Earl of Gloucester, Robert de Caen de Mellent

Birth Name Earl of Gloucester, Robert de Caen de Mellent 1a 2a 3a 4a 5a 6a 7a 8a 9a 3b 6b 8b 7 10a 11a 12a
Also Known As Earl of Gloucester, Robert de Caen “the Consul”
Gramps ID I28740
Gender male
Age at Death about 57 years, 9 months, 30 days

Events

Event Date Place Description Notes Sources
Birth [E37577] about 1090 of Caen, Calvados, France  
2b 4b 13a 7b 6c 8c 9b 11b
Death [E37578] 1147-10-31 Bristol, Gloucestershire  

Cause: Fever.

2c 6d 7 8d 9c 11c
_FA1 [E37579]   Acceded: Aug 1122. Interred: St. James Priory, Bristol.  
2d 6e 9d 11d
_FA1 [E37580]   Earl of Gloucester. Lord of Corboil.  
8e 9e
_FA2 [E37581]   Distinguished soldier & powerful magnate in the west country.  
9f 11e
_FA2 [E37582]   Seigneur de Crelly in Calvados, Normandy.  
6f 7 9g
_FA3 [E37583]   Loyally supported his half-sister Maud in the civil war with King Stephen.  
9h 11f
_FA3 [E37584]   Lord of Thoringni, etc.  
6g 7 9i
_FA4 [E37585]   Became one of Stephen’s most determined opponents.  
9j 11g
_FA5 [E37586]   Comte de Meulan. Known as “the Consul”.  
6h 9k 11h
_FA6 [E37587]   A founder of St. James Priory, Bristol.  
2e 9l 11i
_FA7 [E37588] 1119 In Battle of Bremule where his father defeated Louis VI of France.  
6i 9m 11j
_FA8 [E37589] 1122 Led force to capture Brionne Castle held by rebels in Normandy.  
6 9n 11k
_FA9 [E37590] 1126 Had custody of his uncle, Robert of Normandy.  
6 9o 11l
_FA10 [E37591] 1127 Did homage to 1/2 sister Maud & recognized her as his father’s heir to throne.  
6 9p 11m
_FA11 [E37592]   When Stephen became King, did homage to him for English lands.  
6 9q 11n
_FA12 [E37593] 1137 Quarrelled w/ Stephen, switched allegiance to Maud.  
6 9r 11o
_FA13 [E37594]   Became Maud’s commander in chief in the Civil War that followed.  
6 9s 11p

Parents

Relation to main person Name Birth date Death date Relation within this family (if not by birth)
Father King of England, Henry I Beauclerc [I32612]about 1068-09-001135-12-01
Mother Corbert, Sybilla [I29048]1077after 1157
    Sister     Plantagenet, Elizabeth Joan [I3186] BET. 1084 - 1095
         Earl of Gloucester, Robert de Caen de Mellent [I28740] about 1090 1147-10-31
    Sister     Plantagenet, Maud [I25798] 1091
    Sister     Plantagenet, Sybilla [I28116] 1092
    Brother     Earl of Cornwall, Rainald de Dunstanville [I28553] about 1110 1175-07-01
    Sister     of England, Constance [I29555] BET. 1120 - 1130

Families

    Family of Earl of Gloucester, Robert de Caen de Mellent and de Montgomerie, Sibyl [F11210]
Married Wife de Montgomerie, Sibyl [I28984] ( * 1058 + 1107 )
   
Event Date Place Description Notes Sources
Marriage [E58428]      
3 14 6j 7c 10b 9t
    Family of Earl of Gloucester, Robert de Caen de Mellent and FitzHamon, Mabel [F11207]
Married Wife FitzHamon, Mabel [I24317] ( * 1094 + 1157 )
   
Event Date Place Description Notes Sources
Marriage [E58425] 1109    
3c 14a 6k 15a 7d 10c 8f 9u 11 16a
  Children
Name Birth Date Death Date
of Gloucester, Christiana [I33986]
Earl of Gloucester, William FitzRobert [I28741]1116-11-231183-11-23
FitzRobert, Maud of Gloucester [I29689]11201189-07-29
Robert, Philip Fitz [I25216]

Narrative

[large-G675.FTW]

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.

