Roger de Montbegon I I

• Preferred Name: Roger de Montbegon I I^{[1] [2] [3] [4]}
  
• Gender: M
  
• FSID: GWDN-5X8
  
• alt.birth: um 1040
  
• Birth: ABT 1040 in Maine, Pays-de-la-Loire, Rhone-Alps, France at LATI: N8.0631 LONG: E0.0769 with note: family search
  
• Death: ABT 1115 in Hornby, Lancashire, England at LATI: N4.1058 LONG: E2.6344
  
• Notes:

  === Life Sketch ===
  Biography
  Notes
  The continental origin of Roger de Montbegon, first Norman
  baron of Hornby in Lancashire, has long eluded students of
  English post-Conquest prosopography. The one charter given by
  Roger for a French monastery provides no clue to the location of
  Mons Begonis. By this charter Roger and his wife Cecilia granted
  land in 1094 to the Montgomery family's abbey of SaintMartin-de-Sees.' The greater part of what they gave was located
  in England, among the lands of the future honor of Lancaster.
  Two smaller grants had probably both been part of the
  maritagium of Roger's ManceUe wife Cecilia. These were the tithe
  of Bouelchis, and the land ofForesta; the latter is stated to have lain
  in the territory of Beaumont-sur-Sarthe close to the road to Le
  Mans, and to have been given to Cecilia by her mother Eva.
  HORNBY: Although Melling is named first of the three manors held by Ulf in 1066, it is possible that HORNBY was his place of residence. In 1086 the manor was in the king's hands, but was probably granted to the Montbegon family soon afterwards. They made it the head of their barony, building a castle and founding there a monastic house and a borough. Their story has already been narrated at length, and the descent may be recorded in brief thus: Roger de Montbegon I, oc. 1086-1115-(?s.) Roger II, oc. 1129-49-s. Adam, founder of the priory, oc. 1160-71-s. Roger III, d. 1226 without issue. From: 'Townships: Hornby', A History of the County of Lancaster: Volume 8 (1914), pp. 191-201. URL: http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.aspx?compid=53296&strquery=montbegon Date accessed: 22 April 2012.
  
  SPROATLEY: In 1066 Basinc, Forni, and Thor held three manors of SPROATLEY comprising 4 carucates; Earl Tosti 1 carucate in Sproatley as sokeland of his manor of Burstwick, and Morkar 5 bovates of sokeland there belonging to his manor of Withernsea. All of those lands may have been the same as the manor of Sproatley comprising 6 carucates which William Malet was said to have held in succession to Thorsten; the holdings at the Conquest and Malet's estate had, moreover, all passed to Drew de Bevrère by1086...
  
  In 1086 Drew's man Roger occupied part of the estate formerly belonging to Basinc and his fellow tenants. He is believed to have been Roger de Montbegon, and Ernald de Montbegon held land in Sproatley of the count of Aumale in the 12th century. From: 'Middle division: Sproatley', A History of the County of York East Riding: Volume 7: Holderness Wapentake, Middle and North Divisions (2002), pp. 95-107. URL: http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.aspx?compid=16131&strquery=montbegon Date accessed: 22 April 2012.
  
  === Some background information concerning the Montbegon family ===
  Many private records appear to be missing several members of the Montbegon family. Entries from British History Online {See document attached to the members of the Montbegon family in the Memories section of each] provide a clear picture of many members of the extended family. According to British History Online, the main male members begin with Roger de Montbegon, called by British History Online Roger de Montbegon I, who was succeeded by his son Roger de Montbegon II, succeeded by his son Adam de Montbegon, succeeded by his son Roger de Montbegon III, who “died without heir of his body” and was the last of the family with the surname Montbegon.
  
  The family resided at Hornby, Lancashire, England. According to British History Online, the Manor at Hornby was “held by Ulf in 1066”. At the time of the Domesday Book in 1086, the Manor was held by the King, but shortly thereafter was granted to the Montbegon family, thereby coming into possession of Roger de Montbegon I. Roger I was most certainly an adult when he obtained possession of the Manor at Hornby, suggesting Roger I was born before the Conquest of England in 1066, perhaps as early as 1060. Roger I continued to appear in historical records until at least 1115, suggesting he died about 1115 when he was succeeded by his son Roger II. The records do not name Roger I’s wife.
  
  Roger II was also an adult when he obtained possession of the Manor at Hornby, suggesting he was born by at least 1090-1095. Roger II continued to appear in historical records until at least 1149, suggesting he probably died about 1149 when he was succeeded by his son Adam de Montbegon. Again, the records do not name Roger II’s wife.
  
  Adam must also have been an adult by 1149, as there is no evidence that a guardian was appointed because he was a minor, suggesting Adam was born about 1125. British History Online reports Adam had three sisters: Beatrice, Matilda and Agnes, and one record names an Emma in place of Matilda. Adam quite possibly had a fourth younger sister named Cecilia (although she is not named in British History Online). Adam continued to appear in historical records until at least 1171, suggesting he probably died about 1171 when he was succeeded by his son Roger III. Roger III must have also been an adult by 1171, because no guardian was appointed for him because he was a minor, suggesting Roger III must have been born by at least 1150.
  
