Robert II of Bellême

Robert II of Bellême (1050/1060 - castle of Wareham, after 1130), was Count de Ponthieu, Viscount of Hiémois, lord of Bellême in France, and 3rd Count de Shrewsbury in England. It was one of the main characters of the anarchy which succeeded dead of William the Conqueror, Duc of Normandy and King d' Angleterre.

Robert Devil?

In his Historia ecclesisatica , the Anglo-Norman chronicler Orderic Vital speaks abundantly about Robert de Bellême. He draws up a black portrait of it: “ It was a man fine and filled with easy way; he was large and strong, courageous and powerful under the weapons, eloquent, but very cruel, insatiable in his avarice and his libertinage, full with skill for the thorny businesses and in the exercises of the world, supporting hardest tirednesses, inexorable torturer when it was a question of tormenting the men ”. No character in the work of Vital does not cumulate the defects as much: “ It was a lord powerful, crafty one, miserly and cruel with excess, oppressor relentless of the Church of God and the poor; and if it is allowed to be expressed thus, being able to be compared, for its perversity, with no tyrant of the Christian history ”. Always according to the same source, Robert de Bellême would have retained his wife Agnès de Ponthieu captive in the castle of Bellême before it succeeds in fleeing.

With the reading of Vital Orderic, some historians supposed that the life of Robert de Bellême had inspired the history of legendary the Robert the Devil. However, this assumption is not easily verifiable.

Today, the historians of the Normandy analyzes with prudence the account of Orderic Vital and suspects the chronicler of having blackened the portrait. It had good reasons for him indeed want some. Robert de Bellême on several occasions attacked with the goods and the peasants of the Abbaye of Ouche, where Vital was monk. Who more is, the chalk-lining of Bellême maintained a savage hatred against the Grandmesnil and the Giroie, founders families of the monastery.

With the top of the other barons

Robert II of Bellême is the son of Mabile de Bellême and Roger II of Montgommery, companion of William the Conqueror. The death of his/her parents (respectively in 1077 and 1094) offers an important heritage to him - a whole of territories on the southern steps of the Normandy, defended by 34 castles. Let us quote among these fortresses: Bellême of course, Alençon, Domfront, Ceton, Lurson, Fourches, Boitron, Almenêches - what ensures to him a place of very first importance in the duchy. But not only. Since in 1099, it succeeds his/her younger brother Hugues de Montgommery with the head of the Comté of Shrewsbury in England. Lastly, thanks to its marriage with Agnes de Ponthieu, it becomes towards 1100/1109, new the Count de Ponthieu with the death of his father-in-law.

Noncontent with his vast grounds, Robert de Bellême follows an expansionist policy in Normandy. Orderic Vital tells how Robert usurped grounds by building castles in the middle of his new acquisitions. This expansion generates conflicts with the count of Maine Élie of the Arrow and the barons close: lords of Courcy, Mortagne-with-Pole, the Eagle, and the Family Giroie. The future king d' Angleterre Henri Beauclerc manages to remove to him Domfront in 1092. But in 1101, the duke of Normandy Robert Courteheuse largely compensates for this amputation while entrusting to Robert de Bellême Argentan and the forest close to Gouffern. More scandalous, in 1103, the duke gives up to him the incomes of the évêché of Sées.

The lord of all the plots

The first blow of glare of Robert de Bellême is in 1077 when it decides to support the rebellion of the oldest son of William the Conqueror, Robert Courteheuse, against his father. Together, they leave the Normandy and find refuge in the count de Flandres Robert the Clippings then at the court of the king de France Philippe Ier. Robert Courteheuse ends up making peace with his/her father towards 1080.

But when in 1087, Robert de Bellême learns on the road from Rouen death from the duke, it turns back, returns on its grounds and drives out there all the ducal garrisons of its castles, in particular Alençon and Bellême. The turbulent lord intends to be the only Master in his field. But the anarchy which reigns in Normandy after William the Conqueror lets him hope more. The duchy is undermined by the competition between three wire of the late duke, Robert Courteheuse, William Rufus and Henri Beauclerc. Robert de Bellême will try to benefit from confusion. Orderic Vital explains: “ during fifteen years, Robert de Bellême did not cease expressing its fury and disturbed in hundred ways the territory of its Courteheuse Master. By skilful machinations, it diverted many lords of obedience and the assistance which they owed to the duke ”.

