New aar, playing duchy of Warwick, 1066, latest Beta, also using Devine Shadows mod (which allows female succession).
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THE ORIGINS OF THE HOUSE OF FITZOSBERN
Osbern FitzHerfast was born into one of the leading noble houses of Normandy. His grandfather was called Herbastus. This Herbastus was said to have been ‘of the noblest house of the Danes’ and may have been a son or brother of King Harald Bluetooth of Denmark. Herbastus may have also married Sigrid (Cynthia) the Haughty, queen of Sweden, somewhere in between her marriages to King Erik VI and Sweyn I Forkbeard (son of Harald Bluetooth), and she may be the mother of his children. Either way, Herbastus eventually went with his children (Herfast, Gunnora, Aveline, Sybille, and Sainfrie) to northern France where other Norsemen had settled, to the place called Normandy, and he became the forester of Arques and lord of Crepon. In due time, his daughter Gunnora, who was famed for her beauty, married Richard I Sans Peur, duke of the Normans, and Herbastus died, happy and full of years.
Now Herbastus left a son, who was called Herfast of Crepon. And this Herfast was a mighty noble in Normandy, for his sister was the duke’s wife, and he served at the court of his brother-in-law, Richard I, and perhaps for a short time at the court of his nephew Richard II, before he died.
And Herfast left a son, called Osbern FitzHerfast. It is with this Osbern that our story truly begins. A young boy at the time of his father’s death, he was raised at the ducal court of his cousins Richard II (ruled 996-1026/7). He married Emma, daughter of Raoul, count of Ivry and Bayeux, son of William I Longsword, duke of the Normans (Raoul was thus the half-brother of duke Richard I), and through her Osbern inherited large property in central Normandy, including the honours of Pacy and Breteuil. In 1026/7 duke Richard II died, and Normandy erupted into civil war as Richard’s sons, Richard III and Robert I, fought over the ducal coronet; peace was only restored by Richard III’s death in 1027. Osbern profited from Robert’s ascension, as Robert, called ‘the Magnificent’ or ‘the Devil’, made Osbern his seneschal, a rather lucrative position of trust and great honour. When Robert went on a pilgrimage to Jerusalem, Osbern was made a guardian of the child William, and when Robert died, Osbern effectively ran the duchy on William’s behalf, until he suffered a brutal death at the hands of a rival faction in 1040. It was largely thanks to Osbern’s influence that the duchy passed intact to William, and William, later called ‘Conqueror’ never forgot Osbern’s sacrifice.
Osbern left two sons, William and Osbern, who were both still youths; the younger, Osbern, was entered into the church, and a year after his father’s death (at the age of 13) he went to England, along with Edward the Confessor, and became that King’s chaplain, with the rich church of Bosham in Sussex, and the elder, William, became a close friend and confidante of his duke (William FitzOsbern was about 2 years older than duke William). William FitzOsbern was made seneschal of Normandy, and assisted the other William in defeating baronial revolts, and in the conquest of Maine; he was also instrumental in bringing about William’s marriage to Mathilda of Flanders. In 1066, when King Edward the Confessor died, duke William relied on the information passed on by Osbern, and on the military advice of William FitzOsbern.
After the conquest, William FitzOsbern was first among those to be rewarded. He was given the Welsh marches, with the instruction to prevent Welsh raids into western England, and to impose Norman rule over the turbulent Celtic princes. In England, he was given the earldoms of Hereford, Warwick, and Gloucester, together with considerable parts of Gwent in southern Wales. FitzOsbern at once sent his men to his new lands, and ordered them to start building hill-forts in his lands; these included the famed castles of Striguil, Carisbrooke, Wigmore, and Monmouth.
December 26th, 1066, The White Tower, London
But William remained in London, for his liege still needed him. On Christmas Day, 1066, William, duke of Normandy, was crowned King, and William FitzOsbern was there at his side. The next day, King William and FitzOsbern went to the King’s chamber, where they talked of the conquest, and how they might further subjugate the Saxons and the other peoples of the realm. After a while, talked turned to FitzOsbern’s children.
“Sire, as you know, my son Guillaume was away to France after Hastings, to marry Adelais de Ponthieu, who is the ward of the French King. However, the French will not give her a dowry…”
“And as her closest male kinsman it falls to me to provide her one. Very well, FitzOsbern, what would you have? Remember, this dowry is in addition to Aumale and Ponthieu, which Adelais will inherit upon her mother’s death.”
FitzOsbern hesitated. “Indeed sire. Well…neither I nor my son harbour any desire to obtain Aumale or Ponthieu. Perhaps, my liege, you would consider exchanging Aumale and Ponthieu for lands elsewhere?”
“Aumale and Ponthieu? Very well…what other lands do you desire?”
“Brittany”
“Brittany?! My dear friend…if it were within my power…but you know that I cannot give you what I do not have. And I have not the time to go campaigning in Brittany now, for I must quell the people of this land. And even so, Aumale and Ponthieu for BRITTANY? You cannot be serious. I have been generous to your family…rightly so, for you are loyal and trustworthy vassals…but it does not bode well for a King to have vassals with power comparable to his own, for the time may come when a new brood of FitzOsbern’s are birthed, and these may not be as loyal liegemen as their forefathers.”
“Sire, we do not ask that you conquer Brittany. My son merely asks for your blessing in such a campaign, for men and money the FitzOsbern’s have no lack of. Indeed, we cannot know what will be of our children, or of their children, and how they will honour their oaths of allegiance. Thus, in addition to Aumale and Ponthieu, we also renounce all of our lands in Normandy: Breteuil, Pacy, Crepon, and various other castles and lands in the Contentin. Most importantly,” once again FitzOsbern hesitated, and he only continued when King William prompted him to, “the FitzOsbern house renounce all rights to the ducal coronet.”
A somewhat bemused look spread over king William’s face. “What claim have the FitzOsbern’s on the ducal coronet?”
“My King is the son of duke Robert, the son of the duke Richard, the son of the first duke Richard. But it is well-recorded in the chronicles that this first Richard was the son of the first duke William, by his concubine.”
“So you mean to say that the children of concubines are unfit to inherit?”
“No sire, far from it; but it is known that by all rules of inheritance, they of legitimate birth, have preference.”
“Indeed, but you do not dispute that illegimate issue may inherit in the absence of legitimate heirs?” The King remained conscious of his illegitimate birth, and was quick to protect his rights, even when it was not needed.
“I do not, sire. But the first duke William left a wife, Luitgarda, of the house of Vermandois, and she bore him a son, who was called Raoul, or Rodolf. But the child was not yet a year old when his father died, and thus it came to pass that Richard, the first of that name, became duke, whilst still a child of ten; for the nobles preferred the elder of the children, as opposed to the legitimate.”
“And what of this Rodolf?”
“This Rodolf became count of Ivry and Bayeux, and took for himself a wife, of the name Albreda, and by her had several children, including a daughter, by the name of Emma, who in the due course of time married my father, and bore me.”
“A worthy claim indeed, my friend! Yet is it worth all of Brittany?”
“Yes, indeed it is. For then it can never be said, not even by the foulest of the FitzOsbern brood, that we have been robbed of our rightful inheritance, for Brittany is a most worthy exchange for Normandy. And in addition to this, Aumale and Ponthieu also, and my castles of Breteuil and Pacy.”
“Ah, my friend! I have no need of Breteuil and Pacy. Or indeed of Aumale and Ponthieu. I give you and Guillaume my blessing, but I will not give you my men!”
Osbern FitzHerfast was born into one of the leading noble houses of Normandy. His grandfather was called Herbastus. This Herbastus was said to have been ‘of the noblest house of the Danes’ and may have been a son or brother of King Harald Bluetooth of Denmark. Herbastus may have also married Sigrid (Cynthia) the Haughty, queen of Sweden, somewhere in between her marriages to King Erik VI and Sweyn I Forkbeard (son of Harald Bluetooth), and she may be the mother of his children. Either way, Herbastus eventually went with his children (Herfast, Gunnora, Aveline, Sybille, and Sainfrie) to northern France where other Norsemen had settled, to the place called Normandy, and he became the forester of Arques and lord of Crepon. In due time, his daughter Gunnora, who was famed for her beauty, married Richard I Sans Peur, duke of the Normans, and Herbastus died, happy and full of years.
Now Herbastus left a son, who was called Herfast of Crepon. And this Herfast was a mighty noble in Normandy, for his sister was the duke’s wife, and he served at the court of his brother-in-law, Richard I, and perhaps for a short time at the court of his nephew Richard II, before he died.
And Herfast left a son, called Osbern FitzHerfast. It is with this Osbern that our story truly begins. A young boy at the time of his father’s death, he was raised at the ducal court of his cousins Richard II (ruled 996-1026/7). He married Emma, daughter of Raoul, count of Ivry and Bayeux, son of William I Longsword, duke of the Normans (Raoul was thus the half-brother of duke Richard I), and through her Osbern inherited large property in central Normandy, including the honours of Pacy and Breteuil. In 1026/7 duke Richard II died, and Normandy erupted into civil war as Richard’s sons, Richard III and Robert I, fought over the ducal coronet; peace was only restored by Richard III’s death in 1027. Osbern profited from Robert’s ascension, as Robert, called ‘the Magnificent’ or ‘the Devil’, made Osbern his seneschal, a rather lucrative position of trust and great honour. When Robert went on a pilgrimage to Jerusalem, Osbern was made a guardian of the child William, and when Robert died, Osbern effectively ran the duchy on William’s behalf, until he suffered a brutal death at the hands of a rival faction in 1040. It was largely thanks to Osbern’s influence that the duchy passed intact to William, and William, later called ‘Conqueror’ never forgot Osbern’s sacrifice.
Osbern left two sons, William and Osbern, who were both still youths; the younger, Osbern, was entered into the church, and a year after his father’s death (at the age of 13) he went to England, along with Edward the Confessor, and became that King’s chaplain, with the rich church of Bosham in Sussex, and the elder, William, became a close friend and confidante of his duke (William FitzOsbern was about 2 years older than duke William). William FitzOsbern was made seneschal of Normandy, and assisted the other William in defeating baronial revolts, and in the conquest of Maine; he was also instrumental in bringing about William’s marriage to Mathilda of Flanders. In 1066, when King Edward the Confessor died, duke William relied on the information passed on by Osbern, and on the military advice of William FitzOsbern.
After the conquest, William FitzOsbern was first among those to be rewarded. He was given the Welsh marches, with the instruction to prevent Welsh raids into western England, and to impose Norman rule over the turbulent Celtic princes. In England, he was given the earldoms of Hereford, Warwick, and Gloucester, together with considerable parts of Gwent in southern Wales. FitzOsbern at once sent his men to his new lands, and ordered them to start building hill-forts in his lands; these included the famed castles of Striguil, Carisbrooke, Wigmore, and Monmouth.
