The House of Tosny was an important noble family in 10th and 11th century

Normandy Normandy (; french: link=no, Normandie ; nrf, Normaundie, Nouormandie ; from Old French , plural of ''Normant'', originally from the word for "northman" in several Scandinavian languages) is a geographical and cultural region in Northwestern ...

, though it did not include any comtes or vicomtes. Its founder was Raoul I of Tosny (died after 1024).

Origin

The earliest account of the origin of the Tosny family is that of the late-11th century ''Acta Archiepiscoporum Rotomagensium'' (The Acts of the Archbishops of Rouen), which refers to a 'powerful man', Raoul, son of Hugh de Calvacamp, of illustrious stock, and brother of Hugh, Archbishop of Rouen, active from 942 to 989. He had formerly been a monk at St. Denis, suggesting a French origin for the family. The Archbishop gave Raoul lands at Tosny, taken from the church's holdings.Lucien Musset, "Aux origines d'une classe dirigeante: les Tosny, grands barons normands du Xe au XIIIe siecle", ''Francia'' 5 (1978), 46–77 They formed part of this new elite which appeared around dukes

Richard I Richard I (8 September 1157 – 6 April 1199) was King of England from 1189 until his death in 1199. He also ruled as Duke of Normandy, Aquitaine and Gascony, Lord of Cyprus, and Count of Poitiers, Anjou, Maine, and Nantes, and was ...

and Richard II at the turn of the 10th to 11th century, and by the early 12th-century, this French family had been given a Norman pedigree, chronicler Orderic Vitalis writing in an interpolation into the ''Gesta Normanorum Ducum'' of

William of Jumièges William of Jumièges (born c. 1000 - died after 1070) (french: Guillaume de Jumièges) was a contemporary of the events of 1066, and one of the earliest writers on the subject of the Norman conquest of England. He is himself a shadowy figure, only ...

that Roger de Tosny, then Lord of Tosny and Conches, was “de stirpe Malahulcii qui Rollonis ducis patruus...” (of the lineage of Malahulc, uncle of Duke

Rollo Rollo ( nrf, Rou, ''Rolloun''; non, Hrólfr; french: Rollon; died between 928 and 933) was a Viking who became the first ruler of Normandy, today a region in northern France. He emerged as the outstanding warrior among the Norsemen who had se ...

. As with several Norman families, the Tosnys gained power through the recovery of church goods. According to

Lucien Musset Lucien Musset (26 August 1922 – 15 December 2004) was a French historian, specializing in the Duchy of Normandy and the history of the Vikings. Biography Born in Rennes, Musset served as a professor of history at the University of Caen. Selec ...

, Hugues,

archbishop of Rouen The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Rouen (Latin: ''Archidioecesis Rothomagensis''; French: ''Archidiocèse de Rouen'') is an archdiocese of the Latin Rite of the Roman Catholic Church in France. As one of the fifteen Archbishops of France, the Arch ...

(942–989) split off lands from his cathedral's lands and gave them to his brother Raoul I of Tosny. They also received grants of land from the dukes of Normandy, notably Richard II. The house of Tosny probably acquired part of its fortune from foreign adventures. Raoul I, who in 991 witnessed an accord between Duke Richard I and the Anglo-Saxon king Ethelred II, fought in the County of Apulia as part of the

Norman conquest of southern Italy The Norman conquest of southern Italy lasted from 999 to 1139, involving many battles and independent conquerors. In 1130, the territories in southern Italy united as the Kingdom of Sicily, which included the island of Sicily, the southern ...

, while the chroniclers report the somewhat legendary exploits of

Roger I Roger I may refer to: :''In chronological order'' * Roger I of Carcassonne (died 1012), Count of Carcassonne * Roger I of Tosny (), Norman noble * Roger I "de Berkeley" (died 1093), Norman noble, possibly the son of Roger I of Tosny - see Baron ...

Hispania Hispania ( la, Hispānia , ; nearly identically pronounced in Spanish, Portuguese, Catalan, and Italian) was the Roman name for the Iberian Peninsula and its provinces. Under the Roman Republic, Hispania was divided into two provinces: Hisp ...

during the first quarter of the 11th century. His wife, ''Godehildis/Gotelina'', was linked to a miracle at Sainte-Foy de Conques.

Expansion and decline

Raoul II, grandson of Roger I, was at the court of

William the Conqueror William I; ang, WillelmI (Bates ''William the Conqueror'' p. 33– 9 September 1087), usually known as William the Conqueror and sometimes William the Bastard, was the first House of Normandy, Norman List of English monarchs#House of Norman ...

