Hugh de Grandmesnil
Encyclopedia
Hugh de Grandmesnil also known as Hugh or Hugo de Grentmesnil or Grentemesnil, is one of the very few proven Companions of William the Conqueror
known to have fought at the Battle of Hastings
in 1066. Subsequently he became a great landowner in England.
He was the elder son of Robert of Grandmesnil and Hawise d'Echaffour. Robert of Grandmesnil was his younger brother.
Following the conquest William I of England
gave Hugh 100 manors for his services, sixty-five of them in Leicestershire
. He was appointed Sheriff
of the county of Leicester and Governor of Hampshire
. Hugh's possessions are listed in some detail in the Domesday book
( p 652-6).
Roger de Beaumont
brought savage warfare to the lands of Roger de Tosny, as he tried to grasp control of the Risle valley, in 1041. De Tosny was joined by his ally Robert de Grandmesnil, but in June their forces were shattered in a surprise attack by the Beaumont clan. In the savage fight, de Tosny and two of his sons were killed. Robert de Grandmesnil fared little better. He was carried from the field mortally wounded only to die of his wounds three weeks later. His two sons, Robert and Hugh, divided his property between them; Robert joined the church, while Hugh took on his father’s mantle of warrior politician.
Hugh de Grandmesnil wielded power at the court of William Duke of Normandy, but the paranoid Duke banished Hugh in 1058. For five years Hugh was out of favour at court. In 1063 he was reinstated as Captain of the castle of Neufmarche-en-Lions. The Grandmesnil star continued to rise and Hugh was made a cavalry commander for the invasion of England in 1066.
There is a popular story that Hugh de Grandmesnil almost came to a sticky end at the battle of Hastings
. As fierce battle raged, Hugh’s horse leapt a bush, during a cavalry charge and his bridle broke. Barely able to keep upright in the saddle, and with no control over his horse, Hugh saw to his dismay that he was all alone, and careering towards a band of Englishmen. Just as Hugh was preparing to die and his enemies leaped in for the kill, the Saxons gave out a great shout in triumph. Hugh's horse immediately shied in fear and bolted in the opposite direction. The stallion carried its helpless master away from the English and back to the safety of his own lines.
and Bishop Odo in the government of England, during the King's absence in Normandy. He also was one of the Norman nobles who interceded with the Conqueror in favour of William's son Robert Curthose, and effected a temporary reconciliation.
Following the conquest William I assailed Leicester
, and took the city by storm in 1068. In the assault a large portion of the city was destroyed, along with St. Mary's Church. William handed the Government of Leicester over to Hugh de Grandmesnil.
He also gave De Grandmesnil 100 manors for his services, sixty-five of them in Leicestershire
, including Earl Shilton
. He was appointed High Sheriff of Leicestershire
and Governor of Hampshire. He married the beautiful Adeliza, daughter of Ivo, Count of Beaumont-sur-l'Oise, from whom he gained estates in Herefordshire
, and three lordships in Warwickshire
.
in 1087, and was buried in the Chapter House of St. Evroult. They had five sons and as many daughters together - namely, Robert, William, Hugh, Ivo de Grandmesnil
, and Aubrey; and daughters Adeline, Hawise, Rohais, Matilda, and Agnes.
On the death of William the Conqueror, also in 1087, the Grandmesnil’s like most of the Norman barons were caught up in the civil war raging between his three surviving sons. Now lands in Normandy and England had two different masters, as Robert Curthose became Duke of Normandy and William Rufus became king of England. Royal family squabbles put fortunes at risk if Barons took the wrong side, and ultimately this was the fate of the Grandmesnil family for they tended to support the fickle Duke of Normandy against the English king, although allegiances changed continually. Duke Robert did not always support his barons loyalty, which is illustrated in Hugh’s later struggles.
, as Robert de Belesme laid siege to them. Belesme had driven his army into the lands along the river Orne. Other barons had joined the fight. This led to an extended siege at Courcy, Calvados
in 1091
, of three weeks
.
Robert de Belesme did not have enough troops to surround the castle of Courci. He set about building a wooden siege engine, the Belfry. This was a great tower, and could be rolled up to the castle walls. Every time the Belfry was rolled forward, Grandmesnil sallied from the castle and attacked a different part of the line. Soldiers manning the Belfry were urgently needed elsewhere to beat back Grandmesnil's attack. These skirmishes were frequent savage and bloody. On one occasion William, son of Henry de Ferrers
(another Leicestershire landowner, whose family would become Earls of Derby), and William de Rupiere were captured by de Grandmesnil and ransomed for a small fortune. But the boot was on the other foot when Ivo de Grandmesnil, Hugh’s son, and Fitz Gilbert de Clare were seized by the attackers. Ivo was later released, but de Clare did not survive Belesme's dungeon (Planche).
As the siege continued a deadly ritual was played out. The inhabitants of Courci had built their oven outside the castle's fortifications, and it now lay midway between the main gate and the enemy's Belfry. The men of Courci therefore, would stand to arms and rush from the castle to surround the oven, so that the baker could go to work. Here they would defend their bread, as the attackers would attempt to carry it off. This would often lead to a general engagement as each side poured more troops into the fray. On one occasion Grandmesnil’s charge was so ferocious that De Belesme’s men were scattered. The men of Courci over-ran the great siege engine and burned it. But this success was short lived, as Duke Robert of Normandy took sides with De Belesme. It now looked all over for De Grandmesnil and De Courci. Then William Rufus arrived with a fleet in arms against his brother, and so Duke Robert and De Belesme simply packed up and went home.
William's brother Odo and many others, who had rebelled against William Rufus in 1088, felt that the First Crusade
was a good way to avoid the English kings wrath. All of these men showed bravery in the field, a fact which contradicts later rumours that they were deserters at Antioch.
