Notes:

Gerald FitzMaurice, jure uxoris 1st Lord of Offaly (c. 1150 - 15 January 1204) was a Cambro-Norman nobleman who settled in Ireland, with his father, Maurice FitzGerald, Lord of Lanstephan, founding the notable FitzGerald dynasty who were to play important roles in Irish history. By right of his wife, the heiress Eve de Bermingham, Gerald was granted the barony of Offaly, thus becoming the first Lord. He is the ancestor of the Kildare branch of the dynasty.

Family

Gerald was born in Wales in about 1150, the second eldest son of Maurice FitzGerald, Lord of Lanstephan and an unknown second wife. Gerald had one sister, Nesta, who was named after their celebrated grandmother, Princess Nest of Wales, and five brothers, including his eldest, William FitzMaurice, 1st Baron of Naas.

Career

Gerald's father was the leader of the first landing of Normans who arrived in Ireland in 1169 to assist the exiled Irish King of Leinster Dermot MacMurrough regain his kingdom. Both Gerald and his father were at the Siege of Dublin in 1171. Upon the death of their father, on 1 September 1176, Gerald's elder brother William granted him half the cantred of Ophelan with centres at Maynooth and Rathmore. He was confirmed in them by Prince John in 1185. In 1197, he took part in the conquest of Limerick acquiring Croom, County Limerick.

Marriage and issue

Sometime around 1193, he married as her first husband, Eve de Bermingham (died between June 1223 and December 1226), daughter of Sir Robert de Bermingham. In marriage, he received the barony of Offaly, becoming the first FitzGerald Lord of Offaly. Together Gerald and Eve had one son:

Maurice FitzGerald, 2nd Lord of Offaly, Justiciar of Ireland (1194- 20 May 1257), married Juliana N.N., by whom he had four sons.

Following Gerald's death on 15 January 1204, Eve would go on to marry two more times. Her second husband was Geoffrey FitzRobert, and her third, whom she married sometime after 1211, was Geoffrey de Marisco, Justiciar of Ireland.

Gerald was succeeded by his only son, Maurice who became 2nd Lord of Offaly.

Gerald married Eve de Bermingham, Lady of Offaly Abt 1193. Eve (daughter of Robert de Bermingham) died Between Jun 1223 and Dec 1226, Ireland. [Group Sheet]

1. Maurice FitzGerald, 2nd Lord of Offaly was born 1194, Ireland; died 20 May 1257, Cork, Ireland.

Notes:

Maurice FitzGerald, Lord of Maynooth, Naas, and Llanstephan) (c. 1105 - September 1177) was a medieval Irish lord, and a major figure in the Norman invasion of Ireland.

Wars in Wales and Ireland

A Welsh Marcher Lord, Lanstephan fought under Robert FitzMartin at the Battle of Crug Mawr in Wales 1136.

Diarmait Mac Murchada (Dermot MacMurrough), the deposed King of Leinster, who had been exiled by the High King of Ireland, sought Cambro-Norman assistance to regain his throne. Lanstephan participated in the resulting 1169 Norman invasion of Ireland. He assisted his younger half-brother Robert Fitz-Stephen in the Siege of Wexford (1169). His nephew, Raymond, was Strongbow's second in command and had the chief share both in the capture of Waterford and in the successful assault on Dublin in 1171. Lanstephan and his son also fought in this battle.

Ancestry

FitzGerald was the second son of Gerald de Windsor, Constable of Pembroke Castle by his wife, Nest ferch Rhys, Princess of Deheubarth and a member of the Welsh royal House of Dinefwr.

Marriage and Issue

FitzGerald and his elder brother William of Carew married two sisters. They were the daughters of Arnulf de Montgomery by his wife Lavacroth, the daughter of the Irish king Muircheartach Ua Briain. FitzGerald married Alice de Montgomery, while William married Marie de Montgomery. FitzGerald's children by his wife were:

Gerald FitzMaurice, 1st Lord of Offaly (b. c. 1150, d. before 15 Jan 1204)
Alexander
William, Lord of Naas (d. c.1199)
Maurice, Lord of Kiltrany
Thomas FitzMaurice FitzGerald (d. c.1213)
Robert
Nest (m. Hervey de Montmorenci, Constable of England)

Through his oldest son, Sir Gerald, FitzGerald was the ancestor of the FitzGerald Earls of Kildare and Dukes of Leinster.

The original Earldom of Desmond in the province of Munster was based on land holdings belonging to the descendants of Maurice's son Thomas FitzMaurice FitzGerald, Lord of O'Connelloe. Thomas's son John FitzGerald, who was killed in the Battle of Callann, became the first Baron Desmond. Of this line are also the Knights of Glin and Knights of Kerry.

