de Montgomerie (Montgomery) is a prominent family of

Anglo-Norman Anglo-Norman may refer to: *Anglo-Normans, the medieval ruling class in England following the Norman conquest of 1066 * Anglo-Norman language **Anglo-Norman literature * Anglo-Norman England, or Norman England, the period in English history from 10 ...

origin, belonging to both French and

British nobility The British nobility is made up of the peerage and the (landed) gentry. The nobility of its four constituent home nations has played a major role in shaping the history of the country, although now they retain only the rights to stand for election ...

. At the turn of the 12th century, the family was one of the leading families, with

Robert de Bellême The name Robert is an ancient Germanic given name, from Proto-Germanic "fame" and "bright" (''Hrōþiberhtaz''). Compare Old Dutch ''Robrecht'' and Old High German ''Hrodebert'' (a compound of '' Hruod'' ( non, Hróðr) "fame, glory, honou ...

being the wealthiest and most powerful

magnate The magnate term, from the late Latin ''magnas'', a great man, itself from Latin ''magnus'', "great", means a man from the higher nobility, a man who belongs to the high office-holders, or a man in a high social position, by birth, wealth or ot ...

England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...

and

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 ...

. The House was succeeded by the

House of Belleme A house is a single-unit residential building. It may range in complexity from a rudimentary hut to a complex structure of wood, masonry, concrete or other material, outfitted with plumbing, electrical, and heating, ventilation, and air condit ...

History

The original family rose to prominence during the 10th century in the new Duchy of Normandy.

Roger de Montgomery, seigneur of Montgomery Roger de Montgomery (died 7 February 1055), was seigneur of Montgomery, vicomte of the Hiémois, and a member of the House of Montgomerie. Life No near-contemporary source gives Roger's parentage. The younger Roger de Montgomery, actually son ...

, was a relative, probably a grandnephew, of the Duchess

Gunnor Gunnor or Gunnora ( – ) was Duchess of Normandy by marriage to Richard I of Normandy, having previously been his long-time mistress. She functioned as regent of Normandy during the absence of her spouse, as well as the adviser to him and later t ...

, wife of Duke

Richard I of Normandy Richard I (28 August 932 – 20 November 996), also known as Richard the Fearless (French: ''Richard Sans-Peur''; Old Norse: ''Jarl Rikard''), was the count of Rouen from 942 to 996.Detlev Schwennicke, '' Europäische Stammtafeln: Stammtafeln ...

, member of the

House of Normandy The House of Normandy ( nrf, Maison de Nouormandie ) designates the noble family which originates from the Duchy of Normandy and whose members were counts of Rouen, dukes of Normandy, as well as kings of England following the Norman conquest o ...

. This Richard was the great-grandfather of

William William is a male given name of Germanic origin.Hanks, Hardcastle and Hodges, ''Oxford Dictionary of First Names'', Oxford University Press, 2nd edition, , p. 276. It became very popular in the English language after the Norman conquest of Engl ...

and a grandson of the Viking

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 ...

who had previously founded Normandy. The elder Roger de Montgomery had large holdings in that region, chiefly in the valley of the Dives in central Normandy, which his son,

Roger Roger is a given name, usually masculine, and a surname. The given name is derived from the Old French personal names ' and '. These names are of Germanic origin, derived from the elements ', ''χrōþi'' ("fame", "renown", "honour") and ', ' ( ...

, would inherit. This Roger was one 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 ...

's principal counsellors, playing a major role in the

Council of Lillebonne The Council of Lillebonne was a meeting of the nobles and clergy of Normandy where, among other things, the expedition of William the Conqueror, then Duke of Normandy, was approved. It was held at Lillebonne, in the northeast of Normandy. Wace, the ...

by agreeing to contribute sixty ships for the invasion of England. He joined William in his conquest of England in 1066 with an army. For his services, he was rewarded with estates and titles. Also known as "Roger the Great", he would become the first

Earl of Shrewsbury Earl of Shrewsbury () is a hereditary title of nobility created twice in the Peerage of England. The second earldom dates to 1442. The holder of the Earldom of Shrewsbury also holds the title of Earl of Waterford (1446) in the Peerage of Ireland ...

