Person Page - 99

     Waleran III Count of Meulan was born circa 990 at Meulan, Yvelines, Ile-de-France, France. He was the son of Robert II (Hugo) Count of Meulan and Adela (Alix) de Vexin. Waleran III Count of Meulan married Ode (Oda) de Conteville, daughter of Jean de Conteville , Vicomte de Comyn, before 1015.^4,5 Waleran III Count of Meulan married an unknown person after 1022.⁵ He died on 8 October 1069.³

     Ode (Oda) de Conteville was born circa 990 at Conteville, Eure, Normandy, France. She was the daughter of Jean de Conteville , Vicomte de Comyn. Ode (Oda) de Conteville married Waleran III Count of Meulan, son of Robert II (Hugo) Count of Meulan and Adela (Alix) de Vexin, before 1015.^3,2 Ode (Oda) de Conteville died after 1022.

     Regnier IV Count of Hainault was born circa 950 at Hainault, Belgium.¹ He married Hedwig (Edith) Princess of France, daughter of Hugh Capet King of France and Adelaide of Poitou, circa 997.³ Regnier IV Count of Hainault died in 1013.^1,2
     He On page 13, Turton places a '1' by the marriage to Edith, indicating his1st marriage, and implying another marriage to a 2nd wife. I have seenno other indication by Turton or anyone else that there was a 2ndmarriage; therefore I am ignoring it until such time as a 2nd marriageappears.

     Hedwig (Edith) Princess of France was born circa 965 at France. She was the daughter of Hugh Capet King of France and Adelaide of Poitou. Hedwig (Edith) Princess of France married Regnier IV Count of Hainault circa 997.² Hedwig (Edith) Princess of France died circa 1013.¹

     William I 'The Conqueror' King of England was buried at Abbey of St Step, Caen, Calvados, France. He was born on 14 October 1027 at Falaise, Calvados, Normandy, France.^3,5 He was the son of Robert I 'The Magnificent' Duke of Normandy and Herleve (Arlette) de Falaise. William I 'The Conqueror' King of England married an unknown person circa 1048; Possible Affair Producing William 'Elder' Peverel.⁶ He married Maud (Matilda) of Flanders, daughter of Baudouin V Count of Flanders and Adele (AdelaAelisAlais) Princess of France, circa 1053 at Eu, Seine-Inferieure, France. William I 'The Conqueror' King of England died on 9 September 1087 at Hermenbraville, Seine-Inferieure, Normandy, France, at age 59.³
     He William I, byname WILLIAM The CONQUEROR, or The BASTARD, or WILLIAM ofNORMANDY, French GUILLAUME le CONQUÉRANT, or le BÂTARD, or GUILLAUME deNORMANDIE (b. c. 1028, Falaise, Normandy--d. Sept. 9, 1087, Rouen), dukeof Normandy (as William II) from 1035 and king of England from 1066, oneof the greatest soldiers and rulers of the Middle Ages. He made himselfthe mightiest feudal lord in France and then changed the course ofEngland's history by his conquest of that country.

Early years

William was the elder of two children of Robert I of Normandy and hisconcubine Herleva, or Arlette, the daughter of a burgher from the town ofFalaise. In 1035 Robert died when returning from a pilgrimage toJerusalem, and William, his only son, whom he had nominated as his heirbefore his departure, was accepted as duke by the Norman magnates and hisfeudal overlord, King Henry I of France. William and his friends had toovercome enormous obstacles. His illegitimacy (he was generally known asthe Bastard) was a handicap, and he had to survive the collapse of lawand order that accompanied his accession as a child.

Three of William's guardians died violent deaths before he grew up, andhis tutor was murdered. His father's kin were of little help; most ofthem thought that they stood to gain by the boy's death. But his mothermanaged to protect William through the most dangerous period. These earlydifficulties probably contributed to his strength of purpose and hisdislike of lawlessness and misrule.

Ruler of Normandy.

By 1042, when William reached his 15th year, was knighted, and began toplay a personal part in the affairs of his duchy, the worst was over. Buthis attempts to recover rights lost during the anarchy and to bringdisobedient vassals and servants to heel inevitably led to trouble. From1046 until 1055 he dealt with a series of baronial rebellions, mostly ledby kinsmen. Occasionally he was in great danger and had to rely on Henryof France for help. In 1047 Henry and William defeated a coalition ofNorman rebels at Val-ès-Dunes, southeast of Caen. It was in these yearsthat William learned to fight and rule.

William soon learned to control his youthful recklessness. He was alwaysready to take calculated risks on campaign and, most important, to fighta battle. But he was not a chivalrous or flamboyant commander. His planswere simple, his methods direct, and he exploited ruthlessly anyadvantage gained. If he found himself at a disadvantage, he withdrewimmediately. He showed the same
qualities in his government. He never lost sight of his aim to recoverlost ducal rights and revenues, and, although he developed no theory ofgovernment or great interest in administrative techniques, he was alwaysprepared to improvise and experiment. He seems to have lived a moral lifeby the standards of the time, and he acquired an interest in the welfareof the Norman church. He made his half brother, Odo, bishop of Bayeux in1049 at the age of about 16, and Odo managed to combine the roles ofnobleman and prelate in a way that did not greatly shock contemporaries.But William also welcomed foreign monks and scholars to Normandy.Lanfranc of Pavia, a famous master of the liberal arts, who entered themonastery of Bec about 1042, was made abbot of Caen in 1063.

According to a brief description of William's person by an anonymousauthor, who borrowed extensively from Einhard's Life of Charlemagne, hewas just above average height and had a robust, thick-set body. Though hewas always sparing of food and drink, he became fat in later life. He hada rough bass voice and was a good and ready speaker. Writers of the nextgeneration agree that he was exceptionally strong and vigorous. Williamwas an out-of-doors man, a hunter and soldier, fierce and despotic,generally feared; uneducated, he had few graces but was intelligent andshrewd and soon obtained the respect of his rivals.

New alliances.

After 1047 William began to take part in events outside his duchy. Insupport of his lord, King Henry, and in pursuit of an ambition tostrengthen his southern frontier and expand into Maine, he fought aseries of campaigns against Geoffrey Martel, count of Anjou. But in 1052Henry and Geoffrey made peace, there was a serious rebellion in easternNormandy, and, until 1054 William was again in serious danger. Duringthis period he conducted important negotiations with his cousin Edwardthe Confessor, king of England, and took a wife.

Norman interest in Anglo-Saxon England derived from an alliance made in1002, when King Ethelred II of England married Emma, the sister of CountRichard II, William's grandfather. Two of her sons, William's cousinsonce removed, had reigned in turn in England, Hardecanute (1040-42) andEdward the Confessor (1042-66). William had met Edward during thatprince's exile on the Continent and may well have given him some supportwhen he returned to England in 1041. In that year Edward was about 36 andWilliam 14. It is clear that William expected some sort of reward fromEdward and, when Edward's marriage proved unfruitful, began to develop anambition to become his kinsman's heir. Edward probably at timesencouraged William's hopes. His childlessness was a diplomatic asset.

