ROTROU "le Grand" du Perche

son of GEOFFROY [I] Comte de Mortagne, Comte du Perche & his wife Béatrix de Roucy killed in battle Rouen [20 Jan/23 Apr] or 6 May 1144

Married:

1. Unknown

2. MATHILDE

illegitimate daughter of HENRY I King of England & his mistress Edith  3.  '''HAWISE de Salisbury'''

daughter of WALTER FitzEdward Earl of Salisbury & his wife Sibylle de Chaources [Chaworth] 

Mistresses: 2 children by unknown mistresses.

From Medlands:

http://fmg.ac/Projects/MedLands/NORMAN%20NOBILITY.htm#RotrouIdied1144B

ROTROU "le Grand" du Perche, son of GEOFFROY [I] Comte de Mortagne, Comte du Perche & his wife Béatrix de Roucy (-killed in battle Rouen [20 Jan/23 Apr] or 6 May 1144). He is named and his parentage given by Orderic Vitalis[2481]. "Beatrice uxor mea et filio meo Rotroco nec non fratribus meis" confirmed the confirmation of donations to Saint-Denis de Nogent by "Gaufridus castri Mauritaniæ comes" dated [1080][2482]. The Genealogiæ Scriptoris Fusniacensis names "Rotaldum eiusdem loci comitem et Iulianam de Aquila matrem regine Navarrensis, et Margaretam uxorem Gisleberti de Novo-burgo" as children, incorrectly, of "Rotaldo comiti de Pertica" & his wife Beatrix de Roucy[2483]. He succeeded his father as Comte du Perche. He accompanied Robert III Duke of Normandy on the First Crusade Sep 1096[2484]. William of Tyre names Rotrou Comte de Perche among those who left on the First Crusade in 1096 with Robert Count of Flanders[2485]. "Rotrocus filius domini Gauffridi comitis Mauritaniensis" confirmed donations to Saint-Denis de Nogent by charter dated 1099 after returning from Jerusalem and visiting his father's tomb[2486]. He fought for his first cousin Alfonso I "el Batallador" King of Aragon against the Moors in 1105 and 1114[2487]. He founded the abbey of Tiron in 1109[2488]. In 1114, he assisted Henry I King of England at the siege of Bellême, which he had previously claimed by hereditary right from his paternal grandmother and which the king granted to him after its capture. "Perticensis comes Rotrocus" donated property to the abbey of Sainte-Trinité de Tiron with the consent of "genere mei Helie filiique mee Philippe" by charter dated [1120] witnessed by "Juliane soror mea"[2489]. "Comes Rotro" donated property to the monastery of Subiano, confirmed by "Aldefonsus rex", by charter dated Apr 1123[2490]. He returned to France after another expedition in Spain in 1125[2491]. "Rotroldus comes Perticensis et dominus Belismensis, filius Gaufredi comitis Perticensis et comitissæ Beatricis" confirmed the donation of the church of Saint-Léonard de Bellême to Marmoutier by charter dated 1126[2492]. He supported Stephen King of England who gave him Moulin in 1135[2493]. Robert of Torigny records the death in 1144 at the siege of Rouen of "comes Perticensis Rotrodus"[2494]. The necrology of Saint-Père-en-Vallée records the death "II Non Mai" of "Rotrocus comes Perticensis"[2495].

m firstly ---. The primary source which confirms her marriage has not yet been identified.

m secondly (1103) MATHILDE, illegitimate daughter of HENRY I King of England & his mistress Edith --- (-drowned off Barfleur, Normandy 25 Nov 1120). She is named as daughter of King Henry I by Orderic Vitalis, who specifies that the king "built up [her husband's] power by greatly augmenting his estates and wealth in England"[2496]. Orderic also specifies that the king arranged her marriage at the same time as that of her half-sister Juliane[2497]. The Genealogiæ Scriptoris Fusniacensis refers to, but does not name, the wife of "Rotaldus comes" as "filiam regis Anglie", specifying that she had daughters[2498]. Her father gave her lands in Wiltshire as her dowry[2499]. "Rotrocus comes et Beatrix mater eius atque Mathildis uxor comitis" subscribed the charter dated to [1105/07] under which "Guillermus de Loiscel" made donations to Saint-Denis de Nogent[2500]. The Continuator of Florence of Worcester names "…filia regis comitissa de Perceio…" among those drowned in the sinking of the White Ship[2501]. William of Malmesbury also records that she drowned following the sinking of the “Blanche Nef [White Ship]”[2502].

