Lord Of Eaton Walter Fitz-Otho DE WINDSOR

  General Notes:

Keeper of the Forest of Berkshire and Constable of Windsor Castle. He was the founder of the house of Windsor, with large holdings in Bucks, Berks, Hants, Middlesex, and Surrey.

The Preamble to the Norman invasion of Ireland
The first Grants were a branch of the FitzGeralds, who trace their roots back to Florence, Italy in AD 910, with one Rainerio. But there is no family tree for this period. Our direct roots start with Otho (or Other) arrived in England via Normandy prior to 1066. He held estates in England at the time of the conquest, and was powerful enough to have retained his lands. According to Brian Fitzgerald in The Geraldines (1951), the kinship of the FitzGeralds to the Florentine family was recognised in the 16th century by the Earls of Kildare. Whether they were really from Florence is open to doubt, but certainly Otho is a real figure.

Following their invasion of England in 1066, the Normans consolidated their position by garrisoning a chain of formidable castles. The Castillian of one of these, Windsor Castle, was Otho's son, Walter fitz Otho, noted in the Doomsday Book of 1087. Walter married Glades, daughter of Rhuvallon of Cynvyn, Prince of North Wales. They had three sons, Gerald, Robert and William. It is not clear why he married someone from Wales, if he was Constable of Windsor, perhaps she was a hostage there. As well as being Constable of Windsor, Walter was also Keeper of the forests of Berkshire, and owned extensive lands in four counties. It is noted that the monks of Abingdon suffered at his hands, when he seized some of their woods near Bagshot. He was created a baron.

Walter married Beatrice DE OFFLAY. (Beatrice DE OFFLAY was born about 1050.)