In 1049 William negotiated with Baldwin V of Flanders for the hand of hisdaughter, Matilda. Baldwin, an imperial vassal with a distinguishedlineage, was in rebellion against the Western emperor, Henry III, and indesperate need of allies. The proposed marriage was condemned asincestuous (William and Matilda were evidently related in some way) bythe Emperor's friend, Pope Leo IX, at the Council of Reims in October1049; but so anxious were the parties for the alliance that before theend of 1053, possibly in 1052, the wedding took place. In 1059 Williamwas reconciled to the papacy, and as penance the disobedient pair builttwo monasteries at Caen. Four sons were born to William and Matilda:Robert (the future duke of Normandy), Richard (who died young), WilliamRufus (the Conqueror's successor in England), and Henry (Rufus'successor). Among the daughters was Adela, who was the mother of Stephen,king of England.

Edward the Confessor was supporting the Emperor, and it is possible thatWilliam used his new alliance with Flanders to put pressure on Edward andextort an acknowledgment that he was the English king's heir. At allevents, Edward seems to have made some sort of promise to William in1051, while Tostig, son of the greatest nobleman in England, EarlGodwine, married Baldwin's half sister. The immediate purpose of thistripartite alliance was to improve the security of each of the parties.If William secured a declaration that he was Edward's heir, he was alsolooking very far ahead.

Between 1054 and 1060 William held his own against an alliance betweenKing Henry I and Geoffrey Martel of Anjou. Both men died in 1060 and weresucceeded by weaker rulers. As a result, in 1063 William was able toconquer Maine. In 1064 or 1065 Edward sent his brother-in-law, Harold,earl of Wessex, Godwine's son and successor, on an embassy to Normandy.William took him on a campaign into Brittany, and in connection with thisHarold swore an oath in which, according to Norman writers, he renewedEdward's bequest of the throne to William and promised to support it.

When Edward died childless on Jan. 5, 1066, Harold was accepted as kingby the English magnates, and William decided on war. Others, however,moved more quickly. In May Tostig, Harold's exiled brother, raidedEngland, and in September he joined the invasion forces of Harald IIIHardraade, king of Norway, off the Northumbrian coast. William assembleda fleet, recruited an army, and gathered his forces in August at themouth of the Dives River. It is likely that he originally intended tosail due north and invade England by way of the Isle of Wight andSouthampton Water. Such a plan would give him an offshore base andinterior lines. But adverse winds detained his fleet in harbour for amonth, and in September a westerly gale drove his ships up-Channel.

The Battle of Hastings.

William regrouped his forces at Saint-Valéry on the Somme. He hadsuffered a costly delay, some naval losses, and a drop in the morale ofhis troops. On September 27, after cold and rainy weather, the windbacked south. William embarked his army and set sail for the southeastcoast of England. The following morning he landed, took the unresistingtowns of Pevensey and Hastings, and began to organize a bridgehead withbetween 4,000 and 7,000 cavalry and infantry.

William's forces were in a narrow coastal strip, hemmed in by the greatforest of Andred, and, although this corridor was easily defensible, itwas not much of a base for the conquest of England. The campaigningseason was almost past, and when William received news of his opponent itwas not reassuring. On September 25 Harold had defeated and slain Tostigand Harald Hardraade at Stamford Bridge, near York, and was retracing hissteps to meet the new invader. On October 13, when Harold emerged fromthe forest, William was taken by surprise. But the hour was too late forHarold to push on to Hastings, and he took up a defensive position. Earlythe next day William went out to give battle. He attacked the Englishphalanx with archers and cavalry but saw his army almost driven from thefield. He rallied the fugitives, however, and brought them back into thefight and in the end wore down his opponents. Harold's brothers werekilled early in the battle. Toward nightfall the King himself fell andthe English gave up. William's coolness and tenacity secured him victoryin this fateful battle, and he then moved against possible centres ofresistance so quickly that he prevented a new leader from emerging. OnChristmas Day 1066 he was crowned king in Westminster Abbey. In a formalsense the Norman Conquest of England had taken place.

King of England

William was already an experienced ruler. In Normandy he had replaceddisloyal nobles and ducal servants with his own friends, limited privatewarfare, and recovered usurped ducal rights, defining the feudal dutiesof his vassals. The Norman church flourished under his rule. He wanted achurch free of corruption but subordinate to him. He would not tolerateopposition from bishops and abbots or interference from the papacy. Hepresided over church synods and reinforced ecclesiastical discipline withhis own. In supporting Lanfranc, prior of Bec, against Berengar of Toursin their dispute over the doctrine of the Eucharist, he found himself onthe side of orthodoxy. He was never guilty of the selling of churchoffice (simony). He disapproved of clerical marriage. At the same time hewas a stern and sometimes rough master, swayed by political necessities,and he was not generous to the church with his own property. The reformerLanfranc was one of his advisers; but perhaps even more to his taste werethe worldly and soldierly bishops Odo of Bayeux and Geoffrey of Coutances.

William left England early in 1067 but had to return in December becauseof English unrest. The English rebellions that began in 1067 reachedtheir peak in 1069 and were finally quelled in 1071. They completed theruin of the highest English aristocracy and gave William a distaste forhis newly conquered kingdom. Since his position on the Continent wasdeteriorating, he wanted to solve English problems as cheaply aspossible. To secure England's frontiers, he invaded Scotland in 1072 andWales in 1081 and created special defensive 'marcher' counties along theScottish and Welsh borders.

In the last 15 years of his life he was more often in Normandy than inEngland, and there were five years, possibly seven, in which he did notvisit the kingdom at all. He retained most of the greatest Anglo-Normanbarons with him in Normandy and confided the government of England tobishops, trusting especially his old friend Lanfranc, whom he madearchbishop of Canterbury. Much concerned that the natives should not beunnecessarily disturbed, he allowed them to retain their own laws andcourts.

William returned to England only when it was absolutely necessary: in1075 to deal with the aftermath of a rebellion by Roger, earl ofHereford, and Ralf, earl of Norfolk, which was made more dangerous by theintervention of a Danish fleet; and in 1082 to arrest and imprison hishalf brother Odo, bishop of Bayeux and earl of Kent, who was planning totake an army to Italy, perhaps to make himself pope. In the spring of1082 William had his son Henry knighted, and in August at Salisbury hetook oaths of fealty from all the important landowners in England,whosoever's vassals they might be. In 1085 he returned with a large armyto meet the threat of an invasion by Canute IV (Canute the Holy) ofDenmark. When this came to nothing owing to Canute's death in 1086,William ordered an economic and tenurial survey to be made of thekingdom, the results of which are summarized in the two volumes ofDomesday Book.

