1st Lord Beauchamp, created on 29 Dec 1299. Seizen of his father's lands 17 Sep 1295, fought in the Scottish wars, invested as a Knight 22 May 1306. In 1321 he suceeded to the extensive estates of his mother, including Sturminster Marshal, Dorset and Bullingham, Cambridgeshire. He held the office of Governor of Sturminster Castle in 1325.
Earl of Warwick, of Elmley and Salwarpe, Worcestershire. Hereditary Sheriff of Worcestershire and hereditary Pantler (in charge of the bread and pantry) at the King Richard's coronation.
William was heir to his uncle, William Mauduit, by which he inherited the Earldom of Warwick in 1268, as well as the office of the Chamberlain of the Exchequer, the baronies of Warwick and Hanslope in Buckinghamshire.
William was a close friend of King Edward I, and an important military leader in Edward's invasion into Wales in 1277, raised the siege of Conwy Castle in 1294, where the King had been penned in, defeated the Welsh at Maes Moydog in March 1295 against the Prince of Wales, Madog ap Llywelyn. In a night attack on the Welsh infantry, he used cavalry to drive them into compact formations, which were then shot up by his archers, and charged.
William defeated the Scots at Dunbar 27 April 1296 and was with the English at the defeat of Sterling in 1297. He was described as a "vigorous and innovative military commander".
By his wife, he inherited the manors of Cherhill, Wiltshire, Potterspury, Northamptonshire, Quarrendon, Buckinghamshire and a cantread (district) of townships in the Isles of Thomond in Ireland. William received a licence to crenellate Hanslope 10 June 1292.
William died at Elmley on the 5th or 9th of June, 1298, Maud died in April 1301 and they both were buried at Friars Minor (Greyfriars) at Worcester.
Earl of Worcester. Eldest son of Robert de Beaumont, Count of Meulan and Isabel de Vermandois.
Twin brother of Sir Robert de Beaumont, the Earl of Leicester. At the death of his father, the boys became wards of King Henry I of England until adulthood when they received their inheritance from their father. Waleran received the title of Count of Meulan and the honors of Beaumont-le-Roger and Pont Audemer in Normandy, and a large estate in Dorset including the manor of Sturminster Marshall.
Waleran was involved in the conspiracy run by Amaury III de Montfort, lost his fortress at Pont Audemer, caught by Henry's men, imprisoned at Rouen, then Bridgnorth and then at Wallingford Castle. He was released for unknown reasons in 1129, and he and his brother were present at Henry's deathbed in 1135.
Waleran was the cousin of King Louis VII of France, present at the Battle of Lincoln and a supporter of King Stephen, involved in wars and heavy politics his entire life.
Waleran married King Stephen's daughter, Mathilda, when she was an infant in about 1136. She died before she reached the age of ten, and Waleran married Agnes de Montfort, daughter of Amaury about 1142. Her maritagium included estates in France, making him extremely wealthy. They would have eight children, six sons and two daughters:
Robert de Beaumont, Count of Meulan
Isabelle de Meulan
Waleran de Meulan
Amaury de Meulan, Lord of Gournay
Roger de Meulan, Viscount of Evreux
Raoul de Meulan
Etienne de Meulan
Mary de Meulan
Waleran was an educated man, a writer, and literary patron. Geoffrey of Monmouth dedicated his earliest edition of The History of the Kings of Britain to him in 1136. He founded the abbey at Bordesley, Worcestershire in 1138 or 9, the St Mary's abbey at Le Valasse in Normandy in 1150, both of which were taken by the king, Henry II. Twenty days before his death, he entered the abbey of Saint Peter at Preaux, the ancestral abbey of his family at Pont Audemer in Normandy, and died as a monk there on the 9th or 10th of April, 1166. He is buried at the chapter house, along other members of his family.
4th Lord Beaumont, Knight of The Garter vested 1393, of Folkingham and Burton in Lincolnshire, of Loughborough, Beaumanor, Hugglescote and Arnesby in Leicestershire. Privy Councillor, Warden of the West Marches towards Scotland, Admiral of the North, Constable of Dover Castle, Warden of the Cinque Ports, Ambassador to France.
Son and heir of Henry de Beaumont and Margaret de Vere. Husband of Catherine Everingham, daughter of Adam of Nottinghamshire and Joan d'Erville. They had four sons and four daughters:
Sir Henry, 5th Lord Beaumont
John de Beaumont
Sir Thomas de Beaumont
Richard de Beaumont
Joan de Beaumont
Elizabeth de Beaumont
Eleanor, nun at Amesbury
Margaret de Beaumont
He was invested as a Knight on 23 April 1377 by King Edward III, and received livery of his lands in 1383. John was summoned to Parliament 1383 to 1393, and accompanied John Gaunt to Spain in the attempt to conquer Castile. He tilted (jousted against) the Great Chamberlain of France (Arnaud Amanieu, Lord of Albret) in a tournament in Calais in 1393, and against the famous Boucicaut (Jean Le Maingre, Marshall of France) at Saint Ingelbert. His will was dated the 8th of September 1396.
Knight, 5th Lord Berkeley, Privy Councillor to Kings Richard II and Henry IV, Admiral of the South & West, Constable of Brecknock Castle, Joint Warden of the Marches. Thomas served int the wars in France, Spain, Brittany and Scotland during the years 1378 to 1385. He was summoned to Parliament 1381 to 1415, and entertained King Richard II at Berkeley Castle.
Knight, 4th Lord Berkeley, son and heir. Maurice was a commander at Gascony in 1355, distinquished himself at the Battle of Poitiers 1356, where he was wounded and taken prisoner, then ransomed for �. He was summoned to Parliament 1362 to 1368. In 1365 he received a papal indult for a portable altar for six years, and the permission to celebrate mass before daybreak.
3rd Lord Berkeley, Baron of Berkeley, Chief Warden of Gloucester, Worcester and Hereford, Marshal of the English Army in France, Captain of the Scottish Marches, Warden and Chief Justice in Eyre South of Trent, 1st son and heir by his father's first marriage.
His first marriage, by contract dated 10 May 1319, and papal dispensation dated 28 Aug 1329 as they were related by 4th degree, was to Margaret de Mortimer, daughter of Sir Roger de Mortimer and Joan de Joinville. Margaret's maritagium consisted on £2000 and the manor of Langley-Burrel in Wiltshire. Thomas and Margaret had four sons; Sir Maurice, Thomas, Roger and Alphonse, and well as one daughter, Joan the wife of Sir Reynold Cobham. Thomas fought at the Battle of Boroughbridge where he was taken prisoner March 1322, imprisoned in Pevensey Castle in Sussex and released Oct 16, 1326. In April of 1327, Thomas and his brother in law, John Mautravers, were given the charge of the disposed king, Edward II, and took him from Kenilworth Castle to Berkeley Castle, where it is said, he was murdered.
Thomas was on the expedition to Scotland with Edward III in 1328, and summoned to Parliament 1329 to 1360. In 1331, he was tried by a jury of twelve knights for the murder of the deposed King Edward II, but was acquitted. Thomas was granted the castle and manor of Beverstone, Gloucestershire, became the Marshall of the English Army in France in 1340, and the Captain of the Scottish Marches in 1342. He was commander of the forces at Crecy in 1346, then Margaret died in 1337.
Thomas married a second time to Katherine de Clivedon, the daughter of Sir John de Clivedon and the widow of Sir Peter de Veel. Thomas and Katherine had four sons; Thomas, Maurice, Edmund and Sir John. After his death, Katherine went on pilgrimages beyond the sea.
Knight, 2nd Lord Berkeley, Baron of Berkeley, Warden of Glouchester, Captain of Berwick, Chief Justice of South Wales, Seneschal of Aquitane, son and heir of Thomas de Berkeley by Joan de Ferrers.
Maurice first married Eve la Zouche, daughter of Eudes by Milicent Cantelowe. Eve's maritagium included the manors of Edington, Somerset and Milston and Brigmerston on Wiltshire. Maurice and Eve had five sons; Sir Thomas, Sir Maurice, John, Eudes, Canon of Westbury, and Peter, Canon of Lincoln, as well as two daughter, Isabel and Milicent.