(1035–1087), and was the Norman standard bearer in 1054. For his participation in the

Norman Conquest The Norman Conquest (or the Conquest) was the 11th-century invasion and occupation of England by an army made up of thousands of Norman, Breton, Flemish, and French troops, all led by the Duke of Normandy, later styled William the Con ...

of England in 1066, he was rewarded with domains there, most notably the two baronies of

Flamstead Flamstead is a village and civil parish in north-west Hertfordshire, England, close to the junction of the A5 and the M1 motorway at junction 9. The name is thought by some historians to be a corruption of the original ''Verulamstead''. Fla ...

( Hertfordshire) and Wrethamthorpe (

Norfolk Norfolk () is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in East Anglia in England. It borders Lincolnshire to the north-west, Cambridgeshire to the west and south-west, and Suffolk to the south. Its northern and eastern boundaries are the No ...

). Three other family members were also rewarded: Raoul's brother

Robert de Stafford Robert de Stafford ( 1039 – c. 1100) (''alias'' Robert de Tosny/Toeni, etc.) was an Anglo-Norman nobleman, the first feudal baron of Stafford in Staffordshire in England, where he built as his seat Stafford Castle. His many landholdings are l ...

, and also Robert de Todeni of Belvoir and his son Béranger, who belonged to a collateral branch. In the

Duchy of Normandy The Duchy of Normandy grew out of the 911 Treaty of Saint-Clair-sur-Epte between King Charles III of West Francia and the Viking leader Rollo. The duchy was named for its inhabitants, the Normans. From 1066 until 1204, as a result of the Norman c ...

, the 1077 marriage between Raoul II and Isabelle de Montfort allowed the Tosnys to direct the châtellenie of

Nogent-le-Roi Nogent-le-Roi () is a Communes of France, commune in the Departments of France, department of Eure-et-Loir in the Centre-Val de Loire Regions of France, region in France. It is located 27 kilometres north of Chartres and 18 kilometres south-east ...

, which they held onto until around 1200. The family possessions thus stretched as far as the border of the

duchy of Normandy The Duchy of Normandy grew out of the 911 Treaty of Saint-Clair-sur-Epte between King Charles III of West Francia and the Viking leader Rollo. The duchy was named for its inhabitants, the Normans. From 1066 until 1204, as a result of the Norman c ...

. They were particularly active during the troubles which followed William I's death (1087) and the subsequent

conflict Conflict may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Films * ''Conflict'' (1921 film), an American silent film directed by Stuart Paton * ''Conflict'' (1936 film), an American boxing film starring John Wayne * ''Conflict'' (1937 film) ...

between

Empress Mathilda Empress Matilda ( 7 February 110210 September 1167), also known as the Empress Maude, was one of the claimants to the English throne during the civil war known as the Anarchy. The daughter of King Henry I of England, she moved to Germany as ...

and

Stephen Stephen or Steven is a common English first name. It is particularly significant to Christians, as it belonged to Saint Stephen ( grc-gre, Στέφανος ), an early disciple and deacon who, according to the Book of Acts, was stoned to death; ...

(1135–1144). DeTosnyCoA

After 1066, as Lucien Musset remarks, the Tosnys showed themselves especially liberal to their English fiefdoms but avoided diminishing their Norman lands. Orderic Vitalis mentions four main castles in their Norman barony in 1119:

Conches-en-Ouche Conches-en-Ouche (, literally ''Conches in Ouche'') is a commune in the Eure ''département'' in northern France. Geography It is located by the Rouloir river, southwest of Évreux in the Normandy region. The town is located on a plateau known ...

, Tosny, Portes,

Acquigny Acquigny () is a commune in the Eure department in Normandy in northern France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of overseas regions and territories i ...

. According to the 1172 state of its fiefdoms, the "honneur"= Technical name for large 12th century Norman baronies amounted to 50 or 51 knights'

fief A fief (; la, feudum) was a central element in medieval contracts based on feudal law. It consisted of a form of property holding or other rights granted by an overlord to a vassal, who held it in fealty or "in fee" in return for a form ...

s. The lands were mostly found in

Haute-Normandie Upper Normandy (french: Haute-Normandie, ; nrf, Ĥâote-Normaundie) is a former administrative region of France. On 1 January 2016, Upper and Lower Normandy merged becoming one region called Normandy. History It was created in 1956 from two ...