William was preoccupied with the frontiers of Normandy. The danger spotswere in Maine and the Vexin on the Seine, where Normandy bordered on theFrench royal demesne. After 1066 William's continental neighbours becamemore powerful and even more hostile. In 1068 Fulk the Surly succeeded toAnjou and in 1071 Robert the Frisian to Flanders. Philip I of Franceallied with Robert and Robert with the Danish king, Canute IV. There wasalso the problem of William's heir apparent, Robert Curthose, who, givenno appanage and seemingly kept short of money, left Normandy in 1077 andintrigued with his father's enemies. In 1081 William made a compromisewith Fulk in the treaty of Blancheland: Robert Curthose was to be countof Maine but as a vassal of the count of Anjou. The eastern part of theVexin, the county of Mantes, had fallen completely into King Philip'shands in 1077 when William had been busy with Maine. In 1087 Williamdemanded from Philip the return of the towns of Chaumont, Mantes, andPontoise. In July he entered Mantes by surprise, but while the townburned he suffered some injury from which he never recovered. He wasthwarted at the very moment when he seemed about to enforce his lastoutstanding territorial claim.

Death

William was taken to a suburb of Rouen, where he lay dying for fiveweeks. He had the assistance of some of his bishops and doctors, and inattendance were his half brother Robert, count of Mortain, and hisyounger sons, William Rufus and Henry. Robert Curthose was with the Kingof France. It had probably been his intention that Robert, as was thecustom, should succeed to the whole inheritance. In the circumstances hewas tempted to make the loyal Rufus his sole heir. In the end hecompromised: Normandy and Maine went to Robert and England to Rufus.Henry was given great treasure with which he could purchase an appanage.William died at daybreak on September 9, in his 60th year, and was buriedin rather unseemly fashion in St. Stephen's Church, which he had built atCaen. [Encyclopaedia Britannica CD, 1996, WILLIAM I] He was Ruled between 1066 and 1087.

     Maud (Matilda) of Flanders married an unknown person. She was buried at Church of Holy Trinity, Caen. She was born in 1032 at Flanders, France.³ She was the daughter of Baudouin V Count of Flanders and Adele (AdelaAelisAlais) Princess of France. Maud (Matilda) of Flanders married William I 'The Conqueror' King of England, son of Robert I 'The Magnificent' Duke of Normandy and Herleve (Arlette) de Falaise, circa 1053 at Eu, Seine-Inferieure, France. Maud (Matilda) of Flanders died on 3 November 1083 at Caen, Calvados, Normandy, France.³
     She For many years it was assumed that Gundred, who married William deWarrene, was a daughter of William I and Matilda (as indicated in ThePlantagenet Ancestry). However it is now known that Gundred was adaughter of Gherbod the Fleming (as indicated in Ancestral Roots). Thefollowing information strongly suggests that Gundred's mother was Matilda(thus the mistaken notion that she was daughter of William I).

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copied from Bill Crawford's ancestry: crawfolk data base on World ConnectProject, rootsweb.com
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Had Matilda of Flanders as many husbands as Adelaide, Countess ofPonthieu, and, like her, issue by each? What was the real cause of theinhibition of her marriage with William, Duke of Normandy, - its delayfor six years? What truth is there in the story of her unreturnedaffection for the Angio-Saxon Brihtric Meaw, and of her vindictiveconduct to him after she became Queen of England? I have hesitated tobelieve in the popular tradition that Duke William grossly assaulted thedaughter of Baldwin in the street or in her own chamber, not that I haveany doubt about his being capable of such an outrage, but because he wastoo politic to commit it, and she was not the woman to have forgiven it,assuming that the offence was the simple refusal of his hand on theground of his illegitimacy. It is obvious, however, that the early lifeof Matilda is involved in mystery, and it is highly probable that aclearer insight into it would enable us to account for much which we nowreject as legend, or fail to reconcile with acknowledged facts. If therebe any foundation for the story of William's brutality, the outburst ofungovernable fury might have been due to a much greater provocation thanhas been assigned for it. Brihtric, the son of Algar or Alfar, sumamedMeaw (Snow), from the extreme fairness of his complexion, an Anglo-SaxonThegn, possessor of large domains in England, had been sent on an embassyfrom King Edward the Confessor to the Connt of Flanders. Matilda, we aretold, fell desperately in love with him, and offered herself to him inmarriage! Either disgusted by her forwardness, or preferring another, hedeclined the flattering proposal. 'Hell hath no fury like a womanfoiled,' and she kept her wrath warm till she was in a position to ruinthe man she had so passionately loved. She had no sooner become the Queenof England than she induced William to confiscate, on some pretence, allBrihtric's estates, and obtained the greater proportion for herself. Theunfortunate Thegn was arrested at his house at Hanley, in Worcestershire,on the very day Saint Wulfstan had consecrated a chapel of his building,dragged to Winchester, and died in a dungeon! The truth of this story issupported by the impartial evidence of Domesday, in which Hanley and theprincipal manors held by Brihtric in the time of King Edward are recordedas the possessions of Queen Matilda, and the remainder passed to FitzHamon.

After her hand had been rejected by the noble Saxon, it is presumed shebecame the wife of a Fleming, named Gherbod, who appears to have held thehereditary office of Advocate of the Abbey of Saint Bertin, in St. Omers,and by whom she had at least two children, viz., Gherbod, to whom Williamgave the earldom of Chester, and Gundred, 'the sister of Gherbod,' andwife of William de Warren. Was this a clandestine or an informalmarriage, which, as it has never been acknowledged by any chronicler,contemporary or other, might have been unknown to the Duke of Normandy,when he proposed to one whom he believed to be the maiden daughter of theCount of Flanders, and the corporal chastisement inflicted, howeverunworthy of a man, passed over, sub silentio, for prudential reasons, bythe parties wlio had been guilty of a disgraceful suppression of facts?The subsequent marriage under such circumstances will awaken no surprisein any one who has studied the character of William. Utterlyunscrupulous, destitute of every generous, noble, or delicate feeling,every action of his life was dictated by POLICY alone. An alliance withthe Count of Flanders might be considered by the crafty schemersufficiently advantageous to warrant his overlooking any objectionableantecedents in the conduct of a granddaughter of a king of France, hisfirst discovery of which had provoked his savage nature into a momentaryebullition of fury. Her being the mother of two children was a point inher favour with a man whose sole motive for marrying was the perpetuationof a dynasty, and the fair prospect of legitimate issue, in whose veinsthe blood of the Capets should enrich that of the Furrier of Falaise,would overcome any hesitation at espousing the widow of an Advocate ofSt. Bertin. On the other hand, Count Baldwin would be too happy toembrace the opportunity of reinstating his daughter in a positionbefitting her birth, and, as well as the lady herself, gladly condonepast insults for future advantages and the hope of smothering, in thesplendour of a ducal wedding, the awkward whispers of scandal.

I have said thus much simply to show the view that may be taken of thesemysterious circumstances, in opposition to the rose-colouredrepresentations of some modern historians, who, upon no strongerevidence, elevate the Conqueror into a model husband, and describeMatilda as the perfection of womankind.