Maurice — Alice de Montgomery. [Group Sheet]

Notes:

Gerald de Windsor (1070 -1136), also known as Gerald FitzWalter, Constable of Pembroke Castle from 1102, was the nobleman in charge of the Norman forces in Wales in the late 11th century. Notably, he was the progenitor of the FitzGerald and de Barry dynasties of Ireland. These celebrated Hiberno-Norman or Cambro-Norman families, have been Peers of Ireland since the 14th Century at least.

Ancestry

Gerald was the son of Walter FitzOtho by his wife Beatrice. FitzOtho became Constable of Windsor Castle immediately upon its completion by William I of England. Gerald's grandfather was Otho, owner of manors in five English counties. Gerald married Nest ferch Rhys, Princess of Deheubarth, who was the daughter of Prince Rhys ap Tewdwr and Gwladys ferch Rhiwallon ap Cynfyn, around 1095.

Issue

He had five children by Nest:

William FitzGerald de Carew (died 1173), father of Raymond FitzGerald and of Isabella Le Gros m William De Haya Wallenisis.
Maurice FitzGerald (born c. 1100, died 1 September 1176), founder of the FitzGerald dynasty of Ireland and
David FitzGerald, Bishop of St David's (died c. 1176),
Angharad FitzGerald, foundress of the de Barry dynasty of Ireland who married William FitzOdo de Barry
possibly Gwladys

Career

Following the death of the last king of the Britons - Rhys ap Tewdwr - a general Norman invasion of south Wales ensued around 1093. Arnulf of Montgomery participated and built a castle at Pembroke. Gerald de Windsor held the castle for him. It was described by Giraldus Cambrensis as a "slender fortress of turf and stakes". Gerald successfully withstood a siege. Geraldus Cambrensis adds that, "Without delay that Gerald, to root him and his deeper in these territories, married Nesta, sister of Grifhn, prince of South Wales, from whom, in course of time, he raised an egregious progeny of both sexes, by whom the maritime parts of South Wales were retained for the English, and, later on, the walls of Ireland were stormed" In 1094 king William II of England rewarded Arnulf with the formal lordship of Demetia, including Pembroke. The lordship was smaller than the later Pembrokeshire.

In 1100, Gerald negotiated the marriage of Arnulf with Lafracoth, daughter of the Irish king Muircheartach Ua Briain. In due time Gerald's son, Maurice, married Arnulf's daughter, Alice.

Gerald de Windsor held the office of Constable of Pembroke Castle from 1102 and was granted the manor of Moulsford in Berkshire (now Oxfordshire) by Henry I of England. The castle at Carew came with Nest as part of her dowry. Gerald demolished the wooden structure and built a motte and bailey in its place.

In 1105, Gerald built the castle of Little Cenarch.

In 1109, Nest was "abducted" by a cousin, Owain ap Cadwgan. According to the Brut y Tywysogion, Owain and his men infiltrated the couple's home (assumed by historians to be either Cilgerran Castle or Little Cenarch) and set fire to the buildings. When Gerald was woken by the noise, Nest advised him to escape by climbing out through the privy hole. Owain then seized Nest and her children and carried her off. However, some sources suggest that she went with him willingly.

Gerald's influence was such that Owain and his father soon lost much of their territory of Powys as a result of Owain's actions. Owain himself was obliged to go into exile in Ireland. When he returned, in 1116, Gerald hunted him down and killed him.

His son William had a daughter named Isabella Le Gros whom married William De Haya Wallenisis and had David Walensis and Philip Walensis. David and Philip where considered "The Welshman" and the starting of the Welsh/Walsh (Philip) Walensis/Wallace (David) going from Scotland to Ireland. Philip Walensis had a son named Howell of Welsh Walensis.

The "Annals of Cambria" record 1116 as the date of Owain's death. As Gerald de Windsor appears no later in the "Annals" or the "The Chronicles of the Princes" of Wales, the presumption is that he did not long survive his enemy, Owain ab Cadwgan, and that the "Earls of Kildare Addenda" is wrong in putting his death so late as 1135.

Gerald — Nest ferch Rhys, ap Tewdwr. Nest (daughter of Rhys ap Tewdwr and Gwladys ferch Rhiwallon) was born Abt 1085; died Bef 1136. [Group Sheet]

Notes:

Nesta, Princess of Deheubarth was the daughter of Rhys ap Tewdwr, King of South Wales and Gladys of Powys. She married Gerald fitz Walter, son of Walter fitz Otho and Gladys ap Comyn, circa 1100. She died before 1136. She was heiress of the lands of Carew, near Milford Haven, Pembrokeshire. She was also known as Nest of Wales. She gained the title of Princess Nesta of Deheubarth.

