House of Tancarville

Date: [unknown] [unknown]
Location: [unknown]
Surnames/tags: France Noblility

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The Normans, or Norsemen, raided the shores of England and France from their homes in Scandinavia. The most prominent of these Norsemen was Hrólf, the Viking. whose name was Latinized to "Rollo" ... Rollo and his followers eventually seized Normandy in northern France, and their possession of the land was later formalized by the Treaty of St Clair-sur-Epte between Charles III of France and Rollo in the year 911.

Contents 1 Lord Tancrède 2 Tancarville Castle 3 Hereditary Chamberlains 4 le Abbaye Saint-Georges de Boscherville 5 le Abbaye Sainte-Barbe-en-Auge 6 Sources 6.1 House de la Villa Tancrède

Lord Tancrède

• Tancrède de la Ville Tancrède

One of the foremost of the Vikings with Rollo was Tancrède. He was with Rollo at St. Clair-sur-Epte, and receiving his reward of the land of and surrounding what was to become Tancarville, settled there and eventually was built a fortified Castle on his demesne, le Ville de Tancrède, located on the first promontory guarding the mouth of the Seine River.

This property was an "allodium", signifying absolute ownership by Tancrède, as contrasted with a "fief". signifying lands held subject to the King or another Noble. Tancrède is first recorded as holding his land in 912 and lacking much more information on same, we must speculate that not much more than his Manor House (la Ancien Manoir) and probably, at least some, if not all of the structure(s) along the length of Rabels Fossé, existed in the first two generations, until Raoul (see below), fortified it substantially, with massive walls all around (6 to 18 feet thick), and adding "le Tour Carrée" (the Square Tower), "le Chambre Aux Chevaliers" (the Knights Chamber), and much more, transforming it into one of the most respected Château Forts in the Pays de Caux and beyond.

Tancarville Castle

• le Château Fort de la Ville Tancrède:

"A first castle was founded for a lord named Tancredi who gave his name to the castle fort built on a spur overlooking the Seine to Raoul de Tancarville, Chamberlain of William the Conqueror in the 11th century". (Des Forts, Philippe - Ministère de la Culture France)

From the beginning of the 12th century, Tancarville castle was the seat of one of the most powerful lineages of the Pays de Caux during the ducal epoch, in that of the Chamberlains of Normandy. This family, grand officers of the crown, were already landowners in the Lillebonne region towards the middle of the 11th century. It was only after 1100 that they took the name of Tancarville and that the castle appeared for the first time in texts. The castle was located on the extremity of a triangular spur, detached from the hillsides of the Seine. A large deep ditch separated it from the plateau. From the ducal epoch remains an enormous motte* with the ruins of a large 15th century tower (the “Grosse-tour”), possibly some parts of masonry visible in the toothing stones at the south-eastern angle of the tower, and finally an imposing 12th century residential tower known as the “Tour-carrée” (square tower), which stands at the north-western angle of the enceinte. Looking at the rest of the ensemble, the essential medieval sections are of reconstruction from the end of the 14th and beginning of the 15th centuries. - Jacques Le Maho

Bibliography - A Deville, Histoire du château et des sires de Tancarville, Rouen, 1834; J. Mesqui, Châteaux-forts et fortifications en France, Paris, 1997, p. 370-372.

* "From the ducal epoch remains an enormous motte" ... Tancreds' son Rabel, left his name to Rabel's Isle and Rabel's foss, mentioned in early records. The huge Fossé can be seen in the plot plan above, on the right, between the structure and le Boulevard Coquésant ...

"... In the quite numerous acts where Raoul Chamberlain, who extended his career until about the year 1080 is mentioned, the name of Tancarville is never attached to his. Raoul is simply referred to by his title, or his parentage; He is Raoul le Chamberlain or Raoul fitz Gerald, never Raoul de Tancarville: The name of land and family did not exist. He has over there, in the whole course of the eleventh century (I mean monuments. ancient that remain), Tancarville is not found once named in the same charter of foundation of the church of Saint Georges de Bocherville near Rouen, which chronicles the donations assigned to this church, on a large number of properties by Raoul chamberlain who had it built, the name is not mentioned."

"It is in the beginning of the twelfth century that the name Tancarville appears."