Maurice distinquished himself in the Scottish wars of 1295 to 1318, and at the siege of Caerlaverock in 1300. He was summoned to Parliament in 1308 to 1321. Eve died 05 Dec 1314, and he r-married to Isabel de Clare, the divorced wife of Sir Guy de Beauchamp, and the daughter of Sir Gilbert de Clare by Alice de Lusignan. Her maritagium included the manors of Shipton and Burford, Oxfordshire. Maurice joined the Thomas, Earl of Lancaster in the rebellion against King Edward II and the Despenser family. He was sent to Wallingford prison 20 Jan 1322, where he died five years later. He was buried at Wallingford, but later moved to Sta Augustines in Bristol.
Knight, Baron of Berkeley, Vice Constable of England, 2nd but 1st surviving son of Maurice de Berkeley and Isabel FitzRoy. Husband of Joan Ferrers, daughter of the 5th Earl of Derby by Margaret de Quincy, married 1267. Joan's maritagium included the manors of Coston in Leicestershire and Eynesbury Berkeley in Huntingdonshire.
Thomas and Joan had three sons, Sir Maurice, John and James, the Bishop of Exeter, as well as two daughters, Margaret and Isabel. There was a possible son, Thomas, who died young. Thomas was present at the Battle of Evesham in 1265, the first expedition against Llywelyn, Prince of Wales in 1277, and in the second invasion with King Edward II in 1282. Thomas earned the title of 1st Baron of Berkely in June of 1283. He was summoned to Parliament in 1295 as Thome de Berkelegh and Lord Berkeley. Thomas was also employed on an embassy to France to visit Pope Clement V, fought at the Battle of Falkirk in 1298, at the siege of Caerlaverock Castle in 1300. The conflict with the burghers of Bristol would become violent after a long struggle with the Berkeley family in 1303. At the Battle of Bannockburn, June 24, 1314, Thomas would be taken prisoner, paying a large sum for his ransom. Thomas died at Berkeley, his wife died eleven years before him.
Sir Knight, Baron of Berkeley, Glouchester, son of Thomas de Berkeley by Joan, daughter of Ralph de Somery. Maurice married Isabel de Dover FitzRoy (the daughter of Richard FotzRoy, the illegitmate son of John Lackland) about 12 July 1247, whose maritagium included the manor of Wendon in Essex. They had four sons: Maurice, Sir Thomas, Robert and Simon, and one daughter Maud. Maurice attended the wars in France and following, the wars in Wales. He was knighted before 1242 amd joined the Barons against King Henry III. In 1264, King Henry granted his wife, Isabel, the manors of Harrietsham and Trottiscliffe in Kent out of compassion since she was in such a state of poverty.
Knight of the Garter, of Feckenham, Worcestershire, Constable of the Castle and County of Pembroke. King's Chamberlain, Captain of Calais, Justice of South Wales, and fourth son.
William studied at Oxford 1358-1361, granted the canonry of Sarum in 1358. He served with John of Gaunt on the Black Prince's campaign at fought at the Battle of Najera in 1367. William went with his brother, Thomas in Nov 1367 for Prussia to engage with the Teutonic Knights, served in the Gascon campaign of 1370 with John of Gaunt, present at Limoges in 1371 and the siege of Montpaon in 1372. He served in John's French campaign of 1373, joined the 1380 expedition to Brittany to aid John de Montfort, commanded the assault and capture of Figueras in 1382, sailed with John John of Gaunt in 1386 to Portugal, and acquired the manor of Snitterfield, Warwickshire from Sir Thomas West. He succeeded to the Castle of Abergavenny in 1389.
William and Joan FitzAlan Arundel had one son and two daughters.
Knight, Knight of the Bath, Knight of the Garter, 13th Earl of Warwick, hereditary Chamberlain of the Exchequer, hereditary Sheriff of Worcestershire, Constable of Breccon Castle, Chief Ambassador to France and Burgundy, Captain of Calais, Captain of the Castle and City of Rouen, Lieutenant General of Normandy, Anjo and Maine, Lieutenant Governor of France and Normandy.
Richard served in Wales against Owen Glendower, defeating him in 1402 near Machynlleth. In 1403 Richard jousted at the coronation of King Henry IV's queen, Joan of Navarre, then fought against the Percys at the Battle of Shrewsbury. In 1408 to 1410 he journeyed to the Holy Sepulchre, France, Italy, Russia and Germany. Chief commander at the siege of Caen in 1417, created Earl of Aumale in France 1419, present at the death bed of King Henry V August 1422, who made him executor and bequeathed the education of his infant son, Henry VI.
From June 1428 to 19 May 1436 her served as Tutor and Governor to the young King Henry VI, and bore him to the coronation at Westminster Abbey 06 Nov 1429. in 1431 he captured Poton de Xaintrailles near Beuvais.
12th Earl of Warwick, Lord of Gower, hereditary Chamberlain of the Exchequer, hereditary Sheriff of Worcestershire, Warden of the Channel ISlands, Admiral of the Fleet, second but first surviving son.
Thomas went with his brother William, to Prussia in 1367 and Brittany in 1368. Thomas was part of John Gaunt's match from Calais to Bordeaux to relieve Aquitane in 1373. Thomas was present at the coronation of Richard II in 1377, and carried the third sword. Thomas accompanied the king to Scotland in 1388. In 1398, he mortaged his manors to Thomas Mowbray for £5383.
In 1398 he was suddenly arrested for high treason and banished for life to the Isle of man in perpetual imprisonment. He was liberated at the accession of King Henry IV in 1399, attended the coronation and again carried the third sword. His lands and honours were restored 19 Nov 1399.
11th Earl of Warwick, of Elmsley Castle, Worcestershire, Hanslope, Buckinghamshire, Flamstead, Herfordshire and Warwick, Warwickshire. Hereditary Chamberlain of the Exchequer, herediatary Sheriff of Worcestershire, Warden of the Scottish Marches, Marshal of England, Sheriff of counties Warwick and Leichester, Admiral of the Western Fleet, Joint Ambassador to Scotland. He married Katherine de Mortimer after 22 Feb 1324 by dispensation dated 19 April 1319 because they were related in the 3rd and 4th degrees.
Thomas fought in Scotland on 1333 and 1335. In 1339 he took part in the King's campaign on France, beig the 3rd division at Vironfosse, Aisen, the following year he was in command at Valenciennes and later with the King at the seige of Tournia. He served as Chief Ambassador to Brabant and Flanders, and Philip de Valois in 1342, and as Joint ambassador to the Pope in 1343. Founder of the Knights of the Order of the Garter.
Thomas was in joint command of the Prince of Wales division at the Battle of Crecy 1346 and Calais 1346-1347.Constable of the army on Gascony in 1355, commanded the naguard at the Battle of Poitiers 19 Sept 1356, gaining renown for his valor. At Poitiers, he took Guillame de Melan prisoner, and obtained £8,000.00 ransom. Thomas served in Edward III's last campaign in France in 1359-1360. He was a Crusader in Lithuania in 1362-1363.
Thomas died of the plague in Calais.
Earl of Warwick, Count of Aunale, Sheriff of Worcester and Chamberlain of the Exchequer, Constable and Steward of Tutbury. He was granted two yearly fairs at Tewkesbury by the king in 1441. He was created Premier Earl 02 Apr 1444, and Duke of Warwick on 05 Apr 1445. Henry married Cecily de Neville in 1434, and they had one daughter, Anne, who died very young. Henry died testate at Hanley Castle.
Sir Knight, 10th Earl of Warwick, Baron of Salwarpe, Worcestershire, hereditary Chamberlain of the Exchequer, hereditary Sheriff of Worcestershire.
Son of William de Beauchamp, 9th Earl of Warwick by Maude, daughter of John FitzGeoffrey, Knt of Shere. Born between 1271 and 1275, second husband of Alice de Toeni married shortly before 28 Feb 1310. Previously married to Isabel de Clare, daughter of Gilbert de Clare and Alice de Lusignan, but they were separated in 1302, no issue.