Nest ferch Rhys, born about 1085, was a legitimate daughter of Rhys ap Tewdwr, last King of Deheubarth by his wife, Gwladys ferch Rhiwallon ap Cynfyn of Powys. In 1093, her father was killed in battle, her older illegitimate half-brothers killed, executed, or imprisoned; what happened to Nest is unknown. She came to King Henry's attention sometime after 1100, and bore him a son, Henry fitzHenry (killed in battle in 1158). Sometime thereafter, the King married Nest to Gerald de Windsor (aka Geraldus FitzWalter) a younger son of Walter FitzOther, Constable of Windsor Castle and Keeper of the Forests of Berkshire, by his wife Beatrice. Gerald had lately been in rebellion against King Henry, together with the powerful Montgomery clan, but, with Nest as his wife, was restored by Henry to his former position in South Wales. After her husband's death, Nest was married to Stephen, Constable of Cardigan. By the latter, Nest had at least one son, Robert FitzStephen, a leader of the Norman invasion of Ireland. By Gerald she had five children, from whom descend the famous Fitzgerald clan of Ireland.

Nest ferch Rhys (b. c. 1085 - d. before 1136) was the only legitimate daughter of Rhys ap Tewdwr, last King of Deheubarth, by his wife, Gwladys ferch Rhiwallon ap Cynfyn of Powys. She is sometimes known, incorrectly, as "Nesta" or "Princess Nesta".

Nest had two younger brothers, Gruffydd ap Rhys and Hywel, and several older illegitimate half-brothers and half-sisters. After their father's death in battle in 1093, "the kingdom of the Britons fell" and was overrun by Normans. Nest's brother Gruffydd was spirited into Ireland for safety; their brother Hywel was captured by Arnulf de Montgomery. The immediate fate of Nest and her mother is unknown. In any event, after she reached puberty, she came to the attention of the youngest son of William the Conqueror, Henry I of England, by whom she bore Henry FitzHenry (c. 1103-1158), one of his numerous illegitimate children.

Ancestry

First Marriage

Some time after the rebellion of the powerful Montgomery clan of Normandy and England, King Henry married Nest to Gerald de Windsor, Arnulf de Montgomery's former constable for Pembroke Castle and one of the recent Montgomery rebels. By Gerald, Nest is the maternal progenitor of the FitzGerald dynasty, one of the most celebrated families of Ireland and Great Britain. They are referred to as Cambro-Normans or Hiberno-Normans, and have been Peers of Ireland since 1316, when Edward II created the earldom of Kildare for John FitzGerald.

Rape and Abduction

The details of this most famous episode of Nest's life are obscure and vary, depending on who is relating it. Either Nest and Gerald were present at an eisteddfod given, during a truce, by Cadwgan ap Bleddyn, prince of Powys; or they were not present, and Nest and her husband were "visited" by Owain ap Cadwgan, one of Cadwgan's sons, or they were not visited by Owain, merely attacked by Owain and his men. The usual tale is that Owain hears at the eisteddfod that Gerald is in the neighbourhood, that Gerald's wife is very beautiful, and so he goes to visit her "as his kinswoman", but this is unlikely. The earliest account, that of Caradoc of Llancarfan, relates that "At the instigation of the Devil, he [Owain] was moved by passion and love for the woman, and with a small company with him...he made for the castle by night." The castle was called Cenarth Bychan (possibly modern Cilgerran Castle); Carew Castle is also mentioned, but is unlikely.

Tradition has it that, during Owain's firing of some of the outbuildings, Nest persuaded her husband and his men to escape via a lavatory chute, rather than face Owain, outnumbered, but this, too, is unlikely. Owain and his men burst into the castle, searched frantically for Gerald, but failed to find him. Nest allegedly told them, "He whom you seek is not here. He has escaped." An infuriated Owain then raped Nest in front of her children - either her two sons and daughter and Gerald's son by a concubine; or Gerald's two sons by a concubine and Nest's two sons; or any other variant - following which Owain abducted Nest and her children, and took them to a hunting lodge by the Eglwyseg Rocks north of the Vale of Llangollen.

The rape of Nest aroused the wrath of the Normans, as well as of the Welsh who had been victimised by Owain and his followers. The truce was broken. The Norman lords, the Justiciar of Salop, and at least one bishop, bribed Owain's Welsh enemies to attack him and his father, which they promptly did. Owain's father tried to persuade him to return Nest, but to no avail. According to Caradoc, Nest told Owain, "If you would have me stay with you and be faithful to you, then send my children home to their father." She secured the return of the children. Owain and his father were driven to seek exile in Ireland. Nest was returned to her husband.

In recent years, Nest has been given two specious children by her rapist, Llywelyn and Einion. In fact, Owain had a brother, but not a son, named Einion, and Welsh geneaologies do not name the mother of Owain's son Llywelyn. The omission of the name of a mother with the highborn status of Nest would be startling, if it were true.

In the 19th century, this "abduction", as well as the fighting which followed, earned Nest the nickname "Helen of Wales". She was depicted at having connived with Owain at her rape and abduction, given more children than she had borne, along with more lovers than she had had.