  Some private records report that Roger III was married to Matilda (or Maud) FitzSwain, daughter of Adam FitzSwain, but that is in error. Matilda (Maud) FitzSwain was the wife of Adam de Montbegon and was the mother of Roger III, not his wife. Roger III was married to a woman named Olive and they had no children, “Roger dying without issue”. Besides Roger III, Adam also had at least three daughters named “Clemence, wife of Sir Eudo de Longvilers; Mabel, wife of Geoffrey de Nevill; and Alice, wife of Esward, or Efward de Bury” (Edward or Ailward de Bury).
  
  Roger III is described as “a stout adherent to the cause of his chief lord, John, Count of Mortain, on whose behalf he defended Nottingham Castle against the forces acting on behalf of King Richard, in 1194. He paid a fine of 600 marks for the King's pardon in 9 Richard I., and for restitution of his estates.” John, Count of Mortain, is the younger brother of King Richard I and when King Richard went to Jerusalem on the Third Crusade, John usurped the throne and became King John. However, it appears that Roger III’s adherence to John when John was Count of Mortain changed after John became King, because when John signed the Magna Charta in 1215, under duress, Roger III was named as one of the “Magna Charta Sureties” to ensure the enforcement of the provisions of the Magna Charta.
  
  Roger III died about March 1226. Since Roger III had no heirs, there followed several lawsuits filed by other descendants of the Montbegon family attempting to claim the possession of the Manor at Hornby. These lawsuits were filed by several cousins, not surnamed Montbegon, who were descendants of the daughters of both Roger II and Adam de Montbegon [See document in the Memories section for further details and outcomes of the lawsuits]. While the Manor at Hornby ultimately remained within the extended family, it was no longer in possession of any person surnamed Montbegon.
  
  There remains one additional issue to be addressed and that concerns the previously mentioned Cecilia de Montbegon. Although Cecilia is not named by British History Online, she is named in the history titled “The Book of the Radclyffes” where she is reported to be the wife of William de Radcliffe (Radclyffe), High Sheriff of Lancashire. In that history, Cecilia is reported to be the daughter of Roger de Montbegon and some private records link her to Roger III. However, since he had no heirs, she must be the daughter of Roger II. That said, she is reportedly born much later than Roger II’s other children, the three sisters of Roger II’s son Adam de Montbegon named in British History Online. Also, none of Cecilia’s descendants, i.e. the Radcliffes, were involved in the lawsuits to determine the successor of Roger III following his death. That raises the question: Why weren’t there any Radcliffes trying to obtain possession of the Manor of Hornby? It seems the most likely answer is that Cecilia may have been an illegitimate daughter of Roger II and, thus, her descendants had not as good a claim to the Manor as did the descendants of legitimate daughters of Roger II and Adam de Montbegon. That is only a supposition, but seems to be the best explanation.

1. Title: Siege of Nottingham Castle, 26 March 1194, Roger de Montbegon surrendered the next day
   Publication: Name: https://deremilitari.org/2014/03/the-siege-of-nottingham-castle-in-1194/;
   
2. Title: Townships: Hornby
   Publication: Name: http://www.british-history.ac.uk/vch/lancs/vol8/pp191-201;
   Note: Barony Although Melling is named first of the three manors held by Ulf in 1066, it is possible that HORNBY was his place of residence. (fn. 5) In 1086 the manor was in the king's hands, but was probably granted to the Montbegon family soon afterwards. They made it the head of their barony, building a castle and founding there a monastic house and a borough. Their story has already been narrated at length, (fn. 6) and the descent may be recorded in brief thus: Roger de Montbegon I, oc. 1086–1115–(?s.) Roger II, oc. 1129– 49—s. Adam, founder of the priory, oc. 1160–71 — s. Roger III, d. 1226 without issue. Roger in 1212 held the fee of eight knights within the lyme and without. (fn. 7) The heir in 1226 was Henry de Monewdon, great-grandson of Agnes daughter of Roger II; in 1269 he surrendered to Edmund the king's son the feudal rights belonging to his knights' fees in the honour of Lancaster, and with his death, shortly afterwards, the barony is considered to have expired. Henry Duke of Lancaster was in 1355 recorded to hold a knight's fee in Hornby. (fn. 8) In September 1354 the duke granted to John de Harrington of Farleton a lease of the manor of Hornby with the demesne and appurtenances, excepting the castle and the deer in the park and Roeburndale.
   
3. Title: Roger de Montbegon granted a tithe of land in Lancashire, England 1094, Book 'A History of Lancashire'
   Publication: Name: https://archive.org/details/victoriahistoryo01farruoft/page/319/mode/1up;
   
4. Title: Some background information concerning the families of Roger de Montbegon (I, II, and III) and Adam de Montbegon in British History Online ~https://www.british-history.ac.uk/lancs-finalconcords/vol1/pp142-152 [See document in the Memories section]
   Publication: Name: https://www.british-history.ac.uk/lancs-finalconcords/vol1/pp142-152;
   Note: Some background information concerning the families of Roger de Montbegon (I, II, and III) and Adam de Montbegon in British History Online ~https://www.british-history.ac.uk/lancs-finalconcords/vol1/pp142-152 [See document in the Memories section]
   Page: Some background information concerning the families of Roger de Montbegon (I, II, and III) and Adam de Montbegon in British History Online ~https://www.british-history.ac.uk/lancs-finalconcords/vol1/pp142-152 [See document in the Memories section]