In 1298 Guy had land grants in Scotland belonging to Mowbray, Strivelyn and de Chartres. Guy fought at the Battle of Falkirk in the King's Division July 22, 1298, took part of the Seige of Caerlaverock, served under Edward, Price of Wales at the seige of Sterling Castle in 1304, present at the coronation of King Edward II in 1308 where he carried one of the Swords of State. Guy was prominent in the banishment of Peter de Gavaston, and alone opposed his recall in 1309. Guy was one of the Lords Ordainers of Reform in 1310.
In June of 1312, Guy seized Gaveston at Deddington and took him to Warwick Castle. The Earl of Lancaster arrived, who executed Gaveston without a trial 19 June 1312. He was pardoned in 1313, but he refused to participate in the following Battle of Bannockburn.
Fourth daughter of Richard de Beauchamp and Isabel le Despenser (who first married his cousin, Richard de Beauchamp, the 13th Earl of Warwick)
Co-heiress to her niece, Anne Beauchamp, Countess of Warwick, by which she inherited the earldon of Warwick and half a share of the barony of Burghersh. In 1453, being weakened by former illnesses and childbirth, she recived papal permission to coose her own confessor and when she became pregnant again, she was allowed toeat eggs, milk and flesh on fasting and lent days.
Her husband was deeply involved in the York uprising and War of the Roses. After he was slain at the battle of Barnet, Anne obtained an Act of Parliament for the restoration of her Warwick inheritance, yet she surrendered it back to King Henry VII the same year.
Her parents are listed as Walter de Beauchamp and Emmeline d'Abitot, and her son is listed as having unknown parents in the Mormon church records.
Numerous web pages list the information as I have.
AKA Bernard "le Danois", fFounding father of the House of Harcourt
What follows in the Harcourt line comes mainly from the book called " A History of the Family Harcourt " written by William Harcourt-Bath in1930. Paul McBride has a copy.
"Chief counsellor to Rollo in the conquest of Normandy, France. Rollo's wife and Bernard's wife are sisters. His descendents followed " William the Conqueror " into England. Thefamily is a direct descendent of " Charlemagne " and the Trojan SenatorAntenor"
The name seems to come from "Herr" ( A Teuteonic courtesy title), meaning lord or gentleman and court meaning hall or mansion. I.E."HerrCourt" . The name has evolved over the years, Herecourt , Harecourt , Harcourt.
Knight of Folkingham, Barton on Humber, and Heckington Lincolnshire. Joint Warden of Scotland south of Forth, Privy Councillor, Constable of England, Constable of the Army, Justiciar of Scotland. In the right of his wife, Earl of Buchan in Scotland, hereditary Constable of Scotland.
Henry and Alice had three sons and seven daughters.
Henry served in Flanders in 1297 and the Falkirk campaign in 1298. He attended Kind Edward I in the Scottish wars of 1302,. whereas he obtained large grants of land, mainly in Lincolnshire, from Edward II. He was summoned to Parliament from 1308 to 1332, held as Lord Beaumont. He received a grant of the Isle of Man in 1310. In 1311, he and his sister Isabel de Vescy were banished from court but soon returned, and acquired the manors of Seacourt, Berkshire and Tackley in Oxfordshire, which fell to Henry alone when his sister died in 1334. Henry fought with the English in the Battle of Bannockburn in 1314, resulting in Robert de Bruce taking his earldom.
Alice gained the estates of her sister, Margery Comyn, wife of Sir John Ross and Sir William Lindsay in 1317 to 1321. Henry was able to purchase the lordship of Ditchburn in Northumberland in 1320. He fought on the side of King Edward II at the Battle Boroughbridge in 1322, then imprisoned in 1323 for contempt and disobedience at the Council. Now, he sided against Edward II, whose escape he prevented (shortly before Edward's murder at Berkeley Castle Sep 1327.)
When the Despenser were executed in 1327, Henry obtained their manors of Loughborough, Arnesby, Beaumanor and Hugglescote. King Edward III applied to King David of Scotland for Henry's earldom to be restored but was denied. Henry accompanied Edward de Balliol at the Battle of Dupplin in Scotland 1332, and was created the Earl of Moray before 17 Oct 1333. Again summoned to Parliament as the Earl of Moray from 1334 to 1339, and the Scottish Parliament 1334 as the Earl of Buchan without actually having the earldom restored to him. He was then besieged at the Dundarg castle, where he surrendered on 23 Dec 1334, and returned to England with his family.
Beaumont, Roger of Probably from Beaument-le-Roger, Eure. Father of Henry and Robert. Entered monastry of St. Pierre, Preaux, 1094-95. Holdings in Dorset, Glos. http://www.domesdaybook.co.uk/landowners.html
His most favoured benefactor was the Count of Meulan(Roger de Beaumont). Roger (sometimes the records in England show him as Robert but this may be a confusion between the son Robert with his father who actually held the lands) de Beaumont was the most powerful seignior in Normandy. His Chief domain in Normandy was Beaumont le Roger. He adopted the title Count of Meulan from Adelina, his wife's family. He received 90 manors in Warwick, Leicester, Wiltshire and Northampton. There is dispute whether he, Roger, was at Hastings, he was old at the time, but he contributed 60 ships to the invasion force. He was represented by the young Robert, his son, at the Battle of Hastings. By the taking of the Domesday survey, Robert (Roger) de Beaumont, was known as the Count of Meulan, having inherited the title in 1082 on his father's death. He also became a peer of France. He was also known as Roger de Beaumont, or simply Earl Roger, and became the 1st Earl of Warwick, and the Earl of Leicester. In the holdings listed below, Earl Roger, Count Meulan, Robert de Beaumont are one and the same. Initially, although a very powerful magnate, he was only the custodian of the grants made to his father by Duke William until his father's death. By 1082, he had inherited all his father's estates in England and in Normandy. The latter was also Earl of Leicester. Henry de Beaumont, his younger brother, later succeeded to the Earldom of Warwick. Robert(Roger) held a total of 57 manors in Warwick at the Domesday survey. His Chief domain in England was Sturminster Marshal in Dorset. He shared with the King the great power in Warwickshire. Lands held: Arlescote, Anstey, Avon Dassett, Barnacle, Bedworth, Bericote, Berkswell, Bourton on Dunsmore, Bulkington, Charlecote, Claverdon, Compton Verney, Fenny Compton, Frankton, Fulbrook, Hillmorton, Hodnell, Ilmington, Kington, Ladbroke, Lillington, Luddington, Marston Jabbett, Milverton, Milverton, Moreton Morrell, Myton, Napton on the Hill, Newbold Comyn, Oversley, Preston Bagot, Roundhill, Seckington, Sherborn, Shilton, Shuckborough, Shuttington, Smercore, Snitterfield, Sole End, Tachbrook Mallory, Thurlsaston, Walton, Warmington, Weddington, Weston in Arden, Wibtoft, Willey, Wolford, Woodcote, Wormleighton, Dorsington. Warwickshire and the Domesday Book . http://www.infokey.com/Domesday/Warwickshire.htm
Of Roger, Count de Beaumont, it is unanimously recorded that he was the noblest, the wealthiest, and the most valiant seigneur of Normandy, and the greatest and most trusted friend of the Danish family. Son of Humphrey de Vielles, and grandson of Thorold de Pontaudemer, a descendant of the Kings of Denmark, through Bernard the Dane, a companion of the first Norman Conqueror, Duke Rollo, illustrious as was such as origin in the eyes of his countrymen, he considered his alliance with Adelina, Countess of Meulent, sufficiently honorable and important to induce him to adopt the title of her family in preference to that of his own. We have already heard of his first great exploit, when, as a young man, in the early years of Duke William, he defeated the turbulent Roger de Toeni, who with his two sons were slain in that sanguinary conflict (vide p. 19, ante). Towards the invading fleet he contributed, according to Taylor's List, sixty vessels, and being at that time advanced in years, and selected to superintend the affairs of the duchy, sent his young son Robert to win his spurs at Senlac.http://genealogy.patp.us/conq/beaumont.shtml
Promised William the Conqueror sixty ships along with FitzOsbern, Montgomery, Avranches.