, more precisely between

Risle The Risle (; less common: ''Rille'') is a long river in Normandy, left tributary of the Seine. The river begins in the Orne department west of L'Aigle, crosses the western part of the department of Eure flowing from south to north and out into ...

and

Iton Iton () is a river in Normandy, France, left tributary of the river Eure. It is long. Its source is near Moulins-la-Marche. For about 10 km between Orvaux and Glisolles, it disappears and pursues a subterranean course. The Iton flows t ...

. The vast forêt de Conches formed its centre. It also had scattered domains in the Eure valley ( Fontaine-sous-Jouy,

Cailly-sur-Eure Cailly-sur-Eure (, literally ''Cailly on Eure'') is a commune in the Eure department and Normandy region of France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises o ...

, Planches,

), the Seine valley ( Tosny, Villers-sur-le-Roule,

Bernières-sur-Seine Bernières-sur-Seine (, literally ''Bernières on Seine'') is a former commune in the Eure department in Normandy in northern France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. I ...

), in Vexin Normand ( Vesly, Guerny, Villers-en-Vexin, Hacqueville, Heuqueville, Val de

Pîtres Pîtres (; medieval Pistres) is a commune in the Eure department in Normandy in north-western France. It lies on the Seine. History Historically, it had a bridge to prevent Vikings from sailing up the river to Paris. It was here that King Char ...

), in

Pays de Caux The Pays de Caux (, , literally ''Land of Caux'') is an area in Normandy occupying the greater part of the French ''département'' of Seine Maritime in Normandy. It is a chalk plateau to the north of the Seine Estuary and extending to the cliffs o ...

and Talou around

Blainville-Crevon Blainville-Crevon () is a commune in the Seine-Maritime ''département'' of the Normandy region of northern France. Geography A farming village situated by the banks of the river Crevon in the Pays de Caux, some northeast of Rouen, at the juncti ...

, Mortemer (Seine-Maritime, Mortemer-sur-Eaulne),

Dieppe Dieppe (; Norman: ''Dgieppe'') is a coastal commune in the Seine-Maritime department in the Normandy region of northern France. Dieppe is a seaport on the English Channel at the mouth of the river Arques. A regular ferry service runs to N ...

and

Yerville Yerville () is a commune in the Seine-Maritime department in the Normandy region in northern France. Geography A small farming and light industrial town situated in the Pays de Caux, some northwest of Rouen at the junction of the D929 with th ...

. Many of these lands were let out to vassals, notably les Clères. In spite of these extensive holdings, the 12th century gives the impression of a decline in the Tosny family fortunes in comparison to some of the neighbouring houses in eastern Normandy. In 1204 Roger IV of Tosny lost his continental fiefdoms as a result of his support for

John John is a common English name and surname: * John (given name) * John (surname) John may also refer to: New Testament Works * Gospel of John, a title often shortened to John * First Epistle of John, often shortened to 1 John * Secon ...

and thus the family had to withdraw to England. In addition to their barony of

in Hertfordshire, they captured Pain's Castle in

Elfael Elfael was one of a number of Welsh cantrefi occupying the region between the River Wye and river Severn, known as Rhwng Gwy a Hafren, in the early Middle Ages. It was divided into two commotes, Is Mynydd and Uwch Mynydd, separated by the chain of ...

. In 1309, the male line of the Tosnys became extinct, and their English lands passed to their sole heiress, Alice de Toeni, Countess of Warwick.

Genealogy

* Hugh de Calvacamp 914–990. His son: ** Ralph (Raoul I) de Toeni born before 970. His son: ***

Roger de Toeni Roger I of Tosny or Roger of Hispania (died c. 1040) was a Norman nobleman of the House of Tosny who took part in the Reconquista of Iberia. Career Roger was the son of Raoul I of Tosny, seigneur de Conches. In 1013, Roger and his father Raou ...

(990–1039) married Godeheut (Adelaide) d'Evreux. Their children: **** Helbert de Toeni (d.1039/40) **** Helinand de Toeni (d. May 1039, in Conches) **** Vuazo de Toeni **** Robert de Toeni, Lord of Stafford. Apparently married Avice

de Clare The House of Clare was a prominent Anglo-Norman noble house that held at various times the earldoms of Pembroke, Hertford and Gloucester in England and Wales, as well as playing a prominent role in the Norman invasion of Ireland. They were de ...

