• General Notes

  [SUSANNA KEENE.FTW]
  
  Fever.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  REF: Weis Ancestral Roots (63:26), (124:26), (124A:26),
  (125:26), (132A:27): He was an illigitimate son of King HENRY
  I.  According to "The Dictionary of National Biography", his
  mother was probably an unknown French woman.  This birth was
  before HENRY became king.  On insufficient grounds some claim
  his mother to be Nesta, dau. of RHYS AP TEWDR, King of
  Dehubarth.  In his "Complete Peerage", Cockayne is of the
  opinion that his mother was most likely SIBYL CORBET. He fought
  at the Battle of Bremule in 1119, where his father defeated
  King LOUIS VI of France (RIN 1531).  In 1122 he was created
  Earl of Gloucester.  In 1123, he led a force to assist in the
  capture of the castle
  of Brionne, which was held by rebel Norman barons.  In 1126 he
  had custody
  of the imprisoned rebel, Robert, Duke of Normandy.  In 1127 he
  did homage
  to the EMPRESS MATILDA, recognizng her as his father's
  successor to the
  throne. When Stephen was chosen as king over the EMPRESS
  MATILDA, Robert did homage to him for his English lands.  In
  1137 he accompanied King Stephen to Normandy where a quarrel
  ensued.  He then threw his support to MATILDA, who was in
  Normandy, and obtained the surrender of Caen and Bayeux to her
  husband, GEOFFREY PLANTAGANET, Count of Anjou (RIN 787).  In
  Sep. 1139 he landed in England with MATILDA and took her to
  Arundel Castle.  He became her commander-in-chief in the civil
  war which followed.
  Robert was captured by Stephen's forces, but Stephen had also
  been previously captured by MATILDA's.  The two were returned
  to their respective camps in an even exchange.  MATILDA sent
  Robert to Anjou to attempt to convince her husband, GEOFFREY,
  to come to her aid. GEOFFREY
  declined to help until he had conquered Normandy, so Robert
  joined in his
  campaign.  However, hearing that MATILDA was beseiged at
  Oxford, he hurried
  back to her assistance.  He took MATILDA's and GEOFFREY's son,
  HENRY (the
  future King HENRY II) with him.  In 1143 Robert defeated
  Stephen at Wilton
  and in 1144 he blockaded Malmesbury, Stephen refusing battle.
  MATILDA's
  support had gradually dwindled, so Robert was unable to
  continue to press
  her cause.  In 1147 Robert sent HENRY back to Anjou.  Later
  that year Robert died of fever at Bristol.

Details of Robert de Caen "the Consul"'s family with Amabel FitzHamon