Pedigree

  1. King of England, Henry I Beauclerc [I32612]
    1. Corbert, Sybilla [I29048]
      1. Plantagenet, Elizabeth Joan [I3186]
      2. Earl of Gloucester, Robert de Caen de Mellent
        1. de Montgomerie, Sibyl [I28984]
        2. FitzHamon, Mabel [I24317]
          1. of Gloucester, Christiana [I33986]
          2. Earl of Gloucester, William FitzRobert [I28741]
          3. FitzRobert, Maud of Gloucester [I29689]
          4. Robert, Philip Fitz [I25216]
      3. Plantagenet, Maud [I25798]
      4. Plantagenet, Sybilla [I28116]
      5. Earl of Cornwall, Rainald de Dunstanville [I28553]
      6. of England, Constance [I29555]

Ancestors

Source References

  1. Dictionary of National Biography [S287510]
      • Source text:

        mother prob an unknown French woman

  2. G.E. Cockayne: Complete Peerage [S70552]
      • Source text:

        one gen.medieval reader says CP says he was prob son of Sybilla Corbet & another reader says s. of unknown mistress/concubine

      • Page: Vol V, pp. 683-686
      • Source text:

        b. bef his father came to throne, prob abt 1090

      • Page: Vol V pp 683-686
      • Source text:

        info on internment only

      • Page: Vol V pp 683-686
  3. Jim & Luke Stevens: Stevens DB [S284099]
      • Source text:

        eldest son (illegitimate) of Henry I

      • Source text:

        Robt FitzHamimond Lord of Cruelly

      • Source text:

        No date/place

  4. Brian Tompsett, Dept of Computer Science: University of Hull Royal Database (England) [S283806]
      • Source text:

        Issue of Henry I, uncertain of mother.

      • Source text:

        abt 1090.

  5. Chris Given-Wilson & Alice Curteis: The Royal Bastards of Medieval England [S283843]
      • Source text:

        issue of Henry I, no mother

  6. Frederick Lewis Weis: Ancestral Roots of Certain American Colonists Who Came to America bef 1760 [S286879]
      • Page: line 124 p 112
      • Source text:

        Known as "the Consul", natural son of Henry I by an unknown mistress

      • Page: line 124
      • Source text:

        Robert FitzHamon, Seigneur de Crelly, Lord of Thuringni

      • Page: line 124 p 112
      • Page: line 124 p 113
      • Page: line 124
      • Source text:

        Created E. of Gloucester in 1122., Earl 1122-1147

      • Page: line 124
      • Page: line 124
      • Page: line 124
      • Source text:

        Known as "the Consul"

      • Page: 63:26, 124:26, 124A:26, 125:26, 132A:27
      • Page: line 124
      • Page: line 124
      • Source text:

        no date

  7. Marlyn Lewis: Ahnentafel for Margery Arundell [S286829]
      • Source text:

        issue of Henry I & Nesta verch Rhys

      • Source text:

        b 1100

      • Source text:

        her 1st m

      • Source text:

        no date

  8. Alison Weir: Britain's Royal Families: The Complete Genealogy [S77343]
      • Page: p 48
      • Source text:

        s of Henry I & Sybilla Corbet, but notes "there is no certain evidence to show that Sybilla was really Robert's mother, who may have been an unknown woman of Caen"

      • Page: p 48
      • Source text:

        Robt FitzHamon, E of Gloucester

      • Page: p 48
      • Source text:

        b 1090-1095, no place

      • Page: p 48
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        d 1147, no place

      • Page: p 48
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        E of Gloucester

      • Page: p 48
      • Source text:

        no date, had issue

  9. large-G675.FTW [S286834]
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  10. Ancestors of Deacon Edward Converse [S286862]
      • Page: p 92
      • Page: p 92
      • Page: p 93
      • Source text:

        no date

  11. large-G675.FTW [S261374]
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  12. 11615-2.ftw [S7587]
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        Date of Import: 21 Feb 1999

  13. Ernst-Friedrich Kraentzler: Ancestry of Richard Plantagenet & Cecily de Neville [S11617]
      • Page: line 124
  14. Garner, Lorraine Ann "Lori" [S287874]
      • Source text:

        No date/place

  15. Gary Boyd Roberts: Royal Descents of 500 Immigrants [S284637]
      • Page: p 396
      • Source text:

        no date

  16. large-G675.FTW [S403153]
      • Source text:

        m 49 AD, he was her uncle, her 3rd m