, daughter of Richard fitz Gilbert (de Clare) son of

Gilbert, Count of Brionne Gilbert (or Giselbert) de Brionne, Count of Eu and of Brionne ( – ), was an influential nobleman in the Duchy of Normandy in Northern France.Robinson, J. A. (1911). Gilbert Crispin, abbot of Westminster: a study of the abbey under Norman ru ...

, by whom he had sons, variously listed as: ***** Nicholas I de Stafford (d.c.1138), eldest son and heir, 2nd feudal baron of Stafford. For descent from him see feudal barony of Stafford. ***** Alan de Stafford ***** Roger de Stafford ***** Jordan de Stafford ***** Nigel de Stafford ***** Robert de Stafford **** Béranger l'Espagnol de Toeni. **** Adelise de Toeni married Guillaume Fils Osbern. ***** 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. *****

Roger de Breteuil, 2nd Earl of Hereford Roger de Breteuil, 2nd Earl of Hereford (1056 – after 1087), succeeded in 1071 to the earldom of Hereford and the English estate of his father, William Fitz-Osbern. He is known to history for his role in the Revolt of the Earls. Revolt of ...

, who succeeded his father in England and Wales; ***** Emma de Breteuil, wife of

Ralph de Gael, 1st Earl of Norfolk Ralph de Gaël (otherwise Ralph de Guader, Ralph Wader or Radulf Waders or Ralf Waiet or Rodulfo de Waiet; before 1042c. 1100) was the Earl of East Anglia (Norfolk and Suffolk) and Lord of Gaël and Montfort-sur-Meu, Montfort (''Seigneur de Gaë ...

**** Berthe de Toeni married Guy de Laval. **** (Ralph / Raoul II) de Toeni (1027–1102), successor of his father; married Isabel de Montfort of Conches (1057–1147) ***** Roger, died young ***** Godehilde married

Baldwin I of Jerusalem Baldwin I, also known as Baldwin of Boulogne (1060s – 2April 1118), was the first count of Edessa from 1098 to 1100, and king of Jerusalem from 1100 to his death in 1118. He was the youngest son of Eustace II, Count of Boulogne, and Ida of Lor ...

, no children ***** Raoul III de Conches, married

Alice of Huntingdon Alice may refer to: * Alice (name), most often a feminine given name, but also used as a surname Literature * Alice (''Alice's Adventures in Wonderland''), a character in books by Lewis Carroll * ''Alice'' series, children's and teen books by ...

, daughter of

Waltheof, Earl of Northumbria Waltheof, Earl of Northumbria ( enm, Wallef, on, Valþjóf) (died 31 May 1076) was the last of the Anglo-Saxon earls and the only English aristocrat to be executed during the reign of William I. Early life Waltheof was the second son of Siw ...

, and

Judith of Lens Judith of Lens (born in Normandy between 1054 and 1055, died c1090) was a niece of William the Conqueror. She was a daughter of his sister Adelaide of Normandy, Countess of Aumale and Lambert II, Count of Lens. Life In 1070, Judith married Ea ...

. ****** Hugues ****** Margaret de Tosny, married Walter de Clifford of

Clifford Castle Clifford Castle is a ruined castle in the village of Clifford which lies 2.5 miles to the north-east of Hay-on-Wye in the Wye Valley in Herefordshire, England (). It was the ''caput'' of the feudal barony of Clifford, a Marcher Lordship (owing a ...

******* Rosamund the Fair ******* Walter de Clifford (c. 1160 – 17 January 1221) ******* Gilbert ******* Richard ******* Amicia, married Osbern fitz Hugh of Richards Castle ******* Lucia, married Hugh de Say of

Clun Castle Clun Castle is a medieval ruined castle in Clun, Shropshire, England. Clun Castle was established by the Norman lord Robert de Say after the Norman invasion of England and went on to become an important Marcher lord castle in the 12th century, ...

****** Roger III de Tosny (1104–1162), married Ida de Hainaut and had by her: ******* Ralph IV de Tosny (1132–1162; Lord of Flamstead) married Margaret de Beaumont (1125–1185; Lady Margaret of Leicester) . Their children: ******** Ida de Tosny (1160–1204), mistress of King Henry II by whom she had William Longespee, and wife of Roger Bigod (1144–1221) ******** Roger IV de Toeni (d. 1208; Lord of Flamstead, Knight de Conches), married Constance de Beaumont. Their son: ********* Ralph V de Toeni (1189–1239; Lord of Flamstead), married Petronilla (Pernel) de Lacy (1198–1238). Their son: ********** Roger V de Toeni (1235–1274) married Alice (Cecilia) de Bohun. Their son: *********** Ralph VII de Toeni (1255–1295; of Flamstead) married Mary (1255–1284). Their children: ************Robert de Toeni, Lord Toeni of Flamsted (1276–1309), married Maud, daughter of

Malise III, Earl of Strathearn Malise III of Strathearn (Gaelic: ''Maol Íosa''; c. 12571312) was a Scottish nobleman, the ruler of the region of Strathearn. He was the son of Malise II and his second wife Matilda, daughter of Gilbert, Earl of Orkney and Caithness. He succeed ...