December 26th, 1066, The White Tower, London
But William remained in London, for his liege still needed him. On Christmas Day, 1066, William, duke of Normandy, was crowned King, and William FitzOsbern was there at his side. The next day, King William and FitzOsbern went to the King’s chamber, where they talked of the conquest, and how they might further subjugate the Saxons and the other peoples of the realm. After a while, talked turned to FitzOsbern’s children.
“Sire, as you know, my son Guillaume was away to France after Hastings, to marry Adelais de Ponthieu, who is the ward of the French King. However, the French will not give her a dowry…”
“And as her closest male kinsman it falls to me to provide her one. Very well, FitzOsbern, what would you have? Remember, this dowry is in addition to Aumale and Ponthieu, which Adelais will inherit upon her mother’s death.”
FitzOsbern hesitated. “Indeed sire. Well…neither I nor my son harbour any desire to obtain Aumale or Ponthieu. Perhaps, my liege, you would consider exchanging Aumale and Ponthieu for lands elsewhere?”
“Aumale and Ponthieu? Very well…what other lands do you desire?”
“Brittany”
“Brittany?! My dear friend…if it were within my power…but you know that I cannot give you what I do not have. And I have not the time to go campaigning in Brittany now, for I must quell the people of this land. And even so, Aumale and Ponthieu for BRITTANY? You cannot be serious. I have been generous to your family…rightly so, for you are loyal and trustworthy vassals…but it does not bode well for a King to have vassals with power comparable to his own, for the time may come when a new brood of FitzOsbern’s are birthed, and these may not be as loyal liegemen as their forefathers.”
“Sire, we do not ask that you conquer Brittany. My son merely asks for your blessing in such a campaign, for men and money the FitzOsbern’s have no lack of. Indeed, we cannot know what will be of our children, or of their children, and how they will honour their oaths of allegiance. Thus, in addition to Aumale and Ponthieu, we also renounce all of our lands in Normandy: Breteuil, Pacy, Crepon, and various other castles and lands in the Contentin. Most importantly,” once again FitzOsbern hesitated, and he only continued when King William prompted him to, “the FitzOsbern house renounce all rights to the ducal coronet.”
A somewhat bemused look spread over king William’s face. “What claim have the FitzOsbern’s on the ducal coronet?”
“My King is the son of duke Robert, the son of the duke Richard, the son of the first duke Richard. But it is well-recorded in the chronicles that this first Richard was the son of the first duke William, by his concubine.”
“So you mean to say that the children of concubines are unfit to inherit?”
“No sire, far from it; but it is known that by all rules of inheritance, they of legitimate birth, have preference.”
“Indeed, but you do not dispute that illegimate issue may inherit in the absence of legitimate heirs?” The King remained conscious of his illegitimate birth, and was quick to protect his rights, even when it was not needed.
“I do not, sire. But the first duke William left a wife, Luitgarda, of the house of Vermandois, and she bore him a son, who was called Raoul, or Rodolf. But the child was not yet a year old when his father died, and thus it came to pass that Richard, the first of that name, became duke, whilst still a child of ten; for the nobles preferred the elder of the children, as opposed to the legitimate.”
“And what of this Rodolf?”
“This Rodolf became count of Ivry and Bayeux, and took for himself a wife, of the name Albreda, and by her had several children, including a daughter, by the name of Emma, who in the due course of time married my father, and bore me.”
“A worthy claim indeed, my friend! Yet is it worth all of Brittany?”
“Yes, indeed it is. For then it can never be said, not even by the foulest of the FitzOsbern brood, that we have been robbed of our rightful inheritance, for Brittany is a most worthy exchange for Normandy. And in addition to this, Aumale and Ponthieu also, and my castles of Breteuil and Pacy.”
“Ah, my friend! I have no need of Breteuil and Pacy. Or indeed of Aumale and Ponthieu. I give you and Guillaume my blessing, but I will not give you my men!”
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Very nice start! That conversation with the king was cool. 
Nice backround description too.
Nice backround description too.
Now William FitzOsbern had taken a wife, by the name of Adeliza de Toeny, and thus the interests and ambitions of the FitzOsberns were entwined with those of the Toeny house.
The fortunes of the Toesni family began with Hugh (a second cousin of duke William I Longsword), who became Archbishop of Rouen. A rather unholy priest, Hugh granted several church lands to his brother Ralph, including the village of Toesni (or Toeny). Ralph’s son, Ralph II, obtained the custody of the castles of Tillieres and Conches, and became hereditary standard bearer of Normandy. These castles, together with Toesni, passed to Ralph’s son, Roger, the one called “Hispanicus”. He distinguished himself fighting against the Moors in the Spanish Marches, and took for himself as wife Godechilde, also called Adelaida, daughter of Ramon Borrell I of Barcelona.
When Hispanicus returned to Normandy, he was furious to learn that his duke had gone to the Holy Land, and died there, leaving a young, bastard child as his heir. Hispanicus was one of the first to dispute William the Bastard’s succession, and along with his two sons Halbert and Elinance (Helinand) was slain in a conflict with Roger de Beaumont, circa 1038. The Toesni were temporarily out of favour, but the lady Godechilde de Barcelona soon married Richard, comte d’Evreux, and bore him a son, Guillaume, and two daughters, Agnes and Godechilde. The eldest son of Hispanicus and Godechilde, Ralph (also called Raoul, or Ranulph) was banished for some time from the country, but he allied himself with Hugh de Granesmil and Ernald de Echaffour, and burnt down the town of St. Evroul. However, when King Edward the Confessor died in 1066, Ralph III de Toesni was called up, and his lands restored to him, so that he might take up his place as gonfanonier (standard bearer) of Normandy. After the conquest, Ralph was given thirty-seven lordships (nineteen of them in Norfolk), including the castle of Clifford, and Flamstead (his seat) in Hertfordshire; his brother Robert was also amply rewarded, receiving the castle of Stafford and other honours. Robert married a certain Avice de Clare, and had a son by her, Nicholas, whom FitzOsbern made his seneschal.
We do not know when William FitzOsbern married Adeliza de Toesni. Adeliza was likely born in Normandy, after 1026, likely circa 1030. Previous to the conquest, she bore FitzOsbern four children: two daughters, Emma (circa 1050) and Isabelle (circa 1052), and two sons, Guillaume and Roger. Guillaume was the elder of the sons, and probably of the eldest of the children, being born sometime before 1048 (assuming Roger was born circa 1049/8). Thus we can safely ascertain that FitzOsbern and Adeliza must have been married circa 1045, when he was 29, and she 15. The marriage was more likely an alliance between FitzOsbern and Adeliza’s powerful stepfather, Richard, comte d’Evreux, than between FitzOsbern and Adeliza’s [at that time exiled] full-siblings.
William’s eldest daughter, Emma, married Ralph de Gael (some 10 years her senior), whose father, of the same name, was made Earl of Norfolk and Suffolk in 1066. Emma stayed at the King’s court in London, and became a firm favourite of Queen Mathilda, and a companion of the royal princesses. Her sister Isabelle married her kinsman Asclettin d’Ivry, son of Robert, FitzOsbern’s maternal uncle; Asclettin was a loyal knight, and FitzOsbern gave him the lordship of Wigmore, and made him marshal over his men.
William’s eldest son, Guillaume, was a man much in the likeness of his father, and was much beloved by King William, who recognised his honesty and wisdom. Guillaume had gained himself a reputation amongst the Normans as a just and zealous young man, and (much like his father) had become a knowledged tactician, with great knowledge of all matters military. On the other hand, William’s second son Roger had inherited the less desirable traits of his Toesni ancestors, being renowned for his deceitfulness and recklessness, possessing a lack of wisdom and character which appeared even more extreme when compared to his benevolent elder brother. Roger thought himself a military expert, yet in fact he was well-known as a misguided warrior, who knew little of how to control his men.
In early 1067, Guillaume and Roger returned from France, along with their two wives. Guillaume had married Adelais de Ponthieu, niece of the Conqueror, and heiress of the comtés d’Aumale et Ponthieu (which included the towns of Abbeville and Montreuil). Roger married Adéle, daughter of Eudes (comté de Vermandois) and Adela, heiress of Raoul de Valois (comté du Vexin et d’Amiens). As her brother Eudes was a raving lunatic, Roger stood to inherit a vast fief in northern France, by right of his wife.
In late 1067 FitzOsbern was in Normandy, at his castle of Breteuil. With him was his wife, and his two sons, Guillaume (now Earl of Gloucester) and Roger (now Earl of Warwick). He spent Christmas with his wife’s stepbrother Guillaume, comte d’Evreux, and leased from him the comté de Merey (or Madrie), which was to remain FitzOsbern’s for the duration of his life. When FitzOsbern returned to England, he left his capable son Guillaume behind in Normandy, to govern his comtés de Merey and the lordships of Breteuil, Crepon, and Pacy.
That summer, after his arrival in England, FitzOsbern fell ill, and had to stay in the capital for some time, before he was well enough to continue to Hereford.
On June 28th, 1068, Asclettin d’Ivry, FitzOsbern’s son-in-law and cousin, died. He left the lordships of Ivry and Fervacques in Normandy, together with Wigmore in England, to his young widow, Isabelle, but FitzOsbern at once pressed his own claims to the lands, and the girl Isabelle had to be content with living at her father’s court, wholly dependent upon him for her income.
In 1069 King William went to war against the Scots, who at once called upon King Olaf of Norway (whose father Harald had died trying to conquer England in 1066). It seems FitzOsbern was in Normandy again this time, at the court of the King’s son Robert, nominal duke there. In June his wife Adeliza died in labour, and she was buried near the family seat of Conches.
In July FitzOsbern went south to Poitiers, and met with Guillaume, duke of Aquitaine. The two men talked at length, for both were famed warriors, and became great friends. It was soon talked to seal the friendship with a marriage, and thereby form a lasting alliance between the two houses. Guillaume’s only daughter had since been married off; neither did he have any other female relatives for William to marry. However, Guillaume’s wife Matheode had brought to the court her two younger half-sisters, the elder of which was called Agnes, and was then about sixteen years old. This Agnes was the daughter of Ramon Berenguer I, count of Barcelona, and half-sister of Hugues, comte de Lusignan, and Guillaume, duke of Toulouse. Agnes was of an old and established dynasty, whilst the FitzOsberns were of fairly dubious origin, and with a sphere of influence limited to England and Normandy. The two were duly married, at the cathedral of St Genevieve in Poitiers, before returning to Normandy.
