Seneschal Ralph de Fougeres

 79959024. Seneschal Ralph de Fougeres

~1125, Ralph born in Brittany, France, s/o §§Baron Ralph de Fourgeres.

~1148, Ralph married a d/o Richard, s/o Richard fitz Gilbert.

10/25/1154, Henry II succeeded Stephen as King of England.

1156, Conan IV of Brittany (79959022) besieged and took Rennes, sending his stepfather Eudon in flight. Eudon was then captured by Ralph de Fourgeres; after which Conan was recognized as Duke of Brittany.

7/1162, John of Dol died leaving an heiress who was put in the guardianship of Ralph de Fourgeres. (S) Henry II, Warren, 1977, P101.

Bef. 2/20/1171, Ralph ‘the greatest baron of Brittany’ in service to 79959022. Duke below.]

4/1173, King Henry II’s 3 eldest surviving sons: Young King Henry, Richard [I] & Geoffrey rebelled against him; supported by their mother. King Henry hired 20,000 mercenaries in France to put down the rebellion.

7/1173, King Henry summoned the barons of Brittany to give the oath of fealty. Ralph refused to attend, and began to rebuild the castle of Fourgeres, which King Henry had previousy destroyed. King Henry sent men to lay waste to Ralph’s lands. Ralph defeated the forces, burning down Henry’s castles of St. James and Tilleul. While in the field, King Henry attacked Fourgeres and took Ralph’s treasury and chattles. Ralph, supported by the Earl of Chester (39979010), then took possession of King Henry’s castle of Combourg and his city of Dol. After another losing conflict, Ralph and the Earl with 60 knights took refuge in the tower at Dol. [This was during the revolt of King Henry II’s sons who were supported by King Louis. King Louis’ daughter was married to the rebelling eldest son of King Henry.]

8/26/1173, Besieged by King Henry, Ralph and the Earl surrendered the forces. Ralph gave King Henry his sons Ivell and Guillaume as hostages for his good behavior. (S) Chronicles of Robert de Monte, Torigni, 1856, P119.

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

6/7/1187, Ralph’s heir William died.

7/1181, Constance (39979511) 1st married Geoffrey Plantagenet, s/o King Henry II of England.

1181, Henry II hand over the government of Brittany to his son Duke Geoffrey [Plantagenet], age 23.

Aft. 1181, Ralph was the first lay-witness of 2 of Duke Geoffrey’s charters. In the first of the 2 charters, Ralph’s name appears even before those of the bishops.

1182-83, Ralph the first attestor all of Geoffrey’s charters not made in England, Nantes or Paris. [This suggests Ralph was left in Brittany, possibly as administrator.]

~1183, Geoffrey created the office of ‘seneschal of Brittany’, to which Ralph was appointed.

1185, Geoffrey acquired Nantes, leaving Ralph in Rennes, where Ralph presided over the cucal curia at Rennes. Ralph was also directed to appoint castellans for some baronial castles which had been seized by Duke Geoffrey. Ralph used the title ‘senescallus Redonensis.’

1185 at Rennes, A confirmation by Duke Geoffrey of a gift to Savigny is witnessed by Ralph de Forgeres ‘tunc Britannie senescallus’.

1185, A copy of the ‘Assize of count Geoffrey’ conducted at Rennes sent to Ralph, who was also a witness.

8/19/1186, Geoffrey Plantagenet died in a tournament in Paris, France.

10/1186, Henry II in Brittany to put down a revolt. About this time, Ralph’s office of ‘seneschal of Brittany’ was suspended.

6/7/1187, Ralph’s son and heir Guillaume died.

Bef. 1188, A charter of Duchess Constance ‘Conani comitis filia’ to the abbey of Beaulieu witnessed by Ralph de Fougeres ‘tunc tempori Britannie senescallus.’

1189 at Mortain, A contract of marriage between Margaret, d/o Ralph de Fougeres of Brittany with Waleran, s/o Robert (486734854), Comte of Meulan, giving £200 money of Anjou, of rent in dower, viz. Brionne entirely, except the fief of Robert d’Harcourt … Ralph de Fougeres gave Waleran and Margaret his entire land of Bennington, com. Linc. … Witnesses: Hugh de Montfort, William de Hommet, William de Fougeres (brother of Ralph), William de Montfort … (S) Magni Rotuli Scacarii, Stapleton, 1844, P.cxcvii. [Margaret must have been a daughter by a later wife.]

6/15/1194, Ralph died, his grandson Geoffrey his heir. (S) Magni Rotuli Scacarii, Stapleton, 1844, P.cxcix.

(S) Proc’s of the Battle Conf. in Dublin, 1997, P101ff.

Family notes:

·         1086, §§Baron Ralph de Fougeres held Twynford manor, Buckinghamshire. (S) St. Mary’s House, Twyford, 6/2011, Buckingham Arch. Soc.

·         1112, §§Ralph de Fourgeres gave the forest at Savigny to St. Vitalis who set up a community there. (S) England and Normandy in the Middle Ages, Bates, 1994, P12.

Child of Ralph and ?:

i. Guillaume de Fougeres (39979512), born ~1150 in Brittany, France.

ii. Margaret de Fougeres, born ? in England.

1189, Margaret married to Waleran of Meulan.

Margaret’s husband Waleran died while on pilgrimage to the Holy Land.

Margaret died.

2/7/1203, King John ordered the had land which had belonged to ‘Margaret, uxoris quondam Walarani de Mellent, sorois Willelmi de Feugeriis, que est cum Britonibus’ to be given to Richard d’Harcourt. (S) Magni Rotuli Scacarii, Stapleton, 1844, P.cxcix.