Henry de Newberg de Beaumont, 1st Earl of Warwick

Henry de Beaumont, 1st Earl of Warwick

From WIkipedia

(? – 20 June 1123) was a Norman nobleman. He is also known as Henry de Neubourg or Henry de Newburgh, from the castle of Newburg near Louviers, in Normandy where he was born.

Henry was the younger son of Roger de Beaumont and Adeline of Meulan, daughter of Waleran III, Count de Meulan. He inherited the modest lordship of La Neubourg, in central Normandy, but acquired a much greater holding in England, when, in reward for help in suppressing the Rebellion of 1088, William II of England made him Earl of Warwick.

His name is included in the roll of the knights who came over with the William the Conqueror, but he does not appear to have been present at the Battle of Hastings. He spent the greater part of his life in Normandy, his name is not found in the Domesday Book. He took a leading role in reconciling the Conqueror with his eldest son Robert Curthose in 1081 and he stood high in the Conqueror's favour. He was the companion and friend of Henry I, and when in 1100 a division took place amongst the barons who had gathered together to choose a successor to William II, it was mainly owing to his advice that Henry was selected and when in the following year most of the barons were openly or secretly disloyal and favoured the attempt of Duke Robert to gain the Crown, he and his brother were amongst the few that remained faithful to the King.

He had many honours conferred upon him, in 1068 he was made Constable of Warwick Castle and shortly afterwards King William gave it to him together with the borough and manor. The Castle was enlarged and strengthened during the long succession of powerful lords, and it eventually became one of the most renowned of English fortresses and it remains even to-day the glory of the midland shires. The Bear and Ragged Staff was the badge of Guy the great opponent of the Danes, and Henry on his elevation to the Earldom in 1076 by William I, assumed it, and it has ever since been used by successive Earls. Odericus tells us that "he earned this honour by his valour and loyalty" and Wace speaks of him as "a brave man". He was made a Councillor by the King in 1079 and a Baron of the Exchequer in Normandy 12 April 1080.

In 1099 he fought against the Welsh and built a castle at Abertawy, near Swansea, which was unsuccessfully attacked by the Welsh in 1113; he also captured the Gower peninsula in the south of Glamorganshire. He built other castles at Penrhys, Llandhidian and Swansea in ll20, together with the others at Oystermouth and Aberllychor, the only remains of the latter are a mound and a keep.

Some time between 1106 and 1116 he was granted the lordship of Gower in Wales.

Henry was by disposition quiet and retiring, and was overshadowed by his elder brother Robert de Beaumont, 1st Earl of Leicester, reputedly one of the most brilliant men in England.

He died 20 June 1123 and was buried in the Abbey at Preaux.

Family and children

He married before 1100 Marguerite, daughter of Geoffrey II of Perche and Beatrix of Montdidier, and had children:

  1. Roger de Beaumont, 2nd Earl of Warwick, who succeeded him as earl;

2. Henry de Neubourg, probably inherited Dorset and Devon estates.
3. Robert de Neubourg, who inherited Henry's Norman lands, and was Chief Justiciar of Normandy;
4. Rotrou (died 27 November 1183), who was Bishop of Évreux and then Archbishop of Rouen, and who was Chief Justiciar and Steward of Normandy.
5. Geoffroy.
References

   * Edward T. Beaumont, J.P. The Beaumonts in History. A.D. 850-1850. Oxford.

* FMG on Henry de Beaumont

The Peerage:

Henry de Newburgh, 1st Earl of Warwick1

M, #367639, d. 1123

Last Edited=12 Jun 2009

    Henry de Newburgh, 1st Earl of Warwick was the son of Roger de Beaumont, Seigneur de Portaudemer and Adeline de Meulan.1 He married Margaret de Perche, daughter of Geoffrey II de Perche, Comte de Perche et Mortagne.1 He died in 1123.1

Henry de Newburgh, 1st Earl of Warwick gained the title of 1st Earl of Warwick.1
Child of Henry de Newburgh, 1st Earl of Warwick and Margaret de Perche

Roger de Newburgh, 2nd Earl of Warwick+1 d. 12 Jun 1153

Citations

[S22] Sir Bernard Burke, C.B. LL.D., A Genealogical History of the Dormant, Abeyant, Forfeited, and Extinct Peerages of the British Empire, new edition (1883; reprint, Baltimore, Maryland: Genealogical Publishing Company, 1978), page 399. Hereinafter cited as Burkes Extinct Peerage.

