General Notes

Note:
Shrewsbury, Earldom of: In early December 1074 Roger de Mon
tgomery was created Earl of Shropshire or Shrewsbury. As wi
th other medieval earldoms, little distinction was then mad
e between the county town and county proper when designatin
g a specific name for a title, chiefly because an earl, wh
o was then more or less and official, albeit often heredita
ry, was inconceivable except as earl of a county.
Note:
Roger was son of another Roger de Montgomery, seigneur of t
he Norman places (St Germain-de-Montgomery and Ste-Foy-de-M
ontgomery) of that name in the Calvados region. He was a pr
ominent member of the nobles grouped around William (late
r William I of England, The Conqueror) of Normandy well bef
ore the 1066 invasion of England but stayed behind in Norma
ndy during the actual enterprise. The year after Hastings h
e went to England and received land grants in Sussex. He i
s thought to have constructed the Castle of Montgomery (no
w in Powys, but formerly named Mongomeryshire after his fam
ily), doing so shortly before the Domesday Survey. [Burke'
s Peerage, p. 2604]
Note: Shropshire and the Domesday Book in 1086:
Roger de Montgomery II, better known as Earl Roger in the D
omesday, but officially the seigneur of Montgomery, was th
e major recipient of Shropshire holdings. An old man of con
siderable wealth and power, he contributed 60 ships to th
e invasion
fleet and was in command of a wing at the Battle of Hasting
s. He returned to Normandy with Queen Matilda, and the youn
g Duke Robert as Duke William's representative in Normandy
. He became head of the council that governed the Duchy o
f Normandy
in Duke William's frequent absences in England. The Norma
n Montgomery family ancestry was closely interwoven eithe
r by blood or marriage with the Duchy of Normandy. However
, the family history in Normandy was not without blemish. R
oger had fourbrothers, Hugh, Robert, William and Gilbert. A
ll four brothers were murdered in revenge for the murder o
f Osberne de Crepon, guardian of Duke William. Roger was th
e survivor. Continuing, Roger de Montgomery had four sons
. Eldest was Robert, Count of Alencon, and successor in Nor
mandy to his vast estates which he still held for his fathe
r Roger as his chief domain. He was followed by second son
, Hugh, who inherited the Earldom of Arundel, Chichester an
d Shrewsbury, the life custodian of the main Montgomery fam
ily domains granted in England. These would eventually go t
o Robert in 1098, purchased from William Rufus for 3000 pou
nds. Next youngest was Count Roger de Poitou who was made t
he first Earl of Lancaster by DukeWilliam of Normandy, a le
ss maganamious grant which befitted the third youngest son
. Philip, the youngest, remained in Normandy and accompanie
d Duke Robert on the first crusade to the Holy land, and di
ed there in 1094.
Note:
Earl Roger was responsible to Duke William of Normandy as h
is chief architect in the defence of the middle marches o
f the border in his defence against the Welsh. He built man
y castles including Montgomery, Shrewsbury, Arundel, Ludlow
, Clun, Hopton and Oswestry His son, Robert, described at t
he Conquest as a 'novice in arms', but who might have bee
n 40 by the Domesday, represented his father Earl Roger, an
d created some confusion in the records. Roger, the father
, became the Earl of Shrewsbury and the Earl of Arundel i
n England, and retained his domains in Normandy at Bailleu
l (Kings of Scotland), Belmeis (Beaumais), Pantulf, Vimouti
ers, Say and Tornai. However, Earl Roger also became confus
ed with Roger de Beaumont in Normandy, who, it is claimed
, was also head of the council in Normandy.