Sir Richard LE FORT, of Normandy
Abt 1016 - -
Name Richard LE FORT [1] Prefix Sir Suffix of Normandy Birth Abt 1016 Cotentin Peninsula, Normandy, France 
Gender Male Note 14 Oct 1066 [1, 2] - was a contemporary of William the Conqueror, the Duke of Normandy, a Norman knight and a cupbearer to William when he landed in England in 1066. He fought at the Battle of Hastings. The legend is that with his shield Sir Richard saved the Duke from blows in battle. He was thenceforward known as Richard le Fort-Escu (Strong Shield). Further alterations to the surname included Fortescu, then Fortescue.
Sir Richard Fortescu returned to Normandy after the Conquest, leaving his son, Sir Adam, who also fought at the Battle of Hastings in England, to settle in South Devon.
Person ID I73974 Ancestral Trails Last Modified 24 Apr 2024
Family Children 1. Sir Adam FORTESCUE, of Modbury, b. Abt 1042, Wimpstone, Devonshire, England 2. William LE FORT, b. Abt 1044 3. Robert LE FORT, b. Abt 1046 Family ID F35168 Group Sheet | Family Chart Last Modified 1 Sep 2025
- was a contemporary of William the Conqueror, the Duke of Normandy, a Norman knight and a cupbearer to William when he landed in England in 1066. He fought at the Battle of Hastings. The legend is that with his shield Sir Richard saved the Duke from blows in battle. He was thenceforward known as Richard le Fort-Escu (Strong Shield). Further alterations to the surname included Fortescu, then Fortescue.
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