Onfroi de Carteret (abt. 1042 – abt. 1100)

Date: [unknown] [unknown]
Location: [unknown]

Contents 1 Biography 2 Research Notes 3 Sources 4 Additional Reading

Biography

It is possible that Onfroi and his younger brother Mauger fought with William the Conqueror at Hastings (see Research Notes), but there is no reliable source to demonstrate this.

We do know that some twenty years after Hastings, Onfroi (Humphrey) appeared in Domesday Book holding lands in England which were acquired some time between 1066 and 1087^[1]. This shows Onfroi holding land in Devon, Dorset, Somerset and Bedfordshire in 1086 from Bishop Geoffrey of Coutances, the tenant-in-chief.

Research Notes

Family

Primary reference of Onfroi’s birth has not been found but according to some internet sources^[2] and older books (see additional reading) he is said to be the son of Godefroi de Carteret and became the Seigneur de Carteret after his fathers death.

The Cartulaire des Iles normandes ^[3] contains somes details of the Carteret family and suggests Onfroi was probably the father of Renaud de Carteret. This also infers that Onfroi held the Seigneurie de Carteret which passed to his son Renaud on his death.

Battle of Hastings

Although it cannot be confirmed, there is a possibility Onfroi and his younger brother, Mauger, took part in the Battle of Hastings in the forces of William the Conqueror. Mauger and his older brother Onfroi are mentioned in Wace's “Roman de Rou”:

E de Bohun, lo vieil Onfrei,</br>

De Cartrai, Onfrei e Maugier,</br>

Ki etoit novel chevalier.</br>

Wace is considered unreliable by most modern historians, so his writing cannot be accepted as proof of fact. Professor Douglas was critical of Wace's list in that some names mentioned as being at Hastings can be shown to have been absent and others that were there are not mentioned.

Professor Douglas compiled a list of provisional and likely companions in his Companions of the Conqueror ^[4] and did not consider there was sufficient evidence to place any Carteret on that list.

More recently, Professor Elisabeth Van Houts^[5] in her Wace as Historian concludes "...the likelihood of [Onfroi and Mauger] having taken part in the battle of Hastings is very great indeed". However her research would indicate that some of Wace’s information comes from oral witnesses, the grandchildren or great grandchildren of those who fought at Hastings, as particularly with the Carteret family, there are no existing written sources to confirm their involvement in Norman history of that period.

Conclusion: It is possible that one or more members of the Carteret family fought at Hastings, but there is no reliable source to demonstrate this: the same can be said of members of umpteen other families.

Fontenelle Abbey

Some references state that towards the end of his life Onfroi piously bestowed much of his wealth on the Abbey of Fontenelle. If correct cartulary evidence of this should exist in publications such as Calendar of Documents Preserved in France, illustrative of of the history of Great Briton and Ireland, Vol 1 A.D. 918-1206^[6] which contains charters of the said abbey. No such charter can be found so it was either destroyed or did not exist.

Sources

1. ↑ Powell-Smith, Anna Open Doomsday, database online (accessed 17 Aug 2022) https://opendomesday.org/name/humphrey-of-carteret/
2. ↑ Jerripedia, website of Jersey’s people, places and heritage (accessed 20 Nov 2022) https://www.theislandwiki.org/index.php/De_Carteret_biographies
3. ↑ Cartulaire des Iles normandes: recueil de documents concernant l'histoire de ces îles. Jersey: Société Jersiaise, 1924.p56. (accessed 9 Feb 2023) not available on line
4. ↑ Douglas, Professor David Companions of the Conqueror published in "History", the Journal of the Historical Association (Vol. XXVIII, pp. 129-147) September 1943, not available online
5. ↑ Van Houts, Elizabeth M.C Wace as Historian, in ‘Family Trees and the Roots of Politics: The Prosopagraphy of Britain and France from the Tenth to the Twelfth Century, ed. By K,S.B. Keats-Rohan, 1997, pp.104-132, not available online
6. ↑ Calendar of Documents Preserved in France, illustrative of of the history of Great Briton and Ireland, Vol 1 A.D. 918-1206, edited by J. Horace Round, M.A., Published by authority of the Lords Commissioners of Her Majesty's Treasury under the direction of the Master of the Rolls, Printed for Her Majesty's Stationery Office, London 1899, digitised by the Internet Archive (accessed 9 Dec 2022)

Additional Reading

Du Moulin, Gabriel Histoire générale de Normandie Published by Jean Osmont, Rouen 1631. Digitised for the internet by BnF Gallica https://gallica.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/bpt6k8716583f.texteImage

Collins, Arthur. A history of the noble family of Carteret, existing before the reign of William the Conqueror. With the most Memorable Actions, and Atchievements, of the principal Persons thereof, Humbly Inscribed to the Right Honourable John, Earl Granville. Collected from records, authentick manuscripts, our most approved Historians, and other Authorities, therein cited. Published by [sn] London 1756. Digitised for internet by Eighteenth Century Collections Online  https://go.gale.com/ps/i.do?p=ECCO&u=nla&id=GALE|CW0101139929&v=2.1&it=r&sid=bookmark-ECCO&sPage=22&asid=3b7d8730

Plees W, An Account of the Island of Jersey Published by T Baker, Southampton 1817, digitised for the internet by Google Books https://www.google.com.au/books/edition/An_account_of_the_island_of_Jersey/ZmEUAAAAQAAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1

Payne, James Bertrand An Armorial of Jersey: being an account, heraldic and antiquarian, of its chief native families, with pedigrees, biographical notices, and illustrative data; to which are added a brief history of heraldry, and remarks on the mediaeval antiquities of the island. Published by A H Jack 1859: Digitised by the Internet Archive 2008 https://archive.org/details/armorialofjersey00paynrich/mode/1up

Dupont, Gustav Jules Histoire du Cotentin et de ses îles, Tome 1 Published by F. Le Blanc -Hardel, Caen 1870, Digitised by Google https://www.google.com.au/books/edition/Histoire_du_Cotentin_et_de_ses_%C3%AEles/cLFCAAAAYAAJ?hl=en

Dupont, Gustav Jules Histoire du Cotentin et de ses îles, Tome2. Published by F. Le Blanc -Hardel, Caen 1873, Digitised by Google https://www.google.com.au/books/edition/Histoire_du_Cotentin_et_de_ses_%C3%AEles/t6RCAAAAYAAJ?hl=en