General Notes

Roger, called de Toeni or de Conches; accompanied Richard I on 3rd Crusade; his remaining Norman fiefs captured from him by the King of France by 1204; married Constance, daughter of Richard de Beaumont, Vicomte of Beaumont, and died c Jan 1208/9.  [Burke's Peerage]

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ROGER DE TOENI IV, styled also DE CONCHES, son and heir, was only a little boy at his father's death, and took no part in affairs until after the accession of Richard I. On 25 November 1189 he was with the King at Westminster; on 6 December at Dover; and doubtless he crossed to Calais with Richard on 12 December. On 2 January 1189/90 at Verneuil Roger de Toeny and Gilbert Crespin of TilliEres in the King's presence made gifts to St. Evroul; and as they were about to leave for Jerusalem and had not their seals with them, the King at their request confirmed the agreement with his own seal. Roger with his brothers and kinsfolk called "de Cornebu" [sic, recte Tornebu] reached Acre about 8 June 1191. On 7 September 1191 he distinguished himself in Richard's victory at Arsuf. He was with the King at Jaffa (Joppa) on 10 January 1191/2; and in June he fought in the battle when Richard captured the Saracen convoy at El-Khuweilfe. His subsequent movements are obscure, but on 6 January 1193/4 he was with the King at Speyer. At Michaelmas 1196 he owed 40 s. for his scutage for the King's ransom, 40 s. for the 2nd scutage for the army of Normandy and 40 s. for the 3rd scutage for the army of Normandy after the King's return from Germany. In June or July 1197 he was one of those who swore at Les Andelys on behalf of Richard to observe the treaty with the Count of Flanders. At Michaelmas 1198 he owed £272 in Normandy for the balance of the tallage on his land there for the King's ransom, as well as other sums. On 7 April 1199 (the day after Richard's death) he was at Le Vaudreuil with the Archbishop of Canterbury and other magnates. In the new reign he continued to enjoy royal favour and was faithful to John. On 15 and 18 August 1199 at Les Andelys he was one of John's sureties who swore to observe his treaties with the Count of Boulogne and the Count of Flanders. On 22 September 1199 the King granted him at Le Mans the manor of Saham (Norf.), for 140 librates of land which he owed him for his homage when he (John) was Count of Mortain. In May 1200 he was one of the sureties who were named in the treaty with France and gave bonds to Philip. He then recovered his castle of Conches, which had been taken by the King of France in September 1199. On 5 February 1202/3 at Rouen John remitted £200 which Roger owed for the balance of tallage on his land for King Richard's ransom and £100 which Richard had lent him for fortifying his house at Tosni. In 1203 the King of France recaptured his castle of Tosni; and in 1204 Roger finally lost all his Norman lands, being one of those excluded by Philip from the terms of the pacification. In England he continued to attest royal charters until his death and to enjoy royal favour. On 27 March 1204 the King at Windsor granted him land to the value of £76 and 15 pence at St. Botulf and a fair; on 9 November 30 librates of land in Norfolk; and on 30 November 30 librates in Devon. On 7 December 1205 Walter de Clifford was ordered to restore the castle of Boskeret to Roger. At Michaelmas 1208 he rendered account for 10 marks for the diversion of a road which passed through the middle of the court of the canons of Westacre. Together with William, Earl of Salisbury, he became a surety for John de Mohun, later than Michaelmas 1208. He founded the little nunnery of St. Giles in the Wood, near Flamstead.

He married Constance, daughter of Richard DE BEAUMONT, SEIGNEUR OF BEAUMONT-LE-VICOMTE, FRESNAY AND STE-SUZANNE, hereditary vicomte of Maine (usually styled VICOMTE DE BEAUMONT). Constance, whose sister Ermengard married William the Lion, King of Scotland, brought her husband in free marriage the manor of Ailrichescot (South Tawton) in Devon, which Henry I had given in free marriage with her grandmother, his illegitimate daughter Constance, to Roscelin de Beaumont, styled Vicomte de Beaumont. She seems to have possessed considerable influence and to have enjoyed favour with John; but the King of France confiscated her Norman lands. Roger was living, 29 December 1208, but died shortly afterwards, probably in January 1208/9. His widow had Stratfield restored to her after his death. She was living in 1226 across the seas.  [Complete Peerage XII/1:765-9, (transcribed by Dave Utzinger)]