L'Aigle family facts for kids

The L'Aigle family was a powerful Norman family from a town called L'Aigle, located on the edge of the Duchy of Normandy. They first appeared in the early 1000s, during the time of Duke Richard II of Normandy. The family controlled L'Aigle for the Norman Dukes and later the Kings of England. This lasted until the early 1200s, when Normandy became part of France. The last family member had to leave his French lands and later died in England without any children to take over.

Their home in L'Aigle was very important because it was on the border and near the start of three rivers: the Risle, Iton, and Avre. The family also made smart marriage choices, which helped a relatively small noble family become more well-known in history. They were close to the Abbey of Saint-Evroul, and because of this, a writer named Orderic Vitalis wrote good things about them in his 12th-century history book.

Family Beginnings and Rise to Power

The first known person in the L'Aigle family was Fulbert de Beina. He built a castle before Duke Richard II died in 1026. We don't know exactly where he came from, but he was an important figure at the Duke's court.

Fulbert's son, Engenulf, became the lord of L'Aigle. He supported local religious places like Saint-Evroul and Saint-Sulpice-sur-Risle, which his family founded. Engenulf and his wife, Richeroeda, even gave their eldest son Roger's warhorse to Saint-Evroul after Roger died. Engenulf is famous for being the only important Norman nobleman killed at the Battle of Hastings in 1066, during the Norman Conquest of England. His sister, Hiltrude, married another local baron, William fitz Giroie. Engenulf's son, Richer, married Judith, the daughter of Richard le Goz, Viscount of Avranches. This marriage showed that the L'Aigle family was becoming more important among the Norman nobles.

Richer, the new lord of L'Aigle, didn't get much from his father's sacrifice in England. By 1086, his family only owned two small areas in England: Witley and Mildenhall. Unlike many Norman families, the L'Aigles didn't move their main power to England. Richer died fighting for William the Conqueror in 1084 at the Siege of Sainte-Suzanne. His brother, Gilbert of L'Aigle, led a revenge attack there in January 1085. This Gilbert, known as 'Gilbert de Aquila', was even featured in Rudyard Kipling's story "Old Men at Pevenney." In 1089, Robert Curthose gave him the castle of Exmes.

Under the leadership of two men named Gilbert (Richer's brother and Richer's son), the family continued to support the Norman dukes. It's sometimes hard to tell them apart in historical records. The elder Gilbert was killed in an ambush around Moulins-la-Marche. To stop further fighting, Count Geoffrey of Mortagne offered his daughter Juliana to the younger Gilbert (Richer's son) in marriage. This marriage gave the L'Aigle family important connections, including to the King of Navarre and Aragon, who was Juliana's cousin. The family also married into the Anglo-Norman nobility again. Richer's daughter, Matilda, married Robert de Mowbray, Earl of Northumberland. After they divorced, she married Nigel d'Aubigny and took her lands with her.

Gilbert, lord of L'Aigle (Richer's son), served several Norman dukes and kings. He first served Robert Curthose, then William II of England. After William's death, Gilbert was involved with both Henry I of England in England and Robert in Normandy. A disagreement between his brother-in-law, Count Rotrou of Mortagne, and Robert de Belleme, pushed Gilbert to fully support King Henry I. Henry even met with Archbishop Anselm at L'Aigle in 1105. Gilbert became King Henry I's main agent in Normandy after Henry took control of the region in 1106. Gilbert died sometime between 1114 and 1118. His younger brother, Richard, had gone to Italy by 1089 and became the Duke of Gaeta and Count of Suessa before he died in 1111.

Challenges and Decline

Richer, the son of Gilbert, took over the family lands in Normandy. However, King Henry I wanted to give the family's English lands in Pevensey to Richer's brothers, Engenulf and Geoffrey. Richer was so upset that he threatened to give L'Aigle to King Louis VI of France if he didn't get his father's English lands. He also thought about supporting William Clito, a rival to King Henry.

Even with Richer's threats, Henry still refused to give him the English lands. But Richer's uncle, Count Rotrou, stepped in. He told Henry that if he didn't support Richer, Henry might lose his southern border areas in Normandy. After this, Richer finally received his English inheritance. He then stopped his plan to give L'Aigle to Louis. However, the French king took L'Aigle by force in 1118. King Henry was only able to get it back a year later. L'Aigle was given back to Richer, again thanks to Rotrou's help. But Richer had lost the king's trust and only appeared at court once more during Henry's rule.