"Among the barons who are mentioned as witnesses in a charter of Henry I, issued in 1103, figure William of Tancarville, ... "

• Histoire du château et des sires de Tancarville

• The Counts of Tancarville: by J.R. Planché

No identification of this noble Norman has yet been made by any of the commentators on the "Roman de Rou," in which alone we find such a personage included in the list of the followers of the Duke of Normandy. Mr. Taylor says, "M. le Prévost rather inconclusively observes that Ralph, William's guardian, was too old and his children too young to be engaged," and adds, "Ralph's age is hardly itself a competent contradiction to Wace's statement; for his charter giving the Church of Mireville to Jumièges shows that he was living in 1079. William, his son and successor as Chamberlain, so appears in 1082." I certainly do not share the opinion of Le Prévost, and am at a loss to know where he found that Ralph, the Chamberlain of Tancarville, was guardian to Duke William. I have just mentioned this Ralph as the supposed brother of Gerold de Roumare and uncle of the William de Roumare I believe to have been at Hastings. Ralph was hereditary chamberlain of Normandy; but which of his family had first exercised that office is at present unknown.

The small Church of St. George, in the village of that name in the forest of Roumare, first endowed by Duke William, was subsequently rebuilt by Ralph, who is styled by the Duke in his charter of confirmation, “Meus magister Aulaque et Camera mea princeps.” (“My major-domo or master of the household and first chamberlain.”) Ralph also had the church re-decorated, and confirmed the grant which his father, Geraldus, and his brothers had given to St. George. A brother of Ralph, named Giraldus, was also an officer of William's household; and it was "Coram Giraldo Dapifer meo" that William, while yet Duke of the Normans, ratified a convention between Hugh de Pavilly and the Canons of St. George, the witnesses being the same Giraldus and Robert his son.

Now we have here two Gerolds, one who simply styles himself "a soldier of Christ," and the other the Dapifer (steward or seneschal) of William, King of the English. We also find one of these Gerolds rejoicing in two wives, named Albreda and Emicia, and who has a son, Robert, by the first. The other Gerold had a wife named Helisendis. Whether they were both Gerolds of Roumare; how they were connected; which was the father of Roger de Roumare, and which of Ralph the Chamberlain, has yet to be distinctly proved. The names of Gerald, Robert, Ralph, and William were much too common at that period to be of themselves sufficient identification; but that the chamberlain of Tancarville or Tankerville mentioned by Wace was Ralph, the son of Gerold and father of William the Chamberlain, I think cannot reasonably be doubted.

............. need a note here explaining the above .... started below...

GERAUD . m. ---. The name of Géraud's wife is not known. Géraud & his wife had one child:

a) RAOUL . "… Radulfus camberarius filius Geraldi …" are named as present in the charter dated 1035 under which "Willelmus adhuc puerulus" (William still a young boy), … "Roberti comitis filius" donated "Turstini villa" to the abbey of Préaux".

Châtelain de Neufmarché. Orderic Vitalis records that Guillaume Duke of Normandy expelled "Belvacenses" from "castrum…Novus-Mercatus" and granted it to "Geroldo dapifero", dated to c. 1061/66.

another charter that appears to be related to the above:

"…Gerald de Neufmarché…" (Giraldi di Novomercato), subscribed the charter dated Apr 1067 under which "Willelmus…dux Normannorum…Anglorum rex" confirmed rights to the abbey of Saint-Benoît-sur-Loire.

GERAUD (-after 1066). Dapifer. The Brevis Relatio de Origine Willelmi Conquestoris records that "Geraldo dapifero" contributed 40 ships towards the invasion of England in 1066.

This last recorded event is, I believe, key to helping in the identification of the two Gerolds that Planché suggests above. We know at this moment, that we don't yet have the correct b. date for Gerold de Roumare (currently showing as bef. 1035), which would make him old enough to have donated the church recorded in the charter dated to bef. Aug 1067 on his profile (Tancarville-13), but not as likely to be yet of the means to have contributed 40 ships to the Conqueror.

• Paintings of the Square Tower

• Armorial général de France for le Chamberlains de Tancarville:

• Histoire du château et des sires de Tancarville:

Hereditary Chamberlains

In the eleventh century, it was a stronghold lordship which depended Raoul de Tancarville, guardian of Duke William the Conqueror, future king of England. The fact that Raoul was chamberlain of Normandy, and this function has remained in the family, reinforces a simple corroboration of the hereditary nature of this title. The seal shown here is for Robert de Tancarville le Chamberlain, almost 300 years later.

