See also

Richard NORMANDY (933-996)

1. Richard I of NORMANDY (also known as [unnamed person]), son of Guillaume I "Longsword" 2ND DUC DE NORMANDIE (893-943) and Sprote de Bretagne (Sprota Adela de Senlis) (933- ), was born on 28 August 0933 in Fecamp, Normandy. He was born on [Julian] 28 August 0933 in Fecamp, France. He had the title '3rd Duke of Normandy'. He died on 20 November 0996 in Fecamp. He died on [Julian] 20 November 0996 in Fecamp. He was buried in Fecamp, Seine-Inferieure, France. He married Gunnor DE CREPON.

 

The line to the dukes of Normandy comes through Isabel St. Liz, and the line to Charlemagne comes through her husband, William Mauduit. The lines merge again with the marriage of Richard I, Duke of Normandy, and Emma, daughter of Hugh, who was -in all but name- King of France. His son, Hugh Capet, later assumed the title, and primogeniture began in the French line of kings.

The two lines met again later with the marriage of Adele, daughter of King Robert II, and Richard III, Duke of Normandy. Richard I, "the Fearless"; named father's heir 29 May 942. Married first (Danish wife) Gunnora but betrothed ca. 945 and eventually married 960 to Emma. Richard was betrothed to Emma for some time but did not marry her until about 960, after the death of her father, Hugh the Great, in 956. Richard was the guardian of Hugh's son, the Duke of Paris, and eventually married Emma to strengthen his position. He did not treat her unkindly, he merely loved Gunnora. Poor Emma passed her life at Rouen alone and solitary, and eventually she pined away and died about the year 962. After Emma's death he married (Christian marriage) Gunnora to legitimize their children.

 

Gunnor DE CREPON was born circa [Julian] 0936. She died in [Julian] 1031. She and Richard I of NORMANDY had the following children:

 

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Richard II 4TH DUC DE NORMANDIE (c. 963-1027)

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Emma de Normandie (986-1052)

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William HIESMES ( - )

Second Generation

2. Richard II 4TH DUC DE NORMANDIE, son of Richard I of NORMANDY and Gunnor DE CREPON, was born circa [Julian] 0963 in Normandie. He died on [Julian] 28 August 1027 in Normandie. He married Judith de Bretagne.

 

Judith de Bretagne was born in 0982. She died in 1017. She and Richard II 4TH DUC DE NORMANDIE had the following children:

 

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Robert I 6TH DUC DE NORMANDIE (999-1035)

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Eleanora de Normandie ( - )

 

3. Emma de Normandie (also known as Emma DE NORMANDIE), daughter of Richard I of NORMANDY and Gunnor DE CREPON, was born in 0986. She married Athelred II The Unready KING OF THE ENGLISH in 1002. She died on 6 March 1052 in Winchester. She married Canute I KING OF ENGLAND.

 

Athelred II The Unready KING OF THE ENGLISH, son of Edgar I The Peaceful KING OF THE ENGLSIH (944-975) and Elfhyrth (945-1000), was born in 0978. He died on 23 April 1016. He was buried in Old St. Paul's Cathedral. He and Emma de Normandie had the following children:

 

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Edward the Confessor KING OF THE ENGLISH ( -1066)

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Alfred ( -1036)

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Godgifu ( - )

 

Canute I KING OF ENGLAND was the son of Svend I KING OF DENMARK ( - ).

 

4. William HIESMES, son of Richard I of NORMANDY and Gunnor DE CREPON, had the title '1st Count of Eu'. He married Lesseline de Harcourt.

 

Lesseline de Harcourt and William HIESMES had the following children:

 

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Pons FITZWILLIAM ( - )

Third Generation

5. Robert I 6TH DUC DE NORMANDIE, son of Richard II 4TH DUC DE NORMANDIE and Judith de Bretagne, was born in 0999 in Normandie. He had the title '6th Duc de Normandie'. He married Herleva de FALAISE circa 1023. He died on [Julian] 22 July 1035 in Nicea, Bithynia, Turkey.

 

Herleva de FALAISE, daughter of Fulbert ( - ) and Duxia ( - ), was born in 1003 in Falaise, Normandie. She died circa [Julian] 1050. She and Robert I 6TH DUC DE NORMANDIE had the following children:

 

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William I KING OF ENGLAND (c. 1027-1087). William was born circa [Julian] 1027. He married Matilda de Flandre in 1053 in Cathedrale Notre Dame d'Eu, Normandie. He died on [Julian] 9 September 1087.

 

6. Eleanora de Normandie, daughter of Richard II 4TH DUC DE NORMANDIE and Judith de Bretagne, married Baldwin IV KING OF FLANDERS.

 

Baldwin IV KING OF FLANDERS, son of Arnulf II KING OF FLANDERS & ARTOIS (961-988) and Rosala of Ivrea (Italy) ( - ), was born in 0980. He was a King of Flanders. He died in 1035. He and Eleanora de Normandie had the following children:

 

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Judith de Flandre ( - )

 

7. Edward the Confessor KING OF THE ENGLISH (also known as St.Edward the Confessor KING OF THE ENGLSIH), son of Athelred II The Unready KING OF THE ENGLISH and Emma de Normandie, died in 1066.