During a visit to manage his English lands, Richer stayed with Gilbert Becket and became friends with Gilbert's son, Thomas Becket, who later became a famous Archbishop. Thomas Becket might have even worked for Richer. Richer mostly focused on local Norman matters. He joined his neighbor Eustace de Pacy in fights over lands around Breteuil. In doing so, he damaged lands belonging to Saint-Evroul, which made the chronicler Orderic very angry with him.

Richer's dispossessed brothers, Engenulf and Geoffrey, died in 1120 when the White Ship sank. Count Rotrou's son and wife also died in the same disaster. Rotrou then left his County of Perche to his sister Juliana (Richer's mother) and went to fight Muslims in Aragon. There, in 1130, he arranged for Richer's sister, Margaret, to marry García Ramírez, who soon became the King of Navarre.

When King Stephen came to power, he struggled to control his southern Norman border. Richer again gained access to the king, and his relationship with Rotrou continued to help. King Henry I had built border castles, avoiding L'Aigle and the untrustworthy Richer. But Stephen gave two of these castles to Rotrou and Richer, with Richer receiving Bonsmoulins.

In 1139, Richer was in England recruiting soldiers for Stephen. In 1140, while heading back to England, he was captured and imprisoned at Breteuil by Robert de Beaumont, Earl of Leicester. This was due to a private disagreement, as Robert had received lands that King Henry had taken from Richer's ally, Eustace de Pacy. Even though his uncle Rotrou tried to help, King Stephen was too weak to force Richer's release. Rotrou then turned to Stephen's rivals, the Angevins. However, Stephen regained control, and Richer was released. But a resentful Stephen took away Richer's lands in Sussex.

In 1152, Richer angered another prince, Henry, by supporting a plan of the French king Louis. Henry burned Bonsmoulins and took hostages. To make things worse, the next year Henry was named Stephen's heir, meaning he would be the next king. This brought Richer no relief from royal anger. Richer seemed to make peace with the new king in the late 1150s. He gave up Bonsmoulins but got back some of his lost English lands. He also seemed to make peace with the Earl of Leicester, who had captured him. However, this led to more trouble: Richer sided with the Earl's successor in a rebellion against King Henry II, and again lost his Sussex land. They were given back to him in 1174. His death in 1176 ended a career where he had wasted his father's power and royal trust by often choosing the wrong side in conflicts.

Richer, the son of Richer and his wife Beatrix, took over his father's lands. But he and his wife Odelina left very few records. He seemed to spend most of his time in his Norman lands. He stopped appearing in English tax records in the mid-1180s and is thought to have died around 1186.

The End of the Line

Gilbert, lord of L'Aigle, the son of Richer and Odelina, greatly improved the family's standing. As a follower of William of Salisbury, 2nd Earl of Salisbury, he married the Earl's niece, Isabel de Warenne. She was a wealthy widow with good connections, being the daughter of Hamelin de Warenne, Earl of Surrey, who was King Henry II's half-brother, and Isabel de Warenne, Countess of Surrey, who inherited from one of the most powerful Anglo-Norman families. Isabel brought her own lands and the right to use the lands of her first husband, Robert de Lacy.

Gilbert also found favor with the new king, John, who became king in 1199. But this royal favor didn't last long. King John soon struggled to control his kingdom. When Gilbert left the royal court without permission to defend his Norman lands, John took away his property in England. Gilbert's English lands were saved thanks to his brother-in-law, William de Warenne, Earl of Surrey, who paid a large sum of money to hold Gilbert's lands while he was away. When Gilbert finally returned to England around 1215, he got his lands back.

However, things got worse in 1216. Gilbert had married his daughter, Alice, to John de Lacy, who was a leader of the nobles opposing King John. When control of Pevensey castle was given to another Earl, Gilbert joined the rebels. They tried to make the French ruler Louis VIII the new king of England.

After King John died and Henry III became king, there were talks to bring Gilbert back to the royal side, but nothing came of it. Gilbert managed to keep control of his properties even after Louis's defeat in 1217. However, most of Normandy fell to the French, leaving Gilbert with land in two different kingdoms ruled by kings who were enemies.

He fought for Henry III in Wales in 1225, then for Louis VIII in France in 1226 and 1227. Because he was away too long, King Henry seized his English lands. Forced to choose, Gilbert decided to stay in England, giving up his family's Norman lands, including L'Aigle. He founded Michelham Priory in 1229. In 1230, he joined Henry III in an attack on France, and another against Wales the next year. Gilbert died later in 1231. Since all his children and his only grandchild had died before him, the L'Aigle properties in England went back to the crown. His closest relative loyal to France, Henry III d'Avaugour, received many of the family's Norman lands.