Thirty-seven generations of Gurney ancestry, from the rise of the Vikings to modern America.
This working library developed by amateur genealogist Allen Gurney (contact me) organizes his direct Gurney line across eras, geographies, and supporting research artifacts.
| Gen. | Name & Dates | Geography | Summary |
|---|---|---|---|
| Modern America — Midwest, New York & Pacific Northwest | |||
| G1 | Allen Lawrence Gurney Living | Marion IN → St. Louis MO → Portland, OR | |
| G2 | Lester Hayes Gurney 1945–2025 | Port Washington NY → Marion IN → Fort Wayne, IN | |
| G3 | Lester Sawyer Gurney III 1923–19 December 2011 | New York area; New Jersey | |
| Gilded Age & Civil War — New York | |||
| G4 | Lester Sawyer Gurney Jr. 1888–1958 | New York area | |
| G5 | Lester Sawyer Gurney 1856–1899 | New York area | Son of Brig. Gen. William Gurney. Died young at 43. |
| G6 | Brigadier General William Gurney 1821–1879 | Flushing, Queens NY · Manhattan · Charleston SC | Wholesale merchant, Civil War colonel, commandant of Charleston 1865.Click for biography |
| Early Republic — Flushing, Queens, New York | |||
| G7 | Willis Gurney c. 1796–98 — before 1870 | Cummington, MA → Flushing, Queens NY | Tailor. First Gurney to leave Massachusetts for New York. |
| Massachusetts Farming Generations — Cummington & Plymouth County | |||
| G8 | Amos Gurney 1770 — before 1850 | Bridgewater, MA → Cummington, Hampshire Co., MA | Farmer. Married Ruth Gilbert 1790. Six children born Cummington. |
| G9 | Benjamin Gurney bpt. 30 May 1730 — d. 28 Sept. 1805 | Abington, MA → Cummington, Hampshire Co., MA | Farmer. Sold Abington land 1770, moved to Cummington. Buried Dawes Cemetery. |
| G10 | Benjamin Gurney c. 1704 — before 1772 | Weymouth, MA → Abington/Whitman, MA → Middleboro → Rochester, MA | Farmer. Fathered Benjamin (G9) by Jane Harden. Married Sarah Morse 1731. |
| G11 | Benjamin Gurney c. 1676 — d. 1738/9 | Weymouth, MA → Abington, MA → Middleboro, MA | Married Rebecca Staples 1701. 'Granny Gurney's Swamp' story. Will proved 1739. |
| G12 | Richard Gurney c. 1630 England — d. Oct. 1691 | Weymouth, MA | Freeman 1681. Married Rebecca Taylor. Son John killed Mendon massacre 1675. |
| The Emigrant — Colonial Massachusetts | |||
| G13 | John Gurney-1 c. 1609-12 England — d. 1662/3 | Weymouth, MA → Braintree, MA | Tailor. First Gurney in North America. Estate: £55.14.6.Click for Case File |
| Tudor England — City of London & Norfolk | |||
| G14 | Francis Gurney 13 Sept. 1581 — d. 9 Jan. 1646/7 | West Barsham, Norfolk → Norwich → City of London (St. Benet Fink) | Merchant Taylor (admitted 1606). Probable father of John Gurney-1.Case fileFact sheet |
| G15 | Henry de Gournay 21 Jan. 1548 — d. 1623 | West Barsham Hall, Norfolk; Great Ellingham, Norfolk | 'Last Gurney born Roman Catholic.' 12 children. Tomb at Great Ellingham. |
| G16 | Francis GURNEY 20 Aug. 1521 — d. Jan. 1571 | West Barsham Hall, Norfolk | Married Elizabeth Helen Holditch 1543. Both died January 1571. |
| G17 | Anthony de Gournay b. 1499 — d. Dec. 1556 | West Barsham Hall & Great Ellingham, Norfolk | BOLEYN CONNECTION: Second cousin of Queen Anne Boleyn. |
| G18 | William Gurney V fl. c. 1490–1530 | Irsted, Norfolk | Married Anne Heydon; connected to Boleyn network and Howard Dukes of Norfolk. |
| Medieval Norfolk Gurneys — West Barsham & Great Ellingham, c. 1300–1499 | |||
| G19 | Edward William Gurney b. c. 1430 — d. 18 Jan. 1508 | West Barsham; Burnham Thorpe, Norfolk | Son of Thomas Gournay. Married Ann Calthorpe. Died 18 Jan. 1508. |