In 1112, her brother Gruffydd returned from Ireland, spending most of his time with Gerald and Nest. When he was denied his inheritance from his father, and accused to the king of conspiring against him, he allied with the prince of Gwynedd, and war broke out. Owain ap Cadwgan had, by now, been pardoned by the king, and was prince of Powys; in 1111, his father had been assassinated by Owain's cousin and former comrade in arms, Madog ap Rhiryd, whom Owain captured, castrated, and blinded. Being then on the king's good side, Owain was ordered to rendezvous with a Norman force to proceed against Gruffydd. En route, he and his force chanced to run into none other than Gerald FitzWalter. Despite Owain being a royal ally, Gerald chose to avenge his wife's rape, and slew Owain.

Some historians have recently cast doubts on the account, suggesting it may have been revised or rewritten at a later date, by an author who had a motive to both demean Gerald and enhance the reputation of Owain. Thus,"we should hesitate to take it at full face value."

Issue by first marriage

Nest bore five children to Gerald. The two eldest sons married two daughters of Arnulf of Montgomery.

William FitzGerald, Lord of Carew and Emlyn (d. c.1173). By his wife Marie de Montgomery, William was the father of

Odo de Carew
Raymond FitzGerald le Gros
Griffin
Richard
Ralph
William, Justice of Eyre
Robert
Isabella, who m. William Hay (Gulielmus de Haia Wallenisis).

(Note: William Hay is frequently, and incorrectly, noted as an illegitimate son of Nest; the speculation is based on Nest's grandson, Gerald of Wales, naming William as one of the Geraldines, which he was, if only by marriage. William's father is usually given one "Hayt", a Flemish sheriff of Pembroke in 1130.)

Maurice FitzGerald, Lord of Lanstephan, Naas and Maynooth, (died 1 September 1177). By his wife Alice de Montgomery, the sister of Marie, Maurice was the father of
Gerald FitzMaurice, 1st Lord of Offaly
Alexander
William (1st Baron Naas)
Maurice of Kiltrany
Thomas
Robert
Nest

David FitzGerald, Archdeacon of Cardigan and Bishop of St David's who was the father of:
Milo FitzBishop of Iverk

Angharad, who married (2) William FitzOdo de Barry (William de Barry), by whom she was the mother of
Philip de Barry, founder of Ballybeg Abbey at Buttevant in Ireland
Robert de Barry
Edmond de Barry
Gerald of Wales

Gwladys, mother of
Milo de Cogan

Second Marriage and Issue

After Gerald's death, Nest's sons married her to Stephen, her husband's constable of Cardigan, by whom she had another son, possibly two; the eldest was Robert Fitz-Stephen (d. 1182), one of the Norman conquerors of Ireland; the second son, if such there were, may have been named Hywel. Some sources say that Robert was a bastard. This is unlikely to be the case as Robert's heirs were the de Carew family - the representatives of his eldest half-brother, William de Carew. According to Rev. Barry, they "...should not have gone to them, but to the Crown, if Robert FitzStephen were illegitimate".[6] With Nest's son Maurice FitzGerald, his half-brother, Robert laid siege to the town of Wexford in 1169. With Maurice, he was granted joint custody of the town.

Notes:

Arnulf of Montgomery (c. 1068-1118/1122) was an Anglo-Norman aristocrat, who played a role in the history of England, Wales, and Ireland.

Lineage

He was the youngest son of Roger de Montgomerie, 1st Earl of Shrewsbury and Mabel de Bellême.

Early career

Around 1093 he was part of the invasion of South Wales following the death in battle of Rhys ap Tewdwr. the last king of South Wales. Arnulf built a castle at Pembroke in West Wales, described by Giraldus Cambrensis as a "slender fortress of turf and stakes" under the command of one of his young officers, Gerald FitzWalter (aka Gerald de Windsor), who held it for Arnulf in the face of the great Welsh uprising of 1093. In 1094 king William II of England rewarded Arnulf with the formal lordship of Pembroke; some historians say that he was in fact created Earl of Pembroke. In any case the lordship was smaller than the later Pembrokeshire.

Arnulf's holdings were greatly expanded in 1096 when Rufus gave him the lordship of Holderness, which in addition to that part of Yorkshire included land in Lincolnshire.

Rebellion & Banishment

It is likely that Arnulf had been designated heir of his brother Hugh of Montgomery, 2nd Earl of Shrewsbury, but after Hugh's death in 1098 Arnulf was outmaneouvered by their eldest brother, Robert of Belleme, 3rd earl of Shrewsbury. This caused some rift between the brothers; nevertheless Arnulf participated in their 1101 rebellion against Henry I of England. As a result, they lost their English and Welsh lands, and were exiled from England.

Ireland

Arnulf turned his attention to Ireland, where, prior to the Montgomery rebellion, he had sent Gerald de Windsor to secure for him the hand in marriage of Lafracoth, daughter of the Irish king Muircheartach Ua Briain; by 1102, Arnulf was mentioned by Muirchertach as his son-in-law in a letter to the Archbishop of Canterbury Anselm of Bec. Muirchertach provided support for the Montgomerys' rebellion; as a result King Henry I of England placed a trade embargo on Ireland.