On the third day of the siege of Antioch
, after a terrible battle on the walls, William Grandmesnil, his brother Aubrey and Ivo of Grandmesnil, banded together with Count Stephen of Blois
, father of the future king of England, and several other knights, to let themselves down from the wall on ropes under the cover of darkness. They fled on foot to the coast and the port of St. Simeon where they were transported away by ships belonging to the Knights Hospitalier. The papacy referred to this retreat as an act of cowardice, but evidence emerging from recent research on Blois and his family holdings, as well as Thebaudian revealations from the annals of Champagne, refer to the escape as a strategic move to protect certain treasures. Count Stephen, who was married to Adella, daughter of William the Conqueror, returned to Chartres with maps and strategic building plans that contributed to the formation of the Norman Gothic architectural revolution both in England (Winchester, Glastonbury, Salisbury) and in France (Amiens and Chartres.)
In 1102 Stephen Blois returned to Jerusalem under a cloud of undeserved shame, and died in a battle charge. His cousin Hugh de Payans, formed the first group of Knights Templars the following year.
Henry I of England
had moved swiftly to take the English throne, in Robert Curthose's absence. It appears that Ivo de Grandmesnil was influenced by his brother Robert, who held the family lands in Normandy, and joined the faction fighting against Henry of England. War quickly followed.
Duke Robert set sail for England in 1101 and his army caught up with Henry at Alton, on the Winchester road. A peace was quickly negotiated and Robert went back to Normandy with promises of English gold. Unfortunately, this left the Duke’s supporters high and dry and king Henry, ‘a famously unpleasant individual’ took note of his enemies, including the Grandmesnils (Morris).
King Henry bestowed the manors of Barwell, Burbage, Aston, Sketchley and Dadlington on Hugh de Hastings, as he set about getting rid of any baronial opposition. Thus, Ivo, Sheriff of Leicester, found that he was in disgrace at court, and also swamped with lawsuits and delayed judgements by the king. The cronies of the king’s court treated Ivo like a standing joke, and courtiers openly called him ‘ropedancer’, a reference to his escape from Antioch. His star was definitely on the wane, and when he over reacted to the jibes, Ivo was fined for turbulent conduct at court. To escape his situation, Ivo had little choice but to finance another trip to the Holy Land, where he could regain his honour fighting for god.
Ivo approached Robert Beaumont, Count Meulan, to procure a reconciliation with the king, and to advance him five hundred silver marks for his expedition. For this service the whole of Ivo's domains were pledged to Beaumont as a security for fifteen years. Beaumont was also to give the daughter of his brother Henry, Earl of Warwick, in marriage to Ivo's son, Baron Hinckley, who was still in his infancy, and to restore him his father's inheritance. This contract was confirmed by oath, and ratified by the King. But Ivo died on his crusade to Jerusalem, and when he did not return Robert Beaumont broke his oaths and took control of the whole of Leicester. He dispossessed Ivo's children, forgot about the marriage, and added all the Grandmesnil estates to his own. By sleight of hand, Earl Shilton manor was now held by Robert Beaumont, who was created the first Earl of Leicester
by the king.
Ivo’s son and heir, Hugh de Grandmesnil, Baron Hinckley, never recovered the honour of Leicester. His daughter, Petronella, married Robert de Beaumont, 3rd Earl of Leicester
. [NOTE: This attribution of Hugh II as the son of Ivo conflicts with most other accounts which say that Hugh was the son of Ivo's brother Robert and that both of Ivo's sons were killed in the White Ship.]
Hugh's daughter Adeline or Adelina was married to Roger d'Ivry
, who was the sworn brother-in-arms of Robert D'Oyly
.
, Sapcote
, Frolesworth
, Sharnford
, Earl Shilton
, Ratby
, Bromkinsthorpe
, Desford
, Glenfield
, Braunstone
, Groby
, Kirkby Mallory
, Stapleton
, Newbold Verdon
, Brascote, Peckleton
, Illston on the Hill
, Thorpe Langton
, Stockerston
, Burton Overy
, Carlton Curlieu
, Noseley
, Thurcaston
, Belgrave
, Birstall
, Anstey
, Thurmaston
, Humberstone, Swinford, Bruntingthorpe, Smeeton Westerby
, Lestone, Twyford
, Oadby
, Peatling Parva
, Shearsby
, Sapcote
, Willoughby Waterless, Croft
, Broughton Astley
, Enderby
, Glenfield
, Sutton Cheney
, Barlestone
, Sheepy Magna, Cotesbach
, Evington
, Ingarsby
, Stoughton
, Gaulby
, Frisby
, Shangton
, Stonton Wyville
, East Langton
, Great Glen
, Syston
, Wymeswold
, Sileby
, Ashby de la Zouche, Alton
, Staunton Harold
, Whitwick
, Waltham on the Wolds
, Thorpe Arnold
, Market Bosworth
and Barton in the Beans
.
In Northamptonshire his lands include pieces in West Farndon
, Marston Trussell
, Thorpe Lubenham
, Weedon Bec
, Ashby St Ledgers
, Osbern
, Welton
, Staverton
and Thrupp Grounds
Additionally in Nottinghamshire he had interests in Edwalton
and Thrumpton
.
And in Warwickshire his lands included( p. 663) Hillmorton
, Willoughby
and Butlers Marston
.
He also had interests in Gloucestershire including Quinton
(Upper & Lower), Weston-on-Avon
and Broad Marston.
Aleliza's lands in Bedfordshire included Lower
and Upper Shelton
, Houghton Conquest
and Chalton
.
Companions of William the Conqueror
William the Conqueror had men of diverse standing and origins in France, under his command at the Battle of Hastings in 1066, along with others completing his Norman conquest of England until after the Harrying of the North and before the Anarchy....
known to have fought at the Battle of Hastings
Battle of Hastings
The Battle of Hastings occurred on 14 October 1066 during the Norman conquest of England, between the Norman-French army of Duke William II of Normandy and the English army under King Harold II...
in 1066. Subsequently he became a great landowner in England.
He was the elder son of Robert of Grandmesnil and Hawise d'Echaffour. Robert of Grandmesnil was his younger brother.