Arundel Arundel ( ) is a market town and civil parish in the Arun District of the South Downs, West Sussex, England. The much-conserved town has a medieval castle and Roman Catholic cathedral. Arundel has a museum and comes second behind much large ...

and

Sussex Sussex (), from the Old English (), is a historic county in South East England that was formerly an independent medieval Anglo-Saxon kingdom. It is bounded to the west by Hampshire, north by Surrey, northeast by Kent, south by the English ...

, and give the family name to the county of

Montgomeryshire Montgomeryshire, also known as ''Maldwyn'' ( cy, Sir Drefaldwyn meaning "the Shire of Baldwin's town"), is one of thirteen historic counties of Wales, historic counties and a former administrative county of Wales. It is named after its county tow ...

, in neighbouring

Wales Wales ( cy, Cymru ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is bordered by England to the Wales–England border, east, the Irish Sea to the north and west, the Celtic Sea to the south west and the ...

. Through marriage, he allied himself with the powerful

, from which he would acquire the titles of seigneur de Bellême, count of Alençon and count of Ponthieu. After his death in 1094, the Welsh will organized an attack and conquer all their estates in Wales, leaving only

Pembroke Castle Pembroke Castle ( cy, Castell Penfro) is a medieval castle in the centre of Pembroke, Pembrokeshire in Wales. The castle was the original family seat of the Earldom of Pembroke. A Grade I listed building since 1951, it underwent major restorati ...

standing to this day. At the beginning of the 12th century, the family will support

Robert Curthose Robert Curthose, or Robert II of Normandy ( 1051 – 3 February 1134, french: Robert Courteheuse / Robert II de Normandie), was the eldest son of William the Conqueror and succeeded his father as Duke of Normandy in 1087, reigning until 1106. ...

for the succession to the throne of England, following the death of

. His brother,

Henry I of England Henry I (c. 1068 – 1 December 1135), also known as Henry Beauclerc, was King of England from 1100 to his death in 1135. He was the fourth son of William the Conqueror and was educated in Latin and the liberal arts. On William's death in ...

, would end up winning the war and Robert and the Montgomeries would end up losing much of their estates and possessions. This event would be the major reason of their downfall. Many members would be forced to exile, one of which would be Arnulf de Montgomery, who would make an alliance with the High King of Ireland,

Muirchertach Ua Briain Muircheartach Ua Briain (old spelling: Muirchertach Ua Briain) (also known as Murtaugh O'Brien) (c. 1050 – c. 10 March 1119), son of Toirdelbach Ua Briain and great-grandson of Brian Boru, was King of Munster and later self-declared High King ...

, by marrying his daughter. Thereafter, many members of the Montgomeries will ally themselves with other houses in Europe, notably with the

House of FitzGerald The FitzGerald/FitzMaurice Dynasty is a noble and aristocratic dynasty of Cambro-Norman, Anglo-Norman and later Hiberno-Norman origin. They have been peers of Ireland since at least the 13th century, and are described in the Annals of th ...

, the

House of Burgundy The House of Burgundy () was a cadet branch of the Capetian dynasty, descending from Robert I, Duke of Burgundy, a younger son of King Robert II of France. The House ruled the Duchy of Burgundy from 1032–1361 and achieved the recognized title ...

, the

House of Blois The House of Blois () is a lineage derived from the Frankish nobility, whose principal members were often named Theobald (''Thibaud'', ''Thibault'', ''Thibaut'' in French). History Heirs of the viscounts of Blois, the House of Blois accumulated ...

, the

House of Capet The House of Capet (french: Maison capétienne) or the Direct Capetians (''Capétiens directs''), also called the House of France (''la maison de France''), or simply the Capets, ruled the Kingdom of France from 987 to 1328. It was the most s ...

, the House of Warenne, and many others.

