de Montgomerie
Noble family

Coat of Arms of the House of Montgomery
Country
Foundedc. 11th century
Titles
Connected families
Estate(s)

de Montgomerie (Montgomery) is a prominent family of Anglo-Norman origin, belonging to both French and British nobility. At the turn of the 12th century, the family was one of the leading families, with Robert de Bellême being the wealthiest and most powerful magnate in England and Normandy.[1] The House was succeeded by the House of Belleme.

Pembroke Castle, Wales, built by Arnulf de Montgomery

History

The original family rose to prominence during the 10th century in the new Duchy of Normandy. Roger de Montgomery, seigneur of Montgomery, was a relative, probably a grandnephew, of the Duchess Gunnor, wife of Duke Richard I of Normandy, member of the House of Normandy. This Richard was the great-grandfather of William and a grandson of the Viking Rollo who had previously founded Normandy. The elder Roger de Montgomery had large holdings in that region, chiefly in the valley of the Dives in central Normandy, which his son, Roger, would inherit. This Roger was one of William the Conqueror's principal counsellors, playing a major role in the Council of Lillebonne by agreeing to contribute sixty ships for the invasion of England.[2] He joined William in his conquest of England in 1066 with an army. For his services, he was rewarded with estates and titles. Also known as "Roger the Great", he would become the first Earl of Shrewsbury, Arundel and Sussex, and give the family name to the county of Montgomeryshire, in neighbouring Wales.[3] Through marriage, he allied himself with the powerful House of Belleme, from which he would acquire the titles of seigneur de Bellême, count of Alençon and count of Ponthieu.[4] After his death in 1094, the Welsh will organized an attack and conquer all their estates in Wales, leaving only Pembroke Castle standing to this day.[5]

At the beginning of the 12th century, the family will support Robert Curthose for the succession to the throne of England, following the death of William the Conqueror. His brother, Henry I of England, would end up winning the war and Robert and the Montgomeries would end up losing much of their estates and possessions. This event would be the major reason of their downfall.[6] Many members would be forced to exile, one of which would be Arnulf de Montgomery, who would make an alliance with the High King of Ireland, Muirchertach Ua Briain, by marrying his daughter.[7] Thereafter, many members of the Montgomeries will ally themselves with other houses in Europe, notably with the House of FitzGerald, the House of Burgundy, the House of Blois, the House of Capet, the House of Warenne, and many others.[8]

Notable offspring

Arundel Castle, England, built by Roger de Montgomery

See also

References

  1. ↑ C. Warren Hollister, Henry I (New Haven & London: Yale University Press, 2003), p. 155
  2. ↑ Kingsford, Charles Lethbridge (1897). "Roger de Montgomery" . Dictionary of National Biography. Vol. 49. pp. 101–103.
  3. ↑ Oliver, Nixon (December 1998). "Hendomen: the Motte and Bailey Castle at Montgomery". Powys Digital History Project. p. 2. Retrieved 19 September 2022.
  4. ↑ H. White, Geoffrey (1940). "The First House of Bellême". Transactions of the Royal Historical Society. Cambridge University Press. 22: 67–99. doi:10.2307/3678582. JSTOR 3678582. S2CID 162874918.
  5. ↑ Kenyon, JR (2010). The Medieval Castles of Wales. Cardiff: University of Wales Press
  6. ↑ Lieberman, M (2010). The Medieval March of Wales: The Creation and Perception of a Frontier, 1066–1283. Cambridge Studies in Medieval Life and Thought, Fourth Series. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press
  7. ↑ Curtis, E (1921). "Murchertach O'Brien, High King of Ireland, and His Norman Son-in-Law, Arnulf de Mont-Gomery, circa 1100". The Journal of the Royal Society of Antiquaries of Ireland. 11 (2): page 116–124.
  8. ↑ Chandler, V (1989). "The Last of the Montgomerys: Roger the Poitevin and Arnulf". Historical Research. 62, 1–14.
  9. ↑ Nicholas Carlisle, A Topographical Dictionary of Wales, a Continuation of the Topography of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, p. 308. Oxford Univ. Press, 1811.
  10. ↑ C. Warren Hollister (2001). "Henry I". New Haven : Yale University Press. : page 154-155
  11. ↑ C. Warren Hollister (2003). Henry I : The English Monarchs Series. Yale University Press, New Haven & London. ISBN 0300098294. : page 155
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