William FitzOsbern, 1st Earl of Hereford

Male 1020 - 1071  (~ 51 years)


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  • Name William FitzOsbern 
    Suffix 1st Earl of Hereford 
    Born ca 1020  Breteuil, Normandy Find all individuals with events at this location 
    Gender Male 
    Died 22 Feb 1071  Cassel, Flanders/France Find all individuals with events at this location 
    Notes 
    • Wikipedia
      https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_FitzOsbern,_1st_Earl_of_Hereford

      Lord of Breteuil, in Normandy, William was a relative and close counselor of William the Conqueror and one of the great magnates of early Norman England. He was created Earl of Hereford before 22 February 1067, one of the first peerage titles in the English peerage. He is one of the very few proven Companions of William the Conqueror known to have fought at the Battle of Hastings in 1066. His chief residence was Carisbrooke Castle on the Isle of Wight, one of many English castles he built.

      William FitzOsbern was the son of Osbern the Steward, a nephew of Duchess Gunnor, the wife of Duke Richard I of Normandy. Osbern was the steward of his cousin Duke Robert I of Normandy. When Robert left the Duchy to his young son William, Osbern became one of Duke William's guardians. Osbern married Emma, a daughter of Count Rodolf of Ivry, who was a half-brother of Duke Richard I of Normandy. Through her he inherited a large property in central Normandy, including the honours of Pacy and Breteuil.

      William FitzOsbern was probably raised at the court of his cousin William Duke of Normandy, and like his father, became one of the ducal stewards. He was one of the earliest and most vigorous advocates of the invasion of England, and tradition holds that he convinced the doubters amongst the Norman barons of the feasibility of the invasion.

      As Duke William took control of England as William the Conqueror, FitzOsbern was given charge of the Isle of Wight, and then before 22 February 1067 he was created Earl of Hereford as well as Earl of Gloucester, Earl of Worcester and Earl of Oxfordshire. That western part of England was not yet fully under Norman control; the understanding must have been that FitzOsbern was to take charge of the conquest of these regions when he was able.

      The King was back in England in 1068 and FitzOsbern accompanied him in the subjugation of southwest England. Anglo-Saxon resistance in the West Midlands was crushed later in 1069, and it is likely FitzOsbern played a major part in this, although the details are not certain. During this time FitzOsbern and his followers pushed on westwards into Wales.

      As part of the assertion of Norman control over England and Wales, FitzOsbern was one of the major Norman castle builders. Early castles attributed to him include Carisbrooke Castle on the Isle of Wight, Chepstow Castle (Striguil) in South Wales, Wigmore Castle and Clifford Castle in Herefordshire, Berkeley Castle in Gloucestershire and Monmouth Castle in Wales. FitzOsbern also created or improved fortifications in the towns of Hereford and Shrewsbury.

      In 1070 trouble arose in Flanders, where King William's brother-in-law Count Baldwin VI of Flanders had died, leaving his county and his young sons in the hands of his widow Richilde, Countess of Mons and Hainaut. Her control of Flanders was challenged by the brother of her late husband, Robert the Frisian. Looking for help, she offered herself in marriage to FitzOsbern. He could not resist the chance to become also Count of this rich Principality, close to Normandy and hurried there with his army, where he was defeated by the Count of Flanders, and killed in the Battle of Cassel on 22 February 1071.

      FitzOsbern married twice:

      First to Adeliza de Tosny, daughter of Roger I of Tosny, by whom he had three children:

      1. William of Breteuil, who succeeded his father in Normandy. He was held captive and tortured by Ascelin Gouel de Perceval 'Lupus', Sire d'Yvry, until he finally granted his daughter Isabella de Breteuil in marriage to him.

      2. Roger de Breteuil, 2nd Earl of Hereford, who succeeded his father in England and Wales;

      3. Emma de Breteuil, wife of Ralph de Gael, 1st Earl of Norfolk

      Secondly it must be assumed that he also married Richilde, Countess of Mons and Hainaut shortly before the Battle of Cassel in 1071.
    Person ID I36133  Master File
    Last Modified 22 Sep 2016 

    Family Adeliza de Tosny 
    Children 
     1. Emma de Breteuil, Countess of Norfolk,   b. ca 1059, Breteuil, Normandy Find all individuals with events at this location,   d. Aft 1096, Holy Land Find all individuals with events at this location  (Age ~ 38 years)
    Last Modified 22 Sep 2016 
    Family ID F14902  Group Sheet  |  Family Chart