General Notes

REFN: 4711AN
REFN: P4712
Robert 'with-the-beard' De Umfreville, Lord of Tours and Vian
Tra dition has it that Robert De Umfreville was a kinsman of William the
Conquero r and sailed with him to England in 1066 and indeed a Robert
d'Amfreville doe s appear amongst the Battle Abbey list of the Conquerors
companions. Tours ma y be Tourville near Amphreville-la-campagne in
Normandy. There are seven othe r Amphrevilles in Normandy but it is most
likely that the family name hails f rom Amphreville-sur-Iton in Orne
(G.E.C. Complete peerage (1910) Vol I, p146) .What is certain is that by
1130 a Robert De Umfreville was Baron of Prudhoe and erected a motte and
bailey castle there to guard the Tyne crossing and a castle at Harbottle
to hold down the Coquet valley while Elsdon was the admin istrative centre
of the liberty. If indeed the Robert Baron of Prudhoe is the same Robert
Lord of Tours and Vian then he would have been 93 years old at l east when
he died which seems very unlikely but not impossible. It is reasona ble in
this case to put forward some alternatives:
1) Robert with-the-beard did NOT 'come over with the conqueror', or at
least didn't fight at Hastings but came over later, was given lands in
Redesdale as part of the settlement o f Northumbria by Robert Curthose and
built Elsdon castle in 1080, his name be ing added later to the Battle
Abbey list.
2) Robert with the beard came to E ngland with the conqueror and Robert
Baron of Prudhoe is his son (b c1075). R obert with-the-beard built the
castle at Elsdon. What IS certain is that the first Umfreville came to
England sometime before 1090 because one of them was in Glamorgan in
1091, they either built a motte and bailey castle at Elsdon or took it
over then (later) built castles at Prudhoe and Harbottle. We also know
that the Umfrevilles left relatives behind in Normandy. We know of this
family link because Sir Gilbert, the Earl of Kyme, ( d. 1421) was awarded
t he lands of his distant relative D'Amphreville, based around
Amphreville- sur -Iton, by Henry V.
3) Robert with the beard had 3 sons, Robert, Gilbert and Jo rdan. Robert
with-the-Beard built Elsdon c1080. The Conqueror died in 1085, t he reign
of his son Rufus was brief and troubled. When Rufus was asassinated the
country was plunged into anarchy. During this time Robert may have taken
the opportunity to take control of the liberty and the vital border
crossin g (or at least establish greater authority over the region) taking
the revenu es into his own pocket. Robert's second son Gilbert went to
Glamorgan in 1091 to campaign with Fitz Hamon, Robert with the beard died
before 1130 when his eldest son Robert built Prudhoe. Robert died in 1145
(aged c75) and Prudhoe passed to his son Odonell I.