Hugh de Grandmesnil (1032 – February 22, 1098), also known as Hugh or Hugo de Grentmesnil or Grentemesnil, was a commander at the Battle of Hastings, and became a great landowner in England. Events 1495 - King Charles VIII of France enters Naples to claim the city's throne The Battle of Hastings was the decisive Norman victory in the Norman Conquest of England.
He was the elder son of Robert of Grandmesnil and Hawise d'Echaffour. Robert of Grandmesnil was his younger brother. Robert de Grantmesnil (or Grandmesnil) son of Robert I of Grantmesnil and Hawisa d'Échauffour abbot of Saint-Evroul-sur-Ouche in Normandy which he helped
Following the conquest William I of England gave Hugh 100 manors for his services, sixty-five of them in Leicestershire. William I of England ( 1027 His reign which brought Norman culture to England had an enormous impact on the subsequent course of England in the Middle Ages Leicestershire (ˈlɛstəʃə(r or ˈlɛstəʃɪə(r abbreviation Leics He was appointed sheriff of the county of Leicester and Governor of Hampshire. SHERIFF is a telecom fraud detection and management system originally developed by BT and MCI. Wildlife Hampshire has wildlife typical of the island of Great Britain Hugh's possessions are listed in some detail in the Domesday book ([1] p 652-6). The Domesday Book (ˈduːmzdeɪ bʊk also known as Domesday, or Book of Winchester) was the record of the great survey
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Hugh's family
The story of the Grandmesnils begins in the mid-eleventh century, in central Normandy, where the family were famous for the breeding and training of war horses. The De Grandmesnils had made a fortune from a string of stud farms which they owned on the plains of Ouch, but during the minority of Duke William the stability of Normandy began to break down. Old scores were settled as the barons made a grab for each other’s territories.
Roger de Beaumont brought savage warfare to the lands of Roger de Tosny, as he tried to grasp control of the Risle valley, in 1041. Roger de Beaumont-le-Roger (c 1015 &ndash 29 November 1094) was son of Humphrey de Vielles (himself a great-nephew of the Duchess Gunnora of De Tosny was joined by his ally Robert de Grandmesnil, but in June their forces were shattered in a surprise attack by the Beaumont clan. Robert de Grantmesnil (or Grandmesnil) son of Robert I of Grantmesnil and Hawisa d'Échauffour abbot of Saint-Evroul-sur-Ouche in Normandy which he helped In the savage fight, de Tosny and two of his sons were killed. Robert de Grandmesnil fared little better. He was carried from the field mortally wounded only to die of his wounds three weeks later. His two sons, Robert and Hugh, divided his property between them; Robert joined the church, while Hugh took on his father’s mantle of warrior politician.
Hugh de Grandmesnil wielded power at the court of William Duke of Normandy, but the paranoid Duke banished Hugh in 1058. For five years Hugh was out of favour at court. In 1063 he was reinstated as Captain of the castle of Neufmarche-en-Lions. The Grandmesnil star continued to rise and Hugh was made a cavalry commander for the invasion of England in 1066.
There is a popular story that Hugh de Grandmesnil almost came to a sticky end at the battle of Hastings. The Battle of Hastings was the decisive Norman victory in the Norman Conquest of England. As fierce battle raged, Hugh’s horse leapt a bush, during a cavalry charge and his bridle broke. Barely able to keep upright in the saddle, and with no control over his horse, Hugh saw to his dismay that he was all alone, and careering towards a band of Englishmen. Just as Hugh was preparing to die and his enemies leaped in for the kill, the Saxons gave out a great shout in triumph. Hugh's horse immediately shied in fear and bolted in the opposite direction. The stallion carried its helpless master away from the English and back to the safety of his own lines.
The battle for Leicester
Hugh had become one of William the Conqueror's main men in England. In 1067 he joined with William Fitz Osbern and Bishop Odo in the government of England, during the King's absence in Normandy. Odo of Bayeux (c 1036 &ndash February 1097 Palermo) Norman Bishop and English earl was the half-brother of William the Conqueror, and was for He also was one of the Norman nobles who interceded with the Conqueror in favour of William's son Robert Court-heuse, and effected a temporary reconciliation.
Following the conquest William I assailed Leicester, and took the city by storm in 1068. Leicester (ˈlɛstə is the largest city and Unitary authority area in the East Midlands of England, and is the traditional In the assault a large portion of the city was destroyed, along with St. Mary's Church. William handed the Government of Leicester over to Hugh de Grandmesnil.
