Mon arbre généalogique

According to the Complete Peerage, Roger [I] de Mortemer came from Mortemer-sur-Eaulne, near Neufchâtel-en-Brai (upstream of Dieppe on the river Béthune, in the eastern part of the Pays de Caux) in Normandy, which is says must be distinguished from "Mortemer-en-Lions, the site of the abbey of the same name"[173]. Le Prévost is more specific, stating that he was from "Mortemer-en-Brai, sur la rivière d´Eaulne" and adding "on voit encore l´emplacement du château" (writing in 1840)[174]. Roger [I] is recorded by Orderic Vitalis as having led "omnes Caletenses" (from the Pays de Caux) at the battle of Mortemer against the French in 1054 but that his castle was confiscated after he had helped the escape of one of the French prisoners[175]. Although Roger was later reconciled with the king and recovered some of his lands, the castle of Mortemer remained with the Warenne family. The descendants of Roger [I] continued to bear the name "Mortimer", derived from the castle, despite its early confiscation.

There has been considerable debate about the ancestry of Roger [I] de Mortemer. The first question relates to the possible relationship between Roger [I] de Mortemer and William de Warenne 1st Earl of Surrey. This issue is discussed in the Complete Peerage which concludes that "its exact nature has not at present been discovered"[176]. The fact of the family relationship is indicated by Orderic Vitalis who, in a passage recounting an alleged death-bed speech of William I King of England, records that the castle of Mortemer, confiscated from Roger [I] de Mortemer after the battle of Mortemer in 1054, was granted to "Guillelmo de Guarenna consanguineo eius"[177]. In addition to this, Robert de Torigny, in his description of abbeys in Normandy, records that "Rogerius de Mortuo Mari, filius Walterii de Sancto Martino, frater vero primi Willermi de Warenna" founded "monasterium Sancti Victoris"[178]. A third source, Guillaume de Jumièges, records that one of the nieces of Gunnor, mistress of Richard I Comte [de Normandie], married "le père du premier Guillaume de Warenne" and that "ce Guillaume…comte de Surrey et Roger de Mortimer son frère" were their children[179]. The second source is clearly incorrect as regards the parentage of William de Warenne, whose father is confirmed in other primary sources as Raoul de Warenne (see the document NORMANDY NOBILITY, WARENNE). It is also clear that Roger [I] de Mortemer (already holder of a castle in 1054) must have been considerably older than William de Warenne, and so could hardly have been his brother. Stapleton proposed in 1846 that Roger [I] de Mortimer and Raoul de Warenne, father of William de Warenne 1st Earl of Surrey, were brothers, arguing that, because they are both mentioned in charters of Sainte-Trinité de Rouen in connection with the same property (see below), they had probably inherited it jointly[180].

 

 

Stapleton also proposed that Roger [I] de Mortemer was the same person as Roger, son of "Bishop Hugues". The question of the identity of Bishop Hugues is discussed in the document NORMANDY NOBILITY. Roger, son of the bishop, is named in three charters, two of which name his father as Bishop Hugues. Firstly, "…ejusdem Rodulfi de Guarethna., Beatricis uxori eius, Rogerii filii episcopi, Huberti filii Turoldi…" witnessed an undated charter which records an agreement between Sainte-Trinité de Rouen and "Rodulfo Warethnæ" to buy land "in Blovilla…apud villam…Merdeplud…et terram prati Sottevillæ"[181]. Secondly, "Rogerius, Hugonis episcopi filius" sold serfs "sub suo dominio in Blovilla et Einardi mansionali et Novillula et in Scurra vel Merdepluet villa…et suæ domus propriæ in urbe Rotomagi" to Sainte-Trinité de Rouen, with the consent of "sua uxore Odain…et eorum filiis Willelmo et Hugone", by undated charter[182]. Thirdly, "Rodulfus de Warenna eiusque conjux…Emma cum filiis suis Rodulfo…atque Willelmo" sold "totius Osulfi Villæ eiusdem Caletensis pagi", sold by "Guillelmo filio Rogerii filii Hugonis episcopi", to Sainte-Trinité de Rouen by charter dated 1074[183]. The Complete Peerage dismisses Stapleton´s hypothesis[184]. It argues firstly that the wife of Roger [I] de Mortemer is named Hawise in primary sources, compared with Oda as the wife of Roger, son of the bishop, and also that the bishop´s son is recorded with children named Guillaume and Hugues, whereas Roger [I]´s heir was named Ralph, although it would not be beyond the stretch of imagination to combine the two families, with Roger having married twice. The third difficulty proposed by the Complete Peerage is harder to dismiss. This is that the 1074 charter quoted above implies that Roger, father of Guillaume, was already deceased at the time of the sale of their property to Raoul de Warenne, whereas sources demonstrate that Roger [I] de Mortemer was still alive in 1078. A further difficulty with Stapleton´s hypothesis is that, if it was correct, the same person would have been referred to in the sources sometimes as "filius episcopi" and sometimes as "de Mortuomari". Such dual appellations are unusual. Different primary sources at the time usually refer to the same individual by the same name and epithet, presumably reflecting the style by which he was normally known among his contemporaries. If a person was known by two names, the style "X qui et Y" was usually adopted in the sources. One possible explanation for this apparent exception to normal practice is that, after the confiscation of his castle, "Rogerius de Mortuomari" became known as "Rogerius filius episcopi", although this does not appear consistent with the survival of the name Mortimer among Roger´s descendants long after the castle was lost.