Following the conquest William I of England
William I of England
William I , also known as William the Conqueror , was the first Norman King of England from Christmas 1066 until his death. He was also Duke of Normandy from 3 July 1035 until his death, under the name William II...
gave Hugh 100 manors for his services, sixty-five of them in Leicestershire
Leicestershire
Leicestershire is a landlocked county in the English Midlands. It takes its name from the heavily populated City of Leicester, traditionally its administrative centre, although the City of Leicester unitary authority is today administered separately from the rest of Leicestershire...
. He was appointed Sheriff
High Sheriff of Leicestershire
This is a list of High Sheriffs of Leicestershire. The High Sheriff is the oldest secular office under the Crown. Formerly the High Sheriff was the principal law enforcement officer in the county but over the centuries most of the responsibilities associated with the post have been transferred...
of the county of Leicester and Governor of Hampshire
Hampshire
Hampshire is a county on the southern coast of England in the United Kingdom. The county town of Hampshire is Winchester, a historic cathedral city that was once the capital of England. Hampshire is notable for housing the original birthplaces of the Royal Navy, British Army, and Royal Air Force...
. Hugh's possessions are listed in some detail in the Domesday book
Domesday Book
Domesday Book , now held at The National Archives, Kew, Richmond upon Thames in South West London, is the record of the great survey of much of England and parts of Wales completed in 1086...
( p 652-6).
Hugh's family
The story of the Grandmesnils begins in the mid-eleventh century, in central Normandy, where the family were famous for the breeding and training of war horses. The De Grandmesnils had made a fortune from a string of stud farms which they owned on the plains of Ouch, but during the minority of Duke William the stability of Normandy began to break down. Old scores were settled as the barons made a grab for each other’s territories.Roger de Beaumont
Roger de Beaumont
Roger de Beaumont-le-Roger, Seigneur de Beaumont-le-Roger et de Pont-Audemer was son of Humphrey de Vielles and his wife Albreda de la Haye Auberie...
brought savage warfare to the lands of Roger de Tosny, as he tried to grasp control of the Risle valley, in 1041. De Tosny was joined by his ally Robert de Grandmesnil, but in June their forces were shattered in a surprise attack by the Beaumont clan. In the savage fight, de Tosny and two of his sons were killed. Robert de Grandmesnil fared little better. He was carried from the field mortally wounded only to die of his wounds three weeks later. His two sons, Robert and Hugh, divided his property between them; Robert joined the church, while Hugh took on his father’s mantle of warrior politician.
Hugh de Grandmesnil wielded power at the court of William Duke of Normandy, but the paranoid Duke banished Hugh in 1058. For five years Hugh was out of favour at court. In 1063 he was reinstated as Captain of the castle of Neufmarche-en-Lions. The Grandmesnil star continued to rise and Hugh was made a cavalry commander for the invasion of England in 1066.
There is a popular story that Hugh de Grandmesnil almost came to a sticky end at the battle of Hastings
Battle of Hastings
The Battle of Hastings occurred on 14 October 1066 during the Norman conquest of England, between the Norman-French army of Duke William II of Normandy and the English army under King Harold II...
. As fierce battle raged, Hugh’s horse leapt a bush, during a cavalry charge and his bridle broke. Barely able to keep upright in the saddle, and with no control over his horse, Hugh saw to his dismay that he was all alone, and careering towards a band of Englishmen. Just as Hugh was preparing to die and his enemies leaped in for the kill, the Saxons gave out a great shout in triumph. Hugh's horse immediately shied in fear and bolted in the opposite direction. The stallion carried its helpless master away from the English and back to the safety of his own lines.
The battle for Leicester
Hugh had become one of William the Conqueror's main men in England. In 1067 he joined with William Fitz OsbernWilliam Fitz Osbern
William Fitz Osbern may refer to:* William Fitzosbern, 1st Earl of Hereford , Norman magnate and friend of William the Conqueror* William Fitz Osbern , leader of popular revolt in London 1196...
and Bishop Odo in the government of England, during the King's absence in Normandy. He also was one of the Norman nobles who interceded with the Conqueror in favour of William's son Robert Curthose, and effected a temporary reconciliation.
Following the conquest William I assailed Leicester
Leicester
Leicester is a city and unitary authority in the East Midlands of England, and the county town of Leicestershire. The city lies on the River Soar and at the edge of the National Forest...
, and took the city by storm in 1068. In the assault a large portion of the city was destroyed, along with St. Mary's Church. William handed the Government of Leicester over to Hugh de Grandmesnil.
He also gave De Grandmesnil 100 manors for his services, sixty-five of them in Leicestershire
Leicestershire
Leicestershire is a landlocked county in the English Midlands. It takes its name from the heavily populated City of Leicester, traditionally its administrative centre, although the City of Leicester unitary authority is today administered separately from the rest of Leicestershire...
, including Earl Shilton
Earl Shilton
Earl Shilton is a small town in Leicestershire, England, some from Hinckley and about 10 miles from Leicester, with a population of around 9,000 .-History:...
. He was appointed High Sheriff of Leicestershire
High Sheriff of Leicestershire
This is a list of High Sheriffs of Leicestershire. The High Sheriff is the oldest secular office under the Crown. Formerly the High Sheriff was the principal law enforcement officer in the county but over the centuries most of the responsibilities associated with the post have been transferred...
and Governor of Hampshire. He married the beautiful Adeliza, daughter of Ivo, Count of Beaumont-sur-l'Oise, from whom he gained estates in Herefordshire
Herefordshire
Herefordshire is a historic and ceremonial county in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes it is a NUTS 3 region and is one of three counties that comprise the "Herefordshire, Worcestershire and Gloucestershire" NUTS 2 region. It also forms a unitary district known as the...
, and three lordships in Warwickshire
Warwickshire
Warwickshire is a landlocked non-metropolitan county in the West Midlands region of England. The county town is Warwick, although the largest town is Nuneaton. The county is famous for being the birthplace of William Shakespeare...