He also gave De Grandmesnil 100 manors for his services, sixty-five of them in Leicestershire, including Earl Shilton. Leicestershire (ˈlɛstəʃə(r or ˈlɛstəʃɪə(r abbreviation Leics Earl Shilton is a large village or small town in Leicestershire, England, some from Hinckley and about 10 miles (16 km from Leicester, He was appointed sheriff of the county of Leicester and Governor of Hampshire. He married the beautiful Adeliza, daughter of Ivo, Count of Beaumont-sur-l'Oise, from whom he gained estates in Herefordshire, and three lordships in Warwickshire. Constitution Herefordshire was reconstituted both as a new Non-metropolitan district (effective 19th July 1996 and as a new County comprising the area of the Geography Warwickshire is bounded to the northwest by the West Midlands Metropolitan county and Staffordshire, by Leicestershire to
Death of Adelize
Adelize the wife of Hugh de Grandmesnil died at Rouen in 1087, and was buried in the Chapter House of St. Evroult. They had five sons and as many daughters together - namely, Robert, William, Hugh, Ivo de Grandmesnil, and Aubrey; and daughters Adeline, Hawise, Rohais, Matilda, and Agnes. Ivo de Grandmesnil (d 1101 or 1102 son of Hugh de Grandmesnil, was a Norman Magnate in England and a participant in the First Crusade
On the death of William the Conqueror, also in 1087, the Grandmesnil’s like most of the Norman barons were caught up in the civil war raging between his three surviving sons. Now lands in Normandy and England had two different masters, as Robert Curthose became Duke of Normandy, and William Rufus was installed as the king of England. William II (c 1056 &ndash 2 August 1100) the third son of William I of England (William the Conqueror was King of England from 1087 Royal family squabbles put fortunes at risk if Barons took the wrong side, and ultimately this was the fate of the Grandmesnil family for they tended to support the fickle Duke of Normandy against the English king, although allegiances changed continually. Duke Robert did not always support his barons loyalty, which is illustrated in Hugh’s later struggles.
Old age
By 1090 Hugh de Grandmesnil was still defending his lands in Normandy. Hugh made a stand along with his friend Richard de Courci at the Castle of Courcy-sur-Dives, as Robert de Belesme laid siege to them. Richard de Courcy (died 1098 was a Norman baron He accompanied William the Conqueror as a soldier in the invasion of England Robert de Bellême 3rd Earl of Shrewsbury (1052&ndashafter 1130 also spelled Belleme or Belesme was an Anglo-Norman nobleman and one of the most prominent figures in the Belesme had driven his army into the lands along the river Orne. The Orne is a River in Normandy, within northwestern France. It discharges into the English Channel at the port of Ouistreham. Other barons had joined the fight. This led to an extended siege at Courcy, Calvados in 1091 [2], of three weeks [3]. Courcy is a commune in the département of Calvados in the Basse-Normandie region of France.
Robert de Belesme did not have enough troops to surround the castle of Courci. He set about building a wooden siege engine, the Belfry. This was a great tower, and could be rolled up to the castle walls. Every time the Belfry was rolled forward, Grandmesnil sallied from the castle and attacked a different part of the line. Soldiers manning the Belfry were urgently needed elsewhere to beat back Grandmesnil's attack. These skirmishes were frequent savage and bloody. On one occasion William, son of Henry de Ferrers (another Leicestershire landowner, whose family would become Earls of Derby), and William de Rupiere were captured by de Grandmesnil and ransomed for a small fortune. Henry de Ferrers (also known as Henri de Ferrières) was a Norman soldier from a noble family who took part in the conquest of England and is believed to But the boot was on the other foot when Ivo de Grandmesnil, Hugh’s son, and Fitz Gilbert de Clare were seized by the attackers. Ivo was later released, but de Clare did not survive Belesme's dungeon (Planche).
As the siege continued a deadly ritual was played out. The inhabitants of Courci had built their oven outside the castle's fortifications, and it now lay midway between the main gate and the enemy's Belfry. The men of Courci therefore, would stand to arms and rush from the castle to surround the oven, so that the baker could go to work. Here they would defend their bread, as the attackers would attempt to carry it off. This would often lead to a general engagement as each side poured more troops into the fray. On one occasion Grandmesnil’s charge was so ferocious that De Belesme’s men were scattered. The men of Courci over-ran the great siege engine and burned it. But this success was short lived, as Duke Robert of Normandy took sides with De Belesme. It now looked all over for De Grandmesnil and De Courci. Then William Rufus arrived with a fleet in arms against his brother, and so Duke Robert and De Belesme simply packed up and went home.
