Hugh de Grandmesnil facts for kids

Hugh de Grandmesnil (born 1032 – died February 22, 1098) was an important Norman knight. He was one of the trusted friends of William the Conqueror who fought bravely at the famous Battle of Hastings in 1066. After the battle, Hugh became a very wealthy landowner in England.

He was the older son of Robert I of Grandmesnil and his wife Hawise d'Echaffour. His younger brother was named Robert II of Grandmesnil.

After the Norman Conquest, King William the Conqueror rewarded Hugh for his loyalty. Hugh received 100 manors (large estates with villages and farms), with 65 of them in Leicestershire in central England. He was also made the Sheriff of Leicestershire and the Governor of Hampshire. Hugh's landholdings are all listed in the important Domesday Book from 1086.

Early Life and Adventures

The Grandmesnil family became well-known around 1050 in Normandy, France. They were famous for raising and training strong war horses. The family earned a lot of money from their horse farms in the plains of Ouche.

However, when William, Duke of Normandy was still young, Normandy became a dangerous place. Barons fought each other to grab land. In 1041, Roger de Beaumont attacked the lands of Roger de Tosny. De Tosny was joined by Hugh's father, Robert de Grandmesnil. But in June, their forces were badly beaten. De Tosny and two of his sons were killed. Robert de Grandmesnil was also badly wounded and died three weeks later.

His two sons, Robert and Hugh, divided their father's property. Robert became a priest, while Hugh took on his father's role as a warrior and leader.

Hugh de Grandmesnil became powerful at the court of Duke William. But in 1058, the Duke, who was sometimes suspicious, sent Hugh away. For five years, Hugh was out of favor. In 1063, he was brought back and made Captain of the castle of Neuf-Marché en Lyons. Hugh was also chosen to be a cavalry commander for the invasion of England in 1066.

There's a famous story about Hugh de Grandmesnil at the Battle of Hastings. During a fierce cavalry charge, Hugh's horse jumped over a bush, and his bridle broke. He could barely stay on his horse and had no control. To his horror, Hugh found himself alone, charging straight towards a group of English soldiers. Just as his enemies were about to attack, the English shouted in triumph. Hugh's horse got scared and bolted in the opposite direction, carrying its helpless master away from danger and back to his own lines.

Hugh's Role in England

Hugh quickly became one of William the Conqueror's most important men in England. In 1067, he helped William FitzOsbern, 1st Earl of Hereford and Bishop Odo of Bayeux govern England while the King was away in Normandy. He also helped William's son, Robert Curthose, make peace with his father for a short time.

After the Conquest, King William I attacked the city of Leicester in 1068 and captured it. A large part of the city was destroyed. William then gave control of Leicester to Hugh de Grandmesnil.

Hugh received 100 manors for his service, with 65 of them in Leicestershire. He was made Sheriff of Leicestershire and Governor of Hampshire. He married the beautiful Adeliza, daughter of Ivo, Count of Beaumont-sur-l'Oise. Through her, he gained more lands in Herefordshire and Warwickshire.

Family and Challenges

Adelize, Hugh de Grandmesnil's wife, died in Rouen in 1087 and was buried at St. Evroult. They had five sons and five daughters: Robert, William, Hugh, Ivo de Grandmesnil, and Aubrey; and daughters Adeline, Hawise, Rohais, Matilda, and Agnes.

When William the Conqueror died in 1087, his sons began to fight over who would rule. This caused a civil war. Lands in Normandy and England now had different rulers: Robert Curthose became Duke of Normandy, and William Rufus became King of England. If barons chose the wrong side in these royal family fights, they could lose everything. The Grandmesnil family often supported Duke Robert, which sometimes put them in trouble.

Later Years and Battles

By 1090, Hugh de Grandmesnil was still defending his lands in Normandy. Hugh and his friend Richard de Courci were under siege at the Castle of Château de Courcy by Robert de Belesme. Belesme had brought his army into the lands along the river Orne. This led to a long siege at Courcy, Calvados in 1091, lasting three weeks.

Robert de Belesme didn't have enough soldiers to completely surround Courcy castle. So, he started building a large wooden siege engine called a Belfry, which was a huge tower that could be rolled up to the castle walls. Every time the Belfry was moved forward, Grandmesnil and his men would rush out from the castle and attack a different part of Belesme's army. This forced Belesme's soldiers to leave the Belfry to fight Grandmesnil's attacks. These fights were frequent and bloody.

