Roger de Montgomery 1st Earl of Shrewsbury ^{1 2 3 4 5}

   Other names for Roger were Roger de Monte Comerico, Roger de Montgomerie et Vicomté de Hiémois, Roger de Montgomerie 1st Ear of Shrewsbury and Roger "the Great" de Montgomery 1st Earl of Shrewsbury.

  Research Notes:

From http://cybergata.com/roots/409.htm :
~Schwennicke's ES 3:637-41. Before the conquest, Roger was known as "de Monte Comerico", which was anglicized to Montgomery.


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From Wikipedia - Roger de Montgomerie, 1st Earl of Shrewsbury :

Roger de Montgomerie, also known as Roger the Great de Montgomery, was the first Earl of Shrewsbury . His father was also Roger de Montgomerie, and was a relative, probably a grandnephew, of the Duchess Gunnor , wife of Duke Richard I of Normandy . The elder Roger had large holdings in central Normandy , chiefly in the valley of the Dives , which the younger Roger inherited.

Life
Roger was one of William the Conqueror 's principal counsellors. He did not fight in the initial invasion of England in 1066, instead staying behind to help govern Normandy. Afterwards he was entrusted with land in two places critical for the defense of England, receiving the rape of Arundel at the end of 1067 (or in early 1068), and in November 1071 he was created Earl of Shrewsbury ; a few historians believe that while he received the Shropshire territories in 1071 he was not created Earl until a few years later.

Roger was thus one of the half dozen greatest magnates in England during William the Conqueror's reign. In addition to the large part of Sussex included in the Rape of Arundel, and seven-eighths of Shropshire which were associated with the earldom of Shrewsbury, he had estates in Surrey , Hampshire , Wiltshire , Middlesex , Hertfordshire , Gloucestershire , Worcestershire , Cambridgeshire , Warwickshire and Staffordshire .

After William I's death in 1087, Roger joined with other rebels to overthrow the newly crowned King William II in the Rebellion of 1088 . However, William was able to convince Roger to abandon the rebellion and side with him. This worked out favourably for Roger, as the rebels were beaten and lost their land holdings in England.

Roger first married Mabel of Bellême, who was heiress to a large territory on both sides of the border between Normandy and Maine . By her he had 10 children:

Roger Montgomery 1066
Robert of Bellême 1052 c. 1130 3rd Earl of Shrewsbury
Hugh of Montgomery 1098 2nd Earl of Shrewsbury
Roger the Poitevin c. 1058
Philip 'the Grammarian' 1099 Died while on crusade at the Siege of Antioch
Arnulf of Montgomery c. 1068
Emma, abbess of Almenchêches
Matilda m. Robert, Count of Mortain
Mabel m. Hugh of Châteauneuf-en-Thimerais
Sibyl m. Robert Fitzhamon

Roger then married Adelaide de Le Puiset , by whom he had one son, Everard, who entered the Church.

After his death, Roger's estates were divided. The eldest surviving son, Robert, received the bulk of the Norman estates (as well as his mother's estates); the next son, Hugh, received the bulk of the English estates and the Earldom of Shrewsbury . After Hugh's death the elder son Robert inherited the earldom.
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From http://www.renderplus.com/hartgen/htm/montgomery.htm :

Roger de Montgomery - was born in 1022, lived in Shrewsbury, Shropshire, England and died on 27 Jul 1094 in Shrewsbury, Shropshire, England . He was the son of Roger de Montgomery and Josceline de Ponteaudemer .
Roger married Mabel Talvas de Alencon in 1048 while living in Perche, France. Mabel was born about 1026, lived in Alencon, Eure, France. She was the daughter of William Talvas de Alencon II and Helie de Bourgogne. She died on 2 Dec 1079 in Bures Castle .

Roger - Earl of Arundel & S

The symbol of advance into Wales was the castle which Earl Roger built at Montgomery, a typical motte and bailey, of which the earthworks still survive. To distinguish it from the later stone castle built at Montgomery by Hubert de Burgh, it came to be known as Hen Domen Castle- the old mound. It was a key point in the natural communication into mid-Wales, and beyond that westwards to Ceredigion. The gains which Earl Roger and his commanders made were compact and, with the exception of Arwystli, did not drive deeply into Wales, but they extended over a long stretch of the frontier.

'Oft on the mouldering Keep by night
Earl Roger takes his stand,
With the sword that shone at Hastings' fight,
Firm grasped in his red, right hand ! '

This is how an ancient poem begins about Roger de Montgomery who it was believed had fought alongside Duke William at Hastings. In fact Roger de Montgomery wasn't at the Battle of Hastings, but was left at home to look after Normandy for William while he was in England. He contributed greatly to the invasion force and was to be richly rewarded for his loyal services.

Earl Roger de Montgomery founded the Arundel Castle on Christmas Day 1067. It was after King William had held his Christmas Court at Gloucester and awarded Montgomery the Earldom, that he ordered him to build a castle on the Arun to protect the inland reaches. Roger de Montgomery was already an extremely powerful man in his native Normandy and had been a close friend of William's since William was a teenager as he was his cousin. He was present at the Council of Lillebonne in 1066, and agreed to contribute 60 ships to aid the invasion plans of England. He returned with William from Normandy in 1067 and he was summoned to attend Chrismas at Gloucester with the king where he was awarded his honours as one of William's most trusted men.

Earl Roger was succeeded at Arundel by his son, Robert, known as Robert de Belleme.

John Fitzalan of Clun, who had married Hugh de Albini's daughter Isobel, acquired the Castle and Honour of Arundel. The Fitzalan's were to hold the castle in an almost uninterrupted line until 1555 when Mary Fitzalan, last of the family, married Thomas, 4th Duke of Norfolk, thereby carrying Arundel into the Howard family where it remains to this day.

Children:
i. Robert de Belleme was born about 1039 in Perche, France and died in 1119 . See #4. below .
ii. Arnulph de Montgomery was born before 1074 in St. Germain Montgomery, Normandy, France. Arnulph married Lafracoth O'Brien. Lafracoth was born before 1076 in Pembrokeshire, Wales.
iii. Maude de Montgomery was born about 1041 in Mortaigne, Normandie, France and died in 1107 . Maude married Count Robert de Mortaigne before 1058. Count Robert was born about 1037 in Mortaigne, Normandie, France. He was the son of Harlevin de Conteville and Herleva de Falaise . He died on 8 Dec 1090 in France . See de Conteville family for children.
iv. Roger "The Poitevin" Montgomery was born about 1058, lived in March, Poitou, France and died after 1102 . See #5. below .
v. Sybyl de Montgomery was born about 1066, lived in St. Germain, Mntgm, Normandy, France. Sybyl married Robert Fitzhammon about 1084 while living in Normandie, France. Robert was born about 1070 in East Chester, England. He died on 10 Mar 1107 .

  Birth Notes:

May have been born in Shrewsbury, Shropshire, though Normandy is more likely.

  Noted events in his life were:

• Earl of Shrewsbury, 1071-1094.

Roger married Mabel Talvas, daughter of William II Talvas Lord of Bellême and Alençon and Hildeburg, in 1048 in Perche, France. (Mabel Talvas was born about 1026 in Alençon, (Orne), Normandy, France, died on 2 Dec 1079 in Château de Burres, (Eure), Normandy, France and was buried on 5 Dec 1079 in Convent of Troam, (Eure), Normandy, France.)