1st Earl of Shrewsbury Roger De Montgomery II

• General Notes
  • # Note:
    
        Shrewsbury, Earldom of: In early December 1074 Roger de Montgomery was created Earl of Shropshire or Shrewsbury. As with other medieval earldoms, little distinction was then made between the county town and county proper when designating a specific name for a title, chiefly because an earl, who was then more or less and official, albeit often hereditary, was inconceivable except as earl of a county.
    
        Roger was son of another Roger de Montgomery, seigneur of the Norman places (St Germain-de-Montgomery and Ste-Foy-de-Montgomery) of that name in the Calvados region. He was a prominent member of the nobles grouped around William (later William I of England, The Conqueror) of Normandy well before the 1066 invasion of England but stayed behind in Normandy during the actual enterprise. The year after Hastings he went to England and received land grants in Sussex. He is thought to have constructed the Castle of Montgomery (now in Powys, but formerly named Mongomeryshire after his family), doing so shortly before the Domesday Survey. [Burke's Peerage, p. 2604]
    
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    # Note: Seigneur of Montgomery and vicomte of the Heismois [Ref: CP XI:683]
    # Note: Earl of Arundel or Earl of Chichester, Earl of Shropshire or Salop, called Earl of Montgomery, Seigneur de Bellesme et d'Alencon [Ref: Watney p696]
    # Note:
    # Note: Seigneur de Montgomery, Vicomte of Heismois, Earl of Arundel and Shrewsbury, Regent of Normandy and England [Ref: Moriarty p44]
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    # Note: Viscount of the Hiemois, Lord of the West Marches, Earl of Chichester, Shropshire, and Sussex [Ref: Turton]
    # Note: 1048: accompanied Duke William on his expedition against Domfront and Alencon [Ref: CP XI:683]
    # Note: 1066: was with the Duke while preparations were in progress for the invasion of England, but did not accompany the expedition [Ref: CP XI:683]
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    # Note: Dec 1067: accompanied the King to England and thereupon received a grant of Arundel and Chichester [Ref: CP XI:683]
    # Note: 1086: 'Comtes Rogerus' at Domesday [Ref: Watney p696]
    # Note: 1st Earl of Shrewsbury [Ref: Doug Smith message to soc.genealogy.medieval 27 Apr 2002]
    # Note:
    
        Roger Earl of Shrewsbury. Also Roger of Montgomery. From Saint Germain de Montgomery, near Lisieux. Lord of Sussex rape of Arundel, with castle there; Earl of Shrewsbury from 1071-74 to death in 1094. Holdings in 12 counties in south, east and west. [Ref: Domesday Online]
    
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    # Note: Shropshire and the Domesday Book in 1086:
    # Note:
    
        Roger de Montgomery II, better known as Earl Roger in the Domesday, but officially the seigneur of Montgomery, was the major recipient of Shropshire holdings. An old man of considerable wealth and power, he contributed 60 ships to the invasion fleet and was in command of a wing at the Battle of Hastings. He returned to Normandy with Queen Matilda, and the young Duke Robert as Duke William's representative in Normandy. He became head of the council that governed the Duchy of Normandy in Duke William's frequent absences in England. The Norman Montgomery family ancestry was closely interwoven either by blood or marriage with the Duchy of Normandy. However, the family history in Normandy was not without blemish. Roger had four brothers, Hugh, Robert, William and Gilbert. All four brothers were murdered in revenge for the murder of Osberne de Crepon, guardian of Duke William. Roger was the survivor. Continuing, Roger de Montgomery had four sons. Eldest was Robert, Count of Alencon, and successor in Normandy to his vast estates which he still held for his father Roger as his chief domain. He was followed by second son, Hugh, who inherited the Earldom of Arundel, Chichester and Shrewsbury, the life custodian of the main Montgomery family domains granted in England. These would eventually go to Robert in 1098, purchased from William Rufus for 3000 pounds. Next youngest was Count Roger de Poitou who was made the first Earl of Lancaster by Duke William of Normandy, a less maganamious grant which befitted the third youngest son. Philip, the youngest, remained in Normandy and accompanied Duke Robert on the first crusade to the Holy land, and died there in 1094.
    