During one fight, William, son of Henry de Ferrers, and William de Rupiere were captured by de Grandmesnil and had to pay a lot of money to be freed. However, Hugh's son, Ivo de Grandmesnil, was captured by the attackers. Ivo was later released.

A strange event happened during the siege. The people of Courcy had built their oven outside the castle walls, halfway between the main gate and the enemy's Belfry. So, the men of Courcy would rush out of the castle to protect the oven while the baker worked. The attackers would try to steal the bread, leading to big fights. One time, Grandmesnil's charge was so strong that Belesme's men ran away. The men of Courcy then burned the great siege engine. But this success didn't last long, as Duke Robert of Normandy joined forces with De Belesme. It looked like Hugh and De Courci were doomed. Then William Rufus arrived with his army, fighting against his brother, Duke Robert. So, Duke Robert and De Belesme simply went home.

Hugh's Death

In 1098, Hugh de Grandmesnil was back in England. He was old and very sick. Feeling that he was going to die, he followed a common practice of the time and became a monk. He died six days later, on February 22, 1098, in Leicester. His body was preserved with salt and sewn into an ox hide. Two monks carried him all the way to Normandy, France. He was buried at the Abbey of St. Evroult, near the tomb of Abbot Mainer.

Hugh's Children

Hugh's oldest son, Robert III de Grandmesnil (died 1126), inherited his father's lands in Normandy. His son, Ivo de Grandmesnil, became Sheriff of Leicester and master of Earl Shilton manor in England.

After William the Conqueror's death, many nobles rebelled against King William Rufus. Some, like William Grandmesnil, his brother Aubrey, and Ivo of Grandmesnil, joined the First Crusade to avoid the King's anger. During the siege of Antioch, after a terrible battle, William, Aubrey, and Ivo, along with Stephen II, Count of Blois and other knights, used ropes to escape from the city walls at night. They ran to the coast and sailed away. This retreat was seen as an act of cowardice by the Church.

In 1102, Stephen of Blois returned to Jerusalem to regain his honor and died in battle.

When King Henry I of England quickly took the English throne while Robert Curthose was away, Ivo de Grandmesnil sided with those fighting against Henry. War followed.

Duke Robert sailed to England in 1101, and his army met Henry's at Alton. They quickly made peace, and Robert returned to Normandy. However, this left the Duke's supporters, like the Grandmesnils, in trouble with King Henry.

King Henry gave lands like Barwell and Burbage to Hugh de Hastings, as he wanted to get rid of anyone who opposed him. So, Ivo, the Sheriff of Leicester, lost the King's favor. He faced many lawsuits and delays in court. The King's friends at court even made fun of Ivo, calling him "ropedancer" because of his escape from Antioch. When Ivo reacted angrily to these jokes, he was fined. To escape his problems, Ivo paid for another trip to the Holy Land, hoping to regain his honor by fighting in a crusade.

Ivo asked Robert de Beaumont, Count of Meulan, to help him make peace with the King and to lend him 500 silver marks for his journey. In return, Ivo promised all his lands to Beaumont for fifteen years as security. Beaumont also promised to marry his brother's daughter to Ivo's young son, Baron Hinckley, and to return his father's inheritance. This agreement was confirmed by oaths and approved by the King. However, Ivo died on his crusade to Jerusalem. When he didn't return, Robert de Beaumont broke his promises. He took control of all of Leicester, ignored the marriage agreement, and added all the Grandmesnil estates to his own. This is how Robert de Beaumont became the first Earl of Leicester.

Ivo's nephew and heir, Hugh de Grandmesnil, Baron Hinckley, never got back the honor of Leicester. Eventually, the heiress, Pernel, daughter of William de Grandmesnil, married Robert de Beaumont, 3rd Earl of Leicester.

Hugh's daughter Adeline married Roger d'Ivry. Hugh's daughter Rohais married Robert de Courcy, son of Hugh's friend Richard de Courcy.

Hugh's Lands in England

The Domesday Book lists many of Hugh's lands. In Leicestershire, he owned parts of places like Wigston Magna, Sapcote, Earl Shilton, Ratby, Groby, Kirkby Mallory, Ashby de la Zouch, and Market Bosworth.

In Northamptonshire, he had lands in West Farndon and Weedon Bec. In Nottinghamshire, he had interests in Edwalton. In Warwickshire, his lands included Hillmorton and Willoughby.

He also had interests in Gloucestershire, including Quinton and Weston-on-Avon.

Adeliza's lands in Bedfordshire included Lower and Upper Shelton, Houghton Conquest and Chalton.