FitzMartin

FitzMartin was the surname of a Norman family based in England and Wales between 1085 and 1342.

The first known member of the family was William Martyn de Tours, who appears to have died prior to 1100. Records show a Sir William Martyn of Tours, as having been born c. 1020 to Nicholas de Caineis in Tours,Puy-de-Dome, Auvergne, France. This Sir William Martyn joined William the Conqueror in his invasion of England. Duke William became the King of England after a successful military campaign which began as the Battle of Hastings in 1066. The Norman French system of government was implanted in England. Sir William Martyn obtained the lands of Combe Martin in Devon, England, then engaged in his own battle against Wales, acquiring by force a barony in Pembrokeshire. Sir William Martyn died c. 1094 at was buried St Dogmaels Abbey, Pembrokeshire, Wales. Sir William Martyn, Lord Combe Martin, Lord Kemys, married Geva de Burci, daughter and sole heiress of Serlo de Burci, feudal baron of Blagdon in Somerset. By Geva de Burci, William Martyn he was father to a Sir Robert FitzMartin.

In his lifetime, Sir William Martin's son was known as Robert FitzMartin (i.e. French fils de, "son of"), and this patronymic developed into the surname FitzMartin.

Geva's second husband, William de Falaise, is listed in the Domesday Book of 1086 as a landowner in Devon, Dorset and Somerset. The bulk of the estates of Serlo de Burci, including the feudal barony of Blagdon in Somerset and Dartington, Devon, later devolved on Robert.

Other children of Sir William Martin and Geva de Burci, include son Nicholus, son William & daughter Avice

The Arms of FitzMartin are: Argent two bars gules. The arms of Nicholas FitzMartin in Glover's Roll of Arms (no. 202) show a label azure for difference. The label is charged on each point with three bezants for William Martin in Collins Roll (134) and for another William Martin in Segar's Roll (171) and Gwillim's Roll (60) where there are five points to the label each charged with three bezants.

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