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LEICESTER (BEAUMONT) EARLDOM

[VIKI371] Roger de Monte Gomerii m. --- de Hiemois
. [BEAM291] Vicomte Bernard de Pont-Audemer m. Sprat de Burgundy
. . [BEAM301] Seigneur Torf de Pont-Audemer m. [MONB302] Eremburge de Bastembourg
. . . [HARC311] Turquetil de Neufmarche of Pont-Audemer m. [MONB313] Anceline de Bastembourg
. . . [BEAM311] Seigneur Thorold de Pont-Audemer m. [HERB314] Wevia de Crepon
. . . . [BEAM321] Seigneur Humphrey de Pont-Audemer m. Dame Albreda of La Haie-Auberie
. . . . . [BEAM331] Seigneur Roger de Beaumont m1. [MEUL342] Countess Adeline of Meulan
. . . . . . [BXXX391] Robert de Beauchamp m. ?
. . . . . . [WARW351] Earl Henry of Warwick m. [PERC352] Marguerite du Perche
. . . . . . [BEAM351] Earl Robert of Leicester m2. [CREP352] Isabel de Vermandois
. . . . . . . [WORC361] Earl Waleran of Worcester m2. [MONT362] Agnes d'Evreux
. . . . . . . [BEAM363] Isabel of Leicester m1. [PEMB351] Earl Gilbert of Pembroke
. . . . . . . [BEAM361] Earl Robert of Leicester m. [GAEL362] Amice of Norfolk & Suffolk
. . . . . . . . [BEAM372] Earl Robert of Leicester m. [GRAX362] Petronilla de Grandmesnil
. . . . . . . . . [BEAM382] Margaret of Leicester m. [QUEN381] Earl Saher IV of Winchester
. . . . . . . . [BEAM373] Margaret of Leicester m. [TONY451] Ralph V de Toeni
. . . . . . . . [BEAM374] Hawise of Leicester m. [GLOU451] Earl William FitzRobert of Gloucester
. . . . . . . . [BEAM377] Isabel of Leicester m. [SLIZ371] Earl Simon of Huntingdon

36.   [BEAM291] Bernard le Danois [the Dane] du Harcourt (born in Denmark, c.880, son of [VIKI371] Roger de Monte Gomerii, see VIKINGS), Vicomte de Pont-Audemer, married (909) Sprat/Sprote de Burgundy, Dame de Sprote. He was afterwards baptised at Rouen (912), and died c.955.

35.  [BEAM301] Torf le riche [the rich] du Harcourt (born c.915), Seigneur de Pont-Audemer, Harcouet, Tourville, Torcy, etc., married (955) [MONB302] Eremburge (born c.935, daughter of Anlech Turstain, see MONTFORT-SUR-RISLE). Eremburge died c.985.

34.  [BEAM311] Thorold (Tourude) du Harcourt (born at Pont-Audemer, c.970, eldest son of Torf), Seigneur de Pont-Audemer, married [HERB314] Wevia/Wewa/Duvelina (sister of [HERB316] DUCHESS GUNORA, and daughter of [HERB301] Herbastus, see HERBASTUS DE CREPI). He died 1042.

A French source suggests Thorold married (1000) Avelina (born 974, daughter of Herbastus), and that she afterwards married (1001) Osberne Giffard de Bolbec, which in any case would rule her out as the mother of [BEAM321] Honfroy (995) and grandmother of [BEAM331] Roger (1022). See HERBASTUS, BOLEBEC and GIFFARD BARONY for comparisons.

33.  [BEAM321] Honfroy/Onfroi/Humphrey du Harcourt de Veules (born at Pont-Audemer, c.995), Seigneur de Vieilles and de Pont-Audemer, married (1010) Dame Albreda de La Haie-Auberie, daughter of 34. Robert of Torigny). Humphrey died September 1044, and Albreda died December 1045.

