Emma de Guader, Countess of Norfolk

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Emma de Guader
Siege of Norwich Castle
Countess of Norfolk, Lady of Gaël and Montfort (Seigneur de Gaël et Montfort).
Personal details
Born
Emma de Breteuil

c. 1059
Died1099 (1100)
NationalityEnglish
SpouseRalph de Gael
Relations
Children
OccupationCountess, lady, revolutionary, crusader

Emma Fitz-Osborn or Emma de Breteuil, and later Emma de Guader (died after 1096), was a Norman noblewoman, the wife of

Ralph de Guader and the daughter of William FitzOsbern, Lord of Breteuil and later first Earl of Hereford of a new creation, who was a cousin and close adviser of William the Conqueror.[1] William's opposition to their marriage led to the unsuccessful Revolt of the Earls.

Norwich Castle keep, 2009

Life

Emma was first named Emma de Breteuil, born to William Fitz-Osbern and his wife Adeliza, the daughter of Roger I of Tosny and his wife Adelaide[2] (the daughter of Ermesinde of Carcassonne, regent-countess of Barcelona).[3] She was born in or around 1059 in Breteuil in Normandy.[4][unreliable source?]

Marriage

At Exning in Cambridge, at 1075 she married Ralph de Gael[5][6] the earl of East Anglia, after his father. King William I is believed to have opposed the match.[7] Some writers believe that William's opposition was possibly due to the fact that uniting two huge estates and royal lines could be perceived as a threat,[8] noting that he had previously poisoned relatives that stood in his way to the throne.[9]

Defence of Norwich Castle

At the "brides ale" or wedding feast, her brother and husband then planned a rebellion against William the Conqueror but were betrayed.[9] Her brother was captured and then imprisoned for many years by William but her husband escaped to Denmark to raise help.[6] Others who had supported the rebellion were subjected to violence.[10] Emma stayed to defend Norwich Castle which was besieged by William. Despite the odds against her, and those at the castle, she bravely refused to give in to the king's men. She organised the defense of the town for so long that William eventually had to compromise with her to restore peace. Part of the settlement included a safe passage for herself and her troops in exchange for her castle.[11] The Countess left for Brittany, where she was joined by her husband.[10]

Life in Brittany

She went to live in Brittany with her husband, at their vast inherited estates, including the castles of Wader and Montfort.[12] They had at least three children, and her son Raoul II inherited their estates.[13]

Crusades

She was an active participant in the first Crusade,[3][14] which she joined in 1096 along with her husband and her son Alan; they served under Robert Curthose.[15][16] Emma died some time after 1096 on the road to the Holy Land.[17]

Emma's granddaughter Amice, the daughter of her son Raoul II, married Robert de Beaumont, 2nd Earl of Leicester.[18]

References

  1. ^ Hume, David (1688). The History of England, From Early Times to King John. Vol. I, Part A – via Project Gutenberg.
  2. ^ Ralph III and the House of Tosny. URL: https://scholarworks.wmich.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=4863&context=masters_theses page 27.
  3. ^ a b Willelmi Gemmetencis Historiæ (Du Chesne, 1619), Liber VII, XXV, p. 281.
  4. ^ "Emma FitzOsborne". Stevens Shurtleff Genealogy Index. Retrieved 6 December 2022.
  5. ^ "Revue de Bretagne et de Vendée". July 1863.
  6. ^ a b Forester, Thomas (1854). Ordericus Vitalis History of England and Normandy. George Bell and Sons. Retrieved 10 November 2022 – via 1066 A Medieval Mosaic (1066.co.nz). An extract from Ordericus Vitalis, History of England and Normandy by Thomas Forester Volume 2. BOOK IV.
  7. ^ Florentii Wigornensis Monachi Chronicon, p. 10.
  8. ^ The Battle Abbey Roll. Vol. III. by the Duchess of Cleveland.Prepared by Michael A. Linton URL: http://1066.co.nz/Mosaic%20DVD/library/Battle%20Roll/Wate.html
  9. ^ a b Forester, Thomas (1854). Ordericus Vitalis History of England and Normandy. Vol. 2. Book IV. George Bell and Sons.
  10. ^ a b Anglo Saxon Chronicle Yale Law School. Lillian Goldman Law Library. Date accessed 12 December 2022. URL: https://avalon.law.yale.edu/medieval/ang11.asp
  11. ^ Cathcart King 1983, pp. 308, 312
  12. ^ Ordericus Vitalis History of England and Normandy by Thomas Forester. Volume 2. Book IV. George Bell and Sons 1854. Electronic edition prepared by Michael A. Linton. Date accessed 10 November 2022.
  13. ^ Edouard, Vigoland (1895). "Montfort-sur-Meu, son histoire et ses souvenirs" [Montfort-sur-Meu, its history and memories] (PDF). Ville de Montfort-sur-Meu (in French). Retrieved 6 December 2022.
  14. ^ "Emma married of Hereford". A Database of Crusaders to the Holy Land, 1095–1149. The Digital Humanities Institute – via dhi.ac.uk.
  15. ^ Orderic Vitalis, Vol. II, Book IV, p. 319.
  16. ^ Orderic Vitalis, Vol. III, p. 507, cited in CP IX 574 footnote n.
  17. ^ Rennes, Hyacinthe Caillière; Vigoland Edouard (1895). "Montfort-sur-Meu, son histoire et ses souvenirs" (PDF).
  18. ^ Orderic Vitalis (Prévost), Vol. II, Liber IV, VIII, p. 236

Bibliography

  • Cathcart King, David James (1983), Castellarium Anglicanum: An Index and Bibliography of the Castles in England, Wales and the Islands. Volume II: Norfolk–Yorkshire and the Islands, London: Kraus International Publications,
    ISBN 0-527-50110-7
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