He was nicknamed Barbatus or La Barbe because he wore a moustache and beard while the Normans usually were clean shaven. This peculiarity is recognized in the forty-first panel of the Bayeux Tapestry where he is depicted sitting at a feast with Duke William on his left hand, Odo brother of William and Bishop of Bayeux in the centre.
Planché tells us that "he was the noblest, the wealthiest, and the most valiant seigneur of Normandy, and the greatest and most trusted friend of the Danish family." Wace, the 12th century historian, says that "at the time of the invasion of England, Roger was summoned to the great council at Lillebonne, on account of his wisdom; but that he did not join in the expedition as he was too far advanced in years." Although Roger could not fight, he did not hesitate in contributing his share of the cost, for he provided at his own expense sixty vessels for the conveyance of the troops across the channel.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roger_de_Beaumont
Robert de Beaumont (or Bellomont) Earl of Mellent & Earl of Leicester died on 5 Jun 1118. He was married to Lady Isabel (also called Elizabeth) de Vermandois in 1096. http://www.datasync.com/~woodward/staffora/d2485.htm#P5780
Beaumont, Robert also called Count of Meulan which he became through his mother. Brother of Henry, son of Roger. Earl of Leicester from 1107; died 1118. Robert became close advisor of Henry I. Said to have died or mortification and heartbreak due to the infidelity of his wife, Isabelle de Vermandois.
Also called Count of Meulan which he became through his mother. Brother of Henry, son of Roger. Earl of Leicester from 1107; died 1118. Robert became close advisor of Henry I.
He was one of the royal hunting party in the New Forest on the 2nd of August, 1100, when William Rufus received his mysterious death-wound, and hastened on the instant with Prince Henry to Winchester, in order to secure the royal treasure, as well as the succession to the throne of England.
His twin children, Robert who inherited the title, and Walerun, Count Meulan and later Earl of Worcester were a great influence on King Stephen. Gilbert de Clare was a brother-in-law; their half brother William de Warenne became second Earl of Surrey. Holdings in Leics., Northants., and Warwicks. http://www.domesdaybook.co.uk/landowners.html
William made Robert the Earl of Leichester. "1066" by Dennis Butler.
A powerful English and French nobleman, revered as one of the wisest men of his age. Chroniclers speak highly of his eloquence, his learning, and three kings of England valued his counsel.
He was the eldest son of Roger de Beaumont and Adeline of Meulan, daughter of Waleran III, Count de Meulan, and an older brother of Henry de Beaumont, 1st Earl of Warwick. He accompanied William the Conqueror to England in 1066, where his service earned him more than 91 lordships and manors. When his mother died in 1081, Robert inherited the title of Count of Meulan in Normandy, also the title of Viscount Ivry and Lord of Norton. He did homage to Philip I of France for these estates and sat as French Peer in the Parliament held at Poissy.
At the Battle of Hastings Robert was appointed leader of the infantry on the right wing of the army.
He and his brother Henry were members of the Royal hunting party in the New Forest, when William Rufus received his mysterious death wound, 2 August 1100. He then pledged alligience to William Rufus' brother, Henry I of England, who created him Earl of Leicester in 1107: Orderic Vital gives the following account of the mode by which he obtained the earldom: -- "The town of Leicester had four masters -- the King, the Bishop of Lincoln, Earl Simon" (Simon de St. Liz, Earl of Huntingdon), "and Ivo, the son of Hugh" (de Grentmesnil). The latter had been heavily fined for turbulent conduct, and was in disgrace at Court. He was also galled by being nicknamed "the Rope-dancer," having been one of those who had been let down by ropes from the walls of Antioch. He therefore had resolved to rejoin the Crusade, and made an agreement with the Count of Meulent to the following effect: -- The Count was to procure his reconciliation with the King, and to advance him five hundred silver marks for the expenses of his expedition, having the whole of Ivo's domains pledged to him as a security for fifteen years. In consideration of this, the Count was to give the daughter of his brother Henry, Earl of Warwick, in marriage to Ivo's son, who was yet in his infancy, and to restore him his father's inheritance. This contract was confirmed by oath, and ratified by the King, but Ivo died on his road to the Holy Land, and Robert de Meulent, by royal favour and his own address, contrived to get the whole of Leicester into his own hands, and being in consequence created an English earl, his wealth and power surpassed those of any other peer of the realm, and he was exalted above nearly all his family."
This great warrior and able man is said to have died of sorrow and mortification, caused by the infidelity of his second wife Elizabeth, otherwise Isabella, daughter of Hugh the Great, Comte de Vermandois and of Chaumont in the Vexin. He had married -- the date at present unknown -- Godechilde de Conches, daughter of Roger de Toeni, Seigneur de Conches, but had separated from her before 1096, as in that year she, who could not then have been seventeen, became the wife of Baldwin, son of Eustace de Boulogne, who was King of Jerusalem after the decease of his brother Godfrey. Robert de Meulent, then being between fifty and sixty, and without issue, sought the hand of Elizabeth de Vermandois, who was in the bloom of youth, and was accepted by the lady; but Ivo, Bishop of Châtres, forbade the magiage on the ground of consanguinity; the Count of Vemandois and the Count of Meulent being both great-grandsons of Gautier II, surnamed "Le Blanc," Count of the Vexin. A dispensation was obtained, however, from the Pope, on condition that Count Hugh should take the Cross, and the marriage was celebrated on the eve of his departure for the Holy Land, the same year in which Robert's first wife married Baldwin de Boulogne.http://genealogy.patp.us/conq/beaumont.shtml
On the death of William Rufus, William, Count of Evreux and Ralph de Conches made an incursion into Robert's Norman estates, on the pretence that they had suffered injury through some advice that Robert had given to the King; their raid was aery successful for they collected a vast booty.
According to Henry of Huntingdon, Robert died of shame after "a certain earl carried off the lady he had espoused, either by some intrigue or by force and stratagem." His wife Isabella remarried in 1118 to William de Warenne, 2nd Earl of Surrey. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_de_Beaumont%2C_1st_Earl_of_Leicester
Towards the invading fleet he contributed, according to Taylor's List, sixty vessels, and being at that time advanced in years, and selected to superintend the affairs of the duchy, sent his young son Robert (this one) to win his spurs at Senlac.
In that memorable battle he is said to have given proof of courage and intelligence beyond his years, and promise of the high reputation he would eventually obtain, and which won for him the surname of Prudhomme. "A certain Norman young soldier," writes William of Poitou, "son of Roger de Bellomont, and nephew and heir of Hugh, Count of Meulent, by Adelina, his sister, making his first onset in that fight, did what deserves lasting fame, boldly charging and breaking in upon the enemy with the troops he commanded in the right wing of the army."
His services were rewarded by ninety manors in Warwickshire, Leicestershire, Wiltshire, and Northamptonshire. In 1080 he, with his brother Henry, afterwards Earl of Warwick, were amongst the barons who exerted themselves to reconcile King William to his son Robert Court-heuse, and in 1081 he subscribed a charter of confirmation in favour of the Abbey of Fécamp. This was the last document he signed in the name of Beaumont, for his mother dying in year, he thenceforth wrote himself Comte de Meulent, and did homage to Philip I, King of France, for the lands to which he succeeded in that kingdom, and in 1082 sat as a Peer of France in a parliament held by the said King at Poissy.