.
Death of Adelize
Adelize the wife of Hugh de Grandmesnil died at RouenRouen
Rouen , in northern France on the River Seine, is the capital of the Haute-Normandie region and the historic capital city of Normandy. Once one of the largest and most prosperous cities of medieval Europe , it was the seat of the Exchequer of Normandy in the Middle Ages...
in 1087, and was buried in the Chapter House of St. Evroult. They had five sons and as many daughters together - namely, Robert, William, Hugh, Ivo de Grandmesnil
Ivo de Grandmesnil
Ivo de Grandmesnil , son of Hugh de Grandmesnil, was a Norman magnate in England and a participant in the First Crusade, in 1096.Ivo participated in the first crusade in 1096, following Robert Curthose, Duke of Normandy...
, and Aubrey; and daughters Adeline, Hawise, Rohais, Matilda, and Agnes.
On the death of William the Conqueror, also in 1087, the Grandmesnil’s like most of the Norman barons were caught up in the civil war raging between his three surviving sons. Now lands in Normandy and England had two different masters, as Robert Curthose became Duke of Normandy and William Rufus became king of England. Royal family squabbles put fortunes at risk if Barons took the wrong side, and ultimately this was the fate of the Grandmesnil family for they tended to support the fickle Duke of Normandy against the English king, although allegiances changed continually. Duke Robert did not always support his barons loyalty, which is illustrated in Hugh’s later struggles.
Old age
By 1090 Hugh de Grandmesnil was still defending his lands in Normandy. Hugh made a stand along with his friend Richard de Courci at the Castle of Curçay-sur-DiveCurçay-sur-Dive
Curçay-sur-Dive is a commune in the Vienne department in the Poitou-Charentes region in western France.-History:Curçay grew up where the Dive could be forded; the ford was replaced at an early time by the Gallo-Roman bridge that in medieval times came to be ascribed to the intervention of Queen...
, as Robert de Belesme laid siege to them. Belesme had driven his army into the lands along the river Orne. Other barons had joined the fight. This led to an extended siege at Courcy, Calvados
Courcy, Calvados
Courcy is a commune in the Calvados department in the Basse-Normandie region in northwestern France.-Population:-Sights:* Château de Courcy, 12th/13th century castle....
in 1091
, of three weeks
.
Robert de Belesme did not have enough troops to surround the castle of Courci. He set about building a wooden siege engine, the Belfry. This was a great tower, and could be rolled up to the castle walls. Every time the Belfry was rolled forward, Grandmesnil sallied from the castle and attacked a different part of the line. Soldiers manning the Belfry were urgently needed elsewhere to beat back Grandmesnil's attack. These skirmishes were frequent savage and bloody. On one occasion William, son of Henry de Ferrers
Henry de Ferrers
Henry de Ferrers was a Norman soldier from a noble family who took part in the conquest of England and is believed to have fought at the Battle of Hastings of 1066 and, in consequence, was rewarded with much land in the subdued nation.His elder brother William fell in the battle. William and Henri...
(another Leicestershire landowner, whose family would become Earls of Derby), and William de Rupiere were captured by de Grandmesnil and ransomed for a small fortune. But the boot was on the other foot when Ivo de Grandmesnil, Hugh’s son, and Fitz Gilbert de Clare were seized by the attackers. Ivo was later released, but de Clare did not survive Belesme's dungeon (Planche).
As the siege continued a deadly ritual was played out. The inhabitants of Courci had built their oven outside the castle's fortifications, and it now lay midway between the main gate and the enemy's Belfry. The men of Courci therefore, would stand to arms and rush from the castle to surround the oven, so that the baker could go to work. Here they would defend their bread, as the attackers would attempt to carry it off. This would often lead to a general engagement as each side poured more troops into the fray. On one occasion Grandmesnil’s charge was so ferocious that De Belesme’s men were scattered. The men of Courci over-ran the great siege engine and burned it. But this success was short lived, as Duke Robert of Normandy took sides with De Belesme. It now looked all over for De Grandmesnil and De Courci. Then William Rufus arrived with a fleet in arms against his brother, and so Duke Robert and De Belesme simply packed up and went home.
Hugh's death
In 1094, Hugh de Grandmesnil was again in England, worn out with age and infirmity. Feeling his end approaching, in accordance with the common practice of the period, he took the habit of a monk, and expired six days after he had taken to his bed on 22 February 1094 at Leicester. His body, preserved in salt and sewn up in the hide of an ox, was conveyed to the valley of the Ouche in Normandy by two monks. He was laid to rest at the Abbey of St. Evroult, and buried by the Abbot Roger on the south side of the Chapter House, near the tomb of Abbot Mainer.Issue
Hugh’s eldest son, Robert de Grandmesnil, inherited his Norman lands in the Ouch valley, while Ivo de Grandmesnil became Sheriff of Leicester, and master of Earl Shilton manor.William's brother Odo and many others, who had rebelled against William Rufus in 1088, felt that the First Crusade
First Crusade
The First Crusade was a military expedition by Western Christianity to regain the Holy Lands taken in the Muslim conquest of the Levant, ultimately resulting in the recapture of Jerusalem...
was a good way to avoid the English kings wrath. All of these men showed bravery in the field, a fact which contradicts later rumours that they were deserters at Antioch.
On the third day of the siege of Antioch
Siege of Antioch
The Siege of Antioch took place during the First Crusade in 1097 and 1098. The first siege, by the crusaders against the Muslim city, lasted from October 21, 1097, to June 2, 1098. The second siege, against the crusaders who had occupied it, lasted from June 7 to June 28, 1098.-Background:Antioch...
, after a terrible battle on the walls, William Grandmesnil, his brother Aubrey and Ivo of Grandmesnil, banded together with Count Stephen of Blois
Stephen II, Count of Blois
Stephen II Henry , Count of Blois and Count of Chartres, was the son of Theobald III, count of Blois, and Garsinde du Maine. He married Adela of Normandy, a daughter of William the Conqueror around 1080 in Chartres...
