1st Earl of Gloucester Robert (The Consul) of Caen

• General Notes
  • Robert, Earl of Gloucester (?-1147), illegitimate son of King Henry I of England, born probably in Caen, Normandy, before his father became king in 1100. Robert’s marriage to Mabel Fitzhamon, the daughter of a Norman noble, brought him large estates in Normandy, Wales, and England; between 1121 and 1123 he was created an earl. After the death of Henry in 1135, the succession of the throne came into dispute, but Robert submitted to the king's nephew, Stephen of Blois, on condition that he retain all his honors and dignities.
    
    In 1137, however, Stephen and Robert quarreled, and the next year Stephen took Robert's estates in Wales and England. In 1139 Robert crossed over to England with his half-sister, the empress Matilda, Henry's only surviving lawful child and heiress to England and Normandy. For eight years Robert fought against Stephen's claim to the royal title. He defeated Stephen at Lincoln Castle in 1141 and took him prisoner, thus winning the kingdom for Matilda. Later in the year Robert was himself taken prisoner at Stockbridge, after the siege of Winchester, and was exchanged for Stephen. The following year he joined Geoffrey Plantagenet, Matilda’s husband, in the campaign in Normandy, after which he hurried back to England and defeated Stephen at Wilton in 1143. Robert was unable to press his victory and his political support in England began to erode. He died in Bristol, England, four years later.
    
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    Robert, 1st Earl of Gloucester (~1090 - October 31, 1147) was an illegitimate son of Henry I of England, and one of the dominant figures of the English Anarchy period.
    
    Robert was probably the eldest of Henry's many illegitimate children. He was born at Caen in Normandy before his father's accession to the English throne. His mother is not known for certain, though recent scholarship suggests she was a member of the Gay family, minor nobility in Oxfordshire.
    
    He married Mabel of Gloucester, daughter of Robert Fitzhamon, thereby receiving lordship of Gloucester and Glamorgan.
    
    About 1121, he was created Earl of Gloucester.
    
    At his father's death, in the struggle between the Empress Maud and Stephen for the English throne, he at first declared for Stephen, but subsequently left Stephen's service and was loyal to Maud, his half-sister, until his death.
    
    At the Battle of Lincoln, he captured Stephen. This advantage was lost, however, when Robert fell into the hands of Stephen's partisans at Winchester, covering Maud's escape from a failed siege. Robert was so important to Maud's cause that she released Stephen to regain Robert's services.
    
    Robert fought tirelessly on Maud's behalf until his death in 1147.
    
    
    Sources:
    
       1. Abbrev: The Royal Descents of 500 Immigrants
          Title: Gary Boyd Roberts 

Click here for details of The Consul's family with Mabel (Maud) Fitzhammon

Click here for details of The Consul's family with <Unknown>

¹ http://wc.rootsweb.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?op=PED&db=jdp-fam&id=I24968&style=TABLE
² http://wc.rootsweb.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?op=GET&db=:3108866&id=I1947
³ http://wc.rootsweb.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?op=PED&db=:2268817&id=I651&style=TABLE

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