In January 1070 William’s daughter Isabelle was married to Robert, duke of Normandy. The union had probably been arranged the previous year, as Robert had grown increasingly weary of his father’s intentions (it was widely believed William wished to divide England and Normandy) and therefore he sought to ally himself with his father’s most powerful vassal.
In May 1070 Agnes of Barcelona bore a son, who was given the name Ramon (Raymond) in honour of her father; a year later she bore a daughter, who was named Elise.
In February 1072 King William had just made peace with the Scots, who had given him Fife, when the Norsemen landed in the south, and captured the city of London and much of southern England. King William soon returned, and waged war on the Norsemen; only when King Olaf was captured and killed, that the Norsemen accepted a white peace and fled back to their homeland, where they were forced to make Olaf’s daughter, Gudrun, their Queen.
In March 1072 FitzOsbern was visited by his daughter Emma, who had long been at the King’s court. Her husband had since succeeded his father as Earl of Norfolk and Suffolk, but the two had since been separated after he had contracted a ‘Danish’ marriage with a Saxon nobelwoman. Her patron, Queen Mathilda, duly bestowed several lands upon Emma, so that she might live out her days as she pleased, as the countess of Devon. Thereafter there existed nothing but enmity between the houses of Gael and FitzOsbern.
Around this time, according to local legend, FitzOsbern was healed by a famed Welsh miracle worked by the name of Nesta. We have no way of knowing whether this is true, but we do know that by late 1072 FitzOsbern was recovered from the illness he had contracted in mid-1068.
In July 1073 King William died, and FitzOsbern took over as regent of the kingdom, until such a time that the channel winds became favourable, and Robert of Normandy was able to cross over and be crowned. The new king had no wish to rule his lands, merely to enjoy life, and thus FitzOsbern took over as the virtual ruler of the kingdom. With King Robert’s consent, he elevated himself to the rank of duke (he had hitherto been the Count-Palatine), and also his ally Guillaume d’Evreux, who was made duke of Normandy south of the Seine (King Robert retained for himself Arques, Caen, and Rouen, and all the lands in between, and the comte d’Eu remained stubbornly loyal to Robert, and Robert only). Furthermore, his brother-in-law Ralph de Toeny was made earl of Bristol and Exeter, and then duke of Gloucester, within a few months of Robert’s ascension.
In January 1076 FitzOsbern sired a son, Asclettin, from his Saxon concubine, Aelgifu of Warwick. She was the niece of Alfred, whom FitzOsbern had made lay abbot of St James, and perhaps the sister of his other niece, who married a certain Gruffydd, constable of Carisbrooke. Aelgifu was likely of a noble Saxon house, and was likely a woman of some property. She was married three times: first to Etienne de Breteuil, circa 1077, then to a certain Mauger, circa 1080, and lastly, to Edward de Carisbrooke, or ap Gruffydd (son of her sister/cousin and Gruffydd, constable of Carisbroooke), circa 1082. This Edward was made sheriff of Herefordshire, and Gwent, and was given the castle of Carisbrooke as his own fief. He left no sons, however, and his daughters became the ward of the FitzOsberns.
In July, 1076, King Robert called William, and asked for his help in the coming war.
“Father, I have decided to go to war,” said the King, who had only ever respected or admired FitzOsbern, treating all others as below and unworthy of him.
“Indeed? May I be as audacious as to inquire as to where?”
Robert laughed. “We are away to Hungary!”
William’s jaw dropped. “Hungary?”
“Yes, Hungary. They are weak and…conquerable. If my father could conquer a kingdom, so can I,” affirmed Robert.
Except you’re not half the man your father was, thought FitzOsbern. “My son, I have no doubt that you could conquer any kingdom you set your sight upon. But Hungary? Perhaps Wales or Ireland would provide better battle grounds for us?”
“Wales…meh. Ireland? Hah! Why would I waste my men on that hellhole of Christendom. No, Hungary is the way to go…I am decided. Do I have your support?”
“Sire, you always have my support. But at this time I cannot give you any troops, for I am busy fighting the Britons in Wales. Every summer they come raiding, and even after we fight them off, they come back, with Scots and Celts. As much as I can see the rich pickings for the FitzOsberns in…” he struggled to continue the sentence, “Hungary, we certainly could not afford to let the Celts and Britons have a free rein in our realm.”
Neither of the men were pleased, but Robert at least felt happy enough to sail off and march across Europe to conquer Slovakia and Hungary. And FitzOsbern was happy to be handed the regency, with the title Justiciar. In this capacity, he forfeited the titles and lands of the powerful Mabel Talvas, accusing her and her kin of high treason, and bestowed them upon himself: the comtés d’Alençon, Sées and d’Exemes (le Hiémois) in Normandy, and the lordships of Belême and Montgomery. He also seized the lands of her son-in-law, Robert FitzHamon, the lordships of Corbeil, Creuilly, and Thorigny, in Normandy. FitzOsbern did not take any of the Belême-Montgomery lands in England, distributing them amongst the leading nobles, and keeping some in the crown (thus securing the agreement of King Robert upon his return). As most of the Norman lords were away fighting in Hungary, noone noticed that William had somewhat abused his position to enrich himself and strike down his enemies.
In January 1079 FitzOsbern’s mistress Aelgifu, Lady Carisbrooke, presented him with a second bastard son, who was named Robert. The following month, Agnes of Barcelona bore her third child by FitzOsbern, a son, who was named Joscelin. In July 1082 she bore another child, who was named Walter.
In 1082 King Robert returned from Hungary, having conquered very little. The English lords and Norman barons chaffed under his rule, and so it was within a few months that he and his men set sail to join the Crusade, to liberate Jerusalem. King Robert was pleased to learn of William’s actions, and once more William FitzOsbern was left as Justiciar and Regent of England and Normandy. (Mabel Talvas had since died, and her husband Roger had kidnapped and married the King’s formidable sister Adele, through whose intervention he was pardoned, and made earl of Dorset, and later duke of Hampshire).
In March 1083 the Catharic Asclettin, earl of Somerset, refused to do homage to the Archbishop of Canterbury, his liege. FitzOsbern duly offered him his protection.
In June 1083 FitzOsbern was presented by a third child by his mistress Aelgifu, a third son, who was named Godfrey. Two months later, in August, his wife Agnes bore her fifth child, Clemenza.
In September Asclettin of Somerset refused to pay homage to FitzOsbern, and so William waged war on him. By November William had laid waste to Somerset, and forced Asclettin into exile. Somerset was awarded to the FitzOsbern house, by Norman law.
In February 1084 FitzOsbern was given a fourth bastard child, Philip. His mother, called Marie, was the daughter of a Breton knight, who had settled in the area after 1066, and cannot have been more than eighteen years old. She married a young noble, Fulbert of Bosham, constable of Striguil, who had been raised by FitzOsbern’s brother Osbern, but Fulbert was trampled by his horse, and young Marie disappears from records. However, she may be the Marie de Bretagne who married Gerald, who succeeded Fulbert as constable of Striguil, and bore him two daughters, one of whom became Abbess of Barking. FitzOsbern had by no means renounced his Saxon concubine Aelgifu, and soon after added to his fledgling harem a certain Matilda of Gloucester, who was said to be “the exact likeness of the illustrious lady Godiva”, even though there was none in England at the time who had ever seen the lady Godiva. Matilda was the sister of Ranulph, whom FitzOsbern made Bishop of Gloucester, and of Adelise, who married Aubrey, constable of the castle of Monmouth.
In 1084 FitzOsbern was at the marriage of his granddaughter Eva de Gael, and Edmund, son of King William the Conqueror. He was greatly pleased with this union, as it once more connected the FitzOsbern house with the royal bloodline.
On October 5th, 1084, FitzOsbern’s brother-in-law Robert de Toeny died, and his lands passed to his son Nicholas, seneschal of the palatinate of Warwick. That same year Robert’s brother Ralph, duke of Gloucester, died, and was succeeded by his son Silvester. This lead to much confusion over the inheritance to the Toesni lands in Normandy. Ralph III, upon being made duke, had given the castle of Tillieres to his brother Berengar, and that of Toesni to his brother Robert. Conches had been long ago been leased to the Bishop Odo, who had in turn mortgaged it to Roger de Montgomery. When the Montgomery lands were forfeited in 1076, Conches had returned to Odo, who had then sold them to his sister-in-law Matilda, countess of Cornwall (a daughter of Mabel Talvas and Roger de Montgomery). When King Robert went on crusade, the countess was forced to sell Conches to help finance the crusade, to FitzOsbern’s son Guillaume, who gave the castle over to his uncle Robert de Toesni. Now Berengar de Toesni, lord of Tillieres, had died childless back in 1075, and left Tillieres to his brother Robert, lord also of Toesni and Conches. Silvester claimed these fiefs, as did his cousin Nicholas, lord of Stafford; but when FitzOsbern intervened Silvester knew his case was lost, and the lands were awarded to Nicholas.
In January 1085 FitzOsbern was forced to join the crusade by his liege, but he procrastinated and did not actually go, for the time being.
In September 1086 FitzOsbern’s son Ramon married Clara, countess of La Marche, and daughter of Constancia de Polignac, wife of King Sancho of Aragon. Thus Ramon obtained the comté de la Marche, and the vicomté de Polignac.
In November 1086 FitzOsbern met with his daughter-in-law Adéle, comtesse de Vermandois, Amiens, et du Vexin, dame de Peronne et St Quentin, and she did homage to him for her lands, renouncing her former oath of allegiance to Etienne, duke of Champagne.
In September 1087 FitzOsbern’s daughter Elise married Nicholas de Toesny, lord of Conches, Tillieres, Toesni, and Stafford. FitzOsbern wished to reward the loyal Nicholas, who had served him for many years as his seneschal.
In 1082 King Robert returned from Hungary, having conquered very little. The English lords and Norman barons chaffed under his rule, and so it was within a few months that he and his men set sail to join the Crusade, to liberate Jerusalem. King Robert was pleased to learn of William’s actions, and once more William FitzOsbern was left as Justiciar and Regent of England and Normandy. (Mabel Talvas had since died, and her husband Roger had kidnapped and married the King’s formidable sister Adele, through whose intervention he was pardoned, and made earl of Dorset, and later duke of Hampshire).
In March 1083 the Catharic Asclettin, earl of Somerset, refused to do homage to the Archbishop of Canterbury, his liege. FitzOsbern duly offered him his protection.
