Lower, &c, says it is 'de Gernon,' from some undiscoverable spot in Normandy. There is no local prefix to the many entries in the Hundred Rolls or the Testa de Neville; v. Garnham.

Robert le Gernoun, Huntingdonshire, 1273. Hundred Rolls.

Hugh le Gernoun, Huntingdonshire, ibid.

Wiliam Gernon, Derbyshire, ibid.

Gilbert Gernun, Wiltshire, Henry III-Edward I: Testa de Nevill, sive Liber Feodorum, temp. Henry III-Edward I.

Roger Gernon, Wiltshire, ibid.

1669. Married — John Croxston and Jane Garnum: St. James, Clerkenwell.

1782. — James Garnon and Elizabeth Sherlock: St. George, Hanover Square.

Though there is an English surname Garland (of dual derivation —— from garth land or a nickname) in Ireland it is a synonym of Gernon, which it has almost entirely superseded. Gernon is, according to Reaney, itself in the nickname category, from Old-French grenon or gernon, a moustache. The transition from Gernon to Garlan and thence to Gartlan is curious ——the final d is intrusive (like BolanBoland)— but that it took place is indisputable: thus, to give but two of many examples, Roger Gernon, sheriff of Co. Louth in 1578,was known both officially and colloquially as Gernon and Garland, and the well-known Patrick Gernon of Gernonstown is described in deed of 1642as Patrick Garland of Garlandstown. The Gernons of Gernonstown, Co. Meath and Killincoole Castle, Co. Louth, descend from Roger de Gernon, who accompanied Strongbow in the Anglo—Norman invasion of 1172; and this suggests that in that case Gernon was a French place-name. Other examples of the use of this de occur in such records as the thirteenth and fourteenth century Justiciary Rolls, so it is unlikely that de is a substitution for le, as has happened quite often with other surnames. In the Dowdall Deeds, which deal with counties Louth and Meath from the thirteenth century, the variants Gernon, Garnon, Gernin, Gearlon, and Garland occupy nearly two columns of the index. In the 1598 manuscript preserved at Clongowes we meet Gerlone and Gerlonstown as well as Garland of Garlandstown and Garland of Killincoole. The C0. Armagh hearth money rolls have Gernon and Garnan but no Garland. Similarly the Jacobite outlawries, which include eleven members of this family, are all in the name Gernon not Garland. Occasionally we find the forms MacGartlany and O'Gartlany, e.g. in the Co. Monaghan hearth money rolls of 1663-5(in which Gartlan and Gernon also appear): presumably these Gaelic prefixes are not authentic, for many examples can be cited of their addition to non-Gaelic names. MacGartland and MacGartleny are, however, still found in Co. Tyrone. The main location of the Garlands in modern times is around Carrickmacross, in Co. Monaghan, near the border of Counties Louth and Meath. The Franciscan Anthony Gearnon (d.post 1667) author of “Parrthas an Anma” was an Irishman, but Luke Gernon (d. 1673), who was appointed judge in Munster in 1619 and was the author of the treatise A Discourse of Ireland, came to this country from England. According to Dr. Richard Hayes the Gernons of Bordeaux are descended from Christopher Gernon of Drogheda.

(Northern-French-Latin) Moustache (-wearing) [Nor. French guernon, moustache; from Low Latin grant, moustaches] Adonc commença à fronchier Et ses guernons à delechier.— (Then [he] began to snort and his mous­taches to lick).

Rom. du Ren., v. 943; Moisy.

Map Mon

Robert de Gernon came into England with the Conqueror, and his descendant, Ralph de Gernon, temp. Hen. II., had two sons: 1.-Ralph, ancestor of the Gernons and Cavendishes of England; and 2.-Roger, who accompanied Strongbow into Ireland, and became progenitor of the Irish Gernons still subsisting at Athcarne Castle, co. Meath. Of the locality of Gernon, whence at the Conquest the family came, I am ignorant; but it appears not to be in Normandy. Gernun, Gernoun. H. R.