Roger de Somery inherited the feudal

barony of Dudley Barony may refer to: * Barony, the peerage, office of, or territory held by a baron * Barony, the title and land held in fealty by a feudal baron * Barony (county division), a type of administrative or geographical division in parts of the British ...

in 1235. In 1262, Roger started the re-fortification of

Dudley Castle Dudley Castle is a ruined fortification in the town of Dudley, West Midlands, England. Originally a wooden motte and bailey castle built soon after the Norman Conquest, it was rebuilt as a stone fortification during the twelfth century but subs ...

, which had been

slighted Slighting is the deliberate damage of high-status buildings to reduce their value as military, administrative or social structures. This destruction of property sometimes extended to the contents of buildings and the surrounding landscape. It is ...

by order of King Henry II after a rebellion in 1173-1174. Roger married twice and died in 1272.

Biography

Roger de Somery was the son of Ralph de Somery (d 1210) and Margaret le Gras (liv 1247), feudal baron of

Dudley Dudley is a large market town and administrative centre in the county of West Midlands, England, southeast of Wolverhampton and northwest of Birmingham. Historically an exclave of Worcestershire, the town is the administrative centre of the ...

. He inherited the

barony Barony may refer to: * Barony, the peerage, office of, or territory held by a baron * Barony, the title and land held in fealty by a feudal baron * Barony (county division), a type of administrative or geographical division in parts of the British ...

in 1235. In 1253, the king sent Roger on an expedition to Gascony to help quell a rebellion. In 1262, Roger began to re-fortify Dudley Castle, which had been slighted by order of King Henry II after the

revolt of 1173–74 Rebellion, uprising, or insurrection is a refusal of obedience or order. It refers to the open resistance against the orders of an established authority. A rebellion originates from a sentiment of indignation and disapproval of a situation and ...

. However, as he did not have a licence from the king to rebuild the castle, he was ordered to stop the construction work. A licence was subsequently obtained and refortification resumed although the castle was not finished in his lifetime. Roger married twice, first to Nichola Albini (daughter of William de Albini) and secondly to Amabel Chacombe. He died in 1272. By his wife Nichola, he had the following children: *Ralph de Somery, predeceased his father, died without male heirs (d 1273-1282) *Margaret de Somery m Ralph Cromwell and Ralph Basset *Joan de Somery m John le Strange *Mable de Somery m Walter de Sully *Matilda/Maud de Somery m Henry de Erdington Pedigrees from the Plea Rolls By his wife Amabil he had 2 sons: *Roger de Somery *Percival de Somery

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:de Somery II, Roger 1272 deaths 13th-century English people People from Dudley English feudal barons