On the death of the Conqueror, the Comte de Meulent and his brother sided with William Rufus; their father, Roger de Beaumont, leaving also the ducal court and retiring to his estates. The late King had given the Castle of Ivri jointly to Roger de Beaumont and Robert his son; but during the absence of the latter in England, Robert Court-heuse, having become Duke of Normandy, exchanged, in 1090, that castle for the Castle of Brionne with Roger de Beaumont, without obtaining the consent of Robert de Meulent. The latter, having a quarrel with the monks of Bec, whose monastery was in the territory of Brionne, was greatly angered by this transaction, and repairing to the Duke at Rouen, boldly demanded of him the restoration of Ivri. The Duke answered that he had given his father the Castle of Brionne for it, which was a fair exchange. The Count replied, "I was no party to that bargain, and repudiate it; but what your father gave to my father that will I have, or by Saint Nicaise I will make you repent your conduct to me." The Duke, highly incensed, had him immediately arrested and imprisoned, and seizing the Castle of Brionne, gave it into the keeping of Robert, son of Baldwin de Meules. Roger de Beaumont, on receipt of these tidings, sought the Duke, and with the skill of an old courtier contrived to pacify his resentment, and obtain the release of his son and the restoration of Brionne; but Robert de Meules, who was in charge of it, refused to surrender it, and the Count de Meulent was obliged to resort to force. Siege was laid to the castle in regular form, and the garrison stoutly holding out, Gilbert du Pin, commanding the beleaguering forces, caused arrows, with their steel heads made red-hot in a furnace, to be shot over the battlements, and which, falling on the roofs of the buildings within the walls, set them on fire. The conflagration spreading, the place became no longer tenable, and Brionne remained from that period in the hands of the Counts of Meulent.http://genealogy.patp.us/conq/beaumont.shtml
Robert the Butler and Robert Pincerna are probably the same person. Hugh, the father, was Hugh the Butler to the Counts of Meulent (Roger de Beaumont). Robert was also known as Hugh Pincerna and was present at the Battle of Hastings. Richard, his brother, held estates in Shropshire and Cheshire as an under-tenant, and Robert also held in Shropshire and was butler or chamberlain to Earl Roger, a position of considerable importance. Robert was also a Baron in Bedfordshire.Wem was his chief domain. Held Aston(Oswestry)
Robert Pincerna's Shropshire Land Holdings in Domesday 1086: Crudgington Eyton, Petton Stanwardine-in-the-Fields, Walford.http://www.infokey.com/Domesday/Shropshire.htm
Iago = Welsh for James or Jacob
Little known about his reign circa 599-613 or 615
Angles in Mercia grew under Pybba's rule and his son Penda. Iago may have
formed alliance with Pybba, agreement that Pybba would not attack in return
for Iago's support in Mercia if needed.
In 604 Athelfrith of Northumbria drove Edwin, son of Aelle King of Deira,
out of Northumbria. Edwin sought refuge in Iago's and Selyf's (of Powys)
courts. Athelfrith turned his wrath on Wales, Mercians provided little
assistance. Athelfrith slaughtered monks at Bangor, defeated and killed Selyf
of Powys at the Battle of Chester. Facts suggest Iago had already abdicated
to his son Cadfan and died in a monastery.
Succeeeded by his son Cadfan Iago Gwynedd
Sources:
Mike Ashley's "British Kings & Queens"
Iago ap Beli (c. 560-613; reigned from c. 599) (Latin: Iacobus; English: James) was King of Gwynedd.
The most notable feature of his reign (of which little information exists) is the growing strength of the nearby kingdoms of Mercia, under the rule of Pybba and his son Penda, and of Bernicia, under Æthelfrith. Some evidence exists to suggest that Iago may have entered into some sort of alliance with Pybba, trading the latter's promise not to attack Gwynedd in exchange for Gwynedd's support against Northumbria, should that support be needed. In 604, after being driven from his throne by Æthelfrith, Edwin, king of Deira, may have sought refuge at the Iago's court. Perhaps as a result, Æthelfrith turned his wrath against Gwynedd, slaughtering the monks at a monastery at Bangor, and finally facing the forces of Gwynedd and Powys at the Battle of Chester in 613.
It is not known whether or not Iago took part in this battle: he may have
done so, perishing amidst the slaughter, or he may have already abdicated
his throne in favor of his son, Cadfan, and died later than year in a monastery.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iago_ap_Beli
Killed in battle by Rollo Rognvaldsson
Mistress of Henry I, King of England, daughter Isabel /Elizabeth b abt 1129. When Isabel married Gilbert, she took Elizabeth with her.
Ancestor of Beauchamp family; Large holdings in Beds., Herts., and Bucks. Domesday Book.
The name of this great historical, prolific, and widespreading family, of which no less than ten branches are recorded in the Baronage of England, appears in every list of the companions of the Conqueror, but is not mentioned by any of the contemporary writers. Nor do the old lists in which it occurs give the baptismal names of the persons recorded, and we have therefore to search in other quarters for evidence that will enable us to identify the particular member or members of the family who may be fairly presumed to have been present in the battle of Hastings.
In this instance, Domesday supplies us with sufficient information to justify us in admitting the probability of the statement of MM. de Magny and Delisle, that it was a Hugh de Bexuchamp who for his services at the time of the Conquest, received four lordships in Buckinghamshire, and forty-three, or the greatest portion of them, in Bedfordshire, and was the immediate ancestor of the Beauchamps of Bedford.
Of his own parentage I have found no note, but he was most probably descended from the Norman lords of Beauchamp of Avranches, seated between that city and Granville, and a kinsman of the Robert de Beauchamp, Viscount of Arques, in the reign of Henry I, who is first mentioned by Orderic under the year 1171, when by the King's order he seized the castle of Elias de Saint-saens, who had the guardianship of the young heir of Normandy, William Clito, with the object of arresting that prince and consigning him to captivity.
By his wife, unknown, Hugh de Beauchamp is said to have had three sons: Simon, who died without issue; Pagan or Payne, to whom William Rufus gave the whole barony of Bedford with the castle, which was the caput or head of the barony, and Milo, the ancestor of the Beauchamps of Eaton. Thus Dugdale and others; but there is undoubtedly some confusion here which, though noticed by the English translator of Orderic, has not been cleared up by him. The De Beauchamps who so strongly defended Bedford Castle were, according to Orderic, the sons of Robert de Beauchamp, and not of Hugh, as above stated; and if this Robert be identical with the Viscount of Arques we have just heard of, the whole line of Beauchamp of Bedford is thrown into disorder.
More at http://genealogy.patp.us/conq/beauch.shtml
Born in 1053 or 1054 he succeeded his father Ramon Berenguer I the Old to co-rule with his twin brother Ramon Berenguer, in 1075. The twins failed to agree and divided their possessions between them, against the will of their late father. Ramon Berenguer II was killed while hunting in the woods on December 5, 1082. His brother, who went on to become the sole ruler of Catalonia, was credited by popular opinion with having orchestrated this murder.
In the 1080s Berenguer Ramon's involvement in the internal strife in the Moorish taifa kingdoms brought him in conflict with Cid. In the ensuing war the Count of Barcelona was twice taken prisoner.
His life in the 1090s is obscure. Some Catalan nobles are said to have accused him of his brother's assassination before King Alfonso VI of Castile. It is also said that his guilt was determined by trial by combat, which he lost. After that he went to Jerusalem, either on pilgrimage or as part of the First Crusade, and perished there between 1097 and 1099. Berenguer Ramon II was succeeded by his nephew Ramon Berenguer III, son of Ramon Berenguer II.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ramon_Berenguer_II%2C_Count_of_Barcelona
Elder son of Henry de Beaumont, 1st Earl of Warwick and Marguerite, daughter of Geoffrey II of Perche and Beatrix of Montdidier. He was also known as Roger de Newburg.
He was generally considered to have been a devout and pious man; a chronicle of the period, the Gesta Regis Stephani, speaks of him as a "man of gentle disposition". The borough of Warwick remembers him as the founder of the Hospital of S. Michael for lepers which he endowed with the tithes of Wedgnock, and other property; he also endowed the House of the Templars beyond the bridge. In the reign of Stephen he founded a priory dedicated to S. Kenned at Llangennilth, Co. Glamorgan and he attached it as a cell to the Abbey of S. Taurinus at Evreux in Normandy.
He visited the Holy Land several times and took part in the Second Crusade, and he apparently joined the expedition under Conrad III of Germany after the Siege of Lisbon.