ROGER [I] de Mortemer (-[1078/86]). Seigneur de Mortemer-sur-Eaulne, near Neufchâtel-en-Brai, Normandy. [same person as…? ROGER, son of HUGUES d´Ivry Bishop of Bayeux & his [wife/mistress ---] (-after [1037/55]). The question of the possible co-identity of Roger [I] de Mortemer and Roger, son of the bishop, is discussed in the Introduction to the present chapter.] Roger de Mortemer was related to the Warenne family but the precise relationship has not been determined, as discussed further in the Introduction above. Orderic Vitalis records that "Roberti Aucensis comiitis et Rogerii de Mortuomari" led the Norman forces ("Caletorum catervam" = troops from the pays de Caux) who defeated Eudes, brother of Henri I King of France ("Odonem fratrem suum") "apud Mortuum-mare" in 1054[185]. In a later passage, recounting a death-bed speech of William I King of England, the same source records that "Rogerium de Mortuomari et omnes Caletenses" had defeated the French troops "apud Mortuum-Mare" but that "Rogerius princeps" helped the escape of "Rodulfus…comes" (identified more precisely in another passage as "Radulfum comitem de Monte-Desiderii") to whom he had done homage, for which treachery Roger was exiled and his lands confiscated, including "castrum…Mortui Mari" which was granted to "Guillelmo de Guarenna consanguineo eius"[186]. The Brevis Relatio de Origine Willelmi Conquestoris records that "Rogero de Mortuomari" contributed 120 ships towards the invasion of England in 1066[187], which suggests that he had been fully reconciled with the future William I King of England by that time. He acquired land at Wigmore which had been forfeited by Roger Earl of Hereford in 1075[188]. "…Rotberto de Bello Monte, Henrici de Bello Monte, Rotberti Gifordi, Rogerii de Mortuo Mari, Goiffridi de Calvo Monte, Radulfi dapiferi, Mauricii cancellarii, Willelmi de Warenna, Gundrede uxoris W. de Warenna" subscribed the undated charter under which William I King of England confirmed the donation by William de Warenne of the church of St Pancras to the monastery of Cluny[189], dated to [1078/81] by the Complete Peerage[190]. Roger is not named in Domesday Book in 1086. m HAWISE, daughter of --- (-after her husband). The Chronique de Normandie, based on le Roman de Rou, records that "Rogier de Mortemer" married "la Contesse de Glochestre que Jehan de la Chapelle avoit amée" after the conquest of England[191]. "Hadvise et Radulfi filii eius" donated land "in episcopatu Ambianensium apud Mers" to Saint-Victor-en-Caux by undated charter (a copy of which is attached to a late-12th century transcription of a charter under which Hugh de Mortimer confirmed donations to the monastery)[192]. As her husband is not named in the grant, it is likely that she outlived him. Roger de Mortemer & his wife had one child