, father of the future king of England, and several other knights, to let themselves down from the wall on ropes under the cover of darkness. They fled on foot to the coast and the port of St. Simeon where they were transported away by ships belonging to the Knights Hospitalier. The papacy referred to this retreat as an act of cowardice, but evidence emerging from recent research on Blois and his family holdings, as well as Thebaudian revealations from the annals of Champagne, refer to the escape as a strategic move to protect certain treasures. Count Stephen, who was married to Adella, daughter of William the Conqueror, returned to Chartres with maps and strategic building plans that contributed to the formation of the Norman Gothic architectural revolution both in England (Winchester, Glastonbury, Salisbury) and in France (Amiens and Chartres.)
In 1102 Stephen Blois returned to Jerusalem under a cloud of undeserved shame, and died in a battle charge. His cousin Hugh de Payans, formed the first group of Knights Templars the following year.
Henry I of England
Henry I of England
Henry I was the fourth son of William I of England. He succeeded his elder brother William II as King of England in 1100 and defeated his eldest brother, Robert Curthose, to become Duke of Normandy in 1106...
had moved swiftly to take the English throne, in Robert Curthose's absence. It appears that Ivo de Grandmesnil was influenced by his brother Robert, who held the family lands in Normandy, and joined the faction fighting against Henry of England. War quickly followed.
Duke Robert set sail for England in 1101 and his army caught up with Henry at Alton, on the Winchester road. A peace was quickly negotiated and Robert went back to Normandy with promises of English gold. Unfortunately, this left the Duke’s supporters high and dry and king Henry, ‘a famously unpleasant individual’ took note of his enemies, including the Grandmesnils (Morris).
King Henry bestowed the manors of Barwell, Burbage, Aston, Sketchley and Dadlington on Hugh de Hastings, as he set about getting rid of any baronial opposition. Thus, Ivo, Sheriff of Leicester, found that he was in disgrace at court, and also swamped with lawsuits and delayed judgements by the king. The cronies of the king’s court treated Ivo like a standing joke, and courtiers openly called him ‘ropedancer’, a reference to his escape from Antioch. His star was definitely on the wane, and when he over reacted to the jibes, Ivo was fined for turbulent conduct at court. To escape his situation, Ivo had little choice but to finance another trip to the Holy Land, where he could regain his honour fighting for god.
Ivo approached Robert Beaumont, Count Meulan, to procure a reconciliation with the king, and to advance him five hundred silver marks for his expedition. For this service the whole of Ivo's domains were pledged to Beaumont as a security for fifteen years. Beaumont was also to give the daughter of his brother Henry, Earl of Warwick, in marriage to Ivo's son, Baron Hinckley, who was still in his infancy, and to restore him his father's inheritance. This contract was confirmed by oath, and ratified by the King. But Ivo died on his crusade to Jerusalem, and when he did not return Robert Beaumont broke his oaths and took control of the whole of Leicester. He dispossessed Ivo's children, forgot about the marriage, and added all the Grandmesnil estates to his own. By sleight of hand, Earl Shilton manor was now held by Robert Beaumont, who was created the first Earl of Leicester
Earl of Leicester
The title Earl of Leicester was created in the 12th century in the Peerage of England , and is currently a title in the Peerage of the United Kingdom, created in 1837.-Early creations:...
by the king.
Ivo’s son and heir, Hugh de Grandmesnil, Baron Hinckley, never recovered the honour of Leicester. His daughter, Petronella, married Robert de Beaumont, 3rd Earl of Leicester
Robert de Beaumont, 3rd Earl of Leicester
Robert de Beaumont, 3rd Earl of Leicester was an English nobleman, one of the principal followers of Henry the Young King in the Revolt of 1173–1174 against his father Henry II...
. [NOTE: This attribution of Hugh II as the son of Ivo conflicts with most other accounts which say that Hugh was the son of Ivo's brother Robert and that both of Ivo's sons were killed in the White Ship.]
Hugh's daughter Adeline or Adelina was married to Roger d'Ivry
Roger d'Ivry
Roger d'Ivry or d'Ivri was an 11th century nobleman from Ivry-la-Bataille in Normandy. He took part in William of Normandy's conquest of England in 1066 and founded the Abbey of Notre-Dame-d'Ivry in 1071...
, who was the sworn brother-in-arms of Robert D'Oyly
Robert D'Oyly
Robert D'Oyly was a Norman nobleman who accompanied William the Conqueror on the Norman Conquest, his invasion of England. He died in 1091.-Background:Robert was the son of Walter D'Oyly and elder brother to Nigel D'Oyly...
.
Hugh and Adeliza's holdings in England
The Domesday book lists Hugh's lands in Leicestershire in the following order Wigston MagnaWigston Magna
Wigston Magna also historically referred to as Wigston Two Steeples or Great Wigston , is a town within Leicestershire, England just to the south of Leicester, on the A5199 road which leads to Northampton....
, Sapcote
Sapcote
Sapcote is a small village in the south west of Leicestershire, England, with a population of approximately 2,700. The well-known inland scuba diving site Stoney Cove is nearby.It was mentioned in the Domesday Book as Scepecote...
, Frolesworth
Frolesworth
Frolesworth is a small village and parish four miles north of Lutterworth, three from Broughton Astley and eighteen miles west of Market Harborough....
, Sharnford
Sharnford
Sharnford is a village and civil parish in Blaby of Leicestershire. The parish has a population of about 1,000. The village is about four miles east of Hinckley, and is near to Aston Flamville, Wigston Parva and Sapcote....
, Earl Shilton
Earl Shilton
Earl Shilton is a small town in Leicestershire, England, some from Hinckley and about 10 miles from Leicester, with a population of around 9,000 .-History:...