Bio appearing at Findagrave, written by Anne Stevens:
Henry of Newburgh, 1st Earl of Warwick
Henry was the second of two three sons and third of four children of Sir Roger de Beaumont and Adeline of Meulan, daughter of Waleran III, Count de Meulan. Grandson of Humphrey de Vieilles, born at the castle of Newburg near Louviers, Normandy, which he inherited.
Henry married Margaret, the daughter of Geoffrey de Perche and Beatrix of Montdidier and had five sons:
* Roger de Beaumont, 2nd Earl of Warwick
* Robert de Beaumont, Steward of Normandy
* Rotrou, Bishop of Evreux, Archbishop of Rouen, Chief Justiciar and Steward of Normandy
* Geoffrey de Neubourg, ducal justice in Normandy
* Henry de Neubourg, Henry of Gower, held the Gower lordship
The historian Orderic Vitalis stated Henry was with William II on his 1088 campaign in the Midlands when he was given the charge of Warwick Castle as Constable, and William made him Earl of Warwick the same year and awarded Henry with Warwick Castle, along with it's borough and manor. Henry founded the Church of All Saints within the castle walls by 1119, but the Bishop of Worcester felt it was an inappropriate location for a church and removed it in 1127 or 1128. The castle left the family when his son's wife, Gundred de Warenne, was tricked into believing her husband was dead and turned the castle over to King Henry II's invading army in 1153.
Henry also received an unprecedented group of royal estates in Rutland and the royal forest of Sutton, the current day Sutton Chase, believed to have been an arrangement to protect his earldom between his father, brother and King William. His brother, Robert de Beaumont, Count of Meulan, a proven companion to William at the Battle of Hastings, is mentioned in the Domesday Book with English holdings.
Henry was in high favor at court after he had assisted in the reconciliation of King William and his son, Robert Curthouse in 1081. Both Henry and his brother were also with the royal hunting party at Hampshire that fateful day when William was killed by an arrow. Both Beaumonts swore their allegiance to William's brother Henry I, the few who would remain loyal to Henry as the barons supported Duke Robert Curthose for the throne.
King Henry I awarded Henry with the lordship of Gower, Wales around 1107 where Henry built a castle at Swansea that withstood an attack by the Welsh in 113. Henry also captured the Gower Peninsula in south west Glamorgan. Either Henry or his barons built more castles at Penrhys, Llanrhidian and Swansea, Oystermouth and Loughor, but little remains today besides a mound and keep.
Henry was by disposition quiet and retiring, and was overshadowed by his elder brother Robert de Beaumont, 1st Earl of Leicester, reputedly one of the most brilliant men in England. Odericus recorded that "he earned this honor by his valor and loyalty" and Wace writes he was "a brave man".
Henry retired to the Abbey at Preaux as a monk, where the eighteenth century woodcut of his tomb, and that of his father and brother, can still be seen.
First wife of King Philip of France. Nine years after her marriage, Bertha produced the desired son and heir, Louis. Reportedly, her fertility was only restored thanks to the prayers of a hermit, Arnoul, who also named the child. Together, Philippe and Bertha had five children:
In 1092, Philippe repudiated Bertha, alleging that she was too fat. He confined her to the fortress of Montreuil-sur-Mer, and took up with Bertrade de Montfort, the countess of Anjou.
~~~~~
Bertha of Holland (c.1055-1094) was the first wife and queen of Philippe I, King of France.
She was the daughter of Floris I, Count of Holland, by his wife Gertrude of Saxony, the daughter of Bernard II, Duke of Saxony. After her father died in 1061, her mother remarried to Robert I, Count of Flanders, called Le Frisian. In 1072 her stepfather concluded a peace treaty with King Philippe, and part of the terms of the treaty Bertha was married to Philippe.
Nine years passed before Bertha produced the desired son and heir, Louis. Reportedly, her fertility was only restored thanks to the prayers of a hermit, Arnoul, who also named the child. Together, Philippe and Bertha had five children:
Constance (1078-1125), wife of Bohemund I of Antioch
Louis VI of France (1081-1137)
Henri (1083 - died young)
Charles (1085 - died young)
Eudes (1087 - 1096)
In 1092, Philippe repudiated Bertha, alleging that she was too fat. He confined her to the fortress of Montreuil-sur-Mer, and took up with Bertrade de Montfort, the countess of Anjou.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bertha_of_Holland
Bernard was the illegitimate son of King Pepin, the third son of the Emperor Charlemagne.
In 817, he rebelled against his uncle, the Holy Roman Emperor Louis the Pious, but was defeated the following year. Louis crowned his eldest son, Lothair (later Holy Roman Emperor) as King of Italy, and had Bernard blinded and imprisoned. His death in 818 grieved Louis, and his display of penance to the court in 822 reduced his prestige and respect amongst the Frankish nobility. Bernard had a son with Kunigunda, Pepin of Vermandois.
Bernard was the illegitimate son of King Pepin, the third son of the Emperor Charlemagne. In 817, Louis the Pious partitioned the empire among his three sons. He gave his eldest Lothair Italy. Bernard rebelled against his uncle with the support of Bishop Theodulf of Orléans, but decided not to fight. He met with the emperor on a safe conduct guarantee, but was convicted before even realising he was on trial. Louis had Bernard blinded and imprisoned. The blinding procedure was so traumatic, he died. His death grieved Louis, and his display of penance to the court in 822 at Attigny reduced his prestige and respect amongst the Frankish nobility. Wiki.
Aka Berengar II of Italy, was marquess of Ivrea, and later King of Italy. He was later deposed by the Emperor Otto I, and Italy came under direct control of the Holy Roman Empire.
At the death of King Lothar II of Italy in 950, Berengar seized the opportunity and declared himself King. He tried to legitimize his rule by forcing (kidnapping) Adelaide of Burgundy, the respective daughter, daughter-in-law, and widow of the last three kings of Italy, into marriage with his son Adalbert. Adelaide's requests for intervention resulted in Otto I's invasion in 951, where Berengar was forced to pay homage to the Emperor. Otto, a widower, subsequently married Adelaide.
Berengar continued in his position as a vassal of the Empire. He intrigued with Pope John XII against Otto, and was eventually captured and imprisoned in 963.
The Lombard Berengar of Ivrea (?-966), sometimes also referred to as Berengar II of Italy, was marquess of Ivrea.
Through his mother he was a fifth generation descendant of Charlemagne.
Following the uprising he led became the effective King of Italy upon the withdrawal to Provence of Hugh of Arles, who left his young son Lothar as titular king. At the death of Lothar a few years later, in 950, Berengar seized the opportunity and declared himself king, with his son as co-king. He tried to legitimize his rule by forcing Adelaide, the respective daughter, daughter-in-law, and widow of the last three kings of Italy, into marriage with his son Adalbert. Adelaide's requests for intervention resulted in Otto I's invasion in 951, where Berengar was forced to pay homage to the Emperor (952). Otto, a widower, subsequently married Adelaide himself. Berengar was deposed by Otto, and Northern Italy came under direct control of the Holy Roman Empire.
Berengar continued in his position as a vassal of the Empire. Later (from 960) Berengar and his son Adalbert attacked Pope John XII, on whose appeal Otto marched into Rome and was crowned emperor (962). John's subsequent negotiations with Berengar caused Otto to depose the pope and capture and imprison Berengar in Germany (963).
His consort was Willa, the daughter of Boso, count of Arles and Avignon and margrave of Tuscany; she mistreated Adelaide when Berengar held her captive for several months in 951. The chronicler Liutprand of Cremona, raised at his court at Pavia, gives several particularly vivid accounts of Willa's character.[1] She was held captive in a German nunnery.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Berengar_II_of_Italy
Ramon Berenguer IV, Count of Barcelona the Saint (c. 1113 – August 6, 1162) is most known for effecting the union between Aragon and Catalonia.