| G20 | Thomas Gournay II fl. c. 1400–1460 | West Barsham, Norfolk | Son of Thomas I. Married Margaret Jernegan/Jerningham. Will 1468, proved 1471. |
| G21 | Thomas Gournay I fl. c. 1408–1450 | West Barsham; Harpley; Norfolk | Nephew of Sir John Gurney (d.1408). Son of Robert. Succeeded to family estates when John's son died under age. |
| G22 | Robert Gournay fl. c. 1370–1420 | Norfolk | Son of Edmund Gurney (d.1387). Brother of Sir John (d.1408). Married Joan de Norwich.Fact sheet |
| G23 | Edmund Gurney d. 1387 | Harpley & Hardingham, Norfolk; Bishop's Lynn (King's Lynn) | HISTORY OF PARLIAMENT. Steward of John of Gaunt's East Anglian estates 1372–1387.Fact sheet |
| Junior Norfolk Branch — Harpley & Hardingham, c. 1140–1387 | |||
| G24 | John de Gournay IV fl. c. 1330–1370 | Harpley; West Barsham; Norfolk | Mentioned in a deed of his uncle's, 1331. Father of Edmund Gurney (d.1387).Fact sheet |
| G25 | John de Gournay III fl. c. 1300–1353 | Harpley, Norfolk | Son of William III. Wife Jane de Lexham. Succeeded uncle John (Rector of Harpley) in 1332. Living 27 Edw. III (1353).Fact sheet |
| G26 | Sir William de Gournay III, Knt. fl. c. 1260–1300 | Harpley, Norfolk | Married Katherine de Baconsthorpe. Sold all estates to brother John, Rector of Harpley, in 1294.Fact sheet |
| G27 | Sir John de Gournay I, Knt. fl. c. 1240–1280 | Harpley, Norfolk; Lewes, Sussex; Holy Land | Present at battles of Lewes (1264) and Evesham (1265). Accompanied Edward I to Holy Land 1270.Fact sheet |
| G28 | William de Gournay II fl. c. 1210–1250 | Harpley, Norfolk | Son of Matthew de Gournay. Father of Sir John I. Living 1234 and 1243.Fact sheet |
| G29 | Matthew de Gournay fl. c. 1180–1220 | Harpley; Hardingham; Norfolk | Married Rose de Burnham c.1183. Acquired Gurney's manor in Harpley through her.Fact sheet |
| G30 | William de Gournay I fl. c. 1150–1180 | Runhall; Hardingham; Norfolk; Montigny-sur-Andelle, Normandy | Knight. Lord of Runhall and Swathings. Held Montigny-sur-Andelle in Normandy in parage — proof of blood descent from Barons of Gournay.Fact sheet |
| G31 | Walter de Gournay fl. c. 1108–1154 | Norfolk; Suffolk | JUNCTION POINT. Youngest son of Gerard de Gournay. Ancestor of the entire Norfolk junior branch.Fact sheet |
| Norman Barons of England — Post-Conquest Settlement, c. 1066–1214 | |||
| G32 | Gerard de Gournay c. 1040 — d. before 1104, Palestine | Gournay-en-Bray, Normandy; Caister, Norfolk | CRUSADER. Married Edith de Warenne. Joined First Crusade 1096, died Holy Land.Fact sheet |
| G33 | Hugh de Gournay III c. 1020 — d. c. 1093 | Gournay-en-Bray, Normandy → Norfolk & Essex, England | BATTLE OF HASTINGS 1066. Buried Abbey of Bec, Normandy.Fact sheet |
| G34 | Hugh de Gournay II c. 985 — d. c. 1074 | Gournay-en-Bray, Normandy | 'The Fortifier.' Fought at Battle of Mortemer 1054.Fact sheet |
| G35 | Renaud de Gournay c. 970 — dates uncertain | Gournay-en-Bray, Normandy | Held seigneury of Gournay. Charter 989–996 confirms his existence.Fact sheet |
| G36 | Hugh de Gournay I c. 945–950 — dates uncertain | Gournay-en-Bray, Normandy | Son of Eudes. First lord born in Gournay.Fact sheet |
| Viking Origin — Gournay-en-Bray, Normandy, c. 912 | |||
| G~37 | Eudes (Odon) de Gournay c. 860 — d. c. 912 | Scandinavia → Gournay-en-Bray, Normandy (Seine-Maritime dept., France) | ORIGIN OF THE LINE. Viking companion of Rollo. ~37 generations to Allen.Fact sheet |
| End of Known Record — The Wall of History | |||
| G~38+ | Unknown Scandinavian ancestors Before c. 860 | Scandinavia — Denmark or Norway (unknown) | WALL OF KNOWABLE HISTORY. Eudes's Norse ancestry entirely unrecorded. |