     Henry I King of France was buried at St Denis Abbey, Seine, Ile-de-France, France. He was born in 1006 at Reims, Marne, Champagne, France.² He was the son of Robert II 'The Pious' King of France and Constance of Provence. Henry I King of France married Anna (Agnesa) Yaroslavna of Kiev, daughter of Jaroslaus I 'The Wise' Grand Duke of Kiev and Ingegard Olafsdottir, between 20 January 1050 and 1051.^2,4 Henry I King of France died on 2 August 1060 at Vitry-aux-Loges, Loiret, Orleanais/Centre, France.^1,4
     He was Ruled between 1031 and 1060.

     Anna (Agnesa) Yaroslavna of Kiev was buried at Villiers Abbey, La-Ferte-Alias, Essonne, Ile-de-France, France. She was born circa 1024 at Kiev, Ukraine.² She was the daughter of Jaroslaus I 'The Wise' Grand Duke of Kiev and Ingegard Olafsdottir. Anna (Agnesa) Yaroslavna of Kiev married Henry I King of France, son of Robert II 'The Pious' King of France and Constance of Provence, between 20 January 1050 and 1051.^2,3 Anna (Agnesa) Yaroslavna of Kiev married Raoul III 'The Great' Count of Valois & Vexin, son of Raoul II Comte d' Valois , & Crepy and Adele de Breteuil, in 1061.⁴ Anna (Agnesa) Yaroslavna of Kiev died after 1075 at France.^2,3

     Robert I 'The Magnificent' Duke of Normandy was born circa 1000 at Rouen, Seine-Inferieure, Normandy, France. He was the son of Richard II 'The Good' Duke of Normandy and Judith of Brittany. Robert I 'The Magnificent' Duke of Normandy married Herleve (Arlette) de Falaise, daughter of Fulbert de Falaise and Doda Princess of Scotland, in 1023 at No Marriage. Robert I 'The Magnificent' Duke of Normandy died on 2 July 1035 at Nicaea, Bithynia, Turkey; (on pilgrimage to Jerusalem).^2,3
     He Robert I, byname ROBERT The MAGNIFICENT, or The DEVIL, French ROBERT leMAGNIFIQUE, or le DIABLE (d. July 1035, Nicaea), duke of Normandy(1027-35), the younger son of Richard II of Normandy and the father, byhis mistress Arlette, of William the Conqueror of England. On the deathof his father (1026/27), Robert contested the duchy with his elderbrother Richard III, legally the heir, until the latter's opportune deatha few years later. A strong ruler, Robert succeeded in exacting theobedience of his vassals. On the death of Robert II the Pious, king ofFrance (1031), a crisis arose over the succession to the French throne.The Duke gave his support to Henry I against the party favouring hisyounger brother; in reward for his services he demanded and received theVexin Français, a territory not far north of Paris. A patron of themonastic reform movement, he died while returning from a pilgrimage toJerusalem. [Encyclopaedia Britannica CD '97]

     Herleve (Arlette) de Falaise was born circa 1003 at Falaise, Calvados, Normandy, France. She was the daughter of Fulbert de Falaise and Doda Princess of Scotland. Herleve (Arlette) de Falaise married Robert I 'The Magnificent' Duke of Normandy, son of Richard II 'The Good' Duke of Normandy and Judith of Brittany, in 1023 at No Marriage. Herleve (Arlette) de Falaise married an unknown person in 1035. She died in 1050.

     Baudouin V Count of Flanders was born in 1012 at Flanders, France.² He was the son of Baudouin IV 'The Bearded' Count of Flanders and Ogive (Otgena) of Luxembourg. Baudouin V Count of Flanders married Adele (AdelaAelisAlais) Princess of France, daughter of Robert II 'The Pious' King of France and Constance of Provence, in 1028.^2,3 Baudouin V Count of Flanders died on 1 September 1067 at Lille, Nord, Nord-Pas-de-Calais, France.^4,2,3

     Adele (AdelaAelisAlais) Princess of France was born circa 1013 at France.³ She was the daughter of Robert II 'The Pious' King of France and Constance of Provence. Adele (AdelaAelisAlais) Princess of France married Richard III Duke of Normandy, son of Richard II 'The Good' Duke of Normandy and Judith of Brittany, in 1027.² Adele (AdelaAelisAlais) Princess of France married Baudouin V Count of Flanders, son of Baudouin IV 'The Bearded' Count of Flanders and Ogive (Otgena) of Luxembourg, in 1028.^2,4 Adele (AdelaAelisAlais) Princess of France died between 8 January 1078 and 1079 at Monastere de l'O, Messines, France.²
     She Adele (or Aelis) of France, [daughter of Robert II by Constance ofProvence], Countess of Contenance, d. Messines, 8 Jan 1079; m. (1) 1027Richard III, Duke of Normandy, dsp. legit 6 Aug 1027; m. (2) 1028 BaldwinV, Count of Flanders, d. Lille, 1 Sep 1067. [Ancestral Roots, line128-22]

Note: Contenance does not exist anywhere in France, people onsoc.genealogy.medieval (the newgroup) don't know what it means either.

Note: Deborah L. Bay, in an e-mail, pointed out that Adele/Aelis was bornabout the same time as Adele, who was married to Renaud, Count ofNevers. Even though they were apparently named the same, born about thesame time, and to the same parents, they are different sisters, withdifferent death dates, different titles, and they both had children bytheir different husbands at exactly the same time (1030). I haveencountered this situation where children are named the same 3 or 4 othertimes (more often/commonly when one died young).

     Richard II 'The Good' Duke of Normandy was born circa 959 at Rouen, Seine-Inferieure, Normandy, France. He was the son of Richard I 'The Fearless' Duke of Normandy and Gunnor (GundraGunnora) 'not' de Crepon. Richard II 'The Good' Duke of Normandy married Judith of Brittany, daughter of Conan I Duke of Brittany , Comte de Rennes and Ermengarde d' Anjou, circa 1000.^2,3 Richard II 'The Good' Duke of Normandy married an unknown person after 1017.² He married an unknown person circa 1024.² He died on 28 August 1026 at Fecamp, Seine-Inferieure, France.^1,2
     He Richard II, byname RICHARD The GOOD, French RICHARD le BON (d. 1026/27),duke of Normandy (996-1026/27), son of Richard I the Fearless. He heldhis own against a peasant insurrection, helped Robert II of Franceagainst the duchy of Burgundy, and repelled an English attack on theCotentin Peninsula that was led by the Anglo-Saxon king Ethelred II theUnready. He also pursued a reform of the Norman monasteries.[Encyclopaedia Britannica CD '97]

     Judith of Brittany was born circa 982 at Rennes, Ille-et-Vilaine, Bretagne, France.¹ She was the daughter of Conan I Duke of Brittany , Comte de Rennes and Ermengarde d' Anjou. Judith of Brittany married Richard II 'The Good' Duke of Normandy, son of Richard I 'The Fearless' Duke of Normandy and Gunnor (GundraGunnora) 'not' de Crepon, circa 1000.^1,2 Judith of Brittany died on 16 June 1017 at Normandy, France.¹

     Fulbert de Falaise was born in 978 at Falaise, Calvados, Normandy, France.
     He Occupation: tanner, Danish.