Hugh's death
In 1094, Hugh de Grandmesnil was again in England, and worn out with age and infirmity, finding and his end approaching. In accordance with the common practice of the period, he took the habit of a monk, but expired six days after he had taken to his bed on 22nd of February at Leicester. His body, preserved in salt and sewn up in the hide of an ox, was conveyed to the valley of the Ouche in Normandy by two monks. He was laid to rest at the Abbey of St. Evroult, and buried by the Abbot Roger on the south side of the Chapter House, near the tomb of Abbot Mainer. Saint-Evroul-sur-Ouche ( Saint-Evroult-sur-Ouche Saint-Evroul-en-Ouche Saint-Evroult-en-Ouche Abbaye de Saint-Evroult Sanctus Ebrulphus Uticensis) is an Abbey
Hugh's sons
Hugh’s eldest son, Robert de Grandmesnil, inherited his Norman lands in the Ouch valley, while Ivo de Grandmesnil became Sheriff of Leicester, and master of Earl Shilton manor. Robert de Grantmesnil (or Grandmesnil) son of Robert I of Grantmesnil and Hawisa d'Échauffour abbot of Saint-Evroul-sur-Ouche in Normandy which he helped
William's brother Odo and many others, who had rebelled against William Rufus in 1088, felt that the First Crusade was a good way to avoid the English kings wrath. The First Crusade was launched in 1095 by Pope Urban II with the dual goals of conquering the sacred city of Jerusalem and the Holy Land and freeing Ivo de Grandmesnil, Sheriff of Leicester, along with his brothers thought it best to saddle up and get out of town.
On the third day of the siege of Antioch, after a terrible battle on the walls that lasted well into the night, the Grandmesnil brothers, planned to escape their inevitable slaughter. For other uses please see Siege of Antioch (disambiguation The Siege of Antioch took place during the First Crusade in 1097 William Grandmesnil, his brother Aubrey and Ivo of Grandmesnil, banded together with several other knights and their followers, and under cover of darkness secretly let themselves down from the wall on ropes. They fled on foot to the coast and in a wretched state reached the port of St Simeon.
Henry I of England had moved swiftly to take the English throne, in Robert Curthose's absence. Henry I (c 1068/1069 – 1 December 1135) was the fourth son of William I the Conqueror, the first King of England after the Norman It appears that Ivo de Grandmesnil was influenced by his brother Robert, who held the family lands in Normandy, and joined the faction fighting against Henry of England. War quickly followed.
Duke Robert set sail for England in 1101 and his army caught up with Henry at Alton, on the Winchester road. A peace was quickly negotiated and Robert went back to Normandy with promises of English gold. Unfortunately, this left the Duke’s supporters high and dry and king Henry, ‘a famously unpleasant individual’ took note of his enemies, including the Grandmesnils (Morris).
King Henry bestowed the manors of Barwell, Burbage, Aston, Sketchley and Dadlington on Hugh de Hastings, as he set about getting rid of any baronial opposition. Thus, Ivo, Sheriff of Leicester, found that he was in disgrace at court, and also swamped with lawsuits and delayed judgements by the king. The cronies of the king’s court treated Ivo like a standing joke, and courtiers openly called him ‘ropedancer’, a reference to his escape from Antioch. His star was definitely on the wane, and when he over reacted to the jibes, Ivo was fined for turbulent conduct at court. To escape his situation, Ivo had little choice but to finance another trip to the Holy Land, where he could regain his honour fighting for god.