. Died childless, leaving his sister as heir. ************

Alice de Toeni Alice de Toeni, Countess of Warwick (c. 1284 – bef. 8 January 1325) was a wealthy English heiress and the second wife of Guy de Beauchamp, 10th Earl of Warwick, an English nobleman in the reign of kings Edward I and Edward II. He was one of th ...

(1283–1324) married Guy de Beauchamp (1272–1325; 10th earl of Warwick). Hugues de ''Calvacamp'' │ ├─> Hugues, archbishop of Rouen (942–989) │ │ └─> Raoul I of Tosny († 1024/1025) │ ├─>... │ │ │ ? │ └─> Robert of Tosny († 1088), lord de Belvoir │ │ │ │ │ ├─> Béranger de Tosny │ │ │ │ │ └─> Alice de Tosny († après 1129) │ X

Roger Bigod of Norfolk Roger Bigod (died 1107) was a Norman knight who travelled to England in the Norman Conquest. He held great power in East Anglia, and five of his descendants were earls of Norfolk. He was also known as Roger Bigot, appearing as such as a witness t ...

│ └─>

Roger I of Tosny Roger I of Tosny or Roger of Hispania (died c. 1040) was a Norman nobleman of the House of Tosny who took part in the Reconquista of Iberia. Career Roger was the son of Raoul I of Tosny, seigneur de Conches. In 1013, Roger and his father Raoul ...

, Or Roger d'Espagne († c.1040) X ''Godehildis/Gotelina'' │ ├─>Herbert († c.1040) │ ├─>Helinant († c.1040) │ ├─> Raoul II de Conches and de Tosny († 1102) │ X Isabelle de Montfort │ │ │ ├─> Raoul III of Tosny, called the young († 1126) │ │ X Adelise daughter of

Waltheof II, Earl of Northumbria Waltheof, Earl of Northumbria ( enm, Wallef, on, Valþjóf) (died 31 May 1076) was the last of the Anglo-Saxon earls and the only English aristocrat to be executed during the reign of William I. Early life Waltheof was the second son of Si ...

│ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ ├─> Roger III († c.1157/1162) │ │ │ X Ida de Hainaut │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ └─> Raoul IV († 1162) │ │ │ X Marguerite of Leicester │ │ │ │ │ │ │ └─> Roger IV († 1208/1209) │ │ │ X Constance de Beaumont │ │ │ │ │ └─>Hugues († c.1140) │ │ │ │ │ ├─>Roger II († 1090/1091) │ │ │ └─>Godehilde († 1097) │ X (1) Robert I of Meulan (doubtful) │ X (2) Baldwin of Boulogne, king of Jerusalem │ ├─>

(† 1088) │ │ │ └─>Nicolas de Stafford († vers 1138) │ │ │ └─>Robert II de Stafford († c.1177–1185) │ │ │ └─>Robert III de Stafford († c.1193/1194) │ ├─>Béranger l'Espagnol │ ├─>Adelise │ X

William FitzOsbern, 1st Earl of Hereford William FitzOsbern, 1st Earl of Hereford, Lord of Breteuil ( 1011 – 22 February 1071), was a relative and close counsellor of William the Conqueror and one of the great magnates of early Norman England. FitzOsbern was created Earl of Hereford ...

│ └─>Berthe († c.1040)

Notes and references

* ''This article is based in large part on a translation of the article Famille de Tosny from the

French Wikipedia The French Wikipedia (french: Wikipédia en français) is the French-language edition of Wikipedia, the free online encyclopedia. This edition was started on 23 March 2001, two months after the official creation of Wikipedia. It has articl ...

on 19 May 2008.''

Bibliography

* Lucien Musset, "Aux origines d'une classe dirigeante : les Tosny, grands barons normands du X^e au XII^e siècle", ''Francia'', vol. 5 (1878), pp. 45–80 {{DEFAULTSORT:Tosny, House of Tosny Norman families

Origin

Expansion and decline

Genealogy

Notes and references

See also

Bibliography