, Ratby
Ratby
Ratby is a commuter village and civil parish in the Hinckley and Bosworth district of Leicestershire. It is situated to the west of Leicester, and just south of the motorway. It has a population of about 4,000. The Roman name for Leicester was Ratae Corieltauvorum...
, Bromkinsthorpe
Bromkinsthorpe
The Domesday manor of Bromkinsthorpe was situated outside the West Gate of Leicester, on the alluvial west bank of the River Soar. Its location is now covered by the area around Braunstone Gate, Leicester, and for much of the medieval period was a liberty within the parish of St Mary de Castro,...
, Desford
Desford
Desford is a village and civil parish in the North West Leicestershire district, west of the centre of Leicester. The parish includes the hamlets of Botcheston and Newtown Unthank and a scattered settlement at Lindridge.-Manors:...
, Glenfield
Glenfield, Leicestershire
Glenfield is a village and civil parish in Leicestershire, England. It is part of the Blaby district, and has a population of about 10,000. Its location at the northwestern fringe of the city of Leicester effectively makes it a suburb, although it is politically and administratively separate...
, Braunstone
Braunstone Town
Braunstone is a civil parish and is the largest parish within the district of Blaby in Leicestershire, England, now known as the Town of Braunstone or more commonly, Braunstone Town. At 2007 the population is around 15,000. There are around 7,500 households including Thorpe Astley.Braunstone is...
, Groby
Groby
Groby is a large English village in the county of Leicestershire, to the north west of the city of Leicester. The population at the time of the 2001 census was 7,301.-Description:...
, Kirkby Mallory
Kirkby Mallory
Kirkby Mallory is a hamlet in Leicestershire, England. It is known mainly for its Race Circuit, Mallory Park, a one mile track where car and motorbike races take place.Its church is All Saints and is located near the entrance Numerous lakes and farms are situated in and around the village and the...
, Stapleton
Stapleton, Leicestershire
The hamlet of Stapleton is situated in south-west Leicestershire, England, about ten miles south-west of Leicester city centre as the crow flies and is inhabited by 427 people ....
, Newbold Verdon
Newbold Verdon
Newbold Verdon is a village and civil parish in the county of Leicestershire, England.The Domesday Book records the settlement as Niwebold. It acquired the suffix Verdon from Nicholas de Verdon who owned the manor in 1226. His descendant William de Ferrers was born here in 1332 or 1333...
, Brascote, Peckleton
Peckleton
Peckleton is a small village and civil parish located in the Hinckley and Bosworth district of Leicestershire, England. The villages of Kirkby Mallory and Stapleton also form as part of the parish. Thus, according to the 2001 census, the parish had a population of 1,077...
, Illston on the Hill
Illston on the Hill
Illston on the Hill is a small village and parish seven miles north of Market Harborough in the county of Leicestershire. It has a small, struggling local pub as well as a village hall available for rent. In the summer it hosts two events; the Village Fete and 'Onion Sunday'.The current holder of...
, Thorpe Langton
Thorpe Langton
Thorpe Langton is a village and civil parish in the Harborough district of Leicestershire, about four miles north of Market Harborough. The parish had a population of 171 according to the 2001 census. Thorpe Langton is the home of the Baker's Arms pub and St...
, Stockerston
Stockerston
thumb|right|Stockerston parish churchthumb|right|StockerstonStockerston is a village and civil parish in the Harborough district of Leicestershire, England, located on the border with Rutland, by the Eye Brook. According to the 2001 census the parish had a population of 35.The two principle...
, Burton Overy
Burton Overy
Burton Overy is a civil parish in the Harborough district of Leicestershire, about nine miles south-east of Leicester city centre, and not far from Great Glen...
, Carlton Curlieu
Carlton Curlieu
Carlton Curlieu is a small village and civil parish in the Harborough district of Leicestershire, about eleven miles south-east of Leicester city centre, and not far from Kibworth. According to the 2001 census, the parish had a population of 30....
, Noseley
Noseley
Noseley is a village and civil parish in the Harborough district of Leicestershire, England. It is the seat of the Hazlerigg family, whose members include Sir Arthur Hesilrige, who was one of the five Members of Parliament whom Charles I unsuccessfully sought to arrest.In 2004 the parish had an...
, Thurcaston
Thurcaston
Thurcaston is a village in Leicestershire, England, in the parish of Thurcaston and Cropston. It is best known as the home to Bishop Hugh Latimer....
, Belgrave
Belgrave, Leicestershire
Belgrave is an electoral ward and administrative division of the city of Leicester, England, consisting of the Leicester suburb of Belgrave in its entirety....
, Birstall
Birstall, Leicestershire
Birstall is a large village and civil parish within the Charnwood borough of Leicestershire, England. It is three miles north of the Leicester city centre and is part of the wider Leicester Urban Area....
, Anstey
Anstey, Leicestershire
Anstey is a large semi-industrialised village in Leicestershire, England, located north west of Leicester in the borough of Charnwood. Its population was about 6,000 at the 2001 census although this is likely to have increased...
, Thurmaston
Thurmaston
Thurmaston is a village and civil parish within the Charnwood borough of Leicestershire, England. As of the 2001 census its population was 8,945...
, Humberstone, Swinford, Bruntingthorpe, Smeeton Westerby
Smeeton Westerby
Smeeton Westerby is a village located approximately 9 miles south east from Leicester. Originally Smeeton and Westerby were two separate hamlets, but they merged some time ago to become the village that it is today...
, Lestone, Twyford
Twyford, Leicestershire
Twyford is in the south of the parish of Twyford and Thorpe, and the name is derived from the two fords in the village. There are two churches in the village; St Andrew , which is a Grade I listed building with some parts dated from the 12th century, and a Methodist church.The other main focal...
, Oadby
Oadby
Oadby is a town within the borough of Oadby and Wigston, in Leicestershire, England. It is to the east of Wigston Magna, and to the southeast of Leicester. Oadby forms part of the Leicester Urban Area, and is situated on the A6 road....
