House of Beaumont facts for kids

The Beaumont family was a very important and powerful group of nobles from Normandy, a region in France. They became a big part of England after the Norman Conquest in 1066, when William the Conqueror took over England.

Quick facts for kids Beaumont de Beaumont
Noble Family
Country	Normandy, France
Current region	France
Place of origin	Beaumont-le-Roger
Founder	Humphrey de Vieilles, Roger de Beaumont
Titles	Count of Meulan Earl of Leicester Earl of Warwick Earl of Worcester

How the Beaumont Family Grew Powerful

The Beaumont family became very important in both Normandy and England. Their story began with a key figure named Roger de Beaumont.

Roger de Beaumont's Role in the Conquest

Roger de Beaumont was a powerful lord who owned lands in places like Pont-Audemer and Beaumont-le-Roger. He was too old to fight in the famous battle of Hastings in 1066. Instead, he stayed in Normandy to keep it safe while William the Conqueror was away invading England.

As a reward for his loyalty and good work, Roger received lands in Leicestershire, England. This was a big step for the family in their new home.

The First Earls of the Beaumont Family

Roger's son, Robert de Beaumont, was a skilled military leader. He led the Norman right wing during the Battle of Hastings. For his bravery and success, he became the very first Earl of Leicester.

Robert's brother, Henri de Beaumont, also gained a lot of power. He was made the first Earl of Warwick. This meant the Beaumont family held two important earldoms in England right from the start.

Beaumonts During King Stephen's Reign

Later, during the time of King Stephen, two twin brothers, Galéran and Robert, became strong supporters of the king. Galéran was already the Count of Meulan in France. As a reward for their help, King Stephen made Galéran the Earl of Worcester.

The Beaumont family was known for giving good advice to the Dukes of Normandy and later to the kings of England. Their wisdom and power made them a very influential family.

Understanding the Beaumont Family Tree

This section shows how the different members of the Beaumont family are connected. It helps you see who was related to whom and how the family grew over time.

The Earls of Leicester (First Creation)

The title of Earl of Leicester was first given to a Beaumont in 1107. Here are the Beaumonts who held this important title:

Arms of Beaumont, Earls of Leicester (1st Creation): Gules, a Cinquefoil Ermine. This design was later used by the town of Leicester.

• Robert de Beaumont, 1st Earl of Leicester (died 1118)
• Robert de Beaumont, 2nd Earl of Leicester (1104–1168)
• Robert de Beaumont, 3rd Earl of Leicester (died 1190)
• Robert de Beaumont, 4th Earl of Leicester (died 1204) (also known as Robert FitzPernel)
• Simon de Montfort, 5th Earl of Leicester (around 1170–1218, confirmed in 1207)
• Simon de Montfort, 6th Earl of Leicester (1208–1265, lost the title in 1265)

Different Branches of the Beaumont Family

It's important to know that there were two main groups of people called "Beaumont," and they were not directly related in the way you might think.

The Anglo-Norman Beaumonts

This is the family we've been talking about, who came to England after the Norman Conquest. They include:

• Roger de Beaumont
• Robert de Beaumont, 1st Earl of Leicester
• Waleran de Beaumont, 1st Earl of Worcester
• Henry de Beaumont, 1st Earl of Warwick

The French Beaumonts

There was another family called "Vicomtes de Beaumont au Maine" in France. They started around 930 AD. Even though they shared the name, they had no connection to the Norman Beaumonts who came from Roger de Beaumont.

The French family got their name from a village called Beaumont-sur-Sarthe, which is about 30 kilometers north of Le Mans. This is quite far from Beaumont-le-Roger, where the Norman Beaumonts came from.

In fact, the French Beaumont family sometimes even fought against the Normans! Some members of this French family, like Henry de Beaumont, came to England much later, in the late 1300s. Modern Beaumonts might be descended from this later French line, but they are not a branch of the original Norman family.

Family Coats of Arms

The Beaumont family started before heraldry became common (around 1160). Heraldry is the system of designing and using coats of arms to identify families and individuals. Because of this, different parts of the Beaumont family adopted different coats of arms over time.

• 

  Arms of Beaumont, Earls of Leicester (1st Creation): Gules, a Cinquefoil Ermine, which were adopted by the town of Leicester

• 

  Arms of Newburgh/Beaumont Earls of Warwick, adopted around 1200–1215 when heraldry was becoming popular: Checky azure and or a chevron ermine

See also

In Spanish: Casa de Beaumont para niños