Notable offspring

Arundel Castle -West Sussex, England-12Aug2007

(† 1048), member of the family of

, grandnephew of Archbishop Robert II,

regent A regent (from Latin : ruling, governing) is a person appointed to govern a state '' pro tempore'' (Latin: 'for the time being') because the monarch is a minor, absent, incapacitated or unable to discharge the powers and duties of the monarchy ...

of Normandy for William. * Gilbert de Montgomery († 1040), who in 1063 was claimed by Orderic to have been poisoned by Countess

Mabel de Bellême Mabel de Bellême (1030s -1079) was a Norman noblewoman. She inherited the lordship of Bellême from her father and later became Countess of Shrewsbury through her husband. She was a member of the House of Bellême. Life Mabel was the daughte ...

Roger de Montgomerie, 1st Earl of Shrewsbury Roger de Montgomery (died 1094), also known as Roger the Great, was the first Earl of Shrewsbury, and Earl of Arundel, in Sussex. His father was Roger de Montgomery, seigneur of Montgomery, a member of the House of Montgomerie, and was probably ...

(† 1094), counselor to William the Conqueror, held 159 manors, his estates amounted to 3% of England's gdp *

Hugh of Montgomery, 2nd Earl of Shrewsbury Hugh of Montgomery, 2nd Earl of Shrewsbury (died 1098), was an Anglo-Norman aristocrat and member of the House of Bellême. He was also known as Hugh the Red. Life He was the second surviving son of Roger de Montgomerie, 1st Earl of Shrewsbury o ...

(† 1098), fought against the King of Norway,

Magnus Barefoot Magnus Olafsson (Old Norse: ''Magnús Óláfsson'', Norwegian: ''Magnus Olavsson''; 1073 – 24 August 1103), better known as Magnus Barefoot (Old Norse: ''Magnús berfœttr'', Norwegian: ''Magnus Berrføtt''), was King of Norway (being Ma ...

, at the Battle of Anglesey Sound. He was also known as Hugh the Red. * Arnulf de Montgomery (c. 1066 - c. 1120), married to Lafracota, daughter of the King of Munster,

. He established himself at Pembroke and was styled the

Earl of Pembroke Earl of Pembroke is a title in the Peerage of England that was first created in the 12th century by King Stephen of England. The title, which is associated with Pembroke, Pembrokeshire in West Wales, has been recreated ten times from its origin ...

. *

(† 1130), 3rd Earl of Shrewsbury and Count of Ponthieu, was an

nobleman, and one of the most prominent figures in the competition for the succession to England and

between the sons of

. A member of the powerful

House of Bellême House of Bellême also referred to as the Family of Bellême was an important seigneurial family during the 10th through the 12th centuries. Members of this family held the important castles of Bellême, Alençon, Domfront and Sées as well a ...

, he held 34 castles and 3

abbey An abbey is a type of monastery used by members of a religious order under the governance of an abbot or abbess. Abbeys provide a complex of buildings and land for religious activities, work, and housing of Christian monks and nuns. The conce ...

s and was the richest magnate of both England and Normandy. : page 155 * Matilda de Montgomery, married to

Robert, Count of Mortain Robert, Count of Mortain, 2nd Earl of Cornwall (–) was a Norman nobleman and the half-brother (on their mother's side) of King William the Conqueror. He was one of the very few proven companions of William the Conqueror at the Battle of Hastin ...

and 2nd Earl of Cornwall, was the half-brother of

William III of Ponthieu William III of Ponthieu ( – 1172) also called William (II; III) Talvas.Orderic Vitalis and Robert de Torigny both mentioned his nickname 'Talvas' but he is not known to have used it when granting or attesting his own charters, . E. Cokayne, ''T ...

, (c. 1093 – 1172), married to Helie, daughter of Eudes I, Duke of Burgundy of the

. Via his mother, he inherited the

county of Ponthieu Ponthieu (, ) was one of six feudal counties that eventually merged to become part of the Province of Picardy, in northern France.Dunbabin.France in the Making. Ch.4. The Principalities 888-987 Its chief town is Abbeville. History Ponthieu play ...

. *

Guy II of Ponthieu Guy II of Ponthieu (–25 December 1147) was the son of William III of Ponthieu and Helie of Burgundy. Life He succeeded his father as Count of Ponthieu before 1129; this was during William's lifetime. Around 1137, he founded the Cistercian ...

