| Notes |
Robert was the half-brother of King William I and full brother to Bisho p O d o , b e ing the second son of Herleva, a former concubine of Robert (I I) , D u k e o f Normandy, and her husband, Herluin de Conteville. Herluin, w h o i s o f o b scure origin, was created a Vicomte shortly after his marria g e , c . 1 030.
Robert was probably brought up in the company of Duke William, of whom h e w a s a l w ays to be a loyal supporter. His reward was the county of Mort ai n , c l o se to the Norman frontier with Brittany and Maine, a region bot h s t r a t egically vital for Normandy's interests and politically sensitiv e.
In 1066 the Brevis relatio records that he provided 120 ships for his b r o t h e r's invasion fleet, more than any other magnate, and both Orderic V i t a l i s and William of Poitiers attest his importance and refer to his p r e s e n ce at his brother's invasion councils. He is depicted in the Bayeu x t a p e s try seated with his brothers at dinner, and according to a suspe ct c h a r t er in favor of Mont-St Michel, he carried St Michael's standard a t t h e b a t tle of Hastings.
In 1069 Robert, with Robert, count of Eu, destroyed the Danish forces i n L i n d s ey. In the following few years he witnessed a number of royal ac ta a n d a l s o heard three cases in the royal curia, including the Ely lan d p l e a s . His itinerary, however, is uncertain, though he was certainly i n E n g l a nd for at least part of 1068 and 1069, and perhaps also in the e ar l y 1 0 7 0s; and he may have acted as justiciar for his brother in 1071. T h e r e a fter charter evidence suggests that he spent most of his time in N o r m a n dy.
|
Abt 1031 - 1095 (64 years)
