Emma de Breteuil, Countess of Norfolk

Notes:

Wikipedia
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emma_de_Guader,_Countess_of_Norfolk

She was the wife of Ralph de Guader and the daughter of William FitzOsbern, Lord of Breteuil and later first Earl of Hereford, who was a cousin and close adviser of William the Conqueror. William's opposition to their marriage led to the unsuccessful Revolt of the Earls.

Born around 1059 in Breteuil in Normandy, Emma was born to William Fitz-Osbern and his wife Adeliza, the daughter of Roger I of Tosny and his wife Adelaide (the daughter of Ermesinde of Carcassonne, regent-countess of Barcelona).

In 1075 at Exning, Cambridgeshire, she married Ralph de Gaël, Earl of East Anglia (Norfolk and Suffolk) and Lord of Gaël and Montfort. William I of England [William the Conqueror, Duke of Normandy] refused to sanction this marriage between two powerful families which caused a revolt. The leaders were her husband, Ralph, her brother Roger de Breteuil, 2nd Earl of Hereford, and Waltheof, 1st Earl of Northumberland. The revolt was plagued by disaster. Her husband encountered a much superior force under the warrior bishops Odo of Bayeux and Geoffrey de Montbray (the latter ordered that all rebels should have their right foot cut off) near Cambridge and retreated hurriedly to Norwich, hotly pursued by the royal army. Leaving her to defend Norwich Castle, he sailed for Denmark in search of help, and eventually returned to England with a fleet of 200 ships under Cnut and Hakon, which failed to do anything effective.

In 1075, Emma, Countess of Norfolk defended Norwich Castle when it was under siege. She eventually negotiated safe passage for herself and her troops in exchange for her castle. She retired to her estate in Brittany, where she was rejoined by her husband. Ralph was deprived of all his lands and of his Earldom in England. They retired to her Breton lands. The two joined Robert, Duke of Normandy, on the First Crusade. Emma died some time after 1096 on the road to the Holy Land, and Ralph died circa 1101 in the course of the crusade.

They had three children who lived to adulthood:

1. William de Gael, succeeded his father as Seigneur de Gael. He claimed Breteuil after the death of his uncle William de Breteuil, but died shortly thereafter, according to Orderic Vitalis.

2. Raoul II de Gael, seigneur of Gael and Montfort. By 1119, he had obtained the honour of Breteuil in Normandy (his uncle William de Breteuil died 1103 without any legitimate issue). The Complete Peerage claims that his descendants in the male line continued to hold his estates in Brittany, acquiring Laval and Vitré in the 15th century with the marriage of the heiress of Montmorency-Laval, but such a male-line descent hasn't been traced. He had only one child by his wife, Amice (Amicia) (d. c. 31 August 1168) was initially betrothed to Richard, illegitimate son of Henry I and his mistress Ansfrida, but her betrothed died on the White Ship disaster in November 1120. She was then married to the King's ward Robert de Beaumont, 2nd Earl of Leicester, second (twin) son of Robert de Beaumont, Count of Meulan.

3. Alain de Gael, who went with his parents on the First Crusade and died in the Holy Land

Emma married Ralph de Gaël, Earl of East Anglia, Lord of Gaël and Montfort . Ralph was born Bef 1042, Hereford, Herefordshire, England; died ca 1101, Holy Land. [Group Sheet]

Notes:

Wikipedia
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ralph_de_Gael#Revolt_of_the_Earls

Ralph married, in 1075 at Exning, Cambridgeshire, Emma, only daughter of William FitzOsbern, 1st Earl of Hereford and his first wife Alice or Adelise (or Adelissa), daughter of Roger I of Tosny. Their offspring were:

1. William de Gael, succeeded his father as Seigneur de Gael. He claimed Breteuil after the death of his uncle William de Breteuil, but died shortly thereafter, according to Orderic Vitalis.

2. Raoul II de Gael, seigneur of Gael and Montfort. By 1119, he had obtained the honour of Breteuil in Normandy (his uncle William de Breteuil died 1103 without any legitimate issue). The Complete Peerage claims that his descendants in the male line continued to hold his estates in Brittany, acquiring Laval and Vitré in the 15th century with the marriage of the heiress of Montmorency-Laval, but such a male-line descent hasn't been traced. He had only one child by his wife, Amice (Amicia) (d. c. 31 August 1168) was initially betrothed to Richard, illegitimate son of Henry I and his mistress Ansfrida, but her betrothed died on the White Ship disaster in November 1120. She was then married to the King's ward Robert de Beaumont, 2nd Earl of Leicester, second (twin) son of Robert de Beaumont, Count of Meulan.

3. Alain de Gael, who went with his parents on the First Crusade and died in the Holy Land

Raoul married . Unknown [Group Sheet]

Notes:

ANCESTRY
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ralph_de_Gael#Revolt_of_the_Earls

Ralph de Gaël [her grandfather] married, in 1075 at Exning, Cambridgeshire, Emma, only daughter of William FitzOsbern, 1st Earl of Hereford and his first wife Alice or Adelise (or Adelissa), daughter of Roger I of Tosny. Their offspring were:

1. William de Gael, [her uncle] succeeded his father as Seigneur de Gael. He claimed Breteuil after the death of his uncle William de Breteuil, but died shortly thereafter, according to Orderic Vitalis.