"HENRY DE NEWBURGH, EARL OF WARWICK (Roger de Beaumont ..., Humphrey de Veulles ..., Touroude ..., Torf), born about 1045 at the castle of Newbourg in Normandy (whence the derivation of his name), succeeded to his father's estates

in Ponteaudemer etc., in Normandy, where he generally resided. He received however from William the Conqueror grants of great estates in Warwickshire, England, where he built the famous Warwick Castle, of which in 1078 he was appointed constable by the Conqueror; and in 1080 he was appointed Baron of the Exchequer of Normandy. About 1090 he was created Earl of Warwick by King William II.; and dying 20 June 1123, he was buried beside his father in the Abbey of Pre'aux, Poneaudemer, Normandy. He and his dscendants permanently adopted "Newburgh" as a family surname. (P) He married about 1090, MARGARET DE PERCHE, daughter of Geoffrey II., Comte de Perche, by Beatrice his wife, daughter of Hilduin IV., Comte de Montdidier et Roucy; she was living as late as 1156. (P) Children:

i. ROGER DE NEWBURGH, b. about 1090 ... [see under his name].

ii. HENRY, d. without issue.

iii. GEOFFREY, d. without issue.

iv. ROBERT, b. about 1100 ... [see under his name].

v. ROTRODE, bishop of Evreux and archbishop of Rouen, Normandy; d. 27 Nov. 1183.

vi. RICHARD, abbot of Bristol, England.

vii. MARGERY.

viii. AGNES."

--- J Gardner Bartlett, *Newberry Genealogy*, Boston, 1914, p 6.

Also, p 5: "HENRY DE NEWBURGH (so called because born at the castle of Neubourg in Normandy), b. about 1045, ancestor of the Newburgh, Newborough, Newberowe, and Newberry family."

"Henry de Beaumont, 1st Earl of Warwick -- Born about 1048, at the Castle of Newborough in Normandy, from which the family name is derived; died 1119. He m. Margaret the daughter of Geoffrey of Perche and Mortagne, by his wife, Beatrice of Montdidier."

--- Burton Spear, * ... Mary & John 1630*, v 17, 1992, p 103

iii. William de BEAUMONT. "WILLIAM DE BEAUMONT, abbot of the

monastery of Bec in Normandy."

--- J Gardner Bartlett, *Newberry Genealogy*, Boston, 1914, p 5

iv. Albrede BEAUMONT. "ALBREDE DE BEAUMONT, abbess of Etone

in Normandy."

--- J Gardner Bartlett, *Newberry Genealogy*, Boston, 1914, p 5

Henry de Beaumont, 1st Earl of Warwick (? – 20 June 1123) was an English nobleman. He is also known as Henry de Neubourg or Henry de Newburgh, from the castle of Newburg near Louviers, in Normandy where he was born.

Henry was the younger son of Roger de Beaumont and Adeline of Meulan, daughter of Waleran III, Count de Meulan. He inherited the modest lordship of La Neubourg, in central Normandy, but acquired a much greater holding in England, when, in reward for help in suppressing the Rebellion of 1088, William II of England made him Earl of Warwick.

His name is included in the roll of the knights who came over with the William the Conqueror, but he does not appear to have been present at the Battle of Hastings. He spent the greater part of his life in Normandy, his name is not found in the Domesday Book. He took it leading part in reconciling the Conqueror with his eldest son Robert Curthose in 1081 and he stood high in the Conqueror's favour. He was the companion and friend of Henry I, and when in 1100 a division took place amongst the barons who had gathered together to choose a successor to William II, it was mainly owing to his advice that Henry was selected and when in the following year most of the barons were openly or secretly disloyal and favoured the attempt of Duke Robert to gain the Crown, he and his brother were amongst the few that remained faithful to the King.

He had many honours conferred upon him, in 1068 he was made Constable of Warwick Castle and shortly afterwards King William gave it to him together with the borough and manor. The Castle was enlarged and strengthened during the long succession of powerful lords, and it eventually became one of the most renowned of English fortresses and it remains even to-day the glory of the midland shires. The Bear and Ragged Staff was the badge of Guy the great opponent of the Danes, and Henry on his elevation to the Earldom in 1076 by William I, assumed it, and it has ever since been used by successive Earls. Odericus tells us that "he earned this honour by his valour and loyalty" and Wace speaks of him as "a brave man". He was made a Councillor by the King in 1079 and a Baron of the Exchequer in Normandy 12 April 1080.

