House of Beaumont

The Norman family of Beaumont was one of the great baronial Anglo-Norman families, who became rooted in England after the Norman Conquest.

History

Roger de Beaumont, Lord (seigneur) of Pont-Audemer, of Brionne and of Vatteville, was too old to fight at the battle of Hastings and stayed in Normandy to govern and protect it while William was away on the invasion. As a reward, he received lands in Leicestershire. His son Robert de Beaumont, comte de Meulan, who commanded the Norman right wing at Hastings, became the first Earl of Leicester. His brother Henri de Beaumont was created Earl of Warwick.

During Stephen's reign, the twins Galéran and Robert were powerful allies to the king, and as a reward Galéran (already comte de Meulan) was made Earl of Worcester.

Counsel from the Beaumonts was important to the Dukes of Normandy, then by the kings of England.

Family Tree

?
└─> Torf le Riche, seigneur de Pont-Audemer (born c. 910)
│
└─>Turold de Pont-Audemer (c. 940)
│
└─> Onfroi de Vieilles called ''de Harcourt'' (c. 975)
│
└─>Roger de Beaumont (le Barbu) († 1094)
│
├─>Robert de Beaumont, 1st Earl of Leicester (1050 – 1118)
│ │
│ ├─> Galéran IV de Meulan (1104 – 1166)
│ │ └─> Earls of Worcester branch
│ │
│ └─> Robert II de Beaumont (1104 – 1168)
│ └─> Earls of Leicester branch
│
└─> Henri de Beaumont called ''de NeufBourg'' (1046 – 1123)
│└─> Earls of Warwick branch . │ . └─>Robert de Neubourg

First creation (1107)

*Robert de Beaumont, 1st Earl of Leicester (died 1118)
*Robert de Beaumont, 2nd Earl of Leicester (1104–1168)
*Robert de Beaumont, 3rd Earl of Leicester (died 1190)
*Robert de Beaumont, 4th Earl of Leicester (died 1204) (''alias'' Robert FitzPernel)
*Simon de Montfort, 5th Earl of Leicester (c. 1170–1218, confirmed 1207)
*Simon de Montfort, 6th Earl of Leicester (1208–1265, forfeit 1265)

Early members of the house of Beaumont

Anglo-Norman branch:
* Roger de Beaumont
* Robert de Beaumont, 1st Earl of Leicester
* Waleran de Beaumont, 1st Earl of Worcester
* Henry de Beaumont, 1st Earl of Warwick

French branch:

The French Vicomtes de Beaumont au Maine date from approximately 930 AD and contrary to many false assumptions never had, and do not have, any connection with the Norman Beaumonts descended from Roger de Beaumont. The French family take their name from the village of Beaumont-sur-Sarthe (formerly Beaumont le Vicomte) which is 30 km north of Le Mans. (Beaumont-le-Roger is about 125 km away, in the vicinity of Rouen). The French family came to England in the late 14th century (see Isabella de Vesci) and modern Beaumonts are descended from her brother Henry de Beaumont who was the first of the English barony and later Viscounts.

They are not a branch of the Norman family - rather they fought against the Normans on behalf of the French (see Hubert de Beaumont).

* Henry de Beaumont
* Hubert de Beaumont-au-Maine

Armorial

The Beaumont family was founded before heraldry (c. 1160). So, different branches of the family adopted different arms.

File:De Beaumont arms (Earl of Leicester).svg, Arms of Beaumont, Earls of Leicester (1st Creation): '' Gules, a Cinquefoil Ermine'', which were adopted by the town of Leicester

File:CheckyAzure&OrAChevronErmine.PNG, Arms of Newburgh/Beaumont Earls of Warwick, adopted c. 1200 – 1215 at start of the age of heraldry: ''Checky azure and or a chevron ermine''Source: Arms of "Thomas, Earl of Warwick" stated in several 13th-century Rolls of Arms, incl. Collins' Roll, c. 1296

See also

References

*

External links

*
*
Comtes de Meulan, Seigneurs de Beaumont-Le-Roger, Earls of Leicester

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