General Notes

William, who assumed, from what reason is unascertained, the surname of Albini, and was known as "William de Albini, Brito," in contradistinction to another great Baron, "William de Albini, Pincerna," from whom the Earls of Arundel descended. William de Albini, Brito, Lord of Belvoir, in the Chapter House of St. Albans, confirmed all the grants of his father and mother to the Church of Our Lady at Belvoir, desiring that he might be admitted in the fraternity as those his parents had been. This feudal lord acquired great renown at the celebrated battle of Tinchebray, in Normandy, where, commanding the horse, he charged the enemy with so much spirit that he determine at once the fate of the day. of the exploit, Matthew Paris says, "In this encounter chiefly deserveth honour the most heroic William de Albini, the Briton, who, with his sword, broke through the enemy, and terminated the battle." He subsequently adhered to the Empress Maud and had his castle of Belvoir, with all his other lands, seized by King Stephen and transferred to Ranulph, Earl of Chester. He m. Maud, dau. of Simon de St. Liz, 1st Earl of Huntingdon, widow of Robert, son of Richard de Tunbridge, and ding about the year 1155, left two sons, viz., William, surnamed Meschines, and Ralph. [Sir Bernard Burke, Dormant, Abeyant, Forfeited and Extinct Peerages, Burke's Peerage, Ltd., London, England, 1883, p. 160, Daubeney, Barons Daubeney, Earl of Bridgewater]

Note: My sources disagree with his wife being Maud de St. Liz.

The following information was contained in a post-em by Curt Hofemann, curt_hofemann AT yahoo.com:

name: William D'ALBINI, Lord of Belvoir. [Ref: CP, Watney]

They derived from the town of Saint-Aubin d'Aubigné, and appear in later sources as Aubigny, Albigneio, Albini, and Daubney. [Ref: TAF 31 Oct 2002] Note: de l'arrondissement de Rennes, Bretagne - Ille-et-Vilaine = in the district of (city of) Rennes in the department (county?) of Ille-et-Vilaine in the (state?) of Brittany, France)

William d'Aubigny Brito [le Breton] was granted Belvoir by Henry I [Ref: Utz 10 Jan 1999]
William d'Aubigny Brito, m. Cecily Bigod, daughter of Roger Bigod by Adelaide de Todeny, daughter of Robert de Todeny (Tosny) of Belvoir. [Ref: TAF 21 May 2002]

Held half of Stockthorn and Tallington as held by his grandfather. Through his wife he held Belvoir. He also held South Petherton, in Somerset, which had been granted by Henry I. [Ref: Burke's Peerage 1949]

1106: fought at Techebral for Henry I [Ref: Watney #298]

obtained part of the fees of Belvoir before Cecily's mother was given posession of it; the marriage, therefore, may have been arranged to settle rival claims [Ref: CP IX:578(c)]

William de Albini, called the Briton, from having been born in England. He was a soldier of distinction, and acquired great renown in the celebrated battle of Tenercheby (sic), in Normandy, when he commanded the cavalry, for "by a charge of spirit, he determined at once the fate of the day." The monk Matthew Paris records "in this encounter chiefly deserveth honour the most heroic William de Albini, the Briton, who with his sword broke through the enemy and terminated the battle." When he became a supporter of the cause of Empress Maud, his castle of Belvoir, with all his great possessions, were seized by King Stephen, who presented them to Ranulph gerons de Meschines, the Earl of Chester. William-Brito de Albini died about 1155, leaving by his wife, Maud, daughter of Simon St. Liz, an eldest son, William. Ref: McBride 2 citing Wurts Vol I p39-42] Research note: Even though McBride claims to be citing Wurts, most of the above is word-for-word from Burke's. The identification of his wife is obviously at odds with Paget, Watney & others who indicate William's wife was Cecily de Belvoir/Bigod. Lastly, he was called "le Breton" not because he was born in England, but because his ancestors were from Bretagne (Brittany, now France) ... Curt

Children per TAF 21 May 2002:
a. William
b. Robert
c. Roger
d. Matilda
e. Basilia
f. Geoffrey
g. Odo
h. Ralph
i. (perh) Elias, ancestor of Aubigny of Ingleby

Research Note: Turton & Burke's 1949 give his parents as Roger d'Ivry & Adeliza de Grantmesnil. Upon further research this filiation is not valid... Curt

Regards,
Curt

all of the above from: Ancestry/Jim Weber

wikipedia.org (William d'Aubigny (Brito))