In June 1083 FitzOsbern was presented by a third child by his mistress Aelgifu, a third son, who was named Godfrey. Two months later, in August, his wife Agnes bore her fifth child, Clemenza.
In September Asclettin of Somerset refused to pay homage to FitzOsbern, and so William waged war on him. By November William had laid waste to Somerset, and forced Asclettin into exile. Somerset was awarded to the FitzOsbern house, by Norman law.
In February 1084 FitzOsbern was given a fourth bastard child, Philip. His mother, called Marie, was the daughter of a Breton knight, who had settled in the area after 1066, and cannot have been more than eighteen years old. She married a young noble, Fulbert of Bosham, constable of Striguil, who had been raised by FitzOsbern’s brother Osbern, but Fulbert was trampled by his horse, and young Marie disappears from records. However, she may be the Marie de Bretagne who married Gerald, who succeeded Fulbert as constable of Striguil, and bore him two daughters, one of whom became Abbess of Barking. FitzOsbern had by no means renounced his Saxon concubine Aelgifu, and soon after added to his fledgling harem a certain Matilda of Gloucester, who was said to be “the exact likeness of the illustrious lady Godiva”, even though there was none in England at the time who had ever seen the lady Godiva. Matilda was the sister of Ranulph, whom FitzOsbern made Bishop of Gloucester, and of Adelise, who married Aubrey, constable of the castle of Monmouth.
In 1084 FitzOsbern was at the marriage of his granddaughter Eva de Gael, and Edmund, son of King William the Conqueror. He was greatly pleased with this union, as it once more connected the FitzOsbern house with the royal bloodline.
On October 5th, 1084, FitzOsbern’s brother-in-law Robert de Toeny died, and his lands passed to his son Nicholas, seneschal of the palatinate of Warwick. That same year Robert’s brother Ralph, duke of Gloucester, died, and was succeeded by his son Silvester. This lead to much confusion over the inheritance to the Toesni lands in Normandy. Ralph III, upon being made duke, had given the castle of Tillieres to his brother Berengar, and that of Toesni to his brother Robert. Conches had been long ago been leased to the Bishop Odo, who had in turn mortgaged it to Roger de Montgomery. When the Montgomery lands were forfeited in 1076, Conches had returned to Odo, who had then sold them to his sister-in-law Matilda, countess of Cornwall (a daughter of Mabel Talvas and Roger de Montgomery). When King Robert went on crusade, the countess was forced to sell Conches to help finance the crusade, to FitzOsbern’s son Guillaume, who gave the castle over to his uncle Robert de Toesni. Now Berengar de Toesni, lord of Tillieres, had died childless back in 1075, and left Tillieres to his brother Robert, lord also of Toesni and Conches. Silvester claimed these fiefs, as did his cousin Nicholas, lord of Stafford; but when FitzOsbern intervened Silvester knew his case was lost, and the lands were awarded to Nicholas.
In January 1085 FitzOsbern was forced to join the crusade by his liege, but he procrastinated and did not actually go, for the time being.
In September 1086 FitzOsbern’s son Ramon married Clara, countess of La Marche, and daughter of Constancia de Polignac, wife of King Sancho of Aragon. Thus Ramon obtained the comté de la Marche, and the vicomté de Polignac.
In November 1086 FitzOsbern met with his daughter-in-law Adéle, comtesse de Vermandois, Amiens, et du Vexin, dame de Peronne et St Quentin, and she did homage to him for her lands, renouncing her former oath of allegiance to Etienne, duke of Champagne.
In September 1087 FitzOsbern’s daughter Elise married Nicholas de Toesny, lord of Conches, Tillieres, Toesni, and Stafford. FitzOsbern wished to reward the loyal Nicholas, who had served him for many years as his seneschal.
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Jackbob, Alhazen, and Sleepyirv Thanks!
Hope to play the rest of FitzOsbern's life today, next update will depend on how soon he dies (he's already in his 60s...) and how interesting the game gets...
Hope to play the rest of FitzOsbern's life today, next update will depend on how soon he dies (he's already in his 60s...) and how interesting the game gets...
In December 1088 William FitzOsbern decided to put an end to welsh raids into his lands, and impose Norman rule over the rest of southern Wales (he had already seized Gwent in 1066). In a quick campaign, he defeated King Maredudd of Deheubarth, and exiled him. Dyfed and Glamorgan were added to his lands, and FitzOsbern had himself crowned ‘king’ (although in all Norman records he is called ‘dux Brettonorum’ – duke of the Britons (Welsh), not ‘rex brettonorum’). FitzOsbern had long ago secured the friendship of the kingdom of Gwynedd (who feared Norman intervention in their own kingdom), and had nothing to fear from them.
In July 1090 FitzOsbern’s eldest son and heir Guillaume died whilst in Normandy, aged 45. FitzOsbern was not with him, and had not seen him for several years. FitzOsbern missed his son dearly, and despised his second son, Roger, even more. The earldom of Gloucester, which Guillaume had held, passed to his son Guy, who in 1091 inherited the counties of Aumale and Ponthieu from his grandmother Adelaide (sister of King William the Conqueror).
In August 1091, when FitzOsbern was still mourning his son’s death, news came that King Robert had rallied an army and was marching west against his own father-in-law. With him was Bohemond, duke of Norfolk (FitzOsbern’s grandson), and various other lords who sought to crush the power of FitzOsbern and hand out his lands amongst themselves. FitzOsbern, at the age of 65, rallied his men and went to Gloucester, and at once sent word to King Philippe of France, asking him for help. Over the next few months, FitzOsbern took Bedford, and marched on London, only to be forced back east, and flee to Wales. King Philippe duly landed in Pevensey, whilst his ally, the King of Scots, marched south through Northumbria. It was in the midst of all this that William FitzOsbern died, on December 12th, 1092, aged sixty-six years old, at Pembroke Castle in south-westernmost Wales.
William FitzOsbern was the archetypal Norman nobleman of his time. He fathered thirteen children, and married his three eldest sons to rich heiresses. He ruthlessly expanded his lands, by conquest, purchase, and inheritance, and unscrupulously advanced himself and his house. Unlike most men of his time, he was literate, and spoke Norman-French, Latin, and Anglo-Saxon. He built several schools throughout his lands, for the education of the children of the Welsh and Saxons. These schools produced many noted scholars and clergymen. He formulated many laws (most of them based on earlier ones from Normandy) and used only Latin for government (although in a very vulgar form, which came to be known as “Osbernian Latin”).
As was expected of a true Norman baron, he was an efficient and capable administrator. He divided the lands assigned to him, the Welsh marches, into Herefordshire, Worcestershire, Gloucestershire, and Warwickshire. In addition, he also held the Isle of Wight, and the former kingdom of Gwent in Wales. Over each of these FitzOsbern appointed a loyal and capable sheriff; most of these were knights who had proven themselves in his service. FitzOsbern also built many castles, such as Monmouth and Striguil in Gwent, Carisbrooke on the Isle of Wight, Wigmore, Clifford, Weobley, Hereford, and Kilpeck in Herefordshire, and Warwick and Kenilworth in Warwickshire. Some of the castles were kept by FitzOsbern, and were governed by a constable (one of whom was also sheriff of the county); others became the seats of lordships held by local lords and barons.
The first sheriff of whom there is record was a certain Haribert of Maine, who fought at Hastings, and in Wales. He became sheriff of Gloucestershire, and married the daughter of a Saxon thegn (whose lands he was also given). His eldest son, Fulk, succeeded him, whilst his second son Eudes became sheriff of Somerset. After Fulk’s death, his children were disinherited, and Eudes united the two shrievalties. Eudes, who was a close friend of William FitzOsbern, married Eremberga, daughter of Richard de l’Esturmi, and inherited his lands, which passed intact to his eldest son William. William d’Esturmi did not enjoy the favor of his FitzOsbern overlord, and when he died prematurely, his children were deprived of their inheritance. Thus, the FitzOsberns retained overall control over their duchy, and the sheriffs and constables remained dependent on their favour.
In July 1090 FitzOsbern’s eldest son and heir Guillaume died whilst in Normandy, aged 45. FitzOsbern was not with him, and had not seen him for several years. FitzOsbern missed his son dearly, and despised his second son, Roger, even more. The earldom of Gloucester, which Guillaume had held, passed to his son Guy, who in 1091 inherited the counties of Aumale and Ponthieu from his grandmother Adelaide (sister of King William the Conqueror).
In August 1091, when FitzOsbern was still mourning his son’s death, news came that King Robert had rallied an army and was marching west against his own father-in-law. With him was Bohemond, duke of Norfolk (FitzOsbern’s grandson), and various other lords who sought to crush the power of FitzOsbern and hand out his lands amongst themselves. FitzOsbern, at the age of 65, rallied his men and went to Gloucester, and at once sent word to King Philippe of France, asking him for help. Over the next few months, FitzOsbern took Bedford, and marched on London, only to be forced back east, and flee to Wales. King Philippe duly landed in Pevensey, whilst his ally, the King of Scots, marched south through Northumbria. It was in the midst of all this that William FitzOsbern died, on December 12th, 1092, aged sixty-six years old, at Pembroke Castle in south-westernmost Wales.
William FitzOsbern was the archetypal Norman nobleman of his time. He fathered thirteen children, and married his three eldest sons to rich heiresses. He ruthlessly expanded his lands, by conquest, purchase, and inheritance, and unscrupulously advanced himself and his house. Unlike most men of his time, he was literate, and spoke Norman-French, Latin, and Anglo-Saxon. He built several schools throughout his lands, for the education of the children of the Welsh and Saxons. These schools produced many noted scholars and clergymen. He formulated many laws (most of them based on earlier ones from Normandy) and used only Latin for government (although in a very vulgar form, which came to be known as “Osbernian Latin”).
As was expected of a true Norman baron, he was an efficient and capable administrator. He divided the lands assigned to him, the Welsh marches, into Herefordshire, Worcestershire, Gloucestershire, and Warwickshire. In addition, he also held the Isle of Wight, and the former kingdom of Gwent in Wales. Over each of these FitzOsbern appointed a loyal and capable sheriff; most of these were knights who had proven themselves in his service. FitzOsbern also built many castles, such as Monmouth and Striguil in Gwent, Carisbrooke on the Isle of Wight, Wigmore, Clifford, Weobley, Hereford, and Kilpeck in Herefordshire, and Warwick and Kenilworth in Warwickshire. Some of the castles were kept by FitzOsbern, and were governed by a constable (one of whom was also sheriff of the county); others became the seats of lordships held by local lords and barons.