     Doda Princess of Scotland was born circa 985 at Scotland. She was the daughter of Malcolm II MacKenneth King of Scotland and Blanaid nic Brian , of Munster.

     Richard I 'The Fearless' Duke of Normandy married (?) Concubine(s) at No Marriage. Richard I 'The Fearless' Duke of Normandy was born on 28 August 933 at Rouen, Seine-Inferieure, Normandy, France.^1,4 He married Gunnor (GundraGunnora) 'not' de Crepon, daughter of Herbastus Forester of Arque and Gunnhild Olafsdottir, before 959; Danish Wife - Christian marriage after 968.⁴ Richard I 'The Fearless' Duke of Normandy married an unknown person in 960.⁴ He died on 20 November 996 at Fecamp, Seine-Inferieure, France, at age 63.^1,4
     He Richard I, byname RICHARD The FEARLESS, French RICHARD SANS PEUR (b. c.932--d. 996), duke of Normandy (942-996), son of William I Longsword.

Louis IV of France took the boy-duke into his protective custody,apparently intent upon reuniting Normandy to the crown's domains; but in945 Louis was captured by the Normans, and Richard was returned to hispeople. Richard withstood further Carolingian attempts to subdue hisduchy and, in 987, was instrumental in securing the French crown for hisbrother-in-law, the Robertian Hugh Capet. [Encyclopaedia Britannica CD'97]

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Curt Hofemann, curt_hofemann AT yahoo.com, in a post-em, wrote:

Not that you probably don't already have a ton of material on him but:

942-996: Duke of Normandy [Ref: Monarchs, Rulers, Dynasties and Kingdomsof the World by R.F. Tapsell 1983 p202]

Title of Duke, again, was not likely generally used by Richard I or hisson Richard II, whose official documents style themselves 'count ofRouen.' Later eleventh century documents use the term Duke - and adoptedfor historical record. [Ref: William The Conqueror, The Norman ImpactUpon England by David C. Douglas 1964]

'Richard I and his new settler in-laws of the 960s were the winners wholasted. In becoming so they learned (and taught) two principles ofsuccess that marked them off from the Franks. They learned the value of astrong centralizing chieftain who could at least freeze the status quoonce his own local chieftains had taken what they wanted. The moresuccessful he was, the more chiefs attached themselves to him for justthis: with his warranty, backed by his chieftains, their defeated enemiescould not recover by violence what had been taken from them by violence.Thus were the Norman dukes 'settlers of quarrels.' Fearlessness was thenecessary quality in such a coordinating chieftain, and Richard I, whohas no encomiast of his deeds, has at least this sobriquet, 'theFearless' Those who were great fighters and the ruthlessly, selectivelyviolent, were the great centralizers among the threatened and rapaciousNorse.' [Ref: Predatory Kinship and the Creation of Norman Power,840-1066 by Eleanor Searle, University of California Press, 1988-Charlotte's Web Geneologyhttp://www.charweb.org/gen/rjones/d0042/g0000019.htm#I238]

'RICHARD I, 'the Fearless', Duke of Normandy, b. Fecamp ca. 933, namedfather's h. 29 May 942, d. 20 Nov. 996; m. (1) (Danish wife) Gunnor, d.1027 or 1031, dau. of the forester of Arques, but betrothed ca. 945 &event. m. (2) 960 to Emma, d. ca. 968, dau. Hugh Capet ..., Count ofPaurs. After Emma's death, m. (Christian marriage) Gunnor to legit.their children. ... By Gunnor, Richard had [RICHARD II].' [Ref: WeisAR7:110-111]

'When in 942 William was murdered at the instigation of Count Arnulf ofFlanders, his son Richard, still a minor, succeeded him. Louis IV andHugh the Great each tried to sieze Normandy, and Louis took charge ofRichard. He then ensconced himself at Rouen and Hugh took Bayeux, whichstill had a Scandinavian leader called Sictric. Richard escaped from hiscustody at Laon, retook Rouen, and called on another Viking leader,Harald of the Bassin, for help. The Normans under Richard were able tore-establish their autonomy and from 947 Richard governed in relativepeace. In 965 he swore allegiance to the Carolingian king Lothar atGisors. Richard's official marriage was to Emma, daughter of Hugh theGreat; they had no children, but by his common-law wife Gunnor, a Dane,he had many. Richard II, son of Gunnor and Richard I, succeeded hisfather in 996, another son Robert was archbishop of Rouen from 989 to1037 and Emma their daughter became queen of England on her marriage toAethelred, a position she maintained after his death in 1016 by marryingCnot (sic: Cnut/Knut...Curt). Gunnor's nephews and other relativesfurthermore formed the core of the new aristocracy which developed in thecourse of the eleventh century. Unfortunately we know little about theinternal organization and history of Normandy until the reign of RichardII, and this falls outside our period.' [Ref: The Frankish Kingdoms underthe Carolingians 751-987, by Rosamond McKitterick, London & NY (Longman)1983 p238-239]

During the minority of his (William Long-Sword) successor, Duke Richard,King Louis IV -- who was making an expedition into Normandy -- wascaptured by the inhabitants of Rouen and handed over to Hugh the Great.From this time onwards the dukes of Normandy began to enter intorelations with the dukes of France; and in 958 Duke Richard married Hughthe Great's daughter. He died in 996. (Succeeded by Richard II.) [Ref:Gordon Fisher message to soc.genealogy.medieval6 Nov 1996]

One more minor item, ES II:11 indicates he was also buried at Fécamp.

BTW,where did you get the day & month for his birth & death? [Note: Thebirth date is an unsourced item I picked up on World Connect, it has atleast a 1/365 chance of being right. The death date is from AR, as thesource indicates (AR refers to Moriarty's Plantagenet Ancestry, p. 10-11,13). JW]

Regards,
Curt.