In 1099 he fought against the Welsh and built a castle at Abertawy, near Swansea, which was unsuccessfully attacked by the Welsh in 1113; he also captured the Gower Peninsula in the south of Glamorganshire. He built other castles at Penrhys, Llandhidian and Swansea in ll20, together with the others at Oystermouth and Aberllychor, the only remains of the latter are a mound and a keep.

Some time between 1106 and 1116 he was granted the lordship of Gower in Wales.

Henry was by disposition quiet and retiring, and was overshadowed by his elder brother Robert de Beaumont, 1st Earl of Leicester, reputedly one of the most brilliant men in England.

He died 20 June 1123 and was buried in the Abbey at Preaux

Henry was a younger son of Roger de Beaumont by Adeline of Meulan, daughter of Waleran I, Count of Meulan.

Granted lordship of Le Neubourg

He was given by his father the modest lordship of Le Neubourg, in central Normandy, 12 km NE of his father's caput of Beaumont-le-Roger on the River Risle. From this lordship he adopted for himself and his descendants the surname Anglicised to "de Newburgh", frequently Latinised to de Novo Burgo (meaning "from the new borough/town").

Career

Henry was said by Orderic Vitalis, the Norman monk historian, to have been with the Conqueror on his 1068 campaign in the Midlands, when he was supposedly given charge of Warwick Castle, but there is no supporting evidence for this late source. Little is in fact known of his career before 1088. However he took a leading role in reconciling the Conqueror with his eldest son Robert Curthose in 1081 and he stood high in the Conqueror's favour. In 1088 he was a royal agent in the arrest and trial of the traitorous bishop of Durham William de Saint-Calais.

Created 1st Earl of Warwick

In due course he acquired a much greater land-holding in England, when, in reward for help in suppressing the Rebellion of 1088, King William II made him Earl of Warwick in 1088. The lands of the earldom were put together from several sources. The bulk was provided by the majority of the lands in Warwickshire and elsewhere recorded as those of his elder brother Robert, Count of Meulan in the Domesday Survey of 1086. He also received large royal estates in Rutland and the royal forest of Sutton, which became Sutton Chase. The complicated arrangement to endow his earldom is unprecedented, and must have been the result of a three way arrangement between his father, his brother and the king.

Supporter of Henry I

Henry became the companion and friend of William II's successor King Henry I, and when in 1100 a division took place amongst the barons who had gathered together in the aftermath of the king's sudden death to choose a successor to William II, it was mainly owing to his advice that Henry was selected and when in the following year most of the barons were openly or secretly disloyal and favoured the attempt of Duke Robert to gain the Crown, he and his brother were amongst the few that remained faithful to the King.

Acquires lordship of Gower

He acquired the lordship of Gower in Wales around 1107 from the favour of King Henry and built a castle at Swansea, which was unsuccessfully attacked by the Welsh in 1113; he also captured the Gower Peninsula in south west Glamorgan. He or his barons built other castles at Penrhys, Llanrhidian and Swansea in 1120, together with the others at Oystermouth and Loughor, the only remains of the latter are a mound and a keep.[1][2][2]

Marriage & progeny

He married before 1100 Margaret, daughter of Geoffrey II of Perche and Beatrix of Montdidier, and had the following children:

1. 1.Roger de Beaumont, 2nd Earl of Warwick (c.1102-1153), who succeeded him as Earl of Warwick.
2. 2.Robert de Neubourg (d.1159), who inherited Henry's Norman lands and was Steward of Normandy.
3. 3.Rotrou (died 27 November 1183), who was Bishop of Évreux subsequently Archbishop of Rouen, and Chief Justiciar and Steward of Normandy.
4. 4.Geoffrey de Neubourg. He moved to England at the end of 1137 and resided thereafter with his eldest brother Earl Roger of Warwick. He made a number of appearances in Earl Roger's charters as "Geoffrey the earl's brother." When Roger died in 1153 and was succeeded by his son, Earl William, "Geoffrey the earl's uncle" continued to live in the Warwick household. He appears as a ducal justice in Normandy in his later years. See Haskins Society Journal 13 (2004): 50.
5. 5.Henry de Neubourg, otherwise known as "Henry of Gower", who re-conquered the family's Welsh estates in around 1136, holding the lordship of Gower throughout the reign of King Stephen.

Death & burial

He entered the abbey of St Peter of Les Preaux before his death and died as a monk there on 20 June 1119. An eighteenth-century woodcut of his tomb in the chapter house, with those of his brother and father beside him, survives, though the abbey