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        Earl Roger was responsible to Duke William of Normandy as his chief architect in the defence of the middle marches of the border in his defence against the Welsh. He built many castles including Montgomery, Shrewsbury, Arundel, Ludlow, Clun, Hopton and Oswestry. His son, Robert, described at the Conquest as a 'novice in arms', but who might have been 40 by the Domesday, represented his father Earl Roger, and created some confusion in the records. Roger, the father, became the Earl of Shrewsbury and the Earl of Arundel in England, and retained his domains in Normandy at Bailleul (Kings of Scotland), Belmeis (Beaumais), Pantulf, Vimoutiers, Say and Tornai. However, Earl Roger also became confused with Roger de Beaumont in Normandy, who, it is claimed, was also head of the council in Normandy. [found this online but didn't cite URL, sorry. Try google: keywords: (title above)]
    
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    # Note: Earl Roger's Shropshire Land Holdings
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        Alveley, Baschurch, Berwick (Shrewsbury), Cheney Longville, Chetton, Chirbury, Claverley, Corfham, Culmington, Donington, Dudston, Eardington, Edenhope, Edgmond, Ellesmere, Fenemere, Ford, High Ercall, Hockleton, Hodnet, Kingsmordley, Leebotwood, Loppington, Lydham, Minsterley, Montford, Morville, Netley, Oswestry, Poynton, Pulley, Quatford, Quatt, Rhiston, Romsley, Rorrington, Rowton, Rudge, Ruyton, Shavington, Shawbury, Shifnall, Shipley, Shrewsbury, Siefton, Smethcott, Spoonley, Stottesdon, Stretton, The Marsh, Tong Tuange, Walcot, Wellington, Whittingslow, Whittington, Wilderley, Wistanstow, Withington, Woodcote(Newport), Wotherton, Wrockwardine, Ackley, Aston, Basley, Churchstoke
    
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    Roger of Montgomery, 1st Earl of Shrewsbury (d. 1094) was one of the great Anglo-Norman magnates in the period after the Norman conquest of England.
    
    He was the son of another Roger of Montgomery, who was a relative, probably a grandnephew, of duchess Gunnor, wife of duke Robert I of Normandy. The elder Roger had large holdings in central Normandy, chiefly in the valley of the Dives, which the younger Roger inherited.
    
    Roger was one of William the Conqueror's principal counselors. He did not fight in the initial invasion of England in 1066, instead staying behind to help govern Normandy. Afterwards he was entrusted with land in two places critical for the defense of England, receiving the Rape of Arundel at the end of 1067 (or in early 1068), and in November 1071 he was created Earl of Shrewsbury. (A few historians believe that while he received the Shropshire territories in 1071 he was not created earl until a few years later.) Roger was thus one of the half a dozen greatest magnates in England during William the Conqueror's reign. In addition to the large part of Sussex included in the Rape of Arundel, and seven-eights of Shropshire which were associated with the earldom of Shrewsbury, he had estates in Surrey, Hampshire, Wiltshire, Middlesex, Hertfordshire, Gloucestershire, Worcestershire, Cambridgeshire, Warwickshire and Staffordshire.
    
    After Williams's death in 1087, Roger had joined with other rebels to overthrow the newly crowned king William Rufus in the Rebellion of 1088. However William was able to convince Roger to abandon the rebellion and side with the king, which was fortuitious as the rebels were beaten and lost their land holdings in England.
    
    Roger first married Mabel of Belleme, who was heiress to a large territory on both sides of the border between Normandy and Maine. By her he had 10 children:
    Roger, died before 1066
    Robert of Belleme, 3rd Earl of Shrewsbury
    Hugh of Montgomery, 2nd Earl of Shrewsbury
    Roger the Poitevin
    Philip, died 1099 while on crusade at Antioch
    Arnulf of Montgomery
    Emma, abbess of Almench ches
    Matilda, who married Robert, Count of Mortain
    Mabel, who married Hugh of Ch teauneuf-en-Thimerais
    Sibyl, who married Robert Fitzhamon
    
    Roger then married Adelaide of Le Puiset, by whom he had one son, Everard, who entered the Church.
    
    After his death, Roger's estates were divided. The eldest surviving son, Robert, received the bulk of the Norman estates (as well as his mother's estates); the next son, Hugh, received the bulk of the English estates and the earldom of Shrewsbury. After Hugh's death the elder son Robert inherited the earldom.