From Trevières, between Bayeux and Caen. “The name continued in Normandy, where Ranulph de Clinchamp, after 1138, assumed the name of Travers.” - The Norman People. In the time of the Conqueror, Robert de Travers or d’Estrivers, Baron of Burgh-upon-Sands, married the daughter of Ranulph de Meschines, Lord of Cumberland, and the sister of Ranulph Bricasard, who succeeded his cousin Richard d’Abrincis as Earl of Chester in 1119. He received from his father-in-law the office of Hereditary Forester of Inglewood in fee, which passed through his only child, Ibria, to Ralph de Engayne: and from the Engaynes to the Morvilles, who transmitted it to the Multons and Dacres. “The badge of this office, the jagged branch, is over and over introduced in the chapel of Naworth Castle, which is so rich with arms and cognizances; and where this jagged branch is, in some places, even thrown across the Dacre’s arms fesswise. This forestership of Inglewood was so honourable, and gave so great command, that there is no wonder the family should wish by every means to set forth their claim to it; especially as the Crown, about this time, seems to have interfered with them in regard to this right.” - Hutchinson's Cumberland. Robert d’Estrivers bore Argent, three bears Sable, and it is believed first used the jagged branch as his badge. There remain in Dacre churchyard the figures of four bears, about five feet high; “sitting on their haunches, and clasping a rude pillar or ragged staff, on which two of the animals rest their heads. The other two carry on their backs the figure of a lynx, one in the attitude of attempting to rid himself of the animal on his shoulder, with his head twisted, and paw cast behind him.” - Ibid.

At the time of the Conquest, Inglewood was “a goodlie great forest” sixteen miles in length and ten in breadth, to which Henry II. subsequently added the barony of Dalton and some other lands. It was a forest only in the Scottish sense of the word; a wild open chace, “full of woods, red and fallow deer, wild swine, and all manner of wild beasts.” The wild beasts included many wolves. There is a sad tradition respecting a lady of the Lucy family, who, walking one evening near her father’s castle of Egremont, was attacked and torn to pieces by a famished wolf. The place where her mangled body was found is still marked by a cairn of stones, and known as Woeful Bank. Another harrowing story is told in the neighbouring parish of Hales. The wife of the Lord of Beckermount had gone out hunting with her husband and his train; but after a while was missed from the chase, and sought for far and near. The huntsmen scoured the country long and anxiously in vain; till at length they perceived a pack of wolves, on a far hill-side, busy over some fallen quarry. So eagerly were the snarling brutes rending and disputing their prey, that they had difficulty in scaring them away, and when the ravenous jaws were forced to unlock, it was found that they had been feasting on the torn limbs of the Lady of Beckermount.

The name of Travers only appears in Domesday as borne by a sub-tenant in Hants; but it is several times repeated in the Liber Niger. Ralph de Travers, 1165, held of the See of Worcester; Bertram and Pagan de Travers, of Evesham Abbey; and Robert de Travers, of Henry Lupel in Somersetshire. Hugh de Travers was of Lincoln, and Warin de Travers of York, in 1189-90 (Rot. Pip.). Walter de Travers paid a fine in Buckinghamshire in 1197 (Hunter’s Fines): and Roger de Travers occurs there and in Bedfordshire in 1202 (Rot. Cancellarii). In Yorkshire they were clearly of considerable importance. When Robert de Lacy was expelled the realm, the Honour of Pontefract was bestowed by Henry I. on “Henry Traverse, who being shortly after mortally wounded by one Pain, a Servant of his own, caused himself to be shorn a Monk, and so died within three days.” - Dugdale. Two of the name, John and Laurence, were pardoned as adherents of the Earl of Lancaster in 1318. John was twice Commissioner of Array of the Honour of Pontefract, and superintended the equipment of the levies in 1316 and 1323. Laurence, in the latter year, was one of the Sub-Custodes of the peace in the Wapentake of Aimunderness; and a burgess returned for Preston in 1327. - Palgrave's Parliamentary Writs. Dalton-Travers, about half a mile south of Newsham, in the North Riding, “traxit appellationem suam a familia de Travers, ejus olim per plure annos dominis, licet eorum jam memoria diu obsoleverit.” - Gale's Richmondshire. Robert, son of Robert, son of Warin de Travers (no doubt the Warin of the Pipe Roll of 1189), gave some land in Dalton to Marrick Priory (Mon. Ebor. 270). Another of the family, Thomas Travers, was one of the Conservators of the peace for Lancashire in 1320.

This name was borne by a famous Puritan preacher in the time of Elizabeth, and is far from uncommon at the present day. Sir William Clarke-Travers, who received a baronetcy in 1804, and is still represented, assumed it in conse­quence of his marriage with the daughter and heiress of John Moore Travers, of Clifton, co. Cork. He was himself an Irishman, seated at Rossmore, in the same county.