CONTEMPORARY PRINCES:
FRANCE: 1031 Henry I; 1060 Philip I
ENGLAND: 1035 Harald I; 1039 Harda-Knut; 1042 Edward the Confessor; 1066 Harald II Infelix
[from Freeman and Planche]
William, though born a bastard, soon justified the pride of his father by his excellence in all knightly feats of strength, and probably Robert would have most willingly married Herleve, and thus legitimatised him, if Estrith were not still alive and presenting an insuperable obstacle.
Before departing for the East he committed William to the care of his cousin, Alan of Brittany, who fulfilled the position of regent with honour and fidelity. While Robert lived the nobles submitted in sullen silence, but the news of his death was the signal for general anarchy. In his very cradle William had been cursed by William Talvas de Belesme, the descendant of Ivo de Belesme, the trusty friend of Richard Sans Peur. "Shame, shame, thrice shame", cried he, "for by thee and thine shall I and mine be brought to loss and dishonour". The curse of de Belesme found echo throughout the dukedom. Alan of Brittany met his fate by poison before the stronghold of the Montgomeries. Other friends of William were assassinated, and he himself narrowly escaped the same fate.
In sketching the history of William, the three decisive epochs of ducal domination are marked by the battles of Val-es-dunes, Varaville, and Hastings.
His first trouble was a conspiracy of Guy, Count of Burgundy, his cousin, who claimed the duchy as his by right of birth. Guy won to his side many of the leading Norman nobles, amongst others Nigel of St.Saviour, Viscount of the Coutances, Randolf, Viscount of Bayeux, and Hamon, Lord of Thorigny, whom Benoit de St.More distinguishes with the remarkable soubriquet of Anti-Christ, but who is more generally known as Hamo Dentatus, or "aux Dents" [Hence anti-Deus in error]. To these we may add Grimbald of Plessis.
William was at Valognes. One night in 1047 he was roused from sleep by his court jester and urged to fly without delay. Mounting his steed in haste he rode in the direction of Falaise. He forded the estuary formed by the Ouse and Dive, with an ebbing tide, and landed safely on the other side in the Bayeux district. Pressing on at sunrise he drew near the church and castle of Rye, and found Hubert the lord thereof standing in front of the chateau. Hubert recognised the Duke, gave him a fresh mount, and bade his three sons ride by his side and never leave him till he was safely lodged in his own castle of Falaise. The loyal sons faithfully executed their father's command, and we are not surprised, writes Freeman, to find that the House of Rye rose high in the favour of William, and we can hardly grudge them their share in the lands of England, when we find that Eudo, the son of Hubert, the King's Dapifer, and Sheriff of Essex, was not only the founder of the great House of St.John at Colchester, but won a purer fame as one of the very few Normans in high authority who knew how to win the love and confidence of the conquered Angles. At this critical juncture William had recourse to the assistance of his suzerain, Henry of France, by whom he was favourably received.
A French army, with the King at its head, was soon ready to march to the Duke's support. The French and the loyal Normans joining their forces some miles to the east of Caen, engaged the rebel host in the neighbourhood of the memorable Val-es-dunes. Before the battle, William was strengthened by the defection of Ralph of Tesson, Lord of the Forest of Cingueleiz, who deserted the rebels and crossed over to the ducal army; All fought with valour. William slew with his own hand Hardrez, the choicest warrior of Bayeux; and the King of France was twice unhorsed - once by a knight of the Cotentin, and again by Hamon, Lord of Thorigny, who paid for the distinction with his life. By the express order of King Henry, Hamon was buried with all fitting splendour before the Church of Our Lady at Esquai, on the Orne. After William slew Hardrez, Randolf began to falter and presently fled, leaving Neil fighting on. The valiant Neil was the last to flee. He was exiled to Brittany, but was soon restored to ducal favour. Guy of Burgundy returned to his native land, the Burgundian palatinate. Grimbald died in fetters in prison. Thus ended in favour of William the battle of Val-es-Dunes, which marks the first decisive epoch of ducal domination, the other two being Varaville and Hastings.