     Gunnor (GundraGunnora) 'not' de Crepon was born circa 942 at Arque, Seine-Inferieure, Normandy, France. She was the daughter of Herbastus Forester of Arque and Gunnhild Olafsdottir. Gunnor (GundraGunnora) 'not' de Crepon married Richard I 'The Fearless' Duke of Normandy before 959; Danish Wife - Christian marriage after 968.¹ Gunnor (GundraGunnora) 'not' de Crepon died in 1031 at France.¹
     She Curt Hofemann, curt_hofemann AT yahoo.com, in a post-em, wrote:

Apparently she was not 'de Crepon' & her parentage is unknown:

The name of the father of Gunnor is unknown. Herbastus is derived fromthe name of her brother Herfast/Arfastus, but is unsupported. [Ref: ToddA Farmerie message to Gen-Medieval 6 Nov 1996]

The greater part of our information about Gunnor and her relations isderived from those additions to the History of William of Jumieges forwhich Robert de Rotigny is responsible. It is Robert who preserved thestory of how Richard I of Normandy became enamoured of the beautifulSenfrie, wife of one of his foresters, and how Senfrie contrived tosubstitute her sister Gunnor for herself, to the Duke's ultimatesatisfaction. [Ref The Sisters and Nieces of Gunnor, Duchess of Normandyby G.H. White in the Genealogist, New Series 1921 v37 p57]

Parentage of Gunnor and her siblings is unknown. While some sourcescall her father Herfastus, this was in fact the name of her brother. Shehas also been claimed as a daughter of the Danish royal family, but thereis no evidence for this, and the context of her coming to attention ofRichard I and the family's subsequent rise to power militates against herbeing a royal daughter. Douglas argued, based on the donations of brotherArfast to the monastery of St. Pere, that the root of the family was inthe Cotetin region of Normandy, but van Houts has suggested that theCotetin land was granted to Arfast, rather than inherited by him. Thus weare left with the more ambiguous statement of Torigny and others that shewas a member of a Norman family of Danish origins. [Ref: Todd A Farmerie message to Gen-Medieval 5 Jan 1997]

Gunnora ... was not 'de Crepon', nor was she daughter of Herbastus deCrepon of Denmark - her brother Herfastus/Arfast appears to have receivedCrepon only after Gunnora took up with Richard I, and thus the family wasnot originally from there. Likewise, while she is said to be of a noblefamily of Danish ancestry, it is not stated that her father was fromDenmark (the family probably arrived with Rollo, in the generation of her(unknown) grandfather. [Ref: Todd A Farmerie message to Gen-Medieval 28 Jul 2000]

Research note 1: Was her father Herfast de CREPON or King Haraldblaafandof DENMARK? There is a lack of consensus on this. -Charlotte's WebGeneology http://www.charweb.org/gen/rjones/d0042/g0000020.htm#I239

Research note 2: father: Harald I Blaatand, Bluetooth, King of Denmark[Ref: McBride2 (possibly citing Wurts)]

My notes on Gunnora:
This is the same Gunnora known as Gunnora of Crepon, but both are oflittle value. Gunnora was NOT of Denmark. Some inventive genealogistsomewhere along the line decided to make her daughter of HaraldBluetooth, but there is no basis for this, and what we know of herindicates it is not really a possibility worthy of consideration. Hernephew later was called 'of Crepon' but he likely gained his posessionsthrough Gunnora's marriage to the Duke, rather than this representing theoriginal home of the clan.

What can be said of Gunnora's parents? Nothing! She was not daughterof Harfast, as (too) often stated. Her family was likely of the minorNorman nobility, since her oldest sister was married to a forester at thetime Richard first bumped into the girls. That's it.

Richard I of Normandy first bedded, and later married Gunnora, whoseancestry is entirely unknown. She is sometimes said to be daughter of aKing of Denmark, but this is incorrect. [taf]

There are several things going on here. First of all, the father ofGunnora and siblings is not known. Attempts to name him Herbastusprobably originated in confusion with her brother. Second, Gunnora hadthree sisters, Senfria/Senfreda, Wevia, and (Avelina). The first marriedan otherwise unknown forester. The latter two are confused by our twosources, one claiming that it was Wevia who married Osbern, and the otherthat Wevia married Turold of Pont Audemer, and by deduction, (Avelina)married Osbern. We know that Osbern married one of them, and a recentanalysis suggests that it was Wevia for nomenclatural reasons.(Specifically, Turold and wife had a granddaughter named Duvelina, and itis hyposthesized that she was named for her grandmother, and thatDuvelina is the authentic name of the sister, rather than Avelina.Finally, in which generation was Osbern's. This is unambiguous. She wassister of Gunnora and the others. There is no source before recent timesthat claims otherwise. There are two probable origins for the error thatshe was niece of Gunnora. First, due to the error in naming her fatherHerfastus, someone aware that this was the name of Gunnora's brotherassumed then that Avelina's father was Gunnora's brother (the name ofGunnora's father being unknown, and probably unknowable). The secondpossibility is a confusion of uncle and nephew. Harfastus/Arfast had ason Osbern of Crepon, and perhaps someone confused this man with Osbernof Bolbec. Still, we know for certain that Osbern of Bolbec married asister of Gunnora. [Ref: Dave Utzinger message toGen-Medieval 29 Jul 2000]

Regards,
Curt.

     Conan I Duke of Brittany , Comte de Rennes was born circa 950 at Rennes, Ille-et-Vilaine, Bretagne, France. He married Ermengarde d' Anjou in 980.^1,2 Conan I Duke of Brittany , Comte de Rennes died on 29 June 992; killed.¹

     Ermengarde d' Anjou was born circa 963 at Anjou/Pays-de-la-Loire, France. She married Conan I Duke of Brittany , Comte de Rennes in 980.^1,2 Ermengarde d' Anjou died on 27 June 992.

     Turchetil de Harcourt , Seigneur de Turqueville was born circa 951 at Turqueville near Cherbourg, Manche, Normandy, France. He was the son of Torf 'The Rich' de Harcourt and Ermenberge de Briquebec. Turchetil de Harcourt , Seigneur de Turqueville died after 1024 at Harcourt, Brionne, Eure, Normandy, France.¹
     He Turchetil, Sire de Harcourt, Normandy; fl. 1024; presumably kin of[English Harcourt descendants]. [Burke's peerage]

-----------------------------

Curt Hofemann, curt_hofemann AT yahoo.com, wrote in a post-em:

Turchetil de HARCOURT, Seigneur de Turqueville [Ref: Turton (prob usingBurke's)]

Turketil de TURQUEVILLE [Ref: Watney p99]

Turquetil Seigneur de TURQUETIL et de TANQUERAYE. His name has beenspelt Turchil, Turketil, Turkel, Turkeul, Turquetal, Torkel, Torketil,Torchetil, Thorkil, Thorkel, Thurkild, Turquetil, Thorchetil, etc. It isa Danish name meaning Thor's Kettle or Cauldron. Turchetil de Neufmarchewas his namesake. Turchetil III Baron De Tourville, Seigneur de Tourvilleand de Tanqueray.

Turquetil, seigneur de Turqueville, and de Tanqueraye, about 1001,appears in several charters concerning the abbeys of Fecamp and Bernay.He was lord of Neufmarche-en-Lions, governor of the boy duke, William...Turquetil was the second son of Torf, the son of Bernard the Dane...Turquetil, Turqueville or Tanqueraye, de Neufmarche, second son. diedabout 1036. He married Anceline, sister of Turstain ofMontfort-sur-Risle. [Ref:http://homepages.rootsweb.com/~pmcbride/james/f030.htm#I1402X2]

Research note: can Turqueville also be Torville? Watney lists his fatheras Torf 'the Rich' de HARCOURT, Seigneur de Torville & states he builtthe castle of Torville in 955. McBride shows Tourville. Is this Frenchvs English for the same placename?

death: was treacherously assassinated between 1035 and 1040 by hirelingsof Raoul de Gace... Murdered along with three other governor's of theyoung William future King of England. [Ref: McBride] (I show 1027,unfortunately I didn't identify the source, but it was apparently moresolid than McBride or I would have replaced it as per McBride).