Ivo approached Robert Beaumont, Count Meulan, to procure a reconciliation with the king, and to advance him five hundred silver marks for his expedition. Robert de Beaumont 1st Earl of Leicester and Count of Meulan (1049 &ndash June 5, 1118) was a powerful English and French nobleman revered For this service the whole of Ivo's domains were pledged to Beaumont as a security for fifteen years. Beaumont was also to give the daughter of his brother Henry, Earl of Warwick, in marriage to Ivo's son, Baron Hinckley, who was still in his infancy, and to restore him his father's inheritance. Henry de Beaumont 1st Earl of Warwick (? &ndash 20 June 1123) was a Norman nobleman This contract was confirmed by oath, and ratified by the King. But Ivo died on his crusade to Jerusalem, and when he did not return Robert Beaumont broke his oaths and took control of the whole of Leicester. He dispossessed Ivo's children, forgot about the marriage, and added all the Grandmesnil estates to his own. By sleight of hand, Earl Shilton manor was now held by Robert Beaumont, who was created the first Earl of Leicester by the king. Lord Leicester redirects here You may be looking for Lord Leycester, the name of several things in and around Warwick, United Kingdom
Ivo’s son and heir, Hugh de Grandmesnil, Baron Hinckley, never recovered the honour of Leicester. His daughter, Petronella[4], married Robert de Beaumont, 3rd Earl of Leicester. Robert de Beaumont 3rd Earl of Leicester (died 1190 was an English nobleman one of the principal followers of Henry the Young King in the Revolt of 1173-1174
Hugh and Adeliza's holdings in England
The Domesday book lists Hugh's lands in Leicestershire[1] in the following order Wigston Magna, Sapcote, Frolesworth, Sharnford, Earl Shilton, Ratby, Brenkinsthorpe, Desford, Glenfield, Braunstone, Groby, Kirkby Mallory, Stapleton, Newbold Vernon, Brascote, Peckleton, Illston on the Hill, Thorpe Langton, Stockerston, Burton Overy, Carlton Curlieu, Noseley, Thurcaston, Belgrave, Birstall, Anstey, Thurmaston, Humberstone, Swinford, Bruntingthorpe,Smeeton Westerby, Lestone,Twyford, Oadby,Peatling Parva, Shearsby, Sapcote, Willoughby Waterless, Croft, Broughton Astley, Enderby,Glenfield, Sutton Cheney, Barleston, Sheepy Magna, Cotesbach, Evington, Ingarsby, Stoughton, Gaulby, Frisby, Shangton, Stonton Wyville, East Langton, Great Glen, Syston, Wymeswold, Sileby, Ashby de la Zouche, Alton, Staunton Harold, Whitwick, Waltham on the Wolds, Thorpe Arnold, Market Bosworth and Barton in the Beans. Great Wigston or Wigston Magna (see also Wigston Parva) is a town within Leicestershire, England just to the south of Leicester Sapcote is a small village in the south west of Leicestershire, England, with a population of approximately 2700 Sharnford is a village and Civil parish in Blaby of Leicestershire. Earl Shilton is a large village or small town in Leicestershire, England, some from Hinckley and about 10 miles (16 km from Leicester, Ratby is a village and Civil parish in the Hinckley and Bosworth district of Leicestershire. Desford is a Village in Leicestershire, England. Desford contains a College, Bosworth College and a primary school Glenfield is a satellite town and suburb of Leicester, England. Braunstone is a suburb of the City of Leicester, England, to the south-west of the City Centre parts of which were built on the grounds of Braunstone Hall Groby (pronounced "groo-bee" is a large English Village in the county of Leicestershire, to the north west of the city of Leicester Kirkby Mallory is a small village in Leicestershire, England. The village of Stapleton is situated in south-west Leicestershire, England, about ten miles south-west of Leicester city centre as the crow flies (seventeen Brascote is a deserted settlement in Leicestershire, England. Peckleton is a Civil parish and village in the Hinckley and Bosworth district of Leicestershire, England. Thorpe Langton is a village and Civil parish in the Harborough district of Leicestershire, about four miles north of Market Harborough. Stockerston is a village and Civil parish in the Harborough district of Leicestershire, England, located on the border with Rutland Burton Overy is a Civil parish in the Harborough district of Leicestershire, about nine miles south-east of Leicester city centre and not far Carlton Curlieu is a small village and Civil parish in the Harborough district of Leicestershire, about eleven miles south-east of Leicester Thurcaston is a village in Leicestershire, and was home to Bishop Hugh Latimer. Belgrave is an area in northern Leicester, England. The old Belgrave Village is on the Loughborough Road to the west of the A46, known at that point as Birstall is a large village north of Leicester in Leicestershire, England. Anstey is a large semi-industrialised village in Leicestershire, England, located north west of Leicester in the borough of Charnwood. Thurmaston is a village and Civil parish within the Charnwood district of Leicestershire, England. Humberstone is an urban Village