Research Notes:
Roger de Mowbray, s. and h. by 2nd wife [of Nele d'Aubigny] [Archiepiscopo Eboracensi, totique capitulo sancti Petri Eboraci, et Rogero de Molbray,filio suo . . . domina Gundreda, uxor Nigelli de Albini, salutem . . . (Dugdale, Mon., vol. vi, p. 609). On the Pipe Roll of 1130 he is already called Rogerus de Molbrai.], a minor at his father's death. In 1138, though still young, he took part in the expedition against the Scots which culminated in the battle of the Standard. [Tantus autem fervor resistendi Scottis cunctos arripuit ut etiam Rogerum de Mulbrai, adhuc puerulum, exercitui interesse fecissent, tarn decenter tamen ut tali aetati conveniebat inter ceteros sapientissime collocatum (Relatio de Standardo, by Aelred of Rievaulx, in Chronicles of Stephen, y c, Rolls Ser., vol. iii, pp. 182-3).] At the battle of Lincoln in Feb. 1140/1 he fought for Stephen and was taken prisoner. [Simeon of Durham—continuation by John of Hexham—Rolls Ser., vol. ii, p. 308. He is said to have been present at Sherburn at the consecration of Roger, abbot of Byland, in 1142 (Dugdale, Mon., vol. v, p. 350).] In 1147 he took part in the second Crusade. [Simeon of Durham, as above, p. 319, where he is said to have vanquished a Saracen champion (quodam pagano tyranno) in single combat. He mentions his "first pilgrimage to Jerusalem" in a Jervaulx charter (Dugdale, Mon., vol. v, p. 569), and granted Askham Richard to William de Tykhil, his friend, " when he took the road to the Holy Land of Promise " (Bridlington Chartul., ed. Lancaster, p. 232)] On 17 Apr. 1153 he executed a charter at York in favour of the cathedral. [Farrer, Early Yorkshire Charters, vol. iii, p. 435.] In 1157> at Boston and Washingborough, Lincs, he witnessed charters of Conan IV, Duke of Brittany, of whom he held Masham. [Ancient Charters (Pipe Roll Soc, vol. x), p. 54 ; Registrum Honoris de Richmond, ed. Gale, Appendix, pp. 103-4. The true date of these charters is 1157, or at the latest the beginning of 1158.] The returns of 1166 show him holding 102 knights' fees in chief. [Red Bk. of Exchequer (Rolls Ser.), pp. 418-421. The summaries give 88 fees of the old feoffment and 11 3/4 of the new, but the detailed list of fees adds up at 90 1/4 of the old feoffment and 11 3/4 of the new—a total of 102.] He was at Bazoches-au-Houlme, of which he was lord, circa 1160, when, with his son Nele, he made a grant to St. Andrew of Gouffern. [Round, Calendar, no. 596.] In the rebellion which broke out in 1173 he took part with the younger Henry against the King, fortified his castles, and joined King William of Scotland in his invasion of England. [Lawrie, Annals of the Reign of Malcolm, &c, p. 161.] After the defeat and capture of William at Alnwick, 13 July 1174, he is said to have fled to Scotland. [Chrons. of Stephen, vol. iii, pp. 314, 356 ; vol. i, pp. 180, 185.] His castles of Kinardferry in Axholme, supposed impregnable, and Malasart (Kirby Malzeard) were captured, [By the Bishop elect of Lincoln, the second with the aid of the Archbishop of York. Kinardferry was destroyed at once, and Robert de Mowbray, its castellan, captured on his way to Leicester for assistance (Girald. Cambrens., Op., Rolls Ser., vol. iv, pp. 364-366 ; Hoveden, Rolls Ser., vol. ii, p. 58). Kirby Malzeard and Thirsk were demolished in 1176 (Benedict, Rolls Ser., vol. i, p. 126 ; Hoveden, vol. ii, p. 101). Roger's wife, Alice de Gant, dated a charter 10 Apr. 1176 " t h e year in which the castles of Thirsk and Kirby Malzeard were overthrown " (Dugdale, Mon., vol. v, p. 310).] and Roger surrendered Thirsk to Henry on 31 July, whereupon he appears to have made his peace with the King. [Benedict, vol. i, p. 73 ; Hoveden, vol. ii, pp. 58, 65. He perhaps secured the influence of the Archbishop in the negotiations by a grant registered in the Reg. Mag. Album of York, vol. i, fo. 71 b ; vol. ii, fo. 57 d, made before the King in his public court at Northampton (Farrer MS.).] He was in York in the spring of 1175; in Mar. 1176/7 he was among the witnesses at Westminster to the King's award in the dispute between the Kings of Castile and Navarre, [Fountains Chartul., ed. Lancaster, pp. 206, 207; Foedera, vol. i, p. 34; Eyton, Itinerary of Henry I I, p. 212.] and was in Yorkshire in Feb. 1180/1. [Farrer MS. ; Dodsworth MS. vii, f. 171.] At about Easter 1186 he arrived in Jerusalem again as a Crusader. In the battle of Hittin, 4 July 1187, he was taken prisoner, and the following year was ransomed by the Templars, but d. that year in Palestine, or on the way back. [Hoveden, vol. ii, p. 325 ; Benedict, vol. ii, p. 22.] He m. Alice, widow of Ilbert de Lacy, and da. of Walter de Gant, by Maud, da. of Count Stephen of Brittany, lord of Richmond." [1]
"Besides Nele his s. and h. he [Roger de Mowbray] had a son Robert, who witnessed many of his charters ; e.g. Dugdale, Mon., vol. vi, pp. 632-33. His religious benefactions, some of which were probably in fact sales, were extraordinary in number. Dugdale's Monasticon records among his benefactions those to the Knights Templars (vol. vi, p. 840) ; the monks of St. Mary's, York (vol. iii, p. 534) ; Byland (vol. v, p. 348) ; Fountains (Idem, p. 309) ; Rievaulx (Idem, p. 276), Jervaulx (Idem, p. 569) ; Newburgh (vol. vi, p. 319) ; the canons of Kenilworth (vol. vi, p. 219) ; Bridlington (vol. vi, p. 287) ; Sulby (Idem, p. 903) ; the hospital of St. Peter or St. Leonard, York (Idem, p. 611); and Burton Lazars, Leics (Idem, p. 632). For Bridlington see also Bridlington Chartul., ed. Lancaster, p. 206. He also made grants to Selby Abbey, Yorks (Coucher Book, vol. ii, pp. 276, 280, Ac.) ; to Nun Monkton (Rot. Chart., p. 42) ; to Arden (Idem, p. 89) ; the Hospitallers (Idem, p. 16) ; Combe Abbey, Warwks. (Cal. Charter Rolls, vol. i, p. 351) ; and the nuns of Sinningthwaite (Idem, vol. i, p. 450). See also Round, Cal. Docs. France, nos. 439, 613." [2]
Complete Peerage shows the identity Roger de Mowbray's wife Alice de Gant as follows: [3]
(i) Aliz de Gant gives a carucate in Ingoldmells, Lines, to Pontefract Priory pro anima prioris domini mei Ilberti de Lascy (Pontefract Cartulary, Yorks Rec. Ser., vol. ii, p. 527).
(ii) Henry de Lacy confirms the above gift quam domina Aliz uxor Rogerii de Molbrai dedit eis pro anima prioris domini sui Ilberti fratris mei (Idem, vol. i, p. 33).
(iii) Roger de Mowbray gives to Lincoln Cathedral the church of Empingham, Rutland, to hold as it was best held by his predecessors Gilbert de Gant, and Walter his son, and Gilbert de Gant, Walter's son (C. W. Foster, ed., Registrum Antiquissimum of Lincoln, Lines Rec. Soc, vol. ii, pp. 9-10; cf. vol. i, p. 45 note). Empingham had clearly been given to Roger by Gilbert de Gant, afterwards Earl of Lincoln, as his sister's maritagium.
(iv) Thurstino Dei gratia Eborum archiepiscopo . . . Matildis Jilia consulis Stephani Brittaniae, uxor Walteri de Gaunt, salutem . . . (Dugdale, Mon., vol. vi, p. 287).
"Alice de Gant was a benefactress to St. John's, Pontefract; Fountains ; St. Leonard's, York; and other foundations. See Fountains Chartul., ed. Lancaster, pp. 208, 705, &c. Her seal to a grant to Fountains [1165-75] shows a woman standing with a bird in her right hand (Farrer MS., Studley Royal Deed)." [4]
[1] George E. Cokayne, H. A. Doubleday, Howard de Walden, eds., The Complete Peerage, rev., Vol. 9, Moels to Nuneham (London: St. Catherine Press, 1936), 369-372.
[2] George E. Cokayne, H. A. Doubleday, Howard de Walden, eds., The Complete Peerage, rev., Vol. 9, Moels to Nuneham (London: St. Catherine Press, 1936), 372.
[3] George E. Cokayne, H. A. Doubleday, Howard de Walden, eds., The Complete Peerage, rev., Vol. 9, Moels to Nuneham (London: St. Catherine Press, 1936), 371.
[4] George E. Cokayne, H. A. Doubleday, Howard de Walden, eds., The Complete Peerage, rev., Vol. 9, Moels to Nuneham (London: St. Catherine Press, 1936), 371-372.