The first sheriff of whom there is record was a certain Haribert of Maine, who fought at Hastings, and in Wales. He became sheriff of Gloucestershire, and married the daughter of a Saxon thegn (whose lands he was also given). His eldest son, Fulk, succeeded him, whilst his second son Eudes became sheriff of Somerset. After Fulk’s death, his children were disinherited, and Eudes united the two shrievalties. Eudes, who was a close friend of William FitzOsbern, married Eremberga, daughter of Richard de l’Esturmi, and inherited his lands, which passed intact to his eldest son William. William d’Esturmi did not enjoy the favor of his FitzOsbern overlord, and when he died prematurely, his children were deprived of their inheritance. Thus, the FitzOsberns retained overall control over their duchy, and the sheriffs and constables remained dependent on their favour.
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The FitzOsbern will is most unlike any other will or charter of its time. It seems to have been written by FitzOsbern itself, and in many ways it is much like a letter.
The testators to the will were the four sheriffs: Edward de Carisbrooke, sheriff of Herefordshire, Gwent, and the Isle of Wight, Fulk of Maine, sheriff of Gloucestershire, his brother Eudes, sheriff of Somerset, and Aubrey, sheriff of Deheubarth. In addition to them, Alfred, Bishop of Hereford, and Nicholas de Toesny, the Seneschal, were also recorded as having been present.
FitzOsbern’s death had not taken anyone by surprise. His grandson, Guy, had been with him at Pembroke Castle, along with several other nobles. Within an hour of FitzOsbern’s death, Guy and his men were away to Striguil, where it had been agreed to have the will read out. When they got there, they were greeted by a great throng of hastily assembled lords and ladies. When all had been seated, the Bishop stepped forward. Beside him, his tall and gracious niece, Aelgifu, dressed in a splendid, scarlet robe, with her hair braided in the Saxon manner. As he stepped forward, she did too; she hoped, she knew, that she was in line to receive something or other.
“Lords and ladies, we are assembled here to read the last testament of our good and righteous prince, William FitzOsbern. I have with me the other five testators,” he motioned them forward, “and the will itself bears the seal of our lord. If any have doubts, let him say so today, or forever keep his peace. The will has been altered, since the death of our duke’s eldest son, Guillaume, at his own instigation.”
The Bishop coughed violently thereafter, and several wondered whether he would be able to speak. He began,
“Testamentum Guilielminis, dux Brettonorum. Senex aegerissimus et fessus sum. Itaque volo edissertare quid volo advenare ab latifundium meum. Eligo filius meum primogeniture, Guilielmus, comes Albamarla et Pontium, heres meum. Eum confido, ergo sapiens et prudentissimus est. gratias ago nam hic filius meum. Ab contratrius est filius secundus meum, Rugerius. Ignavus et falsus est. non oportet nam eum acceptare nihil.”
The Bishop looked up from the scroll, and looked around him, before continuing. “nunc Guilielmus mortuus est. Igitur facio filius suum, Gui, comes, heres meum.” Few could understand Latin, and had little idea what was being said. Thus, the Bishop stopped, and read out the first paragraph, this time in Norman-French.
“The testament of William, duke of the Welsh. I am a very ill and tired old man. Therefore I want to make clear what I want to happen to my lands. I choose my firstborn son, William, count of Aumale and Ponthieu, as my heir. I trust him, because he is wise and very prudent. I give thanks for this son of mine. To the contrary is my second son, Roger. He is a coward and false. It is not right for him to receive anything.” Once more the Bishop looked up at this interval, making eye contact with the earl Roger, before continuing; “Now William is dead. Therefore I make his son, count Guy, my heir.”
The earl Roger was furious, and departed from the castle at once. Within a few days, he was away to France.
The will continued, detailing a long list of gifts, and their respective recipients. Each of the duke’s bastard sons were left four horses, ten gold cups, and other artefacts of gold and silver. Similar gifts were made to each of the duke’s mistresses. FitzOsbern entrusted the care of the girls Almodis and Adelise (the daughters of Robert de Beaumont, whose wardship he had purchased) to his grandson Guy, with the purpose of marrying them to FitzOsbern’s two elder bastard sons, Asclettin and Robert. To his mistress, Aelgifu, he gave a considerable gift of gold, ‘for services rendered’, and an annual pension, with which she might finish rearing their youngest son, Godfrey. She also received the castles of Monmouth (in Gwent), again for the ‘services rendered to her liege by her, and those of her house’, and those of Clifford, Weobley and Kilpeck (in Herefordshire) on behalf of her three sons by FitzOsbern. Nicholas de Toeny was given the castle of Wigmore, to compensate him for the loss of his holdings in England (which King Robert had confiscated), which included Stafford castle and the shrievalty of the same name. There were few who left unsatisfied, for FitzOsbern had done his best to provide for all who had served him.
Duke Guy at once assumed the reins of government of his duchy. Rallying a few hundred men from the Welsh countryside, he went to Kenilworth in Warwickshire, and there met with a large French army, lead by Baudoin, duke of Flanders. King Robert’s army was completely routed, and on Christmas Day, 1092, King Robert, humiliated and defeated, paid his nephew 466.000 marks for peace.
Jubilant, Guy returned to his seat at Gloucester. There, his sixteen year old uncle, Asclettin, was married to Almodis, daughter of Robert de Beaumont, a famed beauty, then about twenty-two. Also, Guy’s sister Alix was married to Drogo fitzPatrick, a Norman knight, who had excelled himself in duke William’s service.
Guy sat on his throne, his eyes glazed over, and a broad smile on his face. Guy! The Great Marcher Lord! Duke of Warwick and Deheubarth, Count of Aumale and Ponthieu! Count of Corbeil and Alençon! Lord of Fervacques, Ivry, Breteuil Pacy, Sées, Exmes (Hiémois), Corbeil, Belême, Montgomery, Thorigny, and Creuilly! You could almost lose your breath saying all that. All hail Duke Guy!
The testators to the will were the four sheriffs: Edward de Carisbrooke, sheriff of Herefordshire, Gwent, and the Isle of Wight, Fulk of Maine, sheriff of Gloucestershire, his brother Eudes, sheriff of Somerset, and Aubrey, sheriff of Deheubarth. In addition to them, Alfred, Bishop of Hereford, and Nicholas de Toesny, the Seneschal, were also recorded as having been present.
FitzOsbern’s death had not taken anyone by surprise. His grandson, Guy, had been with him at Pembroke Castle, along with several other nobles. Within an hour of FitzOsbern’s death, Guy and his men were away to Striguil, where it had been agreed to have the will read out. When they got there, they were greeted by a great throng of hastily assembled lords and ladies. When all had been seated, the Bishop stepped forward. Beside him, his tall and gracious niece, Aelgifu, dressed in a splendid, scarlet robe, with her hair braided in the Saxon manner. As he stepped forward, she did too; she hoped, she knew, that she was in line to receive something or other.
“Lords and ladies, we are assembled here to read the last testament of our good and righteous prince, William FitzOsbern. I have with me the other five testators,” he motioned them forward, “and the will itself bears the seal of our lord. If any have doubts, let him say so today, or forever keep his peace. The will has been altered, since the death of our duke’s eldest son, Guillaume, at his own instigation.”
The Bishop coughed violently thereafter, and several wondered whether he would be able to speak. He began,
“Testamentum Guilielminis, dux Brettonorum. Senex aegerissimus et fessus sum. Itaque volo edissertare quid volo advenare ab latifundium meum. Eligo filius meum primogeniture, Guilielmus, comes Albamarla et Pontium, heres meum. Eum confido, ergo sapiens et prudentissimus est. gratias ago nam hic filius meum. Ab contratrius est filius secundus meum, Rugerius. Ignavus et falsus est. non oportet nam eum acceptare nihil.”
The Bishop looked up from the scroll, and looked around him, before continuing. “nunc Guilielmus mortuus est. Igitur facio filius suum, Gui, comes, heres meum.” Few could understand Latin, and had little idea what was being said. Thus, the Bishop stopped, and read out the first paragraph, this time in Norman-French.
“The testament of William, duke of the Welsh. I am a very ill and tired old man. Therefore I want to make clear what I want to happen to my lands. I choose my firstborn son, William, count of Aumale and Ponthieu, as my heir. I trust him, because he is wise and very prudent. I give thanks for this son of mine. To the contrary is my second son, Roger. He is a coward and false. It is not right for him to receive anything.” Once more the Bishop looked up at this interval, making eye contact with the earl Roger, before continuing; “Now William is dead. Therefore I make his son, count Guy, my heir.”
The earl Roger was furious, and departed from the castle at once. Within a few days, he was away to France.
The will continued, detailing a long list of gifts, and their respective recipients. Each of the duke’s bastard sons were left four horses, ten gold cups, and other artefacts of gold and silver. Similar gifts were made to each of the duke’s mistresses. FitzOsbern entrusted the care of the girls Almodis and Adelise (the daughters of Robert de Beaumont, whose wardship he had purchased) to his grandson Guy, with the purpose of marrying them to FitzOsbern’s two elder bastard sons, Asclettin and Robert. To his mistress, Aelgifu, he gave a considerable gift of gold, ‘for services rendered’, and an annual pension, with which she might finish rearing their youngest son, Godfrey. She also received the castles of Monmouth (in Gwent), again for the ‘services rendered to her liege by her, and those of her house’, and those of Clifford, Weobley and Kilpeck (in Herefordshire) on behalf of her three sons by FitzOsbern. Nicholas de Toeny was given the castle of Wigmore, to compensate him for the loss of his holdings in England (which King Robert had confiscated), which included Stafford castle and the shrievalty of the same name. There were few who left unsatisfied, for FitzOsbern had done his best to provide for all who had served him.
Duke Guy at once assumed the reins of government of his duchy. Rallying a few hundred men from the Welsh countryside, he went to Kenilworth in Warwickshire, and there met with a large French army, lead by Baudoin, duke of Flanders. King Robert’s army was completely routed, and on Christmas Day, 1092, King Robert, humiliated and defeated, paid his nephew 466.000 marks for peace.
Jubilant, Guy returned to his seat at Gloucester. There, his sixteen year old uncle, Asclettin, was married to Almodis, daughter of Robert de Beaumont, a famed beauty, then about twenty-two. Also, Guy’s sister Alix was married to Drogo fitzPatrick, a Norman knight, who had excelled himself in duke William’s service.
Guy sat on his throne, his eyes glazed over, and a broad smile on his face. Guy! The Great Marcher Lord! Duke of Warwick and Deheubarth, Count of Aumale and Ponthieu! Count of Corbeil and Alençon! Lord of Fervacques, Ivry, Breteuil Pacy, Sées, Exmes (Hiémois), Corbeil, Belême, Montgomery, Thorigny, and Creuilly! You could almost lose your breath saying all that. All hail Duke Guy!
