General Notes

EARLDOM OF LINCOLN (II, 1)

WILLIAM DE ROUMARE, Seigneur of Roumare (near Rouen), son of Roger FITZGEROLD, by Lucy, "the Countess," was born circa 1096. In 1118 he held NeufmarchÈ, of which he was Castellan, for Henry I during a rebellion in which he was one of the few Norman barons on the King's side. He fought for the King in the battle of BrÈmule in 1119, and in November 1120 was to have sailed in the White Ship with Prince William, but did not embark, and so saved his life. Shortly afterwards he quarrelled violently with the King about his mother's inheritance, and, crossing to Normandy, vented his wrath on the country around his castle of NeufmarchÈ. He also joined in the rebellion of 1122 led by the Count of Meulan and others, and opposed the King until the latter, in about 1127, restored a large part of what he claimed. Thereafter he became a favourite companion of the King. He attested a charter granted by Henry I to Le Bec in 1131, and his name appears as a witness to the renewed charter to the leper hospital at Chartres in 1135. He had placed monks in the church of S. Pierre at NeufmarchÈ, and in 1132 gave the control of them to St. Evroult. On the King's death in 113 5 he was one of those charged with the defence of the frontier of Normandy, and later took part in the administration of the Duchy, where he mostly resided, being made Justiciar there by Stephen. He appears to have been made an Earl by Stephen, with the title of EARL OF CAMBRIDGE, though he had no land in that county. The grant of the Earldom of Lincoln to William d'Aubigny by Stephen appears to have caused great offence to William de Roumare and his half-brother, the Earl of Chester, who, through their mother, held a great position in Lincolnshire. Although Stephen had recently bestowed favours on them, they, shortly after Stephen left Lincoln, seized the castle of Lincoln in December 1140 by stratagem, and held it against him when he hurried back at Christmas to reclaim it. Finding it difficult to defend themselves, the Earl of Chester made his escape from the castle and sought help from Robert, Earl of Gloucester, and on 2 February 1140/1 their combined forces overcame and captured the King. On his release Stephen appears to have been reconciled to William de Roumare and to have created him, circa 1141, EARL OF LINCOLN. William witnessed a writ of Geoffrey, Duke of Normandy, at Rouen, and a charter of the same there, 11 October 1147. In the spring of 1152/3 he was acting for his half-brother, the Earl of Chester, in negotiating with Henry of Anjou, (afterwards Henry II) a heavy price for the Earl of Chester's support. About this time he went on pilgrimage to Santiago. He is said to have built the castle of Bolingbroke.

He married Hawise, sister of Baldwin (DE REVIERS), 1st EARL OF DEVON, and daughter of Richard DE REVIERS, who as Hadewisa comitissa attested a chartcr of his in which he is called William Consul of Lincoln. He is said to have become a monk at Revesby. He d. before 1161. His widow in 1161 accounted to the Sheriff for 10 marks in Somerset. She, as Hadewysia comitissa de Rumara, gave lands at Bure and Chewton to Christchurch Priory, Hants, being part of her marriage gift from her brother Earl Baldwin, for the souls of her husband William Earl of Romara, and her son William and others. She gave the church of Feltham, near Staines, to the hospital of St. Giles-in-the-Fields.  [Complete Peerage VII:667-70, (transcribed by Dave Utzinger)]