Sir William de Harcourt

Oldest son and heir.

William de Harcourt, Lord of Harcourt, Cailville, Beauficel, and Lord of the Manor of Stanton-under-Bardon, co. Leicester, was living in 1124, married Hue de Amboise. He arrayed himself with King Henry I. against his brother Robert Curthose (Courteheuse), and rendered his monarch signal service; he also commanded troops which defeated the Count of Meulent in Normandy in 1124. He was, on this account, rewarded with large estates in England, which were inherited by his second son, Ivo, who became permanently settled there. They the following children:

1. Robert II. de Harcourt, Seigneur and Baron of Harcourt, etc., ancestor of the Dukes of Harcourt, peers of France and the Counts of Aumale, Counts of Tankerville, Viscounts de St. Sauveur and other branches of this illustrious house, was living in 1204, died before 1208. He remained in France, and regardless of the many wars and revolutions, which have occurred in France, the Dukes of Harcourt retain the chateau of Harcourt, near the old Norman stronghold that has born their name for over nine hundred years at They-Harcourt, arrondissement of Falaise. La Roque incorrectly says he married Jeanne de Meulent. He married Eve Crispin, lady of Lisors, daughter of Joscelyn Crispin.

2. Ivo de Harcourt, ancestor of the Harcourts of England. See below.

3. Simon de Harcourt, married Adeliza Arden , daughter and co-heir of Osbert de Arden, of Kingsbury, co. Warwick, and d.s.p.

4. Beatrix Harcourt, married Robert de Basset.

The following is quoted from Crispin and Macary, "Falaise Rolls," p. 14:

"This family is one of the most illustrious in both France and England. Errand de Harcourt is mentioned by La Roque, the French historian of this great house, Pere Anselm, and other genealogists as the personage referred to by Wace which reads "sire de Herevourt was there also, riding a very swift horse." They are not supported in this conclusion by Le Prevost, as he favors Anchetil, the father of Errand, or Robert, his younger brother. The burden of opinion is, however, against this eminent historian. Turquetil, Seigneur de Turqueville, and de Tanqueraye, circa 1001, appears in several charters concerning the abbeys of Fecamp and Bernay. He was lord of Nuefmarche-en-Lions, governor of the boy-Duke, William, and was treacherously assassinated between 1035 and 1040 by hirelings of Raoul de Gace. Turquetil was the second son of Torf, the son of Bernard the Dane, which latter was the governor and regent of Normandy in 912, from whom descended the sires de Beaumont, comtes de Meulent, the barons of Cancelles and Saint-Paer, the lords of Gournay and Milly, the barons of Neubourg, the vicomtes of Evreux, the earls of Leicester, and many other noble French and English houses. Tuequetil married Anceline, sister of Toustain, Seigneur de Montfort-sur-Risle, and had issue Anchetil, and Walter de Lescelina who married Beatrice, abbess of Montivilliers, natural daughter of Richard I., Duke of Normandy, as well as Leceline de Turqueville, the wife of William, Comte d'Exmes (later d'Eu), an illegitimate son of the same duke. Anchetil was the first to assume the name of Harcourt from the bourg of Harcourt, near Brionne, and married Eve de Boessey-le-Chapel, by whom he had seven sons and one daughter. The eldest was Errand, who predeceased his father, and was succeeded by Robert as head of the house. Jean, Arnoul, Gervais, Yves, and Renauld were the other sons. Errand de Harcourt commanded the archers of Val de Ruel at the battle of Hastings, but returned to Normandy in 1078 and probably died soon after. His younger brother, Robert, who accompanied him in the Conquest, was the ancestor of this distinguished house." And further on pg. 93-94: "Robert de Harcourt, surnamed le Fort, was the son of Anchetil and the younger brother of Errand de Harcourt... He built the castle of Harcourt in Normandy and was by his wife Colette d'Argouges the father of seven sons, the eldest of whom, William, having arrayed himself with King Henry I. against his brother Robert Curthose (Courteheuse), rendered his monarch signal service; he also commanded the troops which defeated the count of Meulent in Normandy in 1124. He was on this account awarded with large estates in England, which were inherited by his second son, Ivo, who became permanently settled there. The English Harcourts were seated at Stanton-Harcourt in Oxfordshire, which was obtained through the heiress of the Camvilles, whose mother received it as a marriage gift from her cousin, Queen Adeliza of Louvain, the second wife of King Henry I."

Guillaume de HARCOURT William, born Abt. 1100 in Harcourt, France; died Abt. 1141 in Cailleville, North Wales; married Agnes D'AMBOISE http://familytreemaker.genealogy.com/users/f/i/n/Jacqueli-C-Finley/...