General Notes

Roger de Mortimer, deemed by some to have been son of William de Warren, and by others, of Walter de St. Martin, brother of that William, was founder of the abbey of St. Victor, in Normandy. "It is reported," says Dugdale, "that in the year 1054 (which was twelve years before the Norman Conquest), when Odo, brother of Henry, King of France, invaded the territory of Evreux, Duke William sent this Roger, then his general (with Robert, Earl of Ewe, and other stout soldiers), to resist his attempts; who meeting with Odo near to the castle of Mortimer, gave him battle, and obtained a glorious victory. It is further observable of this Roger that he was by consanguinity allied to the Norman duke (afterwards king, by the name of William the Conqueror), his mother being niece to Gunnora, wife of Richard, Duke of Normandy, great grandmother to the Conqueror." The presumed son of this Roger, Ralph de Mortimer, accompanying the Duke of Normandy in his expedition against England, was one of his principal commanders at the decisive battle of Hastings. [Sir Bernard Burke, Dormant, Abeyant, Forfeited and Extinct Peerages, Burke's Peerage Ltd, London, England, 1883, p. 382, Mortimer, Barons Mortimer, of Wigmore, Earls of March]

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Curt Hofemann, curt_hofemann@@yahoo.com, provided the
following additional information on Roger, in a post-em:
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Roger de Mortimer

birth: before 990 [Ref: Tucker] (needs coroboration...Curt)

died: living 1078 dead in 1086 [Ref: CP IX:266] (which makes born bef 990 improbable...Curt)

Seigneur of Mortemer-sur-Eaulne, near Neuchatel-en-Brai [Early Yorkshire Families by Charles Clay, Yorkshire Archaeological Society, 1973 p62]

occurs as a witness to a charter for Saint Wandrille sometime between 1040 and 1053 [Ref: Keats-Rohan p22]

founded the abbey of Saint-Victor-en-Caux [Ref: CP IX:266]

called "Roger filius episcopi" Brother Ralph, als called "filius episcopi" was founder of the house of Warenne [Ref: DNB v39 p130]

first to assume the name of Mortimer, which was taken from the village and castle of Mortemer-en-Brai (mortuum mare) in the Pays de Caux, situated at the source of the little river Eaulne [Ref: DNB v39 p130]

1054: won the victory of Mortemer, fought under the walls of his castle, against the troops of Henry I, King of the French. But Roger gave offence to Duke William by releasing one of his captives, and was accordingly deprived of his castle of Mortemer, which was transferred to his nephew, William de Warenne, son of his brother Ralph (afterward first Earl of Surrey) [Ref: DNB v39 p130]

1054: punished for what Orderic represents as an honourable treason by the loss of some of his lands, though most were susequently restored to him. Those that were not were centered on Bellencombe, which is 13 miles south of the place from which the Warenne family was named [Ref: Keats-Rohan p23]

1054: lands lost were regranted to his 'consanguieus' William de Warenne [Ref: KeatsRohan p23]

transferred the family chief seat to Sait-Victor-en-Caux [Ref: DNB v39 p130]

1074: priory of Caux, a cell of Saint-Ouen at Rouen, was erected into an abbey [Ref: DNB v39 p130]

probably too old to have been present at Hastings, but some of his sons, perhaps Hugh or possibly Ralph appeared on his behalf [Ref: DNB v39 p130]

Seigneur of Mortemer-sur-Eauline, in Normandy.  He was probably born before 990.  He was the first to take the name Mortimer, which was taken from the village and castle of Mortemer-en-Brai (mortuum mare), in the Pays de Caux, situated at the source of the little river Eaulne (Eauline).  In 1054 he won the victory of Mortemer, fought under the walls of his castle, against the troops of Henry I, King of the French.  He offended William and was deprived of his castle of Mortemer, which was transferred to his nephew William de Warenne.  The Mortimers transferred their chief seat to Saint-Victor-en Caux, where the priory, a cell of Saint-Wuen of Rouen, was 1074 erected into abbey by Roger and his wife Hawise. [Ref: Tucker]

The family of Mortemer derives its name from Mortemer (Mortuo-Mari) in Pays-de-Caux at the source of the Eaulne River. The castle of St. Victor-en-Caux was the chief barony of the family, which is said to have sprung from a marriage of Walter de St. Martin and a niece of the Duchess Gonnor. It was possessed by Roger de Mortemer in 1054, on which date he was one of the commanders of Duke William's forces at the battle of Mortemer. He sheltered in his castle, after the battle, his father-in-law, Raoul III. the Great, Comte de Valois and d'Amiens, by Oderic Vital called de Montdidier, one of the French commanders, until he was able to conduct him safely to his own territories three days later. For this reason Roger was banished by Duke William and his estates confiscated. He was later pardoned and his possessions returned with the exception of the castle of Mortemer, which the Duke had given to Roger's brother, William de Warren I. He contributed sixty vassals to the fleet of Duke William and it is generally conceded that he was too old to have been present at Senlac, although he made a donation to the abbey of St. Ouen in 1074 and died prior to the compilation of the General Survey. [Ref: McBide2 The Ancestors of Homer Beers James citing: Crispin & Macary, "Falaise Rolls"]

Tucker = Aristocratic and Royal Ancestry of Jane Harry, by Leslie Ray Tucker, Jan 1991, Timbercreek Ltd., Miami, OK (caveat emptor: contains numerous errors)

Keats-Rohan = Poppa of Bayeux and her Family, by K.S.B. Keats-Rohan, July 1997

Regards,
Curt