Orderic Vitalis states that Arnulf went to Ireland after the rebellion failed and served for Muirchertach Ua Briain, although the Irish Annals make no mention of this. He further relates that Arnulf was used by Muirchertach to defeat Magnus Barelegs. Then, "when the Irish had tasted blood by killing King Magnus and his companions they grew more unruly and suddently turned to kill the Normans. Their king took his daughter away from Arnulf and gave the wanton girl in unlawful marriage to one of his cousins. He resolved to murder Arnulf himself as a reward for his alliance, but the latter, learning of the execrable plots of this barbarous race, fled to his own people and lived for twenty years afterwards with no fixed abode."

Later life

In later years Arnulf was in the entourage of count Fulk V of Anjou.

A tombstone in Tulsk, Ireland bears the name Arnoulf and the date 1122.

Arnulf died sometime between 1118 and 1122. Some sources list him as having died without issue[1], although other sources list him as having left two daughters.

Arnulf married Lafracota Bef 1103. [Group Sheet]

Walter — Beatrice. [Group Sheet]

Notes:

Rhys ap Tewdwr (before 1065 - 1093) was a Prince of Deheubarth in south-west Wales and member of the Dinefwr dynasty, a branch descended from Rhodri the Great. He was born in the area which is now Carmarthenshire and died at the battle of Brecon in April 1093.

Family

Rhys ap Tewdwr, a member of the House of Dinefwr, claimed the throne of Deheubarth following the death of his second cousin Rhys ab Owain in battle against Caradog ap Gruffydd in 1078.

He was a grandson of Cadell ab Einion ab Owain ab Hywel Dda, and a great-grandson of Einon ab Owain ap Hywel Dda thus great-great grandson of Hywell Dda (Howell the good), king of the Britons; who fell in 984. He married Gwladys ferch Rhiwallon daughter of Rhiwallon ap Cynfyn of the Mathrafal dynasty of Powys, by whom he had four sons, Gruffudd, Hywel ap Rhys, Goronwy and Cadwgan, and a daughter Nest (who married Gerald de Windsor Constable of Pembroke, progenitors of the FitzGerald and de Barry dynasties of Ireland. These celebrated Hiberno-Norman, or Cambro-Norman, families have been Peers of Ireland since at least the 14th century.

The English variant of Tewdwr is Tudor. Henry Tudor, King of England thus the Tudor Dynasty, descended patrilineally from the rulers of the south Welsh principality of Deheubarth.

Early rule

In 1081 Caradog ap Gruffydd invaded Deheubarth and drove Rhys to seek sanctuary in the St David's Cathedral.

Rhys however made an alliance with Gruffydd ap Cynan who was seeking to regain the throne of the Kingdom of Gwynedd, and at the Battle of Mynydd Carn in the same year they defeated and killed Caradog ap Gruffydd and his allies Trahaearn ap Caradog of Gwynedd and Meilyr ap Rhiwallon.

Norman homage

The same year William the Conqueror visited Deheubarth, ostensibly on a pilgrimage to St David's, but with a major show of power as well, traversing the width of southern Wales, and it seems likely he came to an arrangement with Rhys, whereby Rhys paid him homage and was confirmed in possession of Deheubarth. Rhys paid William £40 a year for his kingdom, ensuring good future relations with William that lasted until the end of his lifetime. Rhys was content with the arrangement as it meant that he only had to deal with the jealousy of his fellow Welsh princes.

Internal conflict

In 1088 Cadwgan ap Bleddyn of Powys attacked Deheubarth and forced Rhys to flee to Ireland. However Rhys returned later the same year with a fleet from Ireland and defeated the men of Powys in a battle in which two of Cadwgan's brothers, Madog and Rhiryd, were killed.

In 1091 he faced another challenge in the form of an attempt to put Gruffydd, the son of Maredudd ab Owain, on the throne of Deheubarth. Rhys was able to defeat the rebels in a battle at St. Dogmaels, killing Gruffydd.

Death

Rhys was unable to withstand the increasing Norman pressure. The Welsh Bruts state that "Rhys ap Tewdwr, king of Deheubarth, was slain by the Frenchmen who were inhabiting Brycheiniog." The Brut y Tywysogion adds and with him fell the kingdom of the Britons. This passage lends evidence to the belief that the conquest of Brycheiniog (Brecon), led by Bernard de Neufmarche, was mostly finished by Eastertide 1093. The battle of Brecon opened the way to the conquest of Deheubarth.

Succession

Rhys's son Gruffydd inherited some of Deheubarth, but Rhys's death led to the Normans taking over much of the kingdom, with Gruffydd being left to rule a much smaller area.

Rhys's daughter Nest was a legendary beauty, the so-called Helen of Wales because her abduction from her husband's castle at Cenarth Bychan started a civil war.

Owain Tudur and James A. Garfield were among those who claimed descent from Rhys ap Tewdwr.