, Peatling Parva
Peatling Parva
Peatling Parva is a parish and village in south Leicestershire near to Ashby Magna & Peatling Magna, England, and part of Harborough District.-External links:******...
, Shearsby
Shearsby
Shearsby is a rural village in the English county of Leicestershire.It is in the Harborough district around nine miles due south of Leicester and north east of Lutterworth....
, Sapcote
Sapcote
Sapcote is a small village in the south west of Leicestershire, England, with a population of approximately 2,700. The well-known inland scuba diving site Stoney Cove is nearby.It was mentioned in the Domesday Book as Scepecote...
, Willoughby Waterless, Croft
Croft, Leicestershire
Croft is a village of 700 homes in the district of Blaby in Leicestershire, England, off the old Fosse Way and straddling the River Soar. Nearby places include Stoney Stanton, Broughton Astley, Huncote and Narborough...
, Broughton Astley
Broughton Astley
Broughton Astley is a large village and civil parish in the Harborough district of Leicestershire, England. It is situated in the south west of Leicestershire, about east of Hinckley and about from the centre of Leicester.- History :...
, Enderby
Enderby, Leicestershire
Enderby is a civil parish in the district of Blaby , in Leicestershire, England. It is situated on the south western outskirts of the city of Leicester and has a population of 5,648 at the time of the 2001 census....
, Glenfield
Glenfield
Glenfield may refer to:*Glenfield, Leicestershire, the administrative base of Leicestershire County Council, Leicestershire in England.*Glenfield, New Zealand, a suburb of Auckland, New Zealand.*Glenfield, New South Wales, is a suburb of Sydney, Australia....
, Sutton Cheney
Sutton Cheney
Sutton Cheney is a village in Leicestershire, England, close to the location of the Battle of Bosworth Field.Sutton Cheney Wharf on the Ashby Canal gives access to the battlefield and is a tourist destination in its own right...
, Barlestone
Barlestone
Barlestone is a village and civil parish in the Hinckley and Bosworth district of Leicestershire, England. The 2001 Census recorded a parish population of 2,471. The village adjoins the neighbouring village of Osbaston....
, Sheepy Magna, Cotesbach
Cotesbach
Cotesbach is a village and civil parish in the Harborough district of Leicestershire, England. The nearest town is Lutterworth, about to the north. The parish had a population of 212 according to the 2001 census.-External links:...
, Evington
Evington
Evington is an electoral ward and administrative division of the city of Leicester, England. It used to be a small village centred around Main Street and the Anglican church of St Denys but was close enough to Leicester to become one of the outer suburbs in the 1930s...
, Ingarsby
Ingarsby
Ingarsby is one of the best preserved deserted medieval villages in England. It is situated about six miles to the East of Leicester, and a little to the North of Houghton on the Hill...
, Stoughton
Stoughton, Leicestershire
Stoughton is a small village and civil parish in the Harborough district of Leicestershire.It is just east of Leicester, and sits in countryside between two protusions of the Leicester urban area . The closest part of the city of Leicester is Evington...
, Gaulby
Gaulby
Gaulby is a village in East Leicestershire, England, 7 miles east of the city of Leicester. According to the 2001 census it had a population of 131....
, Frisby
Frisby
-Places:United Kingdom*Frisby, Leicestershire, or Frisby-by-Gaulby*Frisby on the Wreake, also in Leicestershire-Other:*A misspelling of the Frisbee flying disc...
, Shangton
Shangton
Shangton is a parish and small village near Tur Langton in Leicestershire, England, and part of Harborough District.-External links:****...
, Stonton Wyville
Stonton Wyville
Stonton Wyville is a small village and civil parish in the Harborough district of Leicestershire, England. According to the 2001 census the parish had a population of 21. The village is about eleven miles south east of Leicester...
, East Langton
East Langton
East Langton is a village and civil parish in the Harborough district of Leicestershire, England. The parish also includes Church Langton. It is near Kibworth and Market Harborough, and the parish according to the 2001 census had a population of 351...
, Great Glen
Great Glen, Leicestershire
Great Glen , also known as Glen Magna, is a village and civil parish in Leicestershire, England, about seven miles south-east of Leicester. Its name comes from the original Iron Age settlers who used the Celtic word glennos meaning valley, and comes from the fact that Great Glen lies in part of the...
, Syston
Syston
Syston is a town and civil parish in the district of Charnwood in Leicestershire, England. The population is 11,508 as of the 2001 Census.-Overview:...
, Wymeswold
Wymeswold
Wymeswold is a village and civil parish in the Charnwood district of Leicestershire, England. It is in the north of Leicestershire, and north-east of Loughborough. It has a population of about 1,000...
, Sileby
Sileby
Sileby is a former industrial village and civil parish in the Soar Valley in Leicestershire, between Leicester and Loughborough. Nearby villages include Barrow upon Soar, Mountsorrel, Ratcliffe-on-the-Wreake, Seagrave and Cossington....
, Ashby de la Zouche, Alton
Alton, Leicestershire
Alton is a deserted medieval village between Coalville and Ashby-de-la-Zouch, in North West Leicestershire, England.The earliest documentation of the village is found in the Domesday Book where it appears as Heletone. The land was rented out to someone by Hugh de Grandmesnil, and had a total value...
, Staunton Harold
Staunton Harold
Staunton Harold is a civil parish in North West Leicestershire about north of Ashby-de-la-Zouch. The parish is on the county boundary with Derbyshire and about south of Derby....
, Whitwick
Whitwick
Whitwick is a village in Leicestershire, England and is an ancient parish which formerly included the equally historic villages of Thringstone and Swannington. It was an important manor in the Middle Ages, which once included Bardon and Markfield, parts of Hugglescote, Donington le Heath, Ratby,...
, Waltham on the Wolds
Waltham on the Wolds
Waltham on the Wolds is a village located in the civil parish of Waltham and Thorpe Arnold, in the Melton borough of Leicestershire, England, about northeast of Melton Mowbray and south-west of Grantham on the A607 road.-Geography:...