in Leicester, England. It is in the east of the city and grew in the Industrial revolution outside the Smeeton Westerby is a Village located approximately 9 miles south east from Leicester. Oadby is a town within the borough of Oadby and Wigston, in Leicestershire, England. Shearsby is a rural village in the English county of Leicestershire. Sapcote is a small village in the south west of Leicestershire, England, with a population of approximately 2700 Croft is a small village in the District of Blaby in Leicestershire, England, off the old Fosse Way. Broughton Astley is a busy village and Civil parish in the Harborough district of Leicestershire, England. Enderby is a village in the middle of Leicestershire, England. Sutton Cheney (ˈsʌtən ˈtʃiːni is a Village in Leicestershire, England, close to the location of the Battle of Bosworth Field. Sheepy is a Civil parish in the Hinckley and Bosworth district of Leicestershire, England, containing the villages of Sheepy Magna Evington is a area in eastern Leicester, England. It used to be a small village centred around Main Street and the Anglican church of St Denys but was Stoughton is a small village and Civil parish in the Harborough district of Leicestershire. Gaulby (or Galby is a village in East Leicestershire, England, 7 miles east of the city of Leicester. Stonton Wyville is a small village and Civil parish in the Harborough district of Leicestershire, England. East Langton is a village and Civil parish in the Harborough district of Leicestershire, England. Great Glen (or Glenn also known as Glen Magna is a village in Leicestershire, England about seven miles south-east of Leicester. This article is on Syston in Leicestershire There is also a Syston in Lincolnshire &mdash see Syston Lincolnshire Syston Wymeswold is a village and Civil parish in the Charnwood district of Leicestershire, England. Sileby is a village and Civil parish in the Soar Valley in Leicestershire, between Leicester and Loughborough. Ashby de la Zouch (often shortened simply to Ashby) is a small Market town and Civil parish in north west Leicestershire, England Alton is the name of several places Canada Alton Ontario Altona Ontario Alton Nova Scotia Whitwick (pronounced "Wittick" is a Village in Leicestershire, England. Waltham on the Wolds is a village located in the Civil parish of Waltham and Thorpe Arnold in the Melton borough of Leicestershire, England, Thorpe Arnold is a village in the English county of Leicestershire. Market Bosworth is a small Town in West Leicestershire, England and the 1988 winner of Britain in Bloom (though its postal town is The village of Barton in Fabis in Nottinghamshire was once known as Barton in the Beans (Fabis being Latin for 'bean' Barton in the Beans
In Northamptonshire his lands include pieces in West Farndon, Marston Thrussel, Thorpe Lubbenham, Weedon Bec, Ashby St Ledgers, Osbern, Welton, Staverton and Thrupp Grounds
Additionally in Nottinghamshire he had interests in Edwalton and Thrumpton[1]. West Farndon is a hamlet in the English county of Northamptonshire. Weedon Bec is a large Village and parish in the district of Daventry, Northamptonshire, England. Ashby St Ledgers is a Village in the Daventry district of the county of Northamptonshire in England. Osbern (c 1050-c 1090 was a Roman Catholic Hagiographer, sometimes confused with Osbert de Clare, alias Osbern de Westminster Welton is a Village in the Daventry district of the county of Northamptonshire in England. Staverton is a village in the southwest of Northamptonshire, England. Edwalton is a Village to the South of Nottingham in England, attached and conjoined to West Bridgford and Gamston. Thrumpton is a Village and Civil parish in Nottinghamshire, England.
And in Warwickshire his lands included([1] p. 663) Hillmorton, Willoughby and Butlers Marston. Hillmorton is an area of the town of Rugby, Warwickshire, it comprises most of the eastern half of the town Willoughby is a village and Civil parish in the Rugby borough of Warwickshire, England. Butlers Marston is a Village and Civil parish on the River Dene in south-eastern Warwickshire, England.
He also had interests in Gloucestershire including Quinton (Upper & Lower), Weston-on-Avon and Broad Marston. Quinton is a Civil parish in the Stratford-on-Avon district of Warwickshire, England, about six miles south of Stratford. Weston-on-Avon is a village which was recorded in the Domesday Book. Pebworth is a Civil parish about 8km north-west of Chipping Campden in the county of Worcestershire, but very close to Gloucestershire.
Aleliza's lands in Bedfordshire included Shelton, Houghton Conquest and Chalton. Houghton Conquest was a manor in the hundred of Redbornestoke, county of Bedford. Moggerhanger is a village in the English County of Bedfordshire.
References
- ^ a b c d Domesday Book: A Complete Transliteration. London: Penguin, 2003. ISBN 0-14-143994-7
- ^ Courcy.
- ^ Courcy Historique. (in French).
- ^ See though [1].
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