On January 11th 1093, Avice de Clare, a respected courtier, and the mother of the seneschal Nicholas, died. She had long ago retired from the hustle and bustle of the court, and was only missed by the older courtiers who had known her in her youth.
Meanwhile, Duke Guy had decided to expel his uncle Roger from his lands. Roger had already fled to France, and thus it was easy for Guy to seize the earldom of Warwick, although he was somewhat surprised that Roger did not do stand in his way. Roger eventually joined his wife Adele in the Vexin, where she was countess, and contented himself with raiding his nephew’s lands in Normandy.
On January 17th, 1093, King Philip of France made peace with King Robert, receiving Hampshire in the south of England. Thus, whilst Anglo-Norman vassals held Normandy in France, French vassals now held the Welsh marches (in the guise of duke Guy) and the French King now held Hampshire, in England.
In May 1093 Guy’s wife Isabella bore a child, who was named Osmond, who did not long survive (dying in January 1094). Guy was a serial monogamist; Isabella de Rennes was his fifth wife in so many years. His first two wives, Jeanne des Beaux and Raymonde de Ridefort, both died in 1086. The third, Elisabeth de Vermandois, died in 1087, as did the fourth, Gunhild of Medelpad. Only then did he take a Breton wife, in pursuit of the dream of his grandfather, to conquer Brittany. Isabella bore him two healthy sons, Joscelin (in 1089) and William (in 1091).
In January 1094, Guy’s sister Alix died in labour, and was buried next to duke William at Hereford Cathedral. Less than a month later, Guy’s wife, Isabella, also died in labour. Being somewhat unfeeling and cold-hearted, Guy at once sought to remarry, and take for himself a sixth wife (the first five having all died in childbed). He soon found her in Marie, the eldest daughter and heiress of his grandfather’s ally Guillaume de Vassy, duke of Normandy, and Bertha of Holland. A proud, reckless, girl, she was renowned for her valor, having spent her youth under the tutelage of none other than Sigelgaita of Salerno, the sword-wielding Lombard warrior princess, and could hold her own againt any foe. That same day, her younger sister of thirteen years, Alienora, was married to Guy’s young heir Joscelin, then aged four, to secure a FitzOsbern succession to the duchy of Normandy.
In early 1094 King Philippe of France began rallying his men for another war. Robert, count of Guines, had married Mathilda, daughter of the Guiscard, who had conquered Apulia, Calabria, and far-off Wallachia. She died, and left her lands to her eldest son, who died soon after, leaving his lands to his father. However, an ill-fated war had stripped him of all his lands and vassals, except Oleyshe in Wallachia. As a result, Italy had plunged into anarchy: the Pope had pushed south, conquering Capua, Foggia, Benevento, Apulia, and Bari, whilst the Muslims of Cyrenaica conquered the south, leaving Consenza and Taranto in the hands of Pedro de las Asturias, a famed crusader and powerful nobleman from Iberia (his son Recaredo married Blanca, sister of Alfonso, King of Aragon), who had somehow come to possess land in Italy. Pedro de las Asturias proceeded to shock Christendom by forcing his two elder daughters, Urraca and Sancha, to convert to Islam, and marry the Infidel princes Mamun, sheik of Quattara, and Kaiqobad, emir of Sistan. Now Robert of Guines, with the full support of King Philippe, attacked the King of Hungary, the princes of Slovakia and Serbia, and the sheik of Messina, who had conquered Lecce and Belgorod. Guy showed little interest of joining this ‘crusade’, and refused to lend King Philippe any men, and it is said he even considered renouncing his oath of allegiance.
In March 1095 Guy’s uncle Joscelin was married, to Elisabeth de Blois, of the noble house of Champagne.
In April, 1095, Guy decided to go to war, against Donnchad, King of Leinster, and his liegemen, Loigsech, King of Man. Whilst he was doing so, his wife Marie (who had decided to accompany him, and prove herself against the Irish) went into labour upon landing on Man, and bore a son, who was given the name of Richard (August 15th). In September, Loigsech accepted defeat, handing over the isle of Man and 13© to duke Guy. Guy then proceeded to sail to mainland Ireland, where news reached him that the Northumbrians had revolted against King Robert’s rule (although for the meantime there was nothing he could do about it). Dublin was captured in November, and Laigin in December, forcing King Donnchad to pay Guy for peace. The duchess Marie much distinguished herself in the fighting, and for years stories were told of the mad warrior Queen (in reality, duchess) who came from France, but in whose veins ran the blood of the Viking berserkers who had terrorised their ancestors not so long previously.
In February, 1096, as Guy landed back onto his own soil, news came that the countess Adéle, wife of his unpious uncle Roger, had revolted, and had begun to pillage his lands in Normandy. Recruiting a new army, he sailed to the continent, and crushed her rebellion, seizing her lands of Vermandois and Vexin for himself, and expelling her son Bohemond from Amiens.
Despite his terrible reputation, Guy now had no vassals, and ruled his lands completely autonomously. In September 1096, he finally decided to wage war on Hoël, duke of Brittany. Hoël was a powerful prince, and was renown for his wars against the Moors south of the Pyrenees, which had won him the rich lands of Zaragoza. Hoël was a friend of King Robert of England; his daughter Joscelina was the wife of Robert, earl of Cornwall (King Robert’s uncle) and his son Alain the consort of Earl Robert’s daughter Emma.
Landing near Rennes, Guy defeated count Silvester’s small army (Silvester being the husband of Hoël’s daughter Eremberga) and rushed south to Nantes, which he duly besieged. It was there that his warrior wife Marie bore her second child in the army camp; a daughter, called Felicia. Taking Nantes, Guy made peace with Hoël, who accepted his rule of that city, if Guy would leave Brittany. Taking Nantes, Guy then marched on Silvester of Rennes, who was joined by Duke Hoël once more. Rennes and 74© were take in April, followed by Penthievre in June. Evil omens were seen repeatedly in the sky, in June and July, but Guy assured his men they were really good signs. Leon was taken in late July, followed by Cornouaille in October and Vannes in November. In the taking of Cornouaille, the commander Robert (son of Duke William and his Saxon mistress Aelgifu) was slain in glorious combat, leaving a widow, Adelise, and a daughter, Clemenza. Peace was made, and Hoël fled to his holdings in Iberia, now reduced to the mere city of Zaragoza.
(Robert and Adelise aged 16)
Back in August, Elisabeth de Blois (sister of Baudoin, duke of Champagne) had died in labour, and her husband, Guy’s uncle Joscelin, decided to remarry. His choice was Susanna de Rennes, a breton noblewoman who had fled to Wales, being the daughter of a welsh princess.
In February 1098, the duchess Marie bore another child, a son, who was named Gilbert. According to certain, obviously erroneous, chronicles, her sister Alienora also bore a child, the following month, who was christened Almodis. As Alienor’s contracted husband, Joscelin, was then about 8 years old, this cannot be. Either way, the child Almodis died young, and dissappears from all records.
Following the Breton campaign, Guy decided to hand some lands to his noblemen, and thus enhance his reputation. His brothers Aylmer and Osmond were given Somerset and the Isle of Man, respectively. His former brother-in-law Drogo FitzPatrick was made bishop in Dyfed. The sixty-nine year old Alain de Rennes, a scion of that family, was made count in Rennes, and his son Simon made bishop in Glamorgan. Lastly, the renowned warrior Bohemond de Hauteville, whom the duchess Marie had known (and some said, loved) in her youth, was made count of Leon, his house have lost all their lands in Italy.
In November, 1098, Guys uncle Walter, married Umfreda, the only daughter of Bohemond de Hauteville.
In April, 1099, Duke Guillaume of Normandy died, and his lands passed (despite Guy’s best efforts) to his son, Stephen, of three years. Guy could only hope that Stephen would die young, and his lands pass to his elder sister, Marie, and thus to the FitzOsberns.
In May, 1099, Umfreda de Hauteville died of pneumonia, whilst carrying her first child. Walter remarried, to his cousin Maude, the daughter of the ‘ignavus’ Roger, former earl of Warwick.
September brought two marriags: that of Clemenza, daughter of the late Duke William and Agnes of Barcelona, and Guy de Hauteville, eldest son of count Bohemond. Second, Godfrey, the talented child of duke William and the Saxon Aelgifu, and Alienor, a daughter of Arnolph, count of Hainaut.
In December, Philip, another bastard of the late duke William, went mad, followed by Bohemond de Hauteville’s son Silvester in January. The two men kept each other company, mumbling to each other and invisible foes, and wandering the welsh countryside.
In April, 1100, the madman Philip was brought in from the countryside, and married to Emma Carisbrooke, daughter of the Saxon Aelgifu. Within a year, he recovered, and she began bearing him children.
In June, 1100 the duchess Marie died of her undescribable illness, beign pregnant with her fourth child. Guy at once sought out a suitable seventh bride, and found her in Ermengarda of Barcelona. She was the sister of Miquel, duke of Spanish Marche, and daughter of Pedro Ramon, a half-brother of the dowager duchess Agnes.
In 1100/1 more rumours emerged that Alienora had born her child husband a child, by the name of Tancred. This rumour was widely circulated in the courts of europe, but either way, the child did not make it to adulthood.
In June, Ermengarda bore a daughter, who was named Titbores. The girl was joined by a bastard brother, Philip, in November (although unfortunately he did not survive). Ermengarda bore anoth child, Arlette, in June 1102.
In December, 1101, Susanna de Rennes died. Joscelin soon took a third wife, none other than Guy’s younger sister Adelaide.
In early 1102 Guy accepted homage from Hugues, count of Maine, who had rebelled against King Philippe. Guy at once attacked King Philippe, and after capturing the city of Paris itself (thanks to the quick action of a combined army from Vexin, Amiens, and Vermandois) a white peace was secured.
In April Silvester de Hauteville killed, in cold blood, Alienora, former sister-in-law and daughter-in-law of duke Guy. She left a 12 year old widower, and a infant daughter, Prudentia. Silvester was imprisoned, and the Hauteville house was shunned for many years thereafter.
In 1102 Guy called his two eldest sons, Joscelin and William, to him. He announced that William would hereafter be known as the duke of Brittany, and be sent to rule there. Joscelin would remain with him, and succeed him in Deheubarth and Warwick. Joscelin was shocked, but did not say nothing. William merely cracked a wry smile, and left.