He inherited the county of Barcelona from his father Ramon Berenguer III on August 19, 1131. On August 11, 1137 in Huesca he was betrothed to the infant Petronila of Aragon, aged 3 at the time. Her father, Ramiro II of Aragon the Monk, who sought Barcelona's aid against Alfonso VII of Castile, abdicated on November 13 that same year, leaving his kingdom to Petronila and her husband. The latter essentially became ruler of Aragon, although he was never king himself, but instead Count of Barcelona, Prince of the Kingdom of Aragon. He was the last Catalan monarch to use the title of Count as his first; starting with his son Alfonso II of Aragon the counts of Barcelona styled themselves, in the first place, as kings of Aragon.
The treaty between Ramon Berenguer and his father-in-law stipulated that their descendants would rule jointly over both realms. Even should Petronila die before the marriage could be consummated, Berenguer would still inherit the title of King of Aragon. Both realms would preserve their laws, institutions and autonomy, remaining legally distinct but federated in a dynastic union under one ruling House.
Historians consider this arrangement the political masterstroke of the Hispanic Middle Ages. Both realms gained greater strength and security and Aragon got its much needed outlet to the sea. On the other hand, formation of a new political entity in the southeast at a time when Portugal seceded from Castile in the west gave more balance to the Christian kingdoms of the peninsula.
Ramon Berenguer successfully pulled Aragon out of its pledged submission to Castile, aided no doubt by the beauty and charm of his sister Berenguela, wife of Alfonso the Emperor, for which she was well-known in her time. After that, in the middle years of his rule, his attention turned to campaigns against the Moors. In 1147 he helped Castile to conquer Almería. In 1148 he turned against the lands of the Almoravid taifa kingdom of Valencia and Murcia, capturing Tortosa and, the next year, Fraga, Lleida and Mequinenza in the confluence of the Segre, Cinca and Ebro. The reconquista of the actual Catalonia was complete.
Ramon Berenger also campaigned in Provence, helping his brother Berenguer Ramon and his infant nephew Ramon Berenguer II against Counts of Toulouse. During the minority of Ramon Berenger II the Count of Barcelona also acted as the regent of Provence (between 1144 and 1157).
In 1151 Ramon Berenguer the Saint founded and endowed the royal monastery of Poblet. He died in 1162 in Borgo Sam Dalmazzo, Piedmont, Italy, leaving the title of Count of Barcelona to his eldest son Ramon Berenguer, who that same year inherited the title of King of Aragon from her mother's abdication Petronila of Aragon (Ramiro II was already dead), and, in compliment to the Aragonese, changed his name to Alfonso and became Alfonso II of Aragon, I of Catalonia. Ramon Berenguer's younger son Pedro inherited the county of Cerdanya and lands north of the Pyrenees.
Ramon Berenguer V, Count of Provence (1195 – 19 August 1245), Count of Provence and Forcalquier, was the son of Alfonso II, Count of Provence and Gersenda II of Sabran. After his father's death, Ramon was imprisoned in a castle in Aragon until he was able to escape in 1219 and claim his inheritance. He was a powerful and energetic ruler who added Forcalquier to his domain.
Ramon married (5 June 1219) Beatrice of Savoy (d. 1266), daughter of Thomas I of Savoy. She was a shrewd and politically astute woman, whose beauty was likened by Matthew Paris to that of a second Niobe. After two stillborn sons, Ramon and Beatrice of Savoy had four daughters, who all married kings.
Ramon Berenguer III the Great was the count of Barcelona, Girona, and Osona from 1082 (jointly with Berenguer Ramon II and solely from 1097), Besalú from 1111, Cerdanya from 1117, and Provence, in the Holy Roman Empire, from 1112, all until his death in Barcelona in 1131
Born in 1082 in Rodez, he was the son of Ramon Berenguer II. He succeeded his father to co-rule with his uncle Berenguer Ramon II. He became the sole ruler in 1097, when Berenguer Ramon II was forced into exile,
During his rule Catalan interests were extended on both sides of the Pyrenees. By marriage or vassalage he incorporated into his realm almost all of the Catalan counties (except those of Urgell and Peralada). He inherited the counties of Besalú (1111) and Cerdanya (1117) and in between married Douce, heiress of Provence (1112). His dominions then stretched as far east as Nice.
In alliance with the Count of Urgell, Ramon Berenguer conquered Barbastro and Balaguer. In 1118 he captured and rebuilt Tarragona, which became the metropolitan seat of the church in Catalonia (before that, Catalans had depended ecclesiastically on the archbishopric of Narbonne). He also established relations with the Italian maritime republics of Pisa and Genoa and in 1114 and 1115 raided with them the Moorish pirate strongholds of Majorca and Ibiza. They became his tributaries and many Christian slaves there were recovered and set free. Ramon Berenguer also raided mainland Muslim dependencies with Pisa's help, such as Valencia, Lleida and Tortosa.
Toward the end of his life Ramon Berenguer became a Templar. He gave his five Catalonian counties to his eldest son Ramon Berenguer IV and Provence to the younger son Berenguer Ramon.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ramon_Berenguer_III%2C_Count_of_Barcelona
Ramon Berenguer I el Vell ("the Old") was Count of Barcelona in 1035-1076. He promulgated the earliest versions of a written code of Catalan law, the Usages of Barcelona.
Born in 1024, he succeeded his father, Berenguer Ramon the Crooked in 1035. It is during his reign that the dominant position of Barcelona among other Catalan counties became evident.
Ramon Berenguer campaigned against the Moors, extending his dominions as far west as Barbastro and imposing heavy tributes (parias) on other Moorish cities. Historians claim that those tributes helped create the first wave of prosperity in Catalan history. During his reign Catalan maritime power started to be felt in Western Mediterranean. Ramon Berenguer the Old was also the first count of Catalonia to acquire lands (counties of Carcassonne and Razés) and influence north of the Pyrenees.
Another major achievement of his was beginning of codification of Catalan law in the written Usatges or Usatici of Barcelona which was to become the first full compilation of feudal law in Western Europe. Legal codification was part of the count's efforts to forward and somehow control the process of feudalization which started during the reign of his weak father, Berenger Ramon. Another major contributor was the Church acting through the institution of the Peace and Truce of God. This established a general truce among warring factions and lords in a given region for a given time. The earliest extant date for introducing the Truce of God in Western Europe is 1027 in Catalonia, during the reign of Ramon Berenguer the Old.
He was succeeded by his twin sons Ramon Berenguer II and Berenguer Ramon II. His sister, Sibylle of Barcelona, married Henry of Burgundy, and would become the grandmother of Alfonso Henriques, first king of Portugal.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ramon_Berenguer_I%2C_Count_of_Barcelona
Berengar Raymond I the Crooked, also called the Hunchback (in Spanish, Berenguer Ramón I el Corvado or el Curvo; and in Catalan, Berenguer Ramon I el Corbat) (1005-26 May 1035) was the count of Barcelona, Girona, and Ausona from 1015 to his death.
He was the son of Raymond Borrel, count of Barcelona, Girona, and Ausona and his wife Ermesinde of Carcassonne. He accepted the suzerainty of Sancho the Great of Navarre.
In 1021, he married Sancha Sánchez, daughter of Sancho I Garcés, count of Castile, with whom he had two sons: his successor, Raymond Berengar (1023), and a son Sancho. In 1027, he married secondly Gisela of Lluca, with whom he had a son, William in 1028 and a daughter, Sibylla of Barcelona, who married Henry of Burgundy and is thus an ancestor of the kings of Portugal.
Berengar Raymond as a historical figure is enigmatic, shrouded in incomprehensible contradictions and ambiguities. First, he was a man of peace, and throughout his reign peace ruled. He pacified his neighbours as well, bringing to heel the count of Urgel, Ermengol II. He reestablished amicable relations with Hugh I, count of Ampurias and maintained them with William I of Besalú and Wilfred II of Cerdagne. He was a son of the church who maintained relations with the papacy and pilgrimaged to Rome in 1032. On many occasions he travelled to Zaragoza and Navarre to discuss with Sancho III the Great, king of Navarre their mutual stance against the counts of Toulouse. His confidantes and councillors were the Abbot Oliva, the judge Ponç Bofill, Gombau de Besora, and the bishops Pedro of Gerona y Deudado of Barcelona. In 1025, he decreed that the proprietors of entails (men holding land in fee tail) were free from taxation.