m thirdly (before 1126) as her first husband, HAWISE de Salisbury, daughter of WALTER FitzEdward Earl of Salisbury & his wife Sibylle de Chaources [Chaworth] (1118-13 Jan before 1152). William of Tyre refers to Rotrou's marriage with the sister of Earl Patrick after the marriage of his daughter Philippa[2503]. The Chronicle of Alberic de Trois-Fontaines refers to the first wife of "comitem de Brana Robertum domnum" as "matrem…comitis Rotroldi de Pertico, natam de Salesberia"[2504]. Robert of Torigny records that "uxorem…suam [comitis Perticensis Rotrodi]" was later given by "Ludovicus rex Francorum [to] Roberto fratri suo"[2505]. She married secondly ([1144/45]%29 as his first wife, Robert de France, who was later installed as Seigneur de Dreux. The necrology of Chartres cathedral records the death "Id Jan" of "Amicia comitissa Perticensis mater Rotrodi militis"[2506], although if this entry correctly refers to Hawise it is surprising that there is no reference which would indicate her second marriage.

Comte Rotrou & his first wife had one daughter 1. BEATRIX du Perche . The primary source which confirms her parentage and marriage has not yet been identified. m RAINALD [IV] Seigneur de Château-Gonthier, son of ADELARD Seigneur de Château-Gonthier & his [first/second] wife [Mathilde ---/Exilia ---] (-before 1180, bur Angers, Saint-Nicolas).

Comte Rotrou & his second wife had two daughters:

2. PHILIPPA du Perche . Her parentage is recorded by Orderic Vitalis[2507]. William of Tyre names her and her father (specifying that she was his only daughter) when he records her marriage[2508]. "Perticensis comes Rotrocus" donated property to the abbey of Sainte-Trinité de Tiron with the consent of "genere mei Helie filiique mee Philippe" by charter dated [1120] witnessed by "Juliane soror mea"[2509]. m HELIE d'Anjou Comte du Maine, son of FOULQUES V Comte d'Anjou & his first wife Eremburge Ctss du Maine (-15 Jan 1151).

3. FELICIE du Perche . The primary source which confirms her parentage has not yet been identified. Neither Orderic Vitalis nor William of Tyre record a second daughter by Comte Rotrou´s second marriage[2510].

Comte Rotrou & his third wife had three children:

4. ROTROU [II] du Perche (-killed in battle Acre 27 Jul 1191). Robert of Torigny names "Rotrodum et Gaufridem" as the two "filios parvulos" left by "comes Perticensis Rotrodus" when he died in 1144[2511]. Seigneur de Bellême 1158. He succeeded in 1180 as Comte du Perche .

- see below.

5. GEOFFROY du Perche (-after 1154). Robert of Torigny names "Rotrodum et Gaufridem" as the two "filios parvulos" left by "comes Perticensis Rotrodus" when he died in 1144[2512]. The Chronicon Gaufredi Vosiensis records that Henry II King of England granted "terram vicecomitis Ademari [Limoges]" to "Gaufredo de Novo-burgo…frater Rotrodis comes Perticæ, et Guillermo qui cognominabatur Pandolf" after this accession[2513], presumably during the minority of Vicomte Boson Adémar [V] although the passage does not specify this. "Rotrodum…Pertici comitem" granted "la maison de Saint-Quentin" to "Roberto Sancti Quintini" by undated charter, dated to before 1190, which names "Pagano predicti Roberti patri" and is signed by "Gaufridus frater ipsius comitis…"[2514].

Comte Rotrou had two illegitimate children by an unknown mistress or mistresses:

6. BERTRAND . The paternity of Bertrand is established by Hugo Falcandus who records that "Stephen son of the Count of Perche…stopped with his brother's son the Count of Gravina" on his way to Sicily[2515]. He must have been much older than his half-brother, as his son's own son was adult by 1166, and illegitimate as his half-brother Rotrou inherited the county of Perche from their father. m ---. The name of Bertrand's wife is not known. Bertrand & his wife had one child:

a) GILBERT (-after 1168). The primary source which confirms his parentage has not yet been identified. Conte di Gravina.

- CONTE di GRAVINA, CONTI d'ANDRIA.

7. ETIENNE du Perche ([1140]-Palestine [1168/69], bur Jerusalem, Church of the Holy Sepulchre). The Annals of Romoald name "Stephanus filius comitis de Percia clericus et consanguineus regine [Sicili%C3%A6]" when recording his arrival in Sicily in 1167[2516]. William of Tyre names him brother of Rotrou Comte de Perche, when he records his arrival in Jerusalem in 1168 after being expelled from Sicily[2517]. It is likely that he was illegitimate as he is not named by Robert of Torigny as one of the "filios parvulos" left by his father on his death in 1144[2518]. Chancellor of the kingdom of Sicily 1166. He was elected Bishop of Palermo 1168. Hugo Falcandus records the "report…reached the court that the chancellor [Stephen] had died" in [1168/69][2519].