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Saturday, August 8, 2020

Earl Robert de Beaumont & Countess Petronilla de Grandmesnil

 79958026. Earl Robert de Beaumont & 79958027. Countess Petronilla de Grandmesnil

~1134, Robert born in Leicestershire, England, s/o 159116046. Earl Robert de Beaumont & 159116047. Amice de Gael.

12/22/1135, Stephen crowned king of England.

8/1/1137, Louis VII succeeded as king of France.

Bef. 1147, Robert, earl of Licester, and Amicia his wife, and Robert their son, witness a charter of Ernald de Bosco addressed to Alexander, bishop of Lincoln.

~1140, Petronilla born in England, heiress & d/o §§Lord William de Grandmesnil.

12/19/1154, Henry II crowned king of England.

8/1155, Robert, earl of Leciester, and his son Robert, witnessed a royal charter to the Norman abbey of St. Martin at Troarn [Bayeux.]

1/1160, at Argenten, France, Robert, son of the Earl of Leicester, attested a royal charter to the Cistercian abbey of La Trappe.

[––Robert & Petronilla––]

~1160, Robert married Petronilla.

4/5/1168, Robert succeeded his father as Earl of Leicester by charter of King Henry II. (S) The Genealogist, 1916, P221.

1168, Robert confirmed his ancestors grants to the Templars of the Old and New Temple as held of the honour of Leicester. (S) The Genealogist, 1916, P222.

1169, Robert, earl of Leicester, confirmed to Simon Wykingeston one mill and one acre in upper Wigston.

12/29/1170, King Henry complicit in the murder of Thomas Becket, Archbishop of Cantebury.

1170-75, Robert earl of Leicester gave to William de Chiray 10 librates of land in Burton Lazars, co. Leicester, to hold by the service of half a knight. (S) Origins of Some Anglo-Norman Families, Loyd, 1951, P28.

4/1173, King Henry’s 3 eldest surviving sons: Henry, Richard & Geoffrey rebelled against him. [Their mother the Queen supported the rebellion.]

1173, King Henry II ordered Earl Robert’s land be destroyed due his support to the rebellion of his sons.

1173, Robert had fled just before the King burned his fortress at Bréteuil, Normandy, undermining and setting fire to the walls, as well as destroying part of the town.

7/1173, Robert de Beaumont, earl of Leicester, Hugh de Keveloic, earl of Chester, King William of Scotland, and Hugh le Bigod, earl of Norfolk, laid siege to Aumale, Meuf-Marche, and Verneuil.

9/25/1173, King Henry, King Louis, and the 3 eldests son of King Henry met for a conference between Gisors and Trie at which Robert, earl of Leicester, was present with King Louis. [Negotiations failed.]

9/29/1173, Robert landed at Walden, Suffolk with Flemish mercenaries, where he joins Hugh le Bigod at Framlingham. King William had sent his brother David to support Robert. Their forces plundered Norwich.

10/13/1173, Robert laid siege to Hagenet castle held by Randal de Broc. He then headed for Leicester to relieve his castle.

10/17/1173, Robert, at Fornam, St. Genevieve, defeated and captured by combined forces of Richard de Lucy, Humphrey de Bohun and the earls of Cornwall, Gloucester and Arundel. [Chronicler Jordan Fantosme wrote of Petronilla: The countess accompanied her husband on his military campaign against those English troops, under the command of the earl of Arundel and Humphrey de Bohun. During the final showdown, she is said to have fled from the battle, only to be found in a ditch. It was also said she wore armor during the battle.]

1173, Robert and Petronilla sent to prison at Falaise in Normandy [With 39979010. Earl Hugh de Meschines, and King William I of Scotland.]

7/7/1174, King Henry brought Robert and Petronilla back to England, landing at Southampton.

By 7/31/1174, King Henry forced Robert to order the surrender of his forces which had been pillaging near Leicester. [Anketill Malore and William de Diva, constables of Robert, surrendered the castles of Leicester, Mount Sorrel, and Groby.]

8/8/1174, King Henry sailed from Portsmouth back to France taking as prisoners the King of the Scots [William], the earl of Leicester [Robert], the earl of Chester [Hugh].

9/30/1174, Through negotiations at Montlouis, King Henry II agreed to release all his prisoners except 4: the King of the Scots [William], the earl of Leicester [Robert], the earl of Chester [Hugh], and Ralph de Fougeres. (S) Henry II, Warren, 1973, P138.

10/11/1174, Louis VII stopped supporting Henry’s sons, effectively ending their rebellion.

1175, King Henry had the fortifications of the castle of Leicester completely destroyed.

1/1176, Robert regained royal favor and had his lands restored except for 2 castles.

3/14/1176 at Westminster, Robert, earl of Leicester, witnessed a royal charter to Rivaulx abbey.

1/15/1177, The king held a great council at Northampton: Robert, earl of Leicester, and Hugh, earl of Chester, are restored in blood honours. (S) Court Household, and Itinerary of King Henry II, Eyton, 1878, P209.