Meanwhile, Duke Guy had decided to expel his uncle Roger from his lands. Roger had already fled to France, and thus it was easy for Guy to seize the earldom of Warwick, although he was somewhat surprised that Roger did not do stand in his way. Roger eventually joined his wife Adele in the Vexin, where she was countess, and contented himself with raiding his nephew’s lands in Normandy.
On January 17th, 1093, King Philip of France made peace with King Robert, receiving Hampshire in the south of England. Thus, whilst Anglo-Norman vassals held Normandy in France, French vassals now held the Welsh marches (in the guise of duke Guy) and the French King now held Hampshire, in England.
In May 1093 Guy’s wife Isabella bore a child, who was named Osmond, who did not long survive (dying in January 1094). Guy was a serial monogamist; Isabella de Rennes was his fifth wife in so many years. His first two wives, Jeanne des Beaux and Raymonde de Ridefort, both died in 1086. The third, Elisabeth de Vermandois, died in 1087, as did the fourth, Gunhild of Medelpad. Only then did he take a Breton wife, in pursuit of the dream of his grandfather, to conquer Brittany. Isabella bore him two healthy sons, Joscelin (in 1089) and William (in 1091).
In January 1094, Guy’s sister Alix died in labour, and was buried next to duke William at Hereford Cathedral. Less than a month later, Guy’s wife, Isabella, also died in labour. Being somewhat unfeeling and cold-hearted, Guy at once sought to remarry, and take for himself a sixth wife (the first five having all died in childbed). He soon found her in Marie, the eldest daughter and heiress of his grandfather’s ally Guillaume de Vassy, duke of Normandy, and Bertha of Holland. A proud, reckless, girl, she was renowned for her valor, having spent her youth under the tutelage of none other than Sigelgaita of Salerno, the sword-wielding Lombard warrior princess, and could hold her own againt any foe. That same day, her younger sister of thirteen years, Alienora, was married to Guy’s young heir Joscelin, then aged four, to secure a FitzOsbern succession to the duchy of Normandy.
In early 1094 King Philippe of France began rallying his men for another war. Robert, count of Guines, had married Mathilda, daughter of the Guiscard, who had conquered Apulia, Calabria, and far-off Wallachia. She died, and left her lands to her eldest son, who died soon after, leaving his lands to his father. However, an ill-fated war had stripped him of all his lands and vassals, except Oleyshe in Wallachia. As a result, Italy had plunged into anarchy: the Pope had pushed south, conquering Capua, Foggia, Benevento, Apulia, and Bari, whilst the Muslims of Cyrenaica conquered the south, leaving Consenza and Taranto in the hands of Pedro de las Asturias, a famed crusader and powerful nobleman from Iberia (his son Recaredo married Blanca, sister of Alfonso, King of Aragon), who had somehow come to possess land in Italy. Pedro de las Asturias proceeded to shock Christendom by forcing his two elder daughters, Urraca and Sancha, to convert to Islam, and marry the Infidel princes Mamun, sheik of Quattara, and Kaiqobad, emir of Sistan. Now Robert of Guines, with the full support of King Philippe, attacked the King of Hungary, the princes of Slovakia and Serbia, and the sheik of Messina, who had conquered Lecce and Belgorod. Guy showed little interest of joining this ‘crusade’, and refused to lend King Philippe any men, and it is said he even considered renouncing his oath of allegiance.
In March 1095 Guy’s uncle Joscelin was married, to Elisabeth de Blois, of the noble house of Champagne.
In April, 1095, Guy decided to go to war, against Donnchad, King of Leinster, and his liegemen, Loigsech, King of Man. Whilst he was doing so, his wife Marie (who had decided to accompany him, and prove herself against the Irish) went into labour upon landing on Man, and bore a son, who was given the name of Richard (August 15th). In September, Loigsech accepted defeat, handing over the isle of Man and 13© to duke Guy. Guy then proceeded to sail to mainland Ireland, where news reached him that the Northumbrians had revolted against King Robert’s rule (although for the meantime there was nothing he could do about it). Dublin was captured in November, and Laigin in December, forcing King Donnchad to pay Guy for peace. The duchess Marie much distinguished herself in the fighting, and for years stories were told of the mad warrior Queen (in reality, duchess) who came from France, but in whose veins ran the blood of the Viking berserkers who had terrorised their ancestors not so long previously.
In February, 1096, as Guy landed back onto his own soil, news came that the countess Adéle, wife of his unpious uncle Roger, had revolted, and had begun to pillage his lands in Normandy. Recruiting a new army, he sailed to the continent, and crushed her rebellion, seizing her lands of Vermandois and Vexin for himself, and expelling her son Bohemond from Amiens.
Despite his terrible reputation, Guy now had no vassals, and ruled his lands completely autonomously. In September 1096, he finally decided to wage war on Hoël, duke of Brittany. Hoël was a powerful prince, and was renown for his wars against the Moors south of the Pyrenees, which had won him the rich lands of Zaragoza. Hoël was a friend of King Robert of England; his daughter Joscelina was the wife of Robert, earl of Cornwall (King Robert’s uncle) and his son Alain the consort of Earl Robert’s daughter Emma.
Landing near Rennes, Guy defeated count Silvester’s small army (Silvester being the husband of Hoël’s daughter Eremberga) and rushed south to Nantes, which he duly besieged. It was there that his warrior wife Marie bore her second child in the army camp; a daughter, called Felicia. Taking Nantes, Guy made peace with Hoël, who accepted his rule of that city, if Guy would leave Brittany. Taking Nantes, Guy then marched on Silvester of Rennes, who was joined by Duke Hoël once more. Rennes and 74© were take in April, followed by Penthievre in June. Evil omens were seen repeatedly in the sky, in June and July, but Guy assured his men they were really good signs. Leon was taken in late July, followed by Cornouaille in October and Vannes in November. In the taking of Cornouaille, the commander Robert (son of Duke William and his Saxon mistress Aelgifu) was slain in glorious combat, leaving a widow, Adelise, and a daughter, Clemenza. Peace was made, and Hoël fled to his holdings in Iberia, now reduced to the mere city of Zaragoza.
(Robert and Adelise aged 16)
Back in August, Elisabeth de Blois (sister of Baudoin, duke of Champagne) had died in labour, and her husband, Guy’s uncle Joscelin, decided to remarry. His choice was Susanna de Rennes, a breton noblewoman who had fled to Wales, being the daughter of a welsh princess.
In February 1098, the duchess Marie bore another child, a son, who was named Gilbert. According to certain, obviously erroneous, chronicles, her sister Alienora also bore a child, the following month, who was christened Almodis. As Alienor’s contracted husband, Joscelin, was then about 8 years old, this cannot be. Either way, the child Almodis died young, and dissappears from all records.
Following the Breton campaign, Guy decided to hand some lands to his noblemen, and thus enhance his reputation. His brothers Aylmer and Osmond were given Somerset and the Isle of Man, respectively. His former brother-in-law Drogo FitzPatrick was made bishop in Dyfed. The sixty-nine year old Alain de Rennes, a scion of that family, was made count in Rennes, and his son Simon made bishop in Glamorgan. Lastly, the renowned warrior Bohemond de Hauteville, whom the duchess Marie had known (and some said, loved) in her youth, was made count of Leon, his house have lost all their lands in Italy.
In November, 1098, Guys uncle Walter, married Umfreda, the only daughter of Bohemond de Hauteville.
In April, 1099, Duke Guillaume of Normandy died, and his lands passed (despite Guy’s best efforts) to his son, Stephen, of three years. Guy could only hope that Stephen would die young, and his lands pass to his elder sister, Marie, and thus to the FitzOsberns.
In May, 1099, Umfreda de Hauteville died of pneumonia, whilst carrying her first child. Walter remarried, to his cousin Maude, the daughter of the ‘ignavus’ Roger, former earl of Warwick.
September brought two marriags: that of Clemenza, daughter of the late Duke William and Agnes of Barcelona, and Guy de Hauteville, eldest son of count Bohemond. Second, Godfrey, the talented child of duke William and the Saxon Aelgifu, and Alienor, a daughter of Arnolph, count of Hainaut.
In December, Philip, another bastard of the late duke William, went mad, followed by Bohemond de Hauteville’s son Silvester in January. The two men kept each other company, mumbling to each other and invisible foes, and wandering the welsh countryside.
In April, 1100, the madman Philip was brought in from the countryside, and married to Emma Carisbrooke, daughter of the Saxon Aelgifu. Within a year, he recovered, and she began bearing him children.
In June, 1100 the duchess Marie died of her undescribable illness, beign pregnant with her fourth child. Guy at once sought out a suitable seventh bride, and found her in Ermengarda of Barcelona. She was the sister of Miquel, duke of Spanish Marche, and daughter of Pedro Ramon, a half-brother of the dowager duchess Agnes.
In 1100/1 more rumours emerged that Alienora had born her child husband a child, by the name of Tancred. This rumour was widely circulated in the courts of europe, but either way, the child did not make it to adulthood.
In June, Ermengarda bore a daughter, who was named Titbores. The girl was joined by a bastard brother, Philip, in November (although unfortunately he did not survive). Ermengarda bore anoth child, Arlette, in June 1102.
In December, 1101, Susanna de Rennes died. Joscelin soon took a third wife, none other than Guy’s younger sister Adelaide.
In early 1102 Guy accepted homage from Hugues, count of Maine, who had rebelled against King Philippe. Guy at once attacked King Philippe, and after capturing the city of Paris itself (thanks to the quick action of a combined army from Vexin, Amiens, and Vermandois) a white peace was secured.
In April Silvester de Hauteville killed, in cold blood, Alienora, former sister-in-law and daughter-in-law of duke Guy. She left a 12 year old widower, and a infant daughter, Prudentia. Silvester was imprisoned, and the Hauteville house was shunned for many years thereafter.
In 1102 Guy called his two eldest sons, Joscelin and William, to him. He announced that William would hereafter be known as the duke of Brittany, and be sent to rule there. Joscelin would remain with him, and succeed him in Deheubarth and Warwick. Joscelin was shocked, but did not say nothing. William merely cracked a wry smile, and left.
Elias Tarfarius, Thank you. I am considering stopping, as there seems to be a distinct dirth of posters. Ah well, here's the next update:
The new duke of Brittany was soon installed in his capital, Nantes. A regency council, lead by the bishop of Dol and count Bohemond of Leon, was appointed, yet it was not long before the young prince began making his presence felt, and asserting his independence from his guardians. In August 1102 count Bohemond went to England, and secured a formal alliance with duke William’s father, Duke Guy of Warwick. Guy, having secured the support of Pope Anselm, had excommunicated his kinsman Thomas, King of England; yet within a few months he had forsook his alliance with count Bohemond (regent of Brittany) and submitted to King Thomas once more. Together, Guy and Thomas embarked on a campaign in Ireland against Donnchad of Leinster.