• Histoire du château et des sires de Tancarville

• The Chamberlain Family ... Ancient & Early Connections by Ian Chamberlain

"Known as ‘William the Bastard’ to his contemporaries, his illegitimacy shaped his career when he was young. As a youth he was placed—apparently a common practice in Norse society—for his protection and education in the skills of knighthood, under the guardianship of the Tancarville family living near the river Seine in Normandy. It is from this role that members of the Tancarville family took the name ‘Chamberlain’ and continued to manage the affairs of William and his heir’s beyond his invasion of England through several generations."

le Abbaye Saint-Georges de Boscherville

Guillaume chamberlain confirmed the donation to the abbey of St Georges de Bocherville by Raoul, chief chamberlain of William I King of England, and his sons Raoul, Nigel and Guillaume, and their mother Avicia, with the consent of his sons Rabel and Robert and Lucy, recorded in a charter of Henry I King of England dated 1114. (Medieval Lands - Seigneurs de Tancarville)

The small Church of St. George, in the village of that name in the forest of Roumare ... was rebuilt by Ralph, who is styled by the Duke in his charter of confirmation, “Meus magister Aulaque et Camera mea princeps”.... Ralph also had the church re-decorated, and confirmed the grant which his father, Geraldus, and his brothers had given to St. George. Ralph's brother, Giraldus (de Roumare), was also an officer of William's household; and it was "Coram Giraldo Dapifer meo" that William, while yet Duke of the Normans, ratified a convention between Hugh de Pavilly and the Canons of St. George, the witnesses being the same Giraldus and Robert his son.

• "Recherches sur le Domesday" under d'Abetot :

Aumary d'Abetot, an appellation derived from the lands of St. Jean d'Abetot, canton of Calbose, arrondissement of Havre, the lordship of which belonged to the family of Tancarville, as appears from the charter of formation of the college of St. George de Bosherville, to which Ralph Fitz Gerald, in 1050, gave the church and tithes of Abetot for the support of the monks of that college, which was made an abbey in 1124.

This Ralph Fitz Gerald, who is the Chamberlain of Tancarville, was the elder brother of Aumary d'Abetot. Their father being the Gerold who was the husband of Helisendis (not Gerold of Roumare, husband of Albreda), and who probably, as Sire de Tankerville, held the hereditary office of chamberlain to the Dukes of Normandy, which we find his son Ralph and his grandson William enjoying in succession*.

* This succession of holding the hereditary office of chamberlain has been shown to have lasted over 300 years, well over this if the speculation recorded in the Recherches sur le Domesday, as shown above, that Geraldus was also chamberlain.

le Abbaye Sainte-Barbe-en-Auge

"Rabel fils de Guillaume, chambellan de Tancarville, qui avait épousé Agnès, héritière des biens du fondateur de ce prieuré" confirmed the foundation of the priory of Sainte-Barbe and its possession of all its lands "de la Dive", by charter dated 1128

Henry I King of England confirmed an earlier donation to the abbey of Sainte-Barbe by "Odo Stigandus", at the request of "Guillelmi camerarii de Tancarvilla […nepos supradicti Odonis Stigandi] et Rabelli filii sui", by charter dated 1129

Henry II King of England confirmed the possessions of the priory of Sainte-Barbe-en-Auge, including donations by "Rabelli Camerarii…Willelmus camerarius pater eius…Willelmi Camerarii filii Rabelli", by charter dated to 1185/89.

"Guillaume Chambellan de Tancarville" donated land "à Iz" to the priory of Sainte-Barbe, at the request of "Alix sa femme", by undated charter witnessed by "Guillaume de Séran, frère de la dite Alix".

Sources

• Medieval Lands - SEIGNEURS de TANCARVILLE

• Medieval Lands - EARLS of LINCOLN 1141-1198 (ROUMARE)

• Medieval Lands - NOBILITY in NORMANDY

• Des Forts, Philippe - Ministère de la Culture France - Tancarville Castle - le Château Fort de la Villa Tancrède

• Wikipedia, the FitzGerald dynasty - Cambro-Norman Origins - FitzGERALD PATRONYMIC

• Washburn Family Foundations in Normandy, England and America, by Mabel Thacher Rosemary Washburn ... Washburn Family Foundations

• The Chamberlain Family - Ancient & Early Connections by Ian Chamberlain

• Orderic Vitalis (Prévost), Vol. II, Liber III, p. 104.

• Extrait de la Chronique de Normandie, RHGF XIII, p. 236.

• Round (1899) 196, p. 66.

• Brevis Relatio de Origine Willelmi Conquestoris, p. 22

• Regesta Regem Anglo-Normannorum (1956), Vol. II, Appendix, CCXVI, p. 364.

• The Battle Abbey Roll with Some Accounts of the Norman Lineages, by Duchess of Cleveland, publ. 1889 by John Murray, London, England. - BATTLE ABBEY ROLL

• Châteaux-forts et fortifications en France, Paris, 1997, p. 370-372 by J. Mesqui.

• Histoire du château et des sires de Tancarville" by Achille Deville, N. Périaux,1834. - HISTOIRE de TANCARVILLE

• History of the abbey of Mont Sainte-Catherine, pages 19 and 75.

• Chester Southworth Washburn & Family Rev. Daniel Washburn Jones

House de la Villa Tancrède

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