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Robert fitz Wimarc (died before 1075,
information at the fitz Wimarc School website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Fitzwimarc, Robert High Sheriffs of Essex 11th-century English people 11th-century deaths Year of birth unknown People from Epping Forest District People from Clavering, Essex 11th-century Normans
Robert fitz Wimarc (died before 1075, Theydon Mount
Theydon Mount is a village and civil parish in the Epping Forest (district), Epping Forest district of the county of Essex, England. The village is notable for the Grade I listed Elizabethan mansion, Hill Hall (Essex), Hill Hall.
History
The na ...
, Ongar, Essex
Essex () is a county in the East of England. One of the home counties, it borders Suffolk and Cambridgeshire to the north, the North Sea to the east, Hertfordshire to the west, Kent across the estuary of the River Thames to the south, and G ...
) was a kinsman of both Edward the Confessor
Edward the Confessor ; la, Eduardus Confessor , ; ( 1003 – 5 January 1066) was one of the last Anglo-Saxon English kings. Usually considered the last king of the House of Wessex, he ruled from 1042 to 1066.
Edward was the son of Æth ...
and William of Normandy
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 Norman king of England, reigning from 1066 until his death in 108 ...
, and was present at Edward's death bed.
Nothing of his background is known except his kinship to the English and Norman leadership and that his byname appears to contain a Breton
Breton most often refers to:
*anything associated with Brittany, and generally
** Breton people
** Breton language, a Southwestern Brittonic Celtic language of the Indo-European language family, spoken in Brittany
** Breton (horse), a breed
**Ga ...
female name, Wiomar'ch, apparently the name of his mother. He was brought to England by Edward and had a successful career, being rewarded with numerous lands in various parts of the country. He had a special interest in Essex
Essex () is a county in the East of England. One of the home counties, it borders Suffolk and Cambridgeshire to the north, the North Sea to the east, Hertfordshire to the west, Kent across the estuary of the River Thames to the south, and G ...
and set up his main base at Clavering. It was to Clavering that many of Edward's Norman
Norman or Normans may refer to:
Ethnic and cultural identity
* The Normans, a people partly descended from Norse Vikings who settled in the territory of Normandy in France in the 10th and 11th centuries
** People or things connected with the Norm ...
favourites fled when they were ousted from political power in 1052, before taking ship into exile. Despite being a Norman
Norman or Normans may refer to:
Ethnic and cultural identity
* The Normans, a people partly descended from Norse Vikings who settled in the territory of Normandy in France in the 10th and 11th centuries
** People or things connected with the Norm ...
, Robert stayed in England and found further favour with Edward, and possibly with Harold Godwinson
Harold Godwinson ( – 14 October 1066), also called Harold II, was the last crowned Anglo-Saxon English king. Harold reigned from 6 January 1066 until his death at the Battle of Hastings, fighting the Norman invaders led by William the C ...
after him.
Robert was later made Sheriff
A sheriff is a government official, with varying duties, existing in some countries with historical ties to England where the office originated. There is an analogous, although independently developed, office in Iceland that is commonly transla ...
of Essex
Essex () is a county in the East of England. One of the home counties, it borders Suffolk and Cambridgeshire to the north, the North Sea to the east, Hertfordshire to the west, Kent across the estuary of the River Thames to the south, and G ...
and was described as "" – high officer or sometimes staller of the royal palace. When Edward died in January 1066, Robert was one of the four inner councillors present at his death bed, along with the Queen (Edith of Wessex
Edith of Wessex ( 1025 – 18 December 1075) was Queen of England from her marriage to Edward the Confessor in 1045 until Edward died in 1066. Unlike most English queens in the 10th and 11th centuries, she was crowned. The principal source on ...
), Earl Harold Godwinson
Harold Godwinson ( – 14 October 1066), also called Harold II, was the last crowned Anglo-Saxon English king. Harold reigned from 6 January 1066 until his death at the Battle of Hastings, fighting the Norman invaders led by William the C ...
and Archbishop Stigand
Stigand (died 1072) was an Anglo-Saxon churchman in pre-Norman Conquest England who became Archbishop of Canterbury. His birth date is unknown, but by 1020 he was serving as a royal chaplain and advisor. He was named Bishop of Elmham in 104 ...
, an event captured on the Bayeux Tapestry.
Robert seems to have acquiesced with Harold's succession to the throne, but also seems to have kept in touch with his homeland. When William landed at Pevensey
Pevensey ( ) is a village and civil parish in the Wealden district of East Sussex, England. The main village is located north-east of Eastbourne, one mile (1.6 km) inland from Pevensey Bay. The settlement of Pevensey Bay forms part of ...
it was Robert who contacted him to advise a retreat back to France. The advice was, apparently, that William had neither the strength nor numbers to win a battle against Harold, particularly as Harold was buoyed by his victory against the Norwegians at Stamford Bridge Stamford Bridge may refer to:
* Stamford Bridge, East Riding of Yorkshire, a village in England
** Battle of Stamford Bridge, 25 September 1066
* Stamford Bridge (bridge), a bridge in the village of Stamford Bridge
* Stamford Bridge (stadium), in L ...
.
Robert clearly remained in favour with William after his victory at Hastings
Hastings () is a large seaside town and borough in East Sussex on the south coast of England,
east to the county town of Lewes and south east of London. The town gives its name to the Battle of Hastings, which took place to the north-west ...
, and subsequent succession, as he retained his estates, and was further rewarded with others. He left his extensive estates to his son Suen (Swein of Essex), who went on to build Rayleigh Castle
Rayleigh Castle (also known as Rayleigh Mount) was a masonry and timber castle built in the town of Rayleigh in Essex, England in the 11th century shortly after the Norman conquest. All that exists today are the earthwork remains of its large ...
.
Robert fitz Wimarc seems to have been a prudent man, with a fair degree of wisdom who helped to ease the transition from Saxon
The Saxons ( la, Saxones, german: Sachsen, ang, Seaxan, osx, Sahson, nds, Sassen, nl, Saksen) were a group of Germanic
*
*
*
*
peoples whose name was given in the early Middle Ages to a large country (Old Saxony, la, Saxonia) near the Nor ...
to Norman
Norman or Normans may refer to:
Ethnic and cultural identity
* The Normans, a people partly descended from Norse Vikings who settled in the territory of Normandy in France in the 10th and 11th centuries
** People or things connected with the Norm ...
England.
He is remembered in Rayleigh, Essex
Rayleigh is a market town and civil parish in Essex, England; it is located between Chelmsford and Southend-on-Sea, east of central London. It had a population of 32,150 at the census in 2011.
Toponymy
The name ''Rayleigh'' is Old English in ...
, where one of the town's secondary schools is named the FitzWimarc School.
Sources
* *References
External links
information at the fitz Wimarc School website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Fitzwimarc, Robert High Sheriffs of Essex 11th-century English people 11th-century deaths Year of birth unknown People from Epping Forest District People from Clavering, Essex 11th-century Normans