In 1088, the lord of Bellême soaks in the plot warped by the highest Anglo-Norman barons against William Rufus, King d' Angleterre. The goal was to obtain the deposition of this last and to offer the crown to his/her older brother Robert Courteheuse, Duc of Normandy. However, Guillaume triumphs over the rebels locked up in the castle of Rochester. He forgives all the same in Robert de Bellême. This last leaves England to join Normandy. Hardly unloaded on the Norman ground, it is stopped in company of Henri Beauclerc because Robert Courteheuse suspects them of conspiring. The arrest causes the anger of the old man Roger II of Montgommery, the father of Robert de Bellême. It joined in its turn Normandy and raises the Seigneurie of Bellême and the Hiémois. The duke of Normandy launches a campaign against the rebel then ends up agreeing with him: Robert de Bellême is released.

After this year 1088, Robert de Bellême appears among the principal advisers of Robert Courteheuse. During ten years, it is faithful even when William Rufus replaces with the head of the duchy his/her brother left to the Croisade. The king of England in fact in 1097 its chief of the armies (Seneshal). Its talents of military engineer are appreciated. He can as well build machines of seat as castles. William Rufus entrusts to him the construction of that of Gisors, on the Eastern border of the duchy. In 1098, Robert de Bellême carries out a beautiful exploit by capturing the Count of Maine, Élie of the Arrow.

The fidelity of Robert de Bellême is called into question by the death of William Rufus and his replacement on the throne of England by his/her younger brother, Henri Beauclerc (1100). Robert Courteheuse returns too late from the crusade to counter this last. As of 1101, Robert de Bellême who has just received the Comté of Shrewsbury, revolts against new the King d' Angleterre. After having assigned it to appear at the court, Henri I {{er}} Beauclerc besieges the fortresses comtales (Shrewsbury, Bridgnorth) which fall to one. Robert de Bellême is constrained to negotiate. He obtains freedom only on the condition of giving up all his English goods. Robert de Bellême must thus take refuge in Normandy where the situation is not better because Henri Ier succeeded in convincing Robert Courteheuse to punish the vassal rebel. This last is with the barks. In 1102, it is even constrained to be left there to set fire to the family abbey of Almenêches where the ducal army was gathered. Finally, the two former friends reconcile themselves. Robert de Bellême finds the ducal favor.

The fall of Robert de Bellême

In 1105, with the call of several Norman barons, the king of England Henri Ier Beauclerc unloads in Normandy in order to reverse Robert Courteheuse. The decisive battle takes place with Tinchebray in 1106. In the sides of the duke of Normandy, appears Robert de Bellême. Noting the failure of its Master, he flees during the combat. Henri Ier gains the victory, captures his brother and succeeds to him like Duc of Normandy. It is perhaps to consolidate this new position which in 1107 the winner makes peace with Robert de Bellême in spite of its old hatred towards him (one remembers that in 1092, Henri had removed Domfront in Robert). He is confirmed Viscount of Hiémois while in exchange, he returns all the grounds which he usurped.

The tender of Robert de Bellême is quite relative. It regularly does not present its accounts to the ducal authority as a Viscount must do it. Especially, it is brought together with the count of Anjou Foulque V and the king of France Louis VI to set up a new rebellion against Henri. This last reacts in the same manner as in 1101-1102. In November 1112, it quotes the rebel to appear before his court with Bonneville-the-Louvet. This time, Robert de Bellême does not conceal himself. Reassured by its statute of ambassador of king de France, who ensures immunity to him, it is presented. Henri Ier is not impressed and imprisons it. Robert is sent captive in England to the royal castle of Wareham. The last of Bellême finishes there its days, about fifteen years later.

Family and descent

He was the son of Roger II of Montgommery, Viscount of Hiémois, Count de Shrewsbury, and Mabile de Bellême.

He married Agnès de Ponthieu, girl of the count Guy I {{er}} of Ponthieu. They had as a known descent :

Guillaume III Talvas (v. 1095-1171), Count de Ponthieu and lord of Alençon
Andre

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