Roger (The Spainiard) de Toeni

• General Notes
  • # Note: Note: Roger Toeni's 1st wife, Stephanie, is questioned by some; especially her 2nd marriage to Garcias of Spain while Toeni was still alive. I agree that it does not make much sense. However
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        Roger de Toeni, also called Roger de Conches; fought Muslims in Spain; married 1st? Stephanie (m. 2nd Garsias, King of Spain) sister of Raymond Berenger, Count of Barcelona; married 2nd? Godeheut (m. 2nd Richard, 3rd Count of Evereux), and died
        1038 or 1039 in battle against a neighboring noble whose territory he had overrun in a revolt against the succession of William I the Conqueror to his father's Norman possessions on the grounds that William was illegitimate. [Burke's Peerage]
    
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    # Note: Note: According to BP, Roger married two different women as 1st husband, both married later husbands. There is no explanation given. Did the first marriage end in divorce? As stated above, I am treating the women as the same person.
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        ROGER DE TOENI I, styled also DE CONCHES, son and heir, was born probably about 990, for as stated above he was joined with his father in the custody of the castle of Tillières in 1013 or 1014. He was a powerful and haughty man, and banner-bearer of all Normandy. In 1031 or 1032 he attested a charter of Robert I for St. Wandrille. About 1035 he founded the abbey of Chatillon or Conches. While Duke Robert was away on pilgrimage, he went to Spain and distinguished himself in fighting the infidels (b). When he returned to Normandy, he was furious to learn that the boy William had succeeded his father in the Duchy, declaring that a bastard ought not to rule over him and other Normans. Accordingly he rebelled and ravaged the lands of his neighbours, particularly those of Humphrey de Vieilles; whose son Roger de Beaumont marched against him, and in the battle which followed Roger de Toeni and two of his sons were slain. He was a benefactor to the abbey of I'Estrée and confirmed a gift to the abbey of Lire, and witnessed a charter for Jumièges. He married, perhaps 2ndly,[g] Godeheut, whose parentage is unknown. He died as above, probably in 1038 or 1039, and was buried 1 May at Conches. His widow married Richard, 3rd COUNT OF EVREUX. She was a benefactor to Conches. Complete Peerage XII/1:755-7,
    
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        (b) Will. de Jumieges, p. 157---by Orderic. In consequence he was styled sometimes Roger of Spain (Orderic, vol i, p. 180; vol iii, p. 338), or Roger the Spaniard (Idem, vol ii, p. 64). However, if the Roger, son of Count Rodulf (cf, p. 755, note "a" above), who according to the Sens Chron. led an army from Normandy to Spain, can be identified with Roger de Toeni, he is said to have gone there at a much earlier date; and after defeating the Saracens, is said to have married a Spanish woman and lived there for 15 years. Then owing to the treachery of the natives he lost most of his men and, leaving his wife in Spain, he returned to Normandy; where he made a concord with Duke Richard, who was displeased at the loss of his army. Afterwards Roger was killed, fighting against a certain neighbor (Rec. des Hist. de France, vol x, p. 223). This Roger's feats in Spain are recorded also by Ademar, who calls him simply Roger, and does not say how long he stayed there (Idem, p. 156). No other Norman than Roger de Toeni seems to be known, who could be identified with the hero of these stories. Cf. Prentout, op. cit., p. 86. See also p. 755, note (a) above and note (g) below. See "Tony of Belvoir", Charles Evans, "Geneal. Mag.", vol 15, 1968, pp. 616-18. [last sentence, referencing Charles Evans, added by CP XIV:613]
    
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        [g] Roger, son of Count Rodulf (see note "b" above), married, in Spain, Stephanie, sister of Raymond Berenger; which lady afterwards m. Garsias, King of Spain (Rec. des Hist. de France, vol x, p. 223). This agrees with the statement of Ademar, that he m. a da. (unnamed) of the widowed Ermensede, Countess of Barcelona ((Idem, p. 156), the mother of Raymond abovenamed. If this Roger were Roger de Toeni, he married Godeheut while his 1st wife was alive, and Stephanie m. Garsias III, King of Navarre, while Roger was living.
    
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    Note: The note "a", p. 755, referred to above is under Roger's father, Ralph.