 

reigned 1042-1066.

 

Edward the Confessor, the son of Ethelred the Redeless and Emma of Normandy was born at Islip in 1004. He was of medium height and was said by some chroniclers to be an albino. Edward had accompanied his father into exile in Normandy in 1016. Brought up in Normandy from the age of twelve, he had acquired the tastes and outlook of a Norman and was extremely fond of his Norman relations including his cousin William, the future Conqueror. He appointed a Norman, Robert of Jumieges as Archbishop of Canterbury, an action which was much resented by the Saxon people.

He married Edith, the daughter of Earl Godwine, whom he found all-powerful on his accession to the throne. He was said to have secretly detested Godwine for his part in the murder of his brother Alfred. The new King was extremely pious and devout and had longings for a monastic life.

Edward's sister, Goda, was the wife of a powerful Norman nobleman, Eustace, Count of Boulogne, who visited his brother-in-law in England. While passing through Dover, Eustace and his retainers greatly offended the citizens of the town by taking free lodgings. A scuffle developed, and an Englishman wounded, who acting in self-defence, slew one of the Normans. His house was promptly surrounded by Eustace and his men and the Saxon was murdered along with several other inhabitants of the town. The men of Dover then drove the Norman intruders out of the town.

Eustace complained to Edward about the affair, who believed his version of the tale against that of his own subjects and instructed Earl Godwine to punish the town. Godwine refused to obey the King, a decision which made him popular with the people. Godwine and his sons Harold and Sweyn gathered their forces and demanded that Eustace and his Norman retainers be surrendered to their vengeance. The northern Earls supported the King and along with the half-Norman Ralph the Timid, Earl of Worcester ( Edward's nephew through Goda's first marriage ) A truce was negotiated by the opposing sides in the quarrel. At a subsequent meeting of the Witan, Godwine's son, Sweyn, was outlawed and Godwine and Harold summoned to appear before the assembly. This they refused to do without a promise of safe conduct, which was denied to them. Sentence of banishment was passed against Godwine and Harold. Edward then rid himself of his Queen, Godwine's daughter, whom he deprived of all her jewellery and had her shut up in a convent.

Godwine and Harold returned in force and were supported by many, as they advanced on London more joined their army, they demanded the King restore their confiscated estates, after initial prevarication, Edward, eager to prevent civil war, agreed to a compromise, all the Normans were outlawed and Edward was obliged to restore the estates of Godwine and his sons and take back his Queen.

Edward's resentment of Earl Godwine remained very strong and a burning sense of the injustice of his brother Alfred's death smouldered within him. During a banquet at Windsor, Edward expressed the opinion that he was convinced that Godwine was guilty of being involved in the murder. Godwine protested his innocence and swore that if he was guilty "May this morsel of bread be my last," whereupon, we are told, he choked on the bread. Whatever the cause, it could possibly have been a stroke, Godwine died on 15th April, 1053 and his eldest son Harold succeeded to his estates and influence, which steadily increased.

King Edward recalled his nephew, Edward 'the Exile', the son of his half-brother Edmund Ironside, to England, with a view to making him his heir. Edward returned with his family from Hungary, his re-call was a popular move among the Saxons, but shortly after his return to England, Edward died and was buried at old St. Paul's Cathedral. Being unlikely to produce children of his own, King Edward then seems to have made a promise to his cousin, William of Normandy, that he should succeed him, during a visit of the latter to England.

Edward is most famous for having founded Westminster Abbey. On his death in 1066 he was buried at Westminster and was canonized a hundred years later. When his admirer, Henry III, rebuilt the Abbey in the thirteenth century, the Confessor's body was translated to a magnificent shrine which became the centerpiece of the new building. It was to become a popular place of pilgrimage throughout the middle ages.

 

8. Alfred, son of Athelred II The Unready KING OF THE ENGLISH and Emma de Normandie, died in 1036.

 

9. Godgifu (also known as Godgifu PRINCESS OF ENGLAND and Goda), daughter of Athelred II The Unready KING OF THE ENGLISH and Emma de Normandie, married Eustace II, Gernobadatus EARL (COUNT) OF BOLOINE.

 

Eustace II, Gernobadatus EARL (COUNT) OF BOLOINE, son of Eustache I de Boulogne (c. 1004-1049) and Mathilde (Maud MAHAUT) VON LOWEN (c. 1006-1046), was born circa 1030 in Boulogne. He died in 1087. He married Ida von Niederlothringen (of Moselle & Lorraine) in December 1093.

 

10. Pons FITZWILLIAM, son of William HIESMES and Lesseline de Harcourt, married Basilia?.

 

Basilia? and Pons FITZWILLIAM had the following children:

 

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Pons FITZPONS (c. 1034-bef1086). Pons was born circa 1034. He died before 1086.