On the other hand, the government of Berengar Raymond I marks the beginning of the decline of the comital power in Catalonia. Upon the death of his father (1018), Berengar Raymond was a minor and his mother Ermesinde (Ermesenda) was regent until 1023. But even when he attained his majority, his mother would not relinquish the powers of regency and reigned with him. According to some chroniclers, Berengar's character left some things to be desired. He is described as weak and indecisive. Moreover, his policy of peace with the Moors was a bone of contention with the noblesse, who saw war with Islam as a way of obtaining glory, wealth, and possibly even salvation. This lead some nobles to act outside the count's wishes. Ermesinde, contra her son, was energetic and decisive, intent on imposing the authority of Barcelona on the baronage. But, as a woman, her exercising control of the military was greatly impeded and organising a raid or other expedition to satisfy the itches of the aristocracy was next to nothing.
The obliteration of comital authority became very evident shortly before his death in 1035. Her partitioned his patrimony amongst his sons: Raymond Berengar received Gerona and Barcelona as far as Llobregat; Sancho the frontierland from the Llobregat to the Moorish lands, which constituted the county of Penedés with its capital in Olérdola; and William Ausona.
He died on May 26, 1035 and was burried in Santa María de Ripoll. He was succeeded in Barcelona and Gerona by his son by his first wife, Raymond Berengar; in the new county by Sancho, son of his first wife also; and in Ausona by William, son of his second wife.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Berenguer_Ramon_I%2C_Count_of_Barcelona
Wilfred I, called the Hairy (Guifré el Pilós in Catalan; Vifredo el Velloso, also Wilfredo, Wifredo, Guifredo, or Guilfredo in Spanish), was de facto count of Urgell (870-897), Cerdanya (870-897), Barcelona (878-897), Girona (878-897), Besalú (878-897), and Ausona (886-897); he was not, however, count de jure until 878.
Wilfred was of Gothic lineage of the region of Carcassone. Traditionally, he was born near Prades in the county of Conflent, now Rià, in Rousillon, France. Count of Urgel and Cerdanya since 870, he received the counties of Barcelona, Gerona, and Besalú in 878 from the Carolingian king of France, Louis the Stammerer. His reign coincided with the crumbling of Carolingian authority and unity. He was thus the last count of the Hispanic March appointed by the French king and the first to transmit his vast holdings as an inheritance to his sons (nonetheless sanctioned by the monarch). For all of this he is generally regard as the founder of an independent Catalonia.
Some of his most important acts were the repopulation of the long depopulated no-man's land around Vic (the county of Ausona, a frontier between Christian and Moslem), the reestablishment of the bishopric of Vic, and the foundation of the monastery of Santa Maria de Ripoll, where he is buried.
According to legend, he was the son of Wilfred of Arriaount (or Wilfred of Arri), a county near Prades. His father was murdered by Salomón and Wilfred became his avenger, killing the assassin. Nevertheless, at the time of Ramón de Abadal's study, he was considered to be the son of Sunifred I of Barcelona, count of many counties under Louis the Pious and Charles the Bald. Sunifred was the son of Belló, count of Carcassonne during the reign of Charlemagne. Thus, as a descendant of Sunifred and his brother, Sunyer I, count of Ampurias and Rousillon (834-848), he was a member of the Bellonid dynasty.
More at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wilfred_the_Hairy
Bermudo I (also Vermudo or Veremund) was the king of Asturias from 788 or 789 to 791. His nickname, the Deacon, was supposedly given because of his having been a deacon before becoming king. He was a son of Fruela, brother of King Alfonso I, and brother of King Aurelius.
The rest of his reign saw Moorish raids into Álava and Galicia. He was defeated badly at Bierzo and abdicated the throne in 791, returning to his frock. Nevertheless, he was considered a generous and illustrious man in his time.
Oliba Cabreta (c.920 – 990) was the count of Cerdanya from 965 and count of Besalú from 984 until his abdication in 988. He was the fourth son of Miro II and Ava. He inherited Cerdanya from his eldest brother Sunifred II and Besalú from his elder brother Miro III. He was originally under the tutelage of his mother from his father's death in 927.
During his tenure he added Berga and Ripoll to his domains. In 979, Roger I of Carcassonne ceded Capcir to him. In 984, he assumed the direction of all his father's counties when his last brother died withour heirs.
Oliba travelled twice to Rome, first in 968 with the Abbot Garin of Cuixá and second in 988 on his journey to Montecassino, the monastery to which he retired. He divided his lands betwixt his three eldest sons: Bernard received Besalú and Ripoll, Wilfred received Cerdanya, and Oliba received Berga. His fourth son, Berengar, became bishop of Elne. He also had a legitimate daughter named Adelaide, who married John d'Oriol, lord of Sales. By his mistress, Ingeberga de Besora, he had a daughter named Ingeberga who became abbess of Sant Joan de Ripoll. His wife Ermengard of Ampurias, daughter of Count Gausbert, acted as regent for his sons and he lived out his days in Italy until 990.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oliba_Cabreta
Robert de Beaumont, 2nd Earl of Leicester (1104 – 5 April 1168), also known as Robert "Le Bossu" (meaning "Robert the Uneven" in French), was an English nobleman of French ancestry. He was the son of Robert de Beaumont, 1st Earl of Leicester and Elizabeth de Vermandois, the twin brother of Waleran de Beaumont.
The two brothers, Robert and Waleran, were adopted into the royal household shortly after their father's death (upon which instance Robert inherited all of his father's hereditary titles, chiefly Earl of Leicester). They accompanied King Henry I among various missions, firstly to Normandy, then to meet with Pope Callixtus II in 1119. In 1135, the two twins were present at King Henry's deathbed; the monarch's death led to The Anarchy (under the weak rule of King Stephen), and Robert eventually captured his rival, Roger de Tosny. In June of 1139, the inseparable brothers led the actions against Roger of Salisbury (the Bishop of Salisbury) and Alexander (the Bishop of Lincoln); the former was killed in December of that year, while the latter survived for eight more years.
King Stephen had taken the two brothers as his personal advisors; the two brothers remained in his confidence for several decades. However, after Stephen's compromise with his cousin, Matilda (wherein Henry, Matilda's son, would succeed Stephen as king), the twins provided Henry, soon to be crowned Henry II of England, with "means for his struggle." Thereafter, the brothers were in the new monarch's confidence, as evidenced by Robert's appointment as chief justiciar and as a hereditary steward; eventually, he bought out Hugh Bigod, 1st Earl of Norfolk (another noble who enjoyed the confidence of the crown) and is considered the first Lord High Steward of England. Robert enjoyed a high status in Henry's court, even acting as head of the kingdom (in a vice-regal capacity) for a time. His name appeared at the top of the Constitutions of Clarendon, and he was present at the Council of Northampton.
He founded, in addition to St. Mary de Pré, the abbey of Garendon, the monastery of Nuneaton, the priory of Lusfield, and the hospital of Brackley, and was a liberal benefactor to many other houses.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_de_Beaumont%2C_2nd_Earl_of_Leicester
Begue Count of Paris
Beggo of Paris was the son of Girard I of Paris. He followed his father as Count of Paris. He married Alpais, illegitimate daughter of Louis the Pious.
She was named Countess of Clermont because of the bravery of her husband during the wars with France.
Lord Berkeley trashed Margaret's manor at Wotton-under-Edge in Gloucestershire, so her son, John, stormed Berkeley Castle in 1452 and took Lord Berkeley prisoner. Margaret then arranged for Lord Berkeley's wife, Isabel Mowbray, imprisoned, where she died the same year. Lord Berkeley then married Margaret's stepdaughter, Joan Talbot, to make peace in 1457, which lasted only until William Berkeley took over for his father in 1463. Upon her deathbed in 1468, she left everything to her grandson, Thomas Talbot, 2nd Viscount Lisle, son of John. She was buried in St Faith under St Paul's at London.