3/13/1177, Robert, earl of Leicester, attends the Great Council at London which addressed the conflict between the kings of Castile and Navarre.

10/1/1177, Robert, earl of Leicester, with the King at Verneuil, where the king issues a summons for the army of Normandy.

9/18/1180, Philip Augustus succeeded as King of France.

4/1183, Young King Henry again rebelled against his father and defended Limoges chateau against a seige. Before Limoges, King Henry is attacked by the garrison of the castle.

4/1183, Robert, earl of Leicester, and the earl of Gloucester imprisoned in England. [Likely to prevent their support of the young King.]

6/11/1183, The Young King caught a fever and died at Martel. Richard became the heir to Henry II.

1184-9, Charter of Robert, earl of Leicester, with the advice of Walter, archbishop of Rouen, made a grant to the abbey of Fountaine Guerard. (S) Cal. of Doc.’s Prserved in France, V1, 1899, P139.

1185-9, Charter of Henry II … gift of Robert earl of Leicester 40 shillings which Petronilla his wife gave the cannons … (S) Cal. of Doc.’s Prserved in France, V1, 1899, P199.

12/25/1186 at Guildeford, Robert, earl of Leicester, in his heriditary office as Dapifer, attended the Christmas of King Henry.

7/6/1189, King Henry died at Chinon, France.

11/3/1189, Richard I crowned king of England. Robert carried one of the swords of state at the coronation.

1189, King Richard I restored Robert’s remaining 2 castles.

1189-90, Charter of Robert, earl of Leicester, for the weal of the souls of his father and mother, … his soul and that of Petronilla his wife, and all their children … grants to God and St. Mary’s, Everux, … (S) Cal. of Doc.’s Prserved in France, V1, 1899, P102.

1190, Robert in the army of King Richard departed on the 3rd Crusade.

7/1190, the English and French armies met at Lyons.

8/31/1190, Robert died in Durazzo, Greece, on the way to the Holy Land.

[––Petronilla––]

5/27/1199, John succeeded King Richard I of England.

3/10/1207, Petronilla, Countess of Leicester, was given the market and bridge at Ware for life. (S) Gazetteer of Markets and Fairs.

4/1/1212, Petronilla died in Leicestershire, England.

(S) Court, Household, and Itinerary of King Henry II, Eyton, 1878. (S) Glimpses of Ancient Leciester, Johnson, 1906, P65ff.

Family notes:

·         Sir Robert also styled “Blanchmaines” from having white hands.

·         Petronilla’s father was called William, as shown by the Cartulary of St-Evroult, ii, fo.33v. By an undated charter, one Beatrix de Rye gave land to the abbey of St Jean of Falaise, for the well being of her mother Emma and of her brother William de Grentemesnil. (S) Lechaude d’Anisy, Extrait des Chartes ... dans les archives du Calvados, vol.1, p.232, no 9 (1834).

Children of Robert and Petronilla:

i. Robert Fitz Parnel, born ? in England.

Robert married Loretta de Braose, d/o 189118344. William de Braose & 189118345. Maud St. Valery.

1190-92, Robert served with his father in King Richard’s crusade to the Holy Land.

1/10/1192 at Jaffa, Robert, earl of Leicester, 1 of 18 witnesses to a grant of King Richard I. (S) Cal. of Doc.’s Prserved in France, V1, 1899, P-LII.

1193, With Baldwin VII of Flanders, King Philip of France laid siege to the Norman capital of Rouen with 23 siege engines. Robert, Earl of Leicester was in charge of defending the city. Philip demanded a surrender. Robert replied that the gates were open and Philip could enter any time he wanted. Fearing he could not win a close-quarters fight, Philip burnt his siege engines, emptied his wine into the Seine, and returned to Paris.

9/1197, Confederation between Richard of England and Baldwin, count of Flanders and Hainaut, against Philip, king of England. … Robert, Earl of Leicester… The above witnesses were sworn in Normandy, before the king of England and the Count of Flanders … (S) Life of Philippe Auguste, Rigord, 1826.

10/1204, Robert died without issue – ending the male family line.

ii. Margaret de Beaumont (39979013), born ~1164 in Hampshire, England.

iii. Roger Fitz Robert, born ? in England.

4/1189, King William gave the See of St. Andrews to his chancellor, Roger, son of Robert, earl of Leicester.

iv. Amitia Fitz Robert, born ? in England.

11-12/1204, Notification by Amitia, sister of the late earl of Leicester, that she quitclaims for ever to her lord Philip king of the French and his heirs the castle of Breteuil and all that the earl held on that side of the English sea … if her sister, wife of Seher de Quinciaco should claim any … she will share her land in England with her. For this the king gives her and her heirs the castle of S. Leger, … (S) Cal. of Doc.’s Prserved in France, V1, 1899, P-476.

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