Robert (Beaumont) de Breteuil (1135 - 1190)

Born 1135 in Beaumont, Normandy, France

Ancestors

Descendants

Died 31 Aug 1190 at about age 55 in Durazzo Province, West Albania

Problems/Questions Profile managers: Darlene Athey-Hill [send private message] and Bob Fields [send private message]

Robert Beaumont was a member of the aristocracy in Europe.

Biography

Robert was the only son of Robert, second earl of Leicester, and Amice (daughter of Ralph de Gael). He was born after a number of elder sisters. He inherited from his father large estates in England and Normandy.

After 1154 he seems to have spent much of his time in charge of the Leicester lands in Normandy. By 1159 he had received from the king the marriage of Petronilla, daughter & heir of William de Grandmesnil.

The seal he used before his father's death demonstrates that he had taken the surname de Breteuil. This has some significance in that it reveals him stressing his descent from William fitz Osbern.

Robert de Beaumont, 3rd Earl of Leicester (1168–1190) 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) and Robert Harcourt. Lord High Steward 1168–1190 ^[1].

When the revolt of the younger Henry broke out in April 1173, Robert went to his castle at Breteuil in Normandy. The rebels' aim was to take control of the duchy, but Henry II himself led an army to besiege the castle; Robert fled, and the Breteuil was taken on September 25 or 26.

Robert apparently 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 across the Midlands and to relieve the king's siege of Robert's castle at Leicester. However, they were intercepted by the king's supporters and defeated in battle at Fornham, near Bury St Edmunds, on 17 October. Robert, along with his wife and many others, was taken prisoner, according to legend, by Sir William Chamberlayne, Lord of North Riston and Petsoe. 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. All but two of his castles had been destroyed, and those two (Montsorrel in Leicestershire and Pacy in Normandy) remained in the king's hands.

Robert had little influence in the remaining years of Henry II's reign, but was restored to favour by Richard I. He carried one of the swords of state at Richard's coronation in 1189.

Robert took part in the third crusade and died at Durazzo (others say Dyrrachium), in 1190, probably at the end of August. He was buried in Leicester Abbey.

Children

He had three sons, William de Breteuil (who predeceased him in 1189), Robert, who succeeded him as earl, and Roger, who was elected bishop of St Andrews in 1189. He also had several daughters, among them: Amice married first Simon de Montfort the younger, count of Évreux, and second William des Barres the elder; Margaret married Saer de Quincy (d. 1219); Hawise entered the priory of Nuneaton as a nun, and another daughter, Petronilla, is mentioned in the obituary of Lyre Abbey.

Sources

• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_de_Beaumont,_3rd_Earl_of_Leicester
• Royal Database, Camelot International, Good (Burke's old records) http://www.camelotintl.com/royal/list/index.html
• Ancestral File Number: 8HRJ-4K 91VK-GS
• Oxford Dictionary of National Biography
• The Phillips, Weber, Kirk, & Staggs families of the Pacific Northwest, by Jim Weber, Rootsweb.com
• Nichol's Lcstrs, vol 1 pt 1 p. 98 (GS #Q942.54 H2nic)
• Wurts' Magna Charta vol 1-2 p. 185 (GS #942 D22w)
• Clutterbuck's Hrtfrd, vol 3 p. 287 (GS #Q942.58 H2c)
• Complete Peerage vol 7 p. 520 (GS #942 D24c)
• Dict of Nat'l Biog vol 4 p. 67, 68, 113 (GS # Ref 920.042 D561n)
• Plantagenet Ancestry p. 100 (GS #Q940 D2t)
• The Battle Abbey Roll vol 3 p. 47, vol 2 p. 306-326, vol 1 p. 148
• Dugdale's Baronage of England, vol 1 p. 868 (GS #Q942 D22dw)
• Baker's Nrthmp, vol 1 p. 563, 241 (GS #Q942.55 H2ba)
• Adjusted for Leland J. Hendrix (21 gg son to #2) 931 S. 100 E., Orem, Utah 84057, 18 Apr 1968
• Proving Your Pedigree (GS #929.1 B439p)
• Americans of Royal Descent (GS #973 D2ba)
• https://www.ancestry.com/family-tree/person/tree/13078823/person/607459379/facts
• https://www.ancestry.com/family-tree/person/tree/6835128/person/-970510580/facts
• https://www.ancestry.com/family-tree/tree/16746257/family

http://www.thepeerage.com/p1700.htm#i16995

1. ↑ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lord_High_Steward

Acknowledgments

This page has been edited according to Style Standards adopted January 2014. Descriptions of imported gedcoms for this profile are under the Changes tab.