Regards,
Curt

Note: I find both a Turlaville & a Turqeville near Cherbourg, Normandy. Idon't know whether the names are anglicized or not.

     Adeline de Montfort was born circa 963 at Montfort-sur-Risle, Eure, Normandy, France.

     Herbastus Forester of Arque was born circa 911 at Arque, Seine-Inferieure, Normandy, France.
     He Apparently there is no evidence of what the name was of the father ofGunnor, Senfrie, Herfast, and Avelina. Ancestral Roots states he was aforester of Arque. He was not of Crepon, but later genealogistsmistakenly thought the family was of Crepon because Herbastus' son,Herfast, received lands in Crepon, probably due to the relationship ofhis sister with Duke Richard.

I will leave the 'de Crepon' name with the family, just as I have thePlantagenet name with that family, although the Plantagenets were notknown by that name until Richard, Duke of York in the 1400's. However Iwill put a 'not' in front of everybody but the son, who was 'de Crepon'.

-----------------------

The following is a post to SGM, 3 Dec 1996, by Todd Farmerie:

From: Todd A. Farmerie (taf2 AT po.cwru.edu)
Subject: Robert de Torigny and the family of Gunnor, Duchess of Normandy
Newsgroups: soc.genealogy.medieval
Date: 1996/12/03

There have been many posts requesting information on the various Normanrelationships compiled by Robert de Torigny. This is an attempt tosummarize and harmonize several recent works on some of the lines:

Elisabeth M C van Houts. Robert of Torigni as Genealogist. in Studies inMedieval History presented to R. Allen Brown, p.215-33.

Kathleen Thompson. The Norman Aristocracy before 1066: the Example ofthe Montgomerys. in Historical Research 60:251-63.

K S B Keats-Rohan. Aspects of Torigny's Genealogy Revisited. inNottingham Medieval Studies 37:21-7.

Robert de Torigny, writing after the Norman Conquest, recorded thegenealogical traditions which tied many of the Norman nobility to thefamily of Gunnor, first mistress of Richard I, then Duchess of Normandy.He reported the tradition that Richard had become infatuated with thewife of one of his foresters, but being the pious wife, she substitutedher sister Gunnor, much to everyone's satisfaction. He proceded to namethe siblings of Gunnor, and also indicated the she had numerous nieces,who are left unnamed, but whose marriages and descendants are provided.

The genealogical information contained in this account has at varioustimes been praised and condemned, but recent opinion seems to favor theview that, while minor errors abound, the genealogies accuratelyrepresent a tradition of shared descent that may account for the rapidrise of these nobles.

The parentage of Gunnor and her siblings is unknown. While some sourcescall her father Herfastus, this was in fact the name of her brother. Shehas also been claimed as daughter of the Danish royal family, but thereis no evidence for this, and the context of her coming to the attentionof Richard I and the family's subsequent rise to power militates againsther being a royal daughter. Douglas argued (in a 1944 English HistoricalReview article on the family of William Fitz Osbern), based on thedonations of brother Arfast to the monastery of St. Pere, that the rootof the family was in the Cotetin region of Normandy, but van Houts hassuggested that the Cotetin land was granted to Arfast, rather thaninherited by him. Thus we are left with the more ambiguous statements ofTorigny and others that she was a member of a Norman family of Danishorigins.

The only known brother of Gunnor was Arfast/Herfast, of whom we gain whatlittle insight we have from a trial of heretics conducted by Robert II.Arfast testified that he had pretended to join the sect, all the betterto denounce them when the time arose. He later donated lands to themonastery of St. Pere, to which he retired. He had at least two sons:Osbern, who was steward to the later Dukes, and was murdered by Williamde Montgomery while defending the young Duke William; and Ranulf, knownfrom charters. Osbern maried a niece of Richard I (the daughter of hishalf-brother) and by her was the father of the Conquest baron WilliamFitz Osbern.

Gunnor had at least three sisters, of which the oldest appears to havebeen Senfria (Seinfreda), who was wife of the (unnamed) forester from thearea of St. Vaast d'Equiqueville, and it was her charms which are saidfirst to have attracted the attentions Duke Richard I. She appears tohave had at least one daughter, Joscelina, wife of Hugh de Montgomery.(Torigny makes Joscelina daughter of another sister, Wevia, but acontemporary of Torigny, in demonstrating the genealogical impediment toa marriage of a bastard of Henry I to a Montgomery descendantspecifically calls Joscelina's mother Senfria, and the inheritance by theMontgomerys of large holdings suggests that Joscelina was a significantcoheir to her parents, which does not match Wevia's family where two sonswould be expected to acquire most of the family land.) Hugh deMontgomery and Joscelina had a son Roger, but contrary to Torigny'sstatements, he was not the Conquest baron of that name, but instead hisfather. By a wife possibly named Emma, Roger had: Hugh; Roger (whomarried Mabel of Belleme and played a significant role in pre-ConquestNormandy); William (who murdered cousin Osbern); Robert, and Gilbert.

Duvelina, a second sister of Gunnor, married Turulf de Pont Audemer, sonof a Norman founder Torf, and uncle of the first of the Harcourts. Theyhad at least one son, Humphrey de Vielles, who in turn was father ofRoger de Beaumont, another Conquest-era baron.

Wevia, the only other sister of Gunnor named by Torigny, married Osbernde Bolbec (who is otherwise unknown to history). They had at least twosons: Walter Giffard, ancestor of the English Giffard/Gifford families,and also, through his daughter, of the Clare family; and Godfrey, whoseson William de Arques had two daughters and co-heiresses.

Torigny indicates that Gunnor had numerous nieces, names the descendantsof several of them, but the accounts of these families are more difficultto harmonize with other available sources, as has already been seen withniece Joscelina.

One niece is said to have married Nicholas de Bracqueville, and to havehad William Martel and Walter de St. Martin. As to Martel, there seemsto have been a connection to this family, since Hawise, daughter ofNicholas married Hugh de Wareham, son of a Grippo. Hugh had a brotherGeoffrey Martel, but beyond this no recent analysis provides any insightas to the descent of the later Martels. Walter de St. Martin is evenmore of a problem, since elsewhere Torigny incorrectly makes him brotherof William de Warenne, but the ancestry given there is clearly false.Thus it is not clear that Torigny knew the exact connection of Walter,and no evindece to clarify his true origins.

A second niece is said to have married Richard, vicomte of Rouen (who wasson of Tesselin). He had a son Lambert of St. Saens, whose son Heliasmarried a bastard daughter of Robert II of Normandy. (If the connectionhere given is correct, then these two were withing the prohibited degree,which may throw doubt on the relationship, or simply suggest that therelationship did not come to light at the time.) Based on laterinteractions between Montgomery and Warenne (thought to be related tothis branch) it has been speculated that this niece was sister ofJoscelina, which is possible but unsupported.

