2l8 
HISTORY OF MAURITIUS. 
M. de Grenville is of an ancient, noble, and illustrious family of Normandy, 
where there are several burghs and estates which bear his name; and a branch of 
which passed into England, with William the Conqueror, in 1066, where it now 
possesses very extensive possessions and high dignities. * 
* Extracts relative to the House of Grainville, from the Peerage of England, and the histories 
of the noble families of France. 
“ Grenville, Grainville, Greinville, Greneville, Greneveile, Greenville, Granville, Greynville, 
Greinvill, Greinvyll, See. 
“ Earl of Temple, Marquis of Buckingham, Earl Nuguent in Ireland, and ancient Lords of 
Grainville, &c. See. See. in Normandy. 
“ This name is written in all these various ways, both in Great Britain and Normandy, accord¬ 
ing to the British Peerage, by Collins, edi'r. 1756, Vol. IV. page 215, 216, 217 ; but the original 
way of writing this name in France is Grainville, as it is still written in Normandy, from whence 
Richard, de Grainville, or Granville, passed with William the Conqueror, in 1066. This appears 
from the ancient deeds of the West, and those of Buckinghamshire. 
<c Robert de Grainville is one of the witnesses to the charter for building the Abbey of Nethe, 
which was begun by the aforesaid Richard de Grainville, anno 1129, 30 Henry I. and Ralph de. 
Grainville, in the same reign, is among the witnesses to the charter of Roger Montgomery, Earl 
of Arundel and Salop, to the Abbey of Stephen (St. Etienne) at Caen, in Normandy ; likewise in 
that reign, Gerard de Greinville, See. 
“ The family of Grainville or Grenville, established several burghs or villages, which still retain 
their original name, in the environs of Caen and Rouen, in Normandy. 
“ The present representatives of this family in France are Messrs. M. de Grainville (the uncles, 
by the mother’s side, of the Vicomte de Vaux), who were officers of rank in the service of the 
King of F'rance. 
“ As to the difference between the arms of the French and English families of this name, they 
are very trifling ; and it is well known to our antiquaries, that they were not generally settled till 
the reign of Edward I. 
“ The Grenvilles of England acknowledge that they descend from those of Normandy; while the 
latter consider it as an honour to proceed from the same root. 
The Grainvilles of Normandy have, at all times, maintained themselves with honour, and their 
present representatives have served in the East Indies with great distinction. 
" In La Rocque’s Treatise on Nobility, edit. 1734, the following notices appear, p. 74. Ballivia 
de Cakto. (The Bailiwic of Calais.) 
“ Joannes de Graeniville, miles, comparuit dicens dominum regem tenere, terram suam, et ad 
excercitum vadit; excusare se apud ipsum. 
Idem. “ Joannes Mallet, miles, comparuit se quintus de militibus nomina sunt hsec, Guliehnus 
de Queneville, Joannes de Granvilla, Nicolaus de Sana, Gulielmus de Avenis, et idem dominus, 
milites. 
Idem. (p. 77.) “ Joannes de Grivellus, miles, comparuit pro se. 
