Gilbert Le Blond

Oxford Castle as it appeared in the fifteenth century
From Old England: A Pictorial Museum by Charles Knight

The lord of Guisnes is said to have had three sons in the Conqueror's army, Robert, William and Gilbert. The latter returned to France while Robert and William held baronies in the eastern counties and are entered in Domesday, the name being variously given as Blon, Blondus and Blundus. Robert Le Blond was in possession of manors in England in the time of Edward the Confessor and may be the same Robert, son of Raoul Le Blond, described in a strange vision of purgatory related by Orderic Vital concerning departed spirits in 1091. Robert was baron of Icksworth in Suffolk, having held Oxford Castle and several other manors in the same county. He married Gundred, daughter of the earl Ferrers, and their son Gilbert founded in 1100 the priory of Icksworth in Suffolk. The family was large and the name occurs frequently in Essex, Suffolk, Wiltshire, Nottingham, etc. Richard Blond witnessed a charter of Richard de Vernon in favour of the abbey of jumieges in 1174. --(This name appears on the Falaise Roll).