32.  [BEAM331] Roger du Harcourt (born 1022, eldest son of Humphrey), Seigneur de Beaumont, Normandy, married 1. (1040) [MEUL342] Adeline (Countess of Meulan, daughter of [MEUL331] Count Waleran III, see MEULAN COUNTY), she died April 1081; then 2. Alice de Tony. He was tenant-in-chief in Dorset and Gloucs at the Domesday Survey. He became a monk at Preaux Abbey (after 1090) and died there (29th November 1094).

30.  [BEAM351] Robert de Beaumont (born c.1046, son & heir of Roger & Adeline), when very young accompanied DUKE WILLIAM to England, and distinguished himself at the Battle of Hastings. He became Count of Meulan after the death of his mother (1081). Having obtained the whole town of Leicester, he is said to have become the 1st Earl of Leicester (1107) but, being Count of Meulan, he was never styled as such. At the Domesday Survey he was tenant-in-chief in Leics, Northants and Warks. Robert married 1. Godehilde de Tosny (repudiated) then 2. (1096) [CREP359] Isabel (daughter of Count Hugh, see CREPI), divorced 1115. After Robert's death (5th June 1118), his vast estates were divided between his twin sons. Robert received the Leicester Earldom, and Waleran the Meulan Countship. In addition, the twins were brought up at Court, out of King Henry I's gratitude to their father. Their mother Isabel shortly afterwards married 2. (1118) [SURR421] Earl William (see SURREY (WARENNE) EARLDOM).

[BEAM364] Adeline (daughter of Robert) married (1120) [GANT351] Hugh de Gant (see GANT).

29. [BEAM361] Robert le bossu or le goczen (born 1104, younger twin son of Robert & Isabel) became 2nd Earl of Leicester (1118). He married (after November 1120) [GAEL362] Amice (daughter of Earl Ralph, see NORFOLK & SUFFOLK (GAEL) EARLDOM). He became Justiciar under King Henry II (1155-56), and also ruled the kingdom from when Queen Eleanor left the country (December 1158), until when Henry returned (January 1163). Robert died April 1168.

27. [BEAM372] Robert blanchemains (only son & heir of Robert) married (before 1155) [GRAX362] Petronilla (born 1134, see GRANTMESNIL). He became 3rd Earl of Leicester (1168).

Robert rebelled against King Henry III (1173). Henry at once confiscated Robert's English estates and attacked the town of Leicester, which was taken and burned (28th July 1173). At that time Robert was in Normandy, having crossed over in the Spring, and he shut himself in his fortress of Breteuil. On 8th August Henry appeared before Breteuil; and captured and burned it on the 25th and 26th September.

Robert had meanwhile fled before the siege began. He landed at Walton in Suffolk (29th September), with a force of Flemish mercenaries, and was at once joined by Hugh, 3rd Earl of Norfolk. Their combined forces plundered Norwich, and they took the castle of Hageney (13th October). Thence Robert started for Leicester, where his castle still held out, but on 17th October he encountered Henry's forces led by his Justiciar, Richard de Luci, at Fornham St. Genevieve, just north of Bury St. Edmunds, and in the fight that ensued was completely defeated, and captured together with his Countess, Petronilla. They were sent to Henry at Normandy, who imprisoned them at Falaise. On his return to England (8th July 1174), Henry took them back with him. The Steward of Leicester Castle now having begun to ravage the neighbouring country, Henry extracted from Robert the surrender (31st July) of his strongholds at Leicester, Mount Sorrel and Groby.

Robert and Petronilla were taken back to Normandy (8th August), but the treaty of peace between Henry and Robert on 30th September stipulated their release. Henry however first demolished Leicester Castle. The rebellion having been crushed, Robert was no longer a menace, and in January 1177 he had restored to him all his castles except Mount Sorrel. He crossed back to Normandy that Summer, and is said to have gone on a pilgrimage (1179).

Robert set out on the Third Crusade to Jerusalem, but died en route (31st August 1190), either at sea near Brindisi, or in Romania. Petronilla died April 1212.