Rhys — Gwladys ferch Rhiwallon. [Group Sheet]

Other Events:

• Name:

Notes:

Roger de Montgomery, Earl of Shrewsbury was the son of Roger de Montgomery, Seigneur de Montgomery. He married Mabel de Bellême, daughter of William Talvas, Signeur d'Alençon, between 1050 and 1054.

He was styled as Earl of Chichester. He was created 1st Earl of Arundel [England] in December 1067, receiving grants including one third of the county of Sussex, including the city of Chichester and the Castle of Arundel. He was created Earl of Shrewsbury [feudal barony] in 1070, receiving grants of nearly the whole of Shropshire.

Roger de Montgomerie (died 1094), also known as Roger the Great de Montgomery, was the first Earl of Shrewsbury. His father was also Roger de Montgomerie, and was a relative, probably a grandnephew, of the Duchess Gunnor, wife of Duke Richard I of Normandy. The elder Roger had large holdings in central Normandy, chiefly in the valley of the Dives, which the younger Roger inherited.

Life

Roger was one of William the Conqueror's principal counsellors. He did not fight in the initial invasion of England in 1066, instead staying behind to help govern Normandy. According to Wace’s Roman de Rou, however, he commanded the Norman right flank at Hastings, returning to Normandy with King William in 1067. Afterwards he was entrusted with land in two places critical for the defense of England, receiving the rape of Arundel at the end of 1067 (or in early 1068), and in November 1071 he was created Earl of Shrewsbury; a few historians believe that while he received the Shropshire territories in 1071 he was not created Earl until a few years later.

Roger was thus one of the half dozen greatest magnates in England during William the Conqueror's reign. William gave Earl Roger nearly all of what is now the county of West Sussex, which at the time of the Domesday Survey was the Rape of Arundel. The Rape of Arundel was eventually split into two rapes, one continuing with the name Rape of Arundel and the other became the Rape of Chichester. Besides the 83 manors, in Sussex, his possessions also included seven-eighths of Shropshire which was associated with the earldom of Shrewsbury, he had estates in Surrey (4 manors), Hampshire (9 manors), Wiltshire (3 manors), Middlesex (8 manors), Gloucestershire (1 manor), Worcestershire (2 manors), Cambridgeshire (8 manors), Warwickshire (11 manors) and Staffordshire (30 manors). The income from Roger’s estates would amount to about £2000 per year, in 1086 the landed wealth for England was around £72,000, so it would have represented almost 3% of the nation’s GDP.

After William I's death in 1087, Roger joined with other rebels to overthrow the newly crowned King William II in the Rebellion of 1088. However, William was able to convince Roger to abandon the rebellion and side with him. This worked out favourably for Roger, as the rebels were beaten and lost their land holdings in England.

Roger first married Mabel de Bellême, who was heiress to a large territory on both sides of the border between Normandy and Maine. The medieval chronicler Orderic Vitalis paints a picture of Mabel of Bellême being a scheming and cruel woman. She was murdered by Hugh Bunel and his brothers, who in December 1077 rode into her castle of Bures-sur-Dive and cut off her head as she lay in bed. Their motive for the murder being that Mabel had deprived them of their paternal inheritance. Roger and Mabel had 10 children:

Robert de Bellême, Count of Alençcon in 1082, he succeeded his younger brother Hugh as 3rd Earl of Shrewsbury. He married Agnes, Countess of Ponthieu and died in 1131.
Hugh of Montgomery, 2nd Earl of Shrewsbury, died without issue 1098.
Roger the Poitevin,Vicomte d'Hiemois, married Adelmode de la Marche.
Philip of Montgomery.
Arnulf of Montgomery, married Lafracota daughter of Muirchertach Ua Briain.
Sibyl of Montgomory, she married Robert Fitzhamon, Lord of Creully.
Emma, abbess of Almenchêches.
Matilda (Maud) of Montgomery, she married Robert, Count of Mortain and died c. 1085.
Mabel of Montgomery, she married Hugh de Châteauneuf.
Roger of Montgomery, died young.

Roger then married Adelaide de Le Puiset, by whom he had one son, Everard, who entered the Church.

After his death, Roger's estates were divided. The eldest surviving son, Robert, received the bulk of the Norman estates (as well as his mother's estates); the next son, Hugh, received the bulk of the English estates and the Earldom of Shrewsbury. After Hugh's death the elder son Robert inherited the earldom.

Roger married Mabel de Bellême Between 1050 and 1054. Mabel (daughter of William, I Talvas and Hildeburg) died 02 Dec 1079; was buried 05 Dec 1079, Troarn, Calvados, Basse-Normandie, France. [Group Sheet]

Notes:

Mabel de Bellême (a.k.a. Mabel Talvas) (d. 1079), Dame de Alençon, de Séez, and Bellême, Countess of Shrewsbury and Lady of Arnudel. She was a member of the House of Bellême.

