Roger the Poitevin facts for kids
Roger the Poitevin (born in the mid-1060s, died before 1140) was an important noble from the Anglo-Norman period. He owned a lot of land in both England and France in the early 1100s.
He was the third son of Roger of Montgomery, 1st Earl of Shrewsbury and Mabel de Bellême. He was called "the Poitevin" because he married a rich woman from a place in France called Poitou.
Roger gained control of many lands in England. These included areas in Salfordshire, Essex, Suffolk, and North Yorkshire. His most important lands were between the Mersey and Ribble rivers. This area is now part of Lancashire, Merseyside, and Greater Manchester. After 1090, he also became the first Lord of Bowland.
Before 1086, Roger married Almodis. She was the daughter of Count Aldebert II of La Marche in Poitou. Almodis was also the sister of Count Boso III, who had no children. This meant she was likely to inherit his lands.
How Roger Gained More Land
Around 1091, Roger's brother-in-law Boso died. However, Roger was busy with events in England and Normandy. So, Almodis's uncle Odo became the count of La Marche instead.
In 1092, Roger gained a large part of what is now northern Lancashire. These new lands gave him control of everything north of the River Ribble up to the River Lune. The River Lune was a natural border between the safe Norman lands in England and the areas near Scotland.
Because people often traveled across Morecambe Bay, Roger also took control of Furness and Cartmel. These areas stayed part of Lancashire until 1974. Roger's lands grew because he supported King William II Rufus. King William invaded Cumbria in 1092.
At that time, Dolfin of Carlisle ruled Cumbria. He might have been a loyal leader to Scottish King Malcolm Canmore. King William drove Dolfin out, and the border between England and Scotland was set north of Carlisle. Roger also gained the important land area of Eye in Suffolk.
Roger's Role in 1088 and Later Years
In 1088, Roger led a group of soldiers with Alan Rufus and Odo of Champagne. They went against William de St-Calais, who was the Bishop of Durham. King William Rufus asked them to do this because the bishop was involved in a rebellion against the king. Roger also talked with the bishop for the king before the bishop went to trial.
Roger's father, Roger de Montgomery, died in 1094. That same year, King Rufus sent Roger to defend the castle at Argentan in Normandy. But Roger gave the castle to Philip I of France on the first day of the attack. Roger and his men were captured and had to pay money to be set free.
Philip I was an ally of Robert Curthose. People think Roger's action was not a betrayal of King Rufus. Instead, it was because Roger owed loyalty to both the King of England and the King of France. Roger did not lose his English lands because of this event. However, he did not hold any official position in King Rufus's government after this.
Roger continued to be loyal to King Rufus. But in 1102, he joined his brothers in a rebellion against Henry I of England. They supported Robert Curthose instead. Because of this, Roger de Poitou lost all his lands in England. The King gave the lands in Craven to Robert de Romille.
Roger then went to his wife's lands in Poitou. Almodis's uncle Odo was removed as count of La Marche in 1104. After this, Roger and Almodis's sons were called counts. In 1109, Roger was allowed to return to England for a short time to visit King Henry I's court. However, he did not get his old English lands back. After about 1109, Roger seemed to lose interest in ruling La Marche. He is only mentioned once in the records of La Marche, as his wife and sons held the power there.
Roger's Children
Roger and Almodis had several children, including:
- Aldebert IV of La Marche
- Boso IV of La Marche
- Odo II of La Marche
- Ponse of La Marche, who married Wulgrin II of Angoulême
- Avise of Lancaster, who married William "the Younger" Peverel
