General Notes

Arnulph was the fifth son of Roger de Montgomerie, Earl of Shrewsbury andArundel. He was probably named after his uncle Arnulph de Belˆsme. Afterhis father's death, and the assumption of the crown on the death ofWilliam Rufus by Henry I., he joined his brothers in resistance to theusurpation, and, as is more fully stated in the account given of Robertde Belˆsme, his brother, shared in his ill success, and was banished thekingdom. Arnulph crossed into Ireland in the year 1100 to obtain succorsfor Duke Robert's cause, and was successful in his mission. Hesubsequently "sent Gerald, his steward, to Murckhart, or Murtagh O'Brien,King of Munster, desiring his daughter Lafracoth in marriage, which waseasily granted." In right of his wife, however, he subsequently aspiredto get possession of her father's kingdom. During the invasion of Irelandby Magnus, King of Norway, the Irish, struck with terror, called on theNormans, and Arnulph, who was at Pembroke, collected his auxiliaries andhastened to them. Magnus was repulsed; but the Irish, tasting blood,became more savage and made a sudden attempt to murder the Normans. Theirking also carried off his daughter, Arnulph's wife, and resolved to killArnulph himself as the reward of his alliance; but he discovered thefraud and made his escape. Of his life he subsequently spent in Normandy,we have but slight account. Ordericus Vitalis states that Arnulph and hisbrothers Roger, Philip and Everard, "had no share in their father'sinheritance, their two elder brothers, Robert and Hugh, having dividedbetween themselves the whole on both sides of the sea." Arnulph hadtherefore but little if any territory of his own to defend from Henry'sanger against the family; and his exertions were all given on hisbrother's behalf. But "after many thankless enterprises for his brotherRobert, he became indignant, and went over to the duke, to whom he cededthe castle of AlmenŠches which he had taken by surprise." And duringRobert's oppressions in S‚es, many of the provincials left him to joinArnulph. This was within two or three years from the time of theirleaving England. The next we find of him is in the year 1118, when theAlen‡ais, desiring to free themselves from the oppressions of Stephen,Count of Mortain, their new master, they, in concert with Arnulph,secretly called to their succor the Count of Anjou, who finally conqueredthe city and castle. The count held them until the year following, whenby treaty remitting them to Henry I. for that purpose, the latterreinstated Arnulph's nephew William in their possession. About a yearlater than this, we find he had returned to Ireland, was reconciled tohis father-in-law to outward appearances at least, and was reunited tohis wife; but on the morrow of his new nuptials fell asleep after abanquet, from which he never awoke. The castle of Pembroke had been builtby him, probably before his father's death; and in the year 1095 it wasstrong enough to resist all the attempts of the Welsh. The first onebuilt at Pembroke is described as "a poor, slight castle of stakes andturf, which afterwards, on his return to England, he left to the care ofa discreet man, Giraldus de Windesor, his constable and chief officer,with a small garrison, who were presently besieged by the whole force ofSouth Wales. But Giraldus made such a vigorous defence, rather by couragethan strength, that they were obliged to retire without success."  "Thatthis powerful and proud Norman found a fortress there of the characterthus ascribed to it is probable, but it is not possible that he shouldhave long suffered the capital of his newly-acquired possessions tocontinue so slenderly protected. . . . . The superior grandeur thatcharacterizes the ruins of the castle and town of Pembroke, with itsvarious magnificent appendages, enable us to form an estimate of theimportance Arnulph de Montgomerie attached to his new conquest."
Source:   "Genealogical History and Pedigree of the family of Montgomery"Thomas Harrison Montgomery  Call Number: R929.2 M788