Life

Mabel was the daughter of William I Talvas and his first wife Hildeburg. She was the heiress of her father’s estates, her half-brother Oliver apparently being excluded. She also inherited the remainder of the Belleme honor in 1070 at the death of her uncle Yves, Bishop of Séez and Lord of Bellême. When their father was exiled by her brother Arnulf in 1048 she accompanied him until both were taken in by the Montgomery family. Between 1050-1054 she married Roger II de Montgomery, later 1st Earl of Shrewsbury. Roger II de Montgomery was already a favorite of Duke William and by being given the marriage to Mabel it increased his fortunes even further.

Her husband Roger had not participated in the Norman conquest of England but had remained behind in Normandy as co-regent along with Queen Matilda. He had also contributed 60 ships to Duke William's invasion force. He joined the king in England in 1067 and was rewarded with the earldom of Shropshire and a number of estates to the point that he was one of the largest landholders in the Domesday Book.

She and her husband Roger transferred the church of Saint-Martin of Séez to Evroul and petitioned her uncle, Yves, Bishop of Séez to build a monastery there on lands from her estates. The consecration was in 1061 at which time Mabel made additional gifts.

Her character

Of all of Orderic’s female subjects Mabel was the most cunning and treacherous; if not entirely for her own misdeeds then as the mother of Robert de Bellême, who had a reputation for savagery as well as cruelty. In one passage Orderic describes her as "small, very talkative, ready enough to do evil, shrewd and jocular, extremely cruel and daring."

In perpetuating her family’s feud with the Giroie family she set her sights on Arnold de Echauffour, she son of William fitz Giroie who her father had mutilated at his wedding celebration. She obtained part of his estates when she and her husband Roger convinced Duke William to confiscate his lands. In 1063 however, Arnold was promised forgiveness by the Duke and was to have his lands restored. To prevent this Mabel plotted to kill Arnold. She attempted to poison Arnold of Echauffour by placing it in a glass of wine but he declined to drink. Her husband's brother, refreshing himself after a long ride, drank the wine and died shortly thereafter. In the end though she bribed Arnold's chamberlain providing him with the necessary poison, this time being successful.

Excepting Theodoric, abbot of the abbey of Saint-Evroul, who she listened to at times, Mabel was hostile to most members of the clergy; but her husband loved the monks at Saint-Evroul so she found it necessary to be more subtle. In an incident in 1064, she deliberately burdened their limited resources by visiting the abbey for extended stays with a large retinue of her soldiers. When rebuked by Theodoric the abbot for her callousness she snapped back that the next time she would visit with an even larger group. The abbot predicted that if she did not repent of her evilness she would suffer great pains and that very evening she did. She left the abbey in great haste as well as in great pain and did not abuse their hospitality again.

Mabel continued her wickedness causing many nobles to lose their lands and become destitute. In 1077 she took the hereditary lands of Hugh Bunel by force. Two years later while resting after a bath, she was murdered in her bed by the same Hugh Bunel Hugh had enlisted the help of his three brothers, gained entry to the castle of Bures on the Dive and struck off her head with his sword. The murderers were pursued but escaped by destroying a bridge behind them. Mabel's murder occurred on 2 December 1079 and she was buried three days later at Troarn.

Epitaph

Her epitaph is notable as an example of monks bowing more to “the partiality of her friends than to her own merits":

Sprung from the noble and the brave,
Here Mabel finds a narrow grave.
But, above all woman’s glory,
Fills a page in famous story.
Commanding, eloquent, and wise,
And prompt to daring enterprise;
Though slight her form, her soul was great,
And, proudly swelling in her state,
Rich dress, and pomp, and retinue,
Lent it their grace and houours due.
The border’s guard, the country’s shield,
Both love and fear her might revealed,
Till Hugh, revengeful, gained her bower,
In dark December’s midnight hour.
Then saw the Dive’s o’erflowing stream
The ruthless murderer’s poignard gleam.
Now friends, some moments kindly spare,
For her soul’s rest to breathe a prayer!

Family

Mabel and her husband, Roger de Montgomery had ten children:

Roger of Montgomery, oldest son, died young.
Robert de Bellême, Count of Alençcon in 1082, he succeeded his younger brother Hugh as 3rd Earl of Shrewsbury. He married Agnes, Countess of Ponthieu and died in 1131.
Hugh of Montgomery, 2nd Earl of Shrewsbury, died without issue 1098.
Roger the Poitevin,Vicomte d'Hiemois, married Adelmode de la Marche.
Philip of Montgomery.
Arnulf of Montgomery, married Lafracota daughter of Muirchertach Ua Briain.
Sibyl of Montgomory, she married Robert Fitzhamon, Lord of Creully.
Emma, abbess of Almenchêches.
Matilda (Maud) of Montgomery, she married Robert, Count of Mortain and died c. 1085.
Mabel of Montgomery, she married Hugh de Châteauneuf.