In February 1104, Flandina de Donges, niece of the bishop of Dol, was married off to Chval, King of Bohemia, who had come to Paris, and then decided to visit the young duke of the Bretons (who was already gaining something of a reputation within France). The young duke foresaw that this union would carry his fame far and wide, within Germany and Bohemia, for all would ask from where did this new queen come from? And it would be said, from the court of William, duke of the Bretons.
In September England erupted into civil war. Fulk de Montgomery, duke of Hampshire (a grandson of the Conqueror), Cuthbert Leofricson, duke of Northumberland and Trondelag (great-grandson of Hardraade), Guy FitzOsbern, duke of Warwick (a kinsman of the royal house) and Donnchad, king of Leinster, united and attacked King Thomas. Despite all this, King Thomas conquered Leinster, and returned to England, quickly defeating Fulk of Montgomery, and taking control of Northumberland (although he did not take Trondelag). In late 1104, William learnt of his father’s death, leaving Warwick and Deheubarth to his brother Joscelin; Thomas duly attacked Joscelin, and stripped him of his lands and titles (June 1105). His stepmother Ermengarda of Barcelona, returned to Iberia with her four children, never to return. The rest of the FitzOsbern house was dispersed throughout the courts of England, although eventually most sought refuge in Somerset, where Aylmer (brother of duke Guy) was still earl.
Duke William, now aged fourteen, watched these events with interest. He had grown to love Brittany, and behaved much like a true Breton magnate. He had taken in Flandina de Pontchâteau, widow of Alain of Cornouaille (son of the last Breton duke, Hoël), and her children (two sons, Waleran and Joscelin, and four daughters, Maude, Arlette, Isabella, and Godechilde), and they had somewhat replaced his blood kin in his affections; thus, whilst he was willing to bestow many manors upon these foster-siblings of his, he was reluctant to meet any of his blood kin, and refused to give refuge to them.
In March, 1106, William entertained emissaries from Duncan, King of Scots, and forged a firm alliance with him. Such were the ramifications of this alliance, that King Philippe of France, together with Albrecht, the Holy Roman Emperor, waged war on William, swearing the bring to an end the independence of the Bretons. At this crucial moment, Duncan of Scots was unable to come to his aid, and almost overnight all the Scottish emissaries returned home. Desperate, William called together his army, and marched east, to meet with his men from Amiens, Vexin, and Vermandois. At once, he sent word to King Thomas of England, asking him for his help; Thomas, eager to expand his holdings in France, at once agreed. In September 1106 William’s army in Amiens was crushed, and thereafter King Philippe began to drive into his domains, seizing Amiens (October), Vermandois (January 1107), the Vexin (February), and Nantes (April). In March, King Thomas finally began his long anticipated invasion of France, and April brought news that none other than King Chval of Bohemia had attacked the Emperor, Albrecht, forcing him to retreat from this futile campaign in France.
In May, the duke William, who for some time had been in hiding, turned up in Flanders, at the court of duke Arnolph (one of the few princes who had not joined this campaign). There, he married the duke’s daughter, Cécile; she was 33, he was 16, before fleeing back to Brittany. Rennes and Vannes were taken in June, but by then King Thomas had returned, taking back Amiens, Vermandois, and the Vexin. Duke William agreed to a white peace with King Philippe, and waited whilst the French marched north, out of Brittany, into Normandy, before declaring war once more, and marching into the Ile de France. In November, 1107, King Philippe died, and was succeeded by his son Robert of Orleans. This second campaign went even worse, and by September 1108 William was forced to accept a humiliating peace, by which Robert took for himself Rennes and the Vexin. Less than a month later, King Robert was dead, leaving two daughters: Stephania (who succeeded him as France’s first Queen) and Constance, and a pregnant wife (who bore a third daughter, Marie).
The cunning William soon conceived a wicked plan. Repudiating the infertile Cécile of Flanders, he rode to Paris, and kidnapped and married Rohese de Rennes, King Robert’s Breton widow. Thus he secured the wardship of her valuable daughters, and the support of the Breton nobility (by taking one of their own as consort). In May, 1109, he once more waged war on France, leading his few hundred men out from Nantes and Cornouaille to Rennes. Mumbling the word, ‘byzantine’ over and over, he defeated, against all odds, the French, and forced the young Queen’s regents, the bishop of St Denis, to return to him Rennes and the Vexin.
On January 14th, 1110, after the finish of the Christmas festivities, Rohese, Queen Dowager of France and Duchess of Brittany, bore him a child, a daughter, who was christened Sybilla.
By 1110, Duke William was a tall, reasonably attractive young man of nineteen. Renowned for his remarkable energy, he was also beloved by the church for his excessive piety and chasteness. A merciful and forgiving ruler, he was beloved by his people for his just ways. Several chronicles record his bass and gruff voice, and his skill in the art of diplomacy. He enforced the ducal supremacy within his lands, and restructured the feudal contract with his nobles, reaffirming his authority over them.
The new duke of Brittany was soon installed in his capital, Nantes. A regency council, lead by the bishop of Dol and count Bohemond of Leon, was appointed, yet it was not long before the young prince began making his presence felt, and asserting his independence from his guardians. In August 1102 count Bohemond went to England, and secured a formal alliance with duke William’s father, Duke Guy of Warwick. Guy, having secured the support of Pope Anselm, had excommunicated his kinsman Thomas, King of England; yet within a few months he had forsook his alliance with count Bohemond (regent of Brittany) and submitted to King Thomas once more. Together, Guy and Thomas embarked on a campaign in Ireland against Donnchad of Leinster.
In February 1104, Flandina de Donges, niece of the bishop of Dol, was married off to Chval, King of Bohemia, who had come to Paris, and then decided to visit the young duke of the Bretons (who was already gaining something of a reputation within France). The young duke foresaw that this union would carry his fame far and wide, within Germany and Bohemia, for all would ask from where did this new queen come from? And it would be said, from the court of William, duke of the Bretons.
In September England erupted into civil war. Fulk de Montgomery, duke of Hampshire (a grandson of the Conqueror), Cuthbert Leofricson, duke of Northumberland and Trondelag (great-grandson of Hardraade), Guy FitzOsbern, duke of Warwick (a kinsman of the royal house) and Donnchad, king of Leinster, united and attacked King Thomas. Despite all this, King Thomas conquered Leinster, and returned to England, quickly defeating Fulk of Montgomery, and taking control of Northumberland (although he did not take Trondelag). In late 1104, William learnt of his father’s death, leaving Warwick and Deheubarth to his brother Joscelin; Thomas duly attacked Joscelin, and stripped him of his lands and titles (June 1105). His stepmother Ermengarda of Barcelona, returned to Iberia with her four children, never to return. The rest of the FitzOsbern house was dispersed throughout the courts of England, although eventually most sought refuge in Somerset, where Aylmer (brother of duke Guy) was still earl.
Duke William, now aged fourteen, watched these events with interest. He had grown to love Brittany, and behaved much like a true Breton magnate. He had taken in Flandina de Pontchâteau, widow of Alain of Cornouaille (son of the last Breton duke, Hoël), and her children (two sons, Waleran and Joscelin, and four daughters, Maude, Arlette, Isabella, and Godechilde), and they had somewhat replaced his blood kin in his affections; thus, whilst he was willing to bestow many manors upon these foster-siblings of his, he was reluctant to meet any of his blood kin, and refused to give refuge to them.
In March, 1106, William entertained emissaries from Duncan, King of Scots, and forged a firm alliance with him. Such were the ramifications of this alliance, that King Philippe of France, together with Albrecht, the Holy Roman Emperor, waged war on William, swearing the bring to an end the independence of the Bretons. At this crucial moment, Duncan of Scots was unable to come to his aid, and almost overnight all the Scottish emissaries returned home. Desperate, William called together his army, and marched east, to meet with his men from Amiens, Vexin, and Vermandois. At once, he sent word to King Thomas of England, asking him for his help; Thomas, eager to expand his holdings in France, at once agreed. In September 1106 William’s army in Amiens was crushed, and thereafter King Philippe began to drive into his domains, seizing Amiens (October), Vermandois (January 1107), the Vexin (February), and Nantes (April). In March, King Thomas finally began his long anticipated invasion of France, and April brought news that none other than King Chval of Bohemia had attacked the Emperor, Albrecht, forcing him to retreat from this futile campaign in France.
In May, the duke William, who for some time had been in hiding, turned up in Flanders, at the court of duke Arnolph (one of the few princes who had not joined this campaign). There, he married the duke’s daughter, Cécile; she was 33, he was 16, before fleeing back to Brittany. Rennes and Vannes were taken in June, but by then King Thomas had returned, taking back Amiens, Vermandois, and the Vexin. Duke William agreed to a white peace with King Philippe, and waited whilst the French marched north, out of Brittany, into Normandy, before declaring war once more, and marching into the Ile de France. In November, 1107, King Philippe died, and was succeeded by his son Robert of Orleans. This second campaign went even worse, and by September 1108 William was forced to accept a humiliating peace, by which Robert took for himself Rennes and the Vexin. Less than a month later, King Robert was dead, leaving two daughters: Stephania (who succeeded him as France’s first Queen) and Constance, and a pregnant wife (who bore a third daughter, Marie).
The cunning William soon conceived a wicked plan. Repudiating the infertile Cécile of Flanders, he rode to Paris, and kidnapped and married Rohese de Rennes, King Robert’s Breton widow. Thus he secured the wardship of her valuable daughters, and the support of the Breton nobility (by taking one of their own as consort). In May, 1109, he once more waged war on France, leading his few hundred men out from Nantes and Cornouaille to Rennes. Mumbling the word, ‘byzantine’ over and over, he defeated, against all odds, the French, and forced the young Queen’s regents, the bishop of St Denis, to return to him Rennes and the Vexin.
On January 14th, 1110, after the finish of the Christmas festivities, Rohese, Queen Dowager of France and Duchess of Brittany, bore him a child, a daughter, who was christened Sybilla.
By 1110, Duke William was a tall, reasonably attractive young man of nineteen. Renowned for his remarkable energy, he was also beloved by the church for his excessive piety and chasteness. A merciful and forgiving ruler, he was beloved by his people for his just ways. Several chronicles record his bass and gruff voice, and his skill in the art of diplomacy. He enforced the ducal supremacy within his lands, and restructured the feudal contract with his nobles, reaffirming his authority over them.
Hey everybody, I'm just officially ending this AAR. I will be taking a break from CK, perhaps I will make another AAR someday.