birthplace of Plouigneau, Brittany, France. Most likely, however, is that Roland came from Normandy. There were several villages in France at the time of the Conquest called Auvers. The name de Alvers appears on the Battle Rolls, including a Robert who received property from William at Northampton. The exact relationship between Robert and Roland has never been proven, but they might have been brothers.
  
  A note about names: The earliest spellings of the name Danvers include d'Anvers, de Aluers, d'Alvers, de Alvers, d'Anverso and d'Alvereux. Surnames in this era were more often descriptive names and spellings were not standardized. I have chosen to use d'Alvers for Roland and his children, switching to d'Anvers when I find in texts, and to Danvers for those born in the 14th century, unless the other form is clearly shown in reference texts.
  
  Maria Edmonds-Zediker, Volunteer Curator, May 26, 2013
  
  === Sir Roland was probably born about the s ===
  Sir Roland was probably born about the same time as the conqueror, A D 1027, and may very well have been brother to William de Auvers the son of Helge, whom we find amongst the early benefactors of the Convent of St Sauveur le Vicomte. It seems likely that he married before the time of the Conquest, A D 1066, as we find his sons holding manors when the Survey was completed in the year 1086. Probably Roland was then dead, or possibly he may have returned to Normandy, leaving his sons in possession of the inheritance which he had won in England. [Memorials of the Danvers Family p 38]
  
  === == Biography =====Excerpts from [https:/ ===
  == Biography =====Excerpts from [https://archive.org/stream/memorialsofdanve00macn#page/n53/mode/2up Memorials of the Danvers Family (of Dauntsey and Culworth)]===Sir Roland de Alvers, a Norman knight, came into England at the Conquest.[https://archive.org/stream/memorialsofdanve00macn#page/n53/mode/2up Memorials of the Danvers Family (of Dauntsey and Culworth)]; p 26. Entered by Michelle Brooks.
  And now we may picture Roland of Alvers leaving home in the autumn of the year 1066 to join the army which Duke William was assembling at Dives for the invasion of England.[https://archive.org/stream/memorialsofdanve00macn#page/n53/mode/2up Memorials of the Danvers Family (of Dauntsey and Culworth)]; p 33. Entered by Michelle Brooks.
  Sir Roland was probably born about the same time as the Conqueror, A.D. 1027, and may very well have been brother to William de Auvers the son of Helge, whome we find amongst the early benefactors of the Convent of St. Sauveur le Vicomte. It seems likely that he married before the time of the Conquest, A.D. 1066, as we find his sons holding manors when the Survey was completed in the year 1086. Probably Roland was then dead, or possibly he may have returned to Normandy, leaving his sons in possession of the inheritance which he won in England.
  .... Sir Roland's son, Sir Ralph, married the sister of Alexander, Bishop of Lincoln, an opinion which is based upon the mention, in the charter of Alan Earl of Brittany and Richmond, of Robert de Aluers of that time, as son of the Bishop's nephew - son, that is of Geoffrey, son of Ralph and the Bishop's sister. This Ralph, the Duchess of Clevelandtells us, signed as witness to a charter of Robert Earl of Leicester's to St. Ebrulf's monastery, and he is probably the same Ralph de Aluers when we find signing, as on of Bishop Alexander's men, to a chartergiven by Robert Earl of Leicester to the Bishop.[https://archive.org/stream/memorialsofdanve00macn#page/n53/mode/2up Memorials of the Danvers Family (of Dauntsey and Culworth)]; p 38. Entered by Michelle Brooks.
  ...Ralph left two sons, Roland and Geoffrey, of whom the elder, Roland, succeeded his father in Buckinghamshire and Berkshire estates, whileGeoffrey received lands at Bourton in North Oxfordshire, and probablyin Warwick also.[https://archive.org/stream/memorialsofdanve00macn#page/38/mode/2up Memorials of the Danvers Family]; p. 39. added on 2013 Nov 28 by [[Bairfield-1|Michelle]]
  
  == Sources ==
  * [https://archive.org/stream/memorialsofdanve00macn#page/n53/mode/2upMemorials of the Danvers Family (of Dauntsey and Culworth)]; openlibrary.org ebook. author: F. N. MacNamara
  
  === Footnotes ===
  
  
  
  === Acknowledgments ===
  Thanks to [[Bairfield-1|Michelle Brooks]] for starting this profile. Click the Changes tab for the details of contributions by Michelle and others.
  
  === Is in the Domesday book of 1086 as livin ===
  Is in the Domesday book of 1086 as living in a house in Northamptonshire that was provided by the King.

• m. BEF 1061 in England

1. Title: Legacy NFS Source: 'Sir' Roland D'ALVERS (DANVERS) -
   Author: Memorials of the Danvers Family of Dauntsey and Culworth; F N Machamara {1895}, Page number: 38
   Page: Migrated from user-supplied source citation: urn:familysearch:source:2736742943
   
2. Title: geni.com
   Publication: Name: https://www.geni.com/people/Roland-d-Alvers-Norman-knight/6000000003210303621?through=6000000003210414191;