, Thorpe Arnold
Thorpe Arnold
Thorpe Arnold is a village in the English county of Leicestershire. Situated on the top of a hill close to the town of Melton Mowbray, Thorpe Arnold is a small farming village with roots going back to before its first recorded mention in the Domesday Book of 1086...
, Market Bosworth
Market Bosworth
Market Bosworth is a small market town and civil parish in Leicestershire, England. It formerly formed a district known as the Market Bosworth Rural District. In 1974 it merged with the Hinckley Rural District to form a new district named Hinckley and Bosworth...
and Barton in the Beans
Barton in the Beans
Barton in the Beans is a hamlet in the Hinckley and Bosworth district of Leicestershire, England and forms part of the Shackerstone civil parish. There are no shops or pubs here, only a Baptist Church and a post box. It was in the 18th century an important centre for the Baptist Church and the...
.
In Northamptonshire his lands include pieces in West Farndon
West Farndon
West Farndon is a hamlet in the English county of Northamptonshire.It is a mile south-west of the villages of Hinton and Woodford Halse, in the civil parish of Woodford cum Membris. The Jurassic Way long distance footpath passes through West Farndon....
, Marston Trussell
Marston Trussell
Marston Trussell is a village and civil parish in the Daventry district of the county of Northamptonshire in England. Marston Trussell was first recorded as 'Mersitone', meaning marsh settlement.The parish includes Thorpe Lubenham...
, Thorpe Lubenham
Thorpe Lubenham
Thorpe Lubenham is a deserted settlement and former civil parish in the English midland county of Northamptonshire.Thorpe Lubenham lies to the south of the Leicestershire village of Lubenham and south of the River Welland which forms the county boundary. The area is part of the civil parish of...
, Weedon Bec
Weedon Bec
Weedon Bec , usually just called "Weedon", is a large village and parish in the district of Daventry, Northamptonshire, England. It lies close to the source of the River Nene.-Geography:...
, Ashby St Ledgers
Ashby St Ledgers
Ashby St Ledgers is a village in the Daventry district of Northamptonshire, England, although the postal address is Rugby in Warwickshire. The Manor House is famous for being the location for the planning of the Gunpowder Plot in 1605. The building is now part of the Crown estate.-Location:The...
, Osbern
Osbern
Osbern was a Benedctine monk, hagiographer and musician, precentor of Christ Church, Canterbury. He is sometimes confused with Osbert de Clare, alias Osbern de Westminster. He is known as "the monk Osbern" or just "Monk Osbern".-Biography:...
, Welton
Welton, Northamptonshire
Welton is a village and civil parish in the English county of Northamptonshire. The village is located north of the nearest town Daventry. It is west-northwest of Northampton, south east of Rugby and north-west of London. The village is of the A361 that runs between Daventry and Crick where...
, Staverton
Staverton, Northamptonshire
Staverton is a village and civil parish in the south-west of Northamptonshire, England. It is 2.3 miles west of Daventry, 7.9 miles east of Southam and 15.3 miles east of Leamington Spa...
and Thrupp Grounds
Additionally in Nottinghamshire he had interests in Edwalton
Edwalton, Nottinghamshire
Edwalton is a suburb to the south of Nottingham in England, contiguous to West Bridgford and Gamston, and is composed of the older Edwalton village and several, much larger, post-war housing estates.-History:...
and Thrumpton
Thrumpton
Thrumpton is a village and civil parish in Nottinghamshire, England. At the time of the 2001 census it had a population of 152. It is located on the A453 road 6 miles south-west of West Bridgford. The 13th century village church of All Saints was restored in 1871...
.
And in Warwickshire his lands included( p. 663) Hillmorton
Hillmorton
Hillmorton is an area of the town of Rugby, Warwickshire, it comprises most of the eastern half of the town.Hillmorton was historically a village in its own right, and was mentioned in the Domesday Book as land that belonged to Hugh de Grandmesnil, at one time a market was held in Hillmorton, and...
, Willoughby
Willoughby, Warwickshire
Willoughby is a village and civil parish about south of Rugby, Warwickshire, England. The village is only about northwest of Daventry in neighbouring Northamptonshire and the eastern boundary of the parish forms part of the county boundary....
and Butlers Marston
Butlers Marston
Butlers Marston is a village and civil parish on the River Dene in south-eastern Warwickshire, England. The village is part of Stratford-on-Avon district, and in the 2001 census it had a population of 226....
.
He also had interests in Gloucestershire including Quinton
Quinton, Warwickshire
Quinton is a civil parish in the Stratford-on-Avon district of Warwickshire, England, about six miles south of Stratford. According to the 2001 census it had a population of 1503. The parish contains Upper Quinton and Lower Quinton...
(Upper & Lower), Weston-on-Avon
Weston-on-Avon
Weston-on-Avon is a village which was recorded in the Domesday Book. Originally in Gloucestershire, it was transferred to Warwickshire in 1931...
and Broad Marston.
Aleliza's lands in Bedfordshire included Lower
Lower Shelton
For other settlements with the name Shelton in Bedfordshire, see Shelton, BedfordshireLower Shelton is a village in Bedfordshire county of England, In the parish of Marston Moreteyne....
and Upper Shelton
Upper Shelton
Upper Shelton is a hamlet located in the Central Bedfordshire district of Bedfordshire, England.Upper Shelton contains a pub called "The Exhibition"...
, Houghton Conquest
Houghton Conquest
Houghton Conquest is a village and civil parish located in the Central Bedfordshire district of Bedfordshire, England. The parish also includes the hamlet of How End.-History:...
and Chalton
Moggerhanger
Moggerhanger is a village in the English county of Bedfordshire. It is west of Sandy on the road to Bedford. it has a population of 636. In the twentieth century the village name was spelled variously as: Moggerhanger, Mogerhanger, Muggerhanger and Morehanger...
.