2. Raoul II de Gael, [her father] seigneur of Gael and Montfort. By 1119, he had obtained the honour of Breteuil in Normandy (his uncle William de Breteuil died 1103 without any legitimate issue).The Complete Peerage claims that his descendants in the male line continued to hold his estates in Brittany, acquiring Laval and Vitré in the 15th century with the marriage of the heiress of Montmorency-Laval, but such a male-line descent hasn't been traced. He had only one child by his wife, Amice (Amicia) (d. c. 31 August 1168) was initially betrothed to Richard, illegitimate son of Henry I and his mistress Ansfrida, but her betrothed died on the White Ship disaster in November 1120. She was then married to the King's ward Robert de Beaumont, 2nd Earl of Leicester, second (twin) son of Robert de Beaumont, Count of Meulan.

3. Alain de Gael, [uncle] who went with his parents on the First Crusade and died in the Holy Land

CHILDREN

Wikipedia
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_de_Beaumont,_2nd_Earl_of_Leicester

He [Robert de Beaumont] married after 1120 Amice de Montfort, daughter of Raoul II de Montfort, himself a son of Ralph de Gael, Earl of East Anglia. Both families had lost their English inheritances through rebellion in 1075. They had four children:

1. Hawise de Beaumont, who married William Fitz Robert, 2nd Earl of Gloucester and had descendants.

2.Robert de Beaumont, 3rd Earl of Leicester who married Petronilla de Grandmesnil and had descendants.

3.Isabel, who married: Simon de St. Liz, Earl of Huntingdon and had descendants.

4. Margaret, who married Ralph V de Toeni and had descendants through their daughter, Ida de Tosny.

Amice married Robert de Beaumont, 2nd Earl of Leicester. Robert (son of Robert de Beaumont, 1st Earl of Leicester and Isabel de Vermandois) was born ca 1104, Leicestershire, England; died 05 Apr 1168, Brackley, Northamptonshire, England; was buried , Leicester Abbey, Leicester, Leicestershire, England. [Group Sheet]

Notes:

Wikipedia
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_de_Beaumont,_3rd_Earl_of_Leicester

He was an English nobleman, one of the principal followers of Henry the Young King in the Revolt of 1173-1174 against his father Henry II. He is also called Robert Blanchemains (meaning "White Hands" in French).

As the son of Robert de Beaumont, 2nd Earl of Leicester, a staunch supporter of Henry II, he inherited from his father large estates in England and Normandy. When the revolt of the younger Henry broke out in April 1173, Robert went to his castle at Breteuil in Normandy and then went to Flanders, where he raised a large force of mercenaries, and landed at Walton, Suffolk, on 29 September 1173. He joined forces with Hugh Bigod, 1st Earl of Norfolk, and the two marched west, aiming to cut England in two. They were intercepted by the king's supporters and defeated at the Battle of Fornham, near Bury St Edmunds, on 17 October. Robert, along with his wife and many others, was taken prisoner. Henry II took away the earl's lands and titles as well.

He remained in captivity until January 1177, well after most of the other prisoners had been released. The king was in a strong position and could afford to be merciful; not long after his release Robert's lands and titles were restored, but not his castles. Robert had little influence in the remaining years of Henry II's reign, but was restored to favor by Richard I. He carried one of the swords of state at Richard's coronation in 1189. In 1190 Robert went on the third crusade to Palestine, but he died at Dyrrachium on his return journey.

Robert married Petronilla, who was a daughter of William de Grandmesnil and great-granddaughter and eventual heiress to the English lands of Domesday baron, Hugh de Grandmesnil. They had five children:

1. Robert, who succeeded his father as Earl of Leicester;

2. Roger, who became Bishop of St Andrews in 1189;

3. William, possibly the ancestor of the House of Hamilton;

4. Amicia, who married Simon de Montfort, and whose son Simon subsequently became Earl of Leicester;

5. Margaret, who married Saer de Quincy, later 1st Earl of Winchester.

Robert married Petronilla de Grandmesnil, Countess of Leicester. Petronilla was born ca 1123, Leicestershire, England; died 01 Apr 1212, Leicestershire, England; was buried , Leicester Abbey, Leicester, Leicestershire, England. [Group Sheet]

Notes:

Wikipedia
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ida_de_Tosny

Ida de Tosny, Countess of Norfolk was very likely a daughter of Ralph V de Tosny (died 1162) and his wife Margaret (born circa 1125 and living in 1185), a daughter of Robert de Beaumont, 2nd Earl of Leicester.

Wikipedia
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_de_Beaumont,_2nd_Earl_of_Leicester

In 1121, royal favor brought Robert the great Norman honors with his marriage to Amice de Montfort, daughter of Raoul II de Montfort, himself a son of Ralph de Gael, Earl of East Anglia. Both families had lost their English inheritances through rebellion in 1075. They had four children:

1. Hawise de Beaumont, who married William Fitz Robert, 2nd Earl of Gloucester and had descendants.

2. Robert de Beaumont, 3rd Earl of Leicester who married Petronilla de Grandmesnil and had descendants.

3. Isabel, who married: Simon de St. Liz, Earl of Huntingdon and had descendants.

4. Margaret, who married Ralph V de Toeni and had descendants through their daughter, Ida de Tosny.

Margaret married Ralph V de Tosny. Ralph died 1162. [Group Sheet]