(c. 1120 - 25 December 1147) was the son of

and

Helie of Burgundy Helie of Burgundy ( – 28 February 1141) was the daughter of Odo I, Duke of Burgundy and Sibylla of Burgundy, Duchess of Burgundy. In June 1095, Helie married Bertrand of Toulouse, as his second wife. They had one son, Pons of Tripoli (–1137). ...

, daughter of the Duke of Burgundy. Fought the

Second Crusade The Second Crusade (1145–1149) was the second major crusade launched from Europe. The Second Crusade was started in response to the fall of the County of Edessa in 1144 to the forces of Zengi. The county had been founded during the First Crusa ...

. *

John I, Count of Alençon John I (Jean I) (died 24 February 1191), Count of Alençon, son of William III Talvas, Count of Ponthieu, and Helie of Burgundy. Recognized as Count of Alençon by Henry II of England, John succeeded his father in 1171. He was a supporter of the ...

(† 24 February 1191),

Count of Alençon Count (feminine: countess) is a historical title of nobility in certain European countries, varying in relative status, generally of middling rank in the hierarchy of nobility.L. G. Pine, Pine, L. G. ''Titles: How the King Became His Majesty'' ...

, son of William III Talvas, Count of Ponthieu, and

, of the

. * William IV, Count of Ponthieu, married to Princess Alys, daughter of Louis VII, King of France and Queen

Constance of Castile Constance of Castile (1136 or 1140 – 4 October 1160) was Queen of France as the second wife of Louis VII, who married her following the annulment of his marriage to Eleanor of Aquitaine. She was a daughter of Alfonso VII of León and Berengari ...

. Alys was initially betrothed to

Richard the Lionheart 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 overl ...

. *

Robert I, Count of Alençon Robert I, Count of Alençon (died 8 September 1217, in Morteveille), of the house of Montgomery-Bellême, was Count of Alençon from 1191 to 1217. He was the second son of John I, Count of Alençon, and of Béatrix of Maine. Biography His fath ...

, his daughter Mathilde married to Theobald VI, Count of Blois, of the

, great-grandson of

Eleanor of Aquitaine Eleanor ( – 1 April 1204; french: Aliénor d'Aquitaine, ) was Queen of France from 1137 to 1152 as the wife of King Louis VII, Queen of England from 1154 to 1189 as the wife of King Henry II, and Duchess of Aquitaine in her own right from ...

, Queen of England. *

Roger the Poitevin Roger the Poitevin (Roger de Poitou) was born in Normandy in the mid-1060s and died before 1140. He was an Anglo-Norman aristocrat, possessing large holdings in both England and through his marriage in France. He was the third son of Roger of Mo ...

, fought with Lord

Rufus Rufus is a masculine given name, a surname, an Ancient Roman cognomen and a nickname (from Latin ''rufus'', "red"). Notable people with the name include: Given name Politicians * Rufus Ada George (born 1940), Nigerian politician * Rufus Al ...

Richmond Castle Richmond Castle in Richmond, North Yorkshire, England, stands in a commanding position above the River Swale, close to the centre of the town of Richmond. It was originally called Riche Mount, 'the strong hill'. The castle was constructed by Ala ...

and Count

Odo Odo or ODO may refer to: People * Odo, a given name; includes a list of people and fictional characters with the name * Franklin Odo (born 1939), Japanese-American historian * Seikichi Odo (1927–2002), Japanese karateka * Yuya Odo (born 1990), J ...

, brother-in-law of

, against the Prince-Bishop

William de St-Calais William de St-Calais (died 2 January 1096) was a medieval Norman monk, abbot of the abbey of Saint-Vincent in Le Mans in Maine, who was nominated by King William I of England as Bishop of Durham in 1080. During his term as bishop, St-Calais re ...

Durham Castle Durham Castle is a Norman castle in the city of Durham, England, which has been occupied since 1837 by University College, Durham after its previous role as the residence of the Bishops of Durham. Designated since 1986 as a cultural World Herit ...

References

External links

The First Dynasty of Ponthieu - in French

albeit with some mistakes, attributing Robert de Belleme's sister-in-law to his first wife. {{surname Counts of Alençon Counts of Ponthieu Clan Montgomery

History

Notable offspring

See also

References

External links