Robert D'Oyly was a 12th-century English nobleman, son of Nigel D'Oyly, and nephew of

Robert D'Oyly Robert D'Oyly (also spelt Robert D'Oyley de Liseaux, Robert Doyley, Robert de Oiley, Robèrt d'Oilly, Robert D'Oyley and Roberti De Oilgi) was a Norman nobleman who accompanied William the Conqueror on the Norman conquest, his invasion of En ...

, founder of

Oxford Castle Oxford Castle is a large, partly ruined medieval castle on the western side of central Oxford in Oxfordshire, England. Most of the original moated, wooden motte and bailey castle was replaced in stone in the late 12th or early 13th century and ...

. Robert married

Edith Forne Edith Forne (d. after 1129), was an English noblewoman who was the concubine of King Henry I of England and the foundress of Osney Abbey near Oxford. She was the daughter of Forn Sigulfson, Lord of Greystoke, Cumberland. Edith had three chil ...

, daughter of Lord Greystoke, who had been King

Henry I of England Henry I ( – 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 1087, Henr ...

's concubine, in 1120. The marriage also meant Robert became Lord of the Manor of Cleydon.''Victoria County History of Oxford Volume IV'' by Alan Crossley, 1969 In 1129, he was persuaded by his wife to build the Church of

St Mary Mary was a first-century Jewish woman of Nazareth, the wife of Joseph and the mother of Jesus. She is an important figure of Christianity, venerated under various titles such as virgin or queen, many of them mentioned in the Litany of Loreto. ...

, in the Isle of

Osney Osney or Osney Island (; an earlier spelling of the name is ''Oseney'') is a riverside community in the west of the city of Oxford, England. In modern times the name is applied to a community also known as Osney Town astride Botley Road, just w ...

, near

, for the use of Augustine Monks—this was to become

Osney Abbey Osney Abbey or Oseney Abbey, later Osney Cathedral, was a house of Augustinians, Augustinian canons at Osney in Oxfordshire. The site is south of the modern Botley Road, down Mill Street, Oxford, Mill Street by Osney Cemetery, next to the rail ...

. By 1141 Robert had inherited his father's position of Lord of

and Baron Hocknorton and it was he that declared his support for

Empress Matilda Empress Matilda (10 September 1167), also known as Empress Maud, was one of the claimants to the English throne during the civil war known as the Anarchy. The daughter and heir of Henry I, king of England and ruler of Normandy, she went to ...

against King Stephen, giving her protection in Oxford between 1141 and the winter of 1142. It is because of this action that Stephen came to Oxford and besieged the castle for three months, burning the city down in the process. Matilda supposedly escaped by dressing in white as a form of camouflage against the snow-covered ground, and fleeing across the frozen

Castle Mill Stream Castle Mill Stream is a long Backwater (river), backwater of the River Thames in the west of Oxford, England. It has its own secondary backwater, known as the Wareham Stream, that is long. Course Castle Mill Stream The Castle Mill Stream l ...

. It is likely that Robert died shortly after this as governorship of the castle changed hands, though whether his death was at the hands of the King is not known. Robert and Edith had at least two children—Henry, buried at Osney in 1163, and Gilbert. Henry became 4th Baron Hocknorton and Kings Constable and married Margery, daughter of Humphrey de Bohun, Earl of Hereford. Robert was buried at

Eynsham Eynsham is a village and civil parish in the West Oxfordshire district, in Oxfordshire, England, about north-west of Oxford and east of Witney. The 2011 Census recorded a parish population of 4,648. It was estimated at 5,087 in 2020. Etymolo ...

, Oxfordshire.

References

The baronetage of England
11th-century births Anglo-Normans Norman warriors People from Eynsham People from Oxford Year of death unknown {{England-hist-stub