Notes:

Muircheartach Ua Briain (old spelling: Muirchertach Ua Briain) (c. 1050 - c. 10 March 1119), son of Toirdelbach Ua Briain and great-grandson of Brian Bóruma, was King of Munster and later self declared High King of Ireland.

Background

Muirchertach Ó Briain was a son of Toirdelbach Ua Briain, a previous Dalcassian king of Ireland. In 1086 his father died and the province of Munster from which he had claimed kingship of Ireland had been split between his three sons: Tadc, Muirchertach and Diarmait. Tadc died soon after, and Muirchertach banished Diarmait from Munster, claiming its kingship for himself.

King of Munster

Between 1086 and 1101, Muirchertach consolidated and strengthened his position as province-king of Munster. He went on forays into Mide and Leinster in 1089 and took the kingship of Leinster and fought for the Viking town of Dublin. In 1093, he accepted the submission of Domnall mac Flainn Ua Maíl Shechnaill, the Uí Néill king of Tara, and also made peace with his brother Diarmait at Cashel.

King of Ireland with opposition

In 1094, Muirchertach fought the kings of Leth Cuinn and Gofraid, king of Dublin. He went with his army to Dublin and banished Gofraid, and brought about the killing of Domnall Ua Maíl Shechnaill. He asserted supremacy over the Uí Néill kingdom of Mide.

In 1101 he declared himself High King and travelled the island provinces. It was in this year that he gave the fortress at on the rock of Cashel as a gift to the Church.

Alliance with Arnulf de Montgomery

In an effort to gain military support against Henry I, Arnulf de Montgomery sent his steward, Gerald of Windsor, to Ireland to negotiate terms with Muirchertach. According to a Welsh chronicle (Sean Duffy, p. 45, 1997), Arnulf "though to make peace with the Irish and to obtain help from them. And he sent messengers to Ireland, that is Gerald the Steward (Gerald of Winsor) and many others, to ask for the daughter of King Murtart for his wife. And that he easily obtained; and the messengers came joyfully to their land. And Murtart sent his daughter and many armed ships along with her to his aid. And when the earls had exalted themselves with pride because of those events, they refused to accept any peace from the king."

De Montgomery and his brother Robert, were however defeated by Henry and fled to Ireland. The Montgomery brothers fought under Muirchertach during his campaign with Magnus Barelegs, but when de Montgomery attempted to seize the kingship for himself, Muirchertach "took his daughter away from Arnulf and gave the wanton girl in an unlawful marriage to one of his cousins. He resolved to kill Arnulf himself as a reward for his alliance, but the latter ... fled to his own people and lived for twenty years afterwards with no fixed abode." (Sean Duffy, 1997, p. 46). Despite their checkered relationship, some sources list Lafracoth, the daughter of Muirchertach, as the mother of two daughters by Arnulf, Alice de Montgomery and Marie de Montgomery.

Magnus Barelegs

In 1102, Muirchertach cemented an alliance with Magnus Barefoot, king of Norway by marrying his daughter Blathmin Ua Briain to Magnus's son, Sigurd I Magnusson. Muirchertach now took part in a campaign with Magnus to assert control over Ulster, successfully defeating opposing Irish forces. After a year of campaigning, as his army was readying to depart back to Norway, King Magnus was ambushed and killed by an Irish army in Ulster. With Magnus's death, Muirchertach's daughters marriage was disavowed by the Norwegians, weakening Muirchertachs proclaimed position as High King.

In 1114 the king became sick to the point where "he became a living skeleton". In response to the king's misfortune, his brother Diarmait took control of the kingship of Munster and banished Muirchertach. The following year Muirchertach regained his strength and undertook a campaign to regain control of Munster and successfully captured Diarmait. Only later did the king regain control of Munster.

Final years

In 1119, Muirchertach Ua Briain died.

Assessments

Anthony Condon (1979, p. 398) remarked of Ó Briain:

"Muirchertach Ó Briain was an ambitious, modernizing and outward-looking king whose goal was to make himself king of Ireland as much as William Rufus and Henry I were kings of England; in reality his position was, perhaps, more analogous to that of Philip I in France ... but his actualy [sic] authority in Ireland, especially at the height of his power in the first years of the twelfth century, greatly exceeded that of Phillip in France. ... Ua Briain ... pursued a vigorous foreign policy which was to carry his activities beyond his own shores."

In the latter regard, Condon (1979, p. 415) views "Ua Briain's activities in the Irish Sea area [as] a mixture of old and new, of pragmstisim and idealism ... But they are invested with a modern purpose. Ua Briain makes one marriage with the king of Norway, and another with one of the most powerful non-royal families in Europe; he treats with the king of Scotland; his aid to the Welsh princes acts as a stabilizing influence in Welsh politics; he incurs trade sanctions from the king of England, and negotiates their suspension. Altogether, Muirchertach Ó Briain lifted his head above the domestic power struggle and sought to involve Ireland in the international politics of Europe, so that some sixty years later, these activities were still well remembered, and are reflected in the vitae of St. Flannan of Killaloe."