It appears to be through this family that the relationship of two moreNorman barons come into play, but not exactly as Torigny presents it. Heshows yet another niece marrying Ranulph de Warenne, and by him havingWilliam de Warenne and Roger de Mortimer. This is clearly untrue,because Roger appears to have been a generation older than William. Thesolution appears to be that Torigny (as he had done with the Montgomerys)compressed into one individual a father and son of the same name. Ranulphde Warenne (I) appears to have married Beatrice, sister of Richard,vicomte of Rouen, and thus sister-in-law of one of Gunnor's nieces (thusit would appear that this family actually does not descend from arelative of Gunnor's, but is genealogically linked to some of herdescendants) and had sons: Roger (de Mortimer) and Ranulph de Warenne(II), who in turn was father of another Ranulf (III) and of William deWarenne.

Finally, Torigny states that a niece married Osmund de Centumvillis,vicote of Vernon, and had a son Fulk de Alnou, and a daughter whose sonwas Baldwin de Reviers. Much debate has focussed on the attempt toidentify these men, but in the latter case, clearly a connection to theReviers/Vernon Earls of Devon is intended. The precise nature of therelationship is more difficult to pin down. It would seem that the firstEarl Richard de Reviers was son of a Baldwin, who had brothers Richard deVernon (app. d.s.p.) and William Fitz Hugh de Vernon (perhaps ahalf-brother, who by wife Emma had a son Hugh, often confused with aHugh, brother of Earl Richard. It is this error that has led to thestatement that Emma was the relative of Gunnor, which derives from a setof relationships hypothesized in CP (under Devon) and predicated on herbeing mother of Hugh, brother of Earl Richard, an untrue relationship.).If Baldwin, father of Earl Richard, was the same as the grandson ofOsmund de Centumvillis this would complete the picture, but one morerelationship invites comment. Earl Richard is said by an early source,cited by CP, to be nephew of William Fitz Osbern. This may enable us toplace the unnamed wife of Osmund as sister of William Fitz Osbern, andthus a great-niece rather than a niece of Gunnor, although this solutionstrains chronology.

The work of Robert de Torigny thus provides a valuable source for thegenealogical origins of the immediate pre-Conquest Norman aristocracy.When it has been possible to compare the information with other sources,some inconsistancies are found, but it is unclear whether these representerrors of Robert, or inaccuracies in the genealogical traditions he wasrecording. In most cases, an in-depth study of the available materialhas enabled modern historians to satisfactorilly reconstruct the descentsfrom Gunnor's family and provide a representation of the truerelationships among these early Norman families.

taf.

     Torf 'The Rich' de Harcourt was born circa 930 at Harcourt, Brionne, Eure, Normandy, France.

     Ermenberge de Briquebec was born circa 930 at Bricquibec, Manche, Normandy, France. She died circa 955.¹

     Uchtred I Earl of Northumbria was born circa 961 at Northumbria, England. He married an unknown person circa 1010 at England. He died in 1016 at Murdered by Thursband in Wighill, Yorkshire, England.¹

     Philip Baron de Braose , Sir was born in 1075 at Bramber, Sussex, England. He was the son of William I Baron de Braose , Sir and Agnes de St. Clair. Philip Baron de Braose , Sir died in 1112 at Holy Land, Palestine.
     He Philip confirmed his father's gifts to the abbey of St Florent in 1096.He was the first Braose Lord of Builth and Radnor, their initial holdingin the Welsh Marches. Philip returned from the 1st Crusade in 1103. Hebuilt the Norman Church of St Nicolas at Old Shoreham and founded theport of New Shoreham. His lands were confiscated by Henry I in 1110, dueto his traitrous support of William, son of Robert Curthose, but theywere returned in 1112. Philip de Braose went on 2nd Crusade and died inPalestin.

Philip confirmed the gifts of his nephew, Philip de Harcourt, to thenewly established Knights Templar. Philip de Harcourt, Bishop of Bayeux,bestowed the manor and church of Shipley on the Templars between 1125 and1130 and in 1154 added St Mary's, Sompting.

See St Nicolas, Old Shoreham.

     Aenor de Totnes , Heiress of Barnstaple was born circa 1095 at Totnes, Devonshire, England. She was the daughter of Judhel (JuhelJudeal) de Totnes , & Barnstaple and Miss de Picquigny.
     Aenor de Totnes , Heiress of Barnstaple The following is a post-em from Curt Hofemann, curt_hofemann AT yahoo.com(note that in an earlier post to SGM, which I source, John Ravilious doesnot have Aenor as her first name.):

ID: I00494 Aenor de Totnes

Note: some records list her, her father & gf as: Toteneis

Aenor de Totnes coheiress of her father: from the holdings of herdescendants, it is evident these included Barnstaple and Totnes, Devon(or a moiety thereof) [Ref: John P. Ravilious 14 Aug 2003 msg to SGM]

Regards,
Curt.

     William I Baron de Braose , Sir was born in 1049 at Briouze near Argentan, Normandy, France. He was the son of Robert de Brus , of Normandy and Gunnora (?). William I Baron de Braose , Sir married Agnes de St. Clair, daughter of Walderne de St. Clair and Helene 'le Bon' de Normandy, before 1073 at Barnstaple, Devonshire, England. William I Baron de Braose , Sir died after 1089 at Bramber, Sussex, England.²
     He Guillaume de Briouze is recorded in lists of those present at the Battleof Hastings. He became the first Lord of the Bramber Rape by 1073 andbuilt Bramber Castle. William made considerable grants to the abbey ofSaint Florent, Saumur to endow the foundation of Sele Priory near Bramberand a priory at Briouze. He continued to fight alongside King William inthe campaigns in Britain, Normandy, and Maine.

See remains of gatehouse at Bramber Castle.


William de Braose came into England with the Conqueror and held, at thegeneral survey, considerable estates in the counties of Berks, Wilts,Surrey, Dorset, and Sussex. He was s. by his son, Philip de Braose. [SirBernard Burke, Dormant, Abeyant, Forfeited and Extinct Peerages, Burke'sPeerage, Ltd., London, 1883, p. 72, Braose, Baron Braose, of Gower]

     Agnes de St. Clair was born circa 1058 at St Clair-sur-Elle, Manche, Normandy, France. She was the daughter of Walderne de St. Clair and Helene 'le Bon' de Normandy. Agnes de St. Clair married William I Baron de Braose , Sir, son of Robert de Brus , of Normandy and Gunnora (?), before 1073 at Barnstaple, Devonshire, England.
     Agnes de St. Clair There are two daughters named Agnes. Obviously Agnes could not bemarried to both William de Braose and Robert de Brus at the same time.Doug Thompson, in a post to SGM, 27 Sep 2002, thought it more likely thatshe was married to Robert de Brus. Perhaps they were sisters, eithernamed the same (which has happened before), or someone mixed up one oftheir names? I will represent them as two different people.