About 1051 the County of Mortain, - Moritolium, in the diocese of Avranches - was held by William, surnamed the Warling, son of Mauger, a lawful son of Richard the Fearless and Guenora. He was therefore a first cousin of the late Duke Robert, and if the succession had been limited to heirs-male, would have ranked next after William of Arques, Count of Talou; and Malger, Archbishop of Rouen, sons of Richard II; and after Richard, Count of Evreux, only son of Robert, Count of Evreux, Archbishop of Rouen, a son of Richard, the Fearless. His name has not occurred in the accounts of former disturbances, but it is clear that he might, like so many others, have felt himself aggrieved by the accession of the bastard.
Among the knights in the service of William, Count of Mortain, was one hitherto unknown to history, but to become famous. Robert le Bigod, patriarch of the future powerful House of Bigod, was now a knight so poor that he craved leave of his Lord to depart from his service and to seek his fortune among his countrymen, who were carving out for themselves lordships and principalities in Apulia. The Count bade him stay where he was; within eighty days he, Robert le Bigod, would he able there in Normandy to lay his hands on whatever good things it pleased him. In such a speech treason plainly lurked, and Robert, whether from duty to his sovereign or in the hope of winning favour with a more powerful master, determined that the matter should come to the ear of the Duke. The Bigod was a kinsman of Richard d'Avranches, now high in favour at the court of William.
By his means Robert obtained an introduction to the Duke, and told him of the treasonable words of the Count of Mortain. William accordingly sent for his cousin and charged him with plotting against the State. He had, the Duke told him, determined again to disturb the peace of the country, and again to bring about the reign of license. But while he, Duke William, lived, the peace which Normandy so much needed should, by God's help, never be disturbed again. Count William must at once leave the country, and not return to it during the life-time of his namesake the Duke.
The proud Lord of Mortain was thus driven to doing what his poor knight had thought of doing. He went to the wars in Apulia in humble guise enough, attended by a single esquire. The Duke at once bestowed the vacant County of Mortain upon his half-brother Robert, the son of Herluin and Herleve. Thus, says our informant, did William pluck down the proud kindred of his father and lift up the lowly kindred of his mother. [From Planche]
Historians agree that William the Warling was banished on the mere suspicion of treason. Orderic Vital, when referring to the circumstance, narrates: "The Duke disinherited and drove out of Normandy William the Warling, Count of Mortain, for a single word".
The many other notable incidents during the rule of William the Conqueror belong more to English history, and are therefore omitted as foreign to the scope, of this work.
Hamon aux Dents, who perished at Val-es-dunes, is stated to have been Earl of Corbeil, and a son of Malger, Count of Mortain; and a modern writer [author of "The Sinclairs of England"] endeavours to establish Walter, Lord of St.Clair in Normandy, as brother to Hamo Fitz-Hamo Dentatus; and also in near relationship to Hubert, Lord of Rye, which latter was sent as ambassador to Edward the Confessor by the Norman Duke.
The other legitimate scions of the Norman Dukes were the sons of Richard II - Malger, Archbishop of Rouen, whom Duke William banished to the Channel Islands, where he died without lawful issue; and William of Arques, Count of Talon, who also died issueless. Richard, Count of Evreux, only son of Robert, Archbishop of Rouen (second son of Richard I), left one son, William, Count of Evreux, who had no issue. Malger, Earl of Corbeil and Mortain (third son of Richard I), had issue William the Warling, exiled to Apulia, of whose issue there is no account.
The male line of Rollo in lawful descent is thus presumably extinct, and the representation would therefore devolve on the heir-general.
The History of the St.Clairs states that Waleran, Lord of St.Clair, married the daughter of Duke Richard of Normandy. The sire de St.Clair accompanied Duke William at Hastings, where he fought with distinction, and his name is enumerated on the Roll of Battle Abbey. Wace records: "Hue de Mortemer with three other knights, the sires of Anvilliers, Quebec, and St.Cler, charged a body of the Angles who had fallen back on a rising ground, and overthrew many".