Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900/Camville, Gerard de
CAMVILLE, GERARD de (d. 1215?), judge, was son of Richard de Camville, who is mentioned among the leaders and constables of Richard I's fleet in 1190, was appointed joint governor of Cyprus with Robert de Turneham in 1191, and died at the siege of Acre in the same year. The name Camville occurs in the ‘Battle Abbey Roll.’ By his wife Nicholaa, daughter of Richard de Haia, Gerard de Camville acquired estates in Normandy and Lincolnshire, and the wardship of Lincoln Castle and the shrievalty of the county, which were hereditary in Nicholaa's family. The marriage probably took place about 1190, as he then obtained a charter from the king in confirmation of his title. During Richard's absence in Palestine he became a decided adherent of John. Longchamp in 1191 removed him from the shrievalty, and attempted to reduce Lincoln Castle; but it was stoutly defended by Nicholaa, Camville himself being with John until the fall of Nottingham and Tickill compelled Longchamp to raise the siege. Camville was excommunicated the same year. On Richard's return in 1194 he was deprived of the wardenship of Lincoln Castle and the shrievalty of the county, and was arraigned by Longchamp at Nottingham on a charge of harbouring robbers and treating the king's writ with contempt. His estates were forfeited, but he recovered them on payment of a fine of 2,000 marks. His wife also paid a fine of 200 marks for liberty to marry her daughter to whomsoever she pleased, provided he was not an enemy to the king. On the accession of John, Camville was reappointed warden of Lincoln Castle and sheriff of the county, and purchased from the king for 1,000 marks the lands of Thomas de Verdun and the wardship of his widow, with liberty to marry her to his son Richard. He was present at Lincoln in 1200 when John received the homage of William of Scotland. In 1205 he was employed in measuring the marsh between Spalding and Tid in Lincolnshire. In 1209–9 he acted as a justice itinerant for Cambridgeshire. He was in attendance on the king in Ireland in 1210. He appears to have died in 1215. His wife survived him, was sheriff of Lincolnshire under John, and, having defended Lincoln Castle against the barons in 1216, was rewarded with a grant of the lands in Lincolnshire which had belonged to the rebel William de Huntingfield, and with the wardenship of Torkesley and Frampton Castle. She was warden of Lincoln Castle and sheriff of the county under Henry III in 1218.
[Memoriale Walteri de Coventria (Rolls Ser.); Hoveden (Rolls Ser.); Archæologia, xxvii. 112; Chronicles of the reigns of Stephen, Hen. II, and Ric. I (Rolls Ser.); Dugdale's Baronage, i. 598, 627; Rot. Pat. i. 57, 127; Rot. de Obl. et Fin. (Hardy), p. 64; Ric. Div. (Eng. Hist. Soc.), p. 30; Fines (Hunter), i. 321; Rot. de Lib. Mis. et Præst. (Hardy), pp. 145, 153, 203; Foss's Judges of England.]