Biography of Roger "The Great" Montgomery 1st Earl of Shrewsbury -1094

History of the Dukes of Normandy by William of Jumieges. Meanwhile William Talvas, after he had been driven out of his land by his son, as we have related above, wandered for a long time in wretched and despised by all through the houses of others. At length he sought out Roger of Montgomery and willingly offered him his daughter, named Mabel, and granted to him all the lordship which he himself had lost through his wickedness and sloth. Roger, who was strong and noble, and prudent in counsel, seeing that this agreement would be advantageous to him, assented to him in all things. He received the wandering Talvas into his own house and lawfully took his daughter in marriage. The woman in question was small in body, very talkative, exceedingly ready and clever for evil, witty, and exceedingly cruel and bold. In due time she bore five sons and four daughters, whose names are these: Robert and Hugh, Roger the Poitevin, Philip, and Arnulf; Emma, Matilda, Mabel, and Sibyl. These daughters surpassed their brothers in their character; for they were generous and honourable, and kindly toward the poor, monks, and other servants of God. But the sons were savage and greedy, and fierce oppressors of the poor. How cunning, or warlike, or treacherous they were, and how greatly they rose above their neighbours and equals, and how again they later fell because of their own crimes, is not ours to relate in this place, since we have undertaken to set forth the deeds of the great Duke William. Therefore, leaving them aside, let our pen now be fixed upon the appointed course of the narrative.

Interea Willelmus Talavatius, postquam a filio suo, ut supra retulimus, de terra sua expulsus est, miser et despicabilis omnibus per aliorum domos diu pervagatus est. Ad extremum, Rogerium de Monte Gummeri expetiit, eique filiam suam nomine Mabiliam sponte obtulit, et omnem quem ipse pro nequitia segnitieque sua perdiderat, honorem concessit. At illi, qui fortis erat et probus, consilioque maturus, hoc placitum sibi profuturum cernens ei acquievit in omnibus. Ipsum namque errabundum in domo sua suscepit, ejusque natam sibi legitime copulavit. Præfata vero mulier erat corpore parva, multumque loquax, ad malum satis prompta et sagax atque faceta nimiumque crudelis et audax.Quæ succedenti tempore quinque filios et quatuor filias peperit quorum nomina hæc sunt: Robertus et Hugo, Rogerius Pictavinus, Philippus et Arnulfus; Emma, Mathildis, Mabilia et Sybilla. Hæ siquidem fratres suos moribus præcesserunt. Nam dapsiles et honestæ, ac affabiles pauperibus et monachis, aliisque servis Dei fuerunt. Illi vero ferales et cupidi, ac inopum rabidi oppressores exstiterunt. Quam callidi, vel militares, seu perfidi fuerint, aut quantum super vicinos paresque suos excreverint, iterumque sub eis pro facinoribus suis deciderint, non est nostrum in hoc loco enararre, qui decrivimus Willelmi ducis magni gesta propalare. Quapropter, illis relictis, nunc stylus figatur in præfixa serie narrationis.

History of the Dukes of Normandy by William of Jumieges. William, named Talvas, after the head of his brother Robert [of Bellême] had been shattered with axes in prison, gained, with the help of his followers, and especially of William, son of Giroie, of all his father's estates. But he in no way turned his steps away from the wickedness of his parents. For he had as his wife Hildeburg, the daughter of a certain most noble man named Arnulf; by her he begot Arnulf and Mabel¹, who afterwards became the mother of a most cruel offspring. But because that woman was well-conducted and fervently loved God, she would not consent to the villainous deeds of her husband. Therefore he greatly abhorred her. At length, one morning, while she was going to church to pray to God, he caused her suddenly to be strangled on the road by two of his attendants.

Willelmus, cognomento Talavatius, postquam Roberti fratris sui caput carcere securibus comminutum est, auxilio suorum et maxime Willelmi filii Geroii, omnem patris sui fundum adeptus est. Hic vero a parentum suorum perfidia nequaquam sua retorsit vestigia, Hildeburgem quippe filiam Arnulfi cujusdam nobilissimi viri in conjugio habuit, ex qua Arnulfum et Mabiliam crudelissimæ sobolis postea matrem genuit. Sed quoniam mulier prædicta bene morigerata erat et Deum ferventer amabat, diris mariti factionibus non consentiebat. Qua propter ipse eam abominatus est vehementer. Denique quo dam mane, dum ipsa ecclesiam adiret Deum deprecari, a duobus parasitis suis in via fecit eam subito strangulari.

Note 1. Mabel de Bellême, around 1035-1079, married Roger de Montgomery, later 1st Earl of Shrewsbury, with whom she had ten or more children. She is described further in Chapter 7.16. She was, probably in 1079, murdered by Hugh Bunel; Orderic Vitalis, Book 5, Chapter 13: "In the extremity of his [Hugh Bunel's] distress, he undertook a most audacious enterprise; for with the assistance of his three brothers, who were men of undaunted courage, he forced an entry by night into the chamber of the countess at a place called Bures on the Dive, and there, in revenge for the loss of his inheritance, cut off her [Mabel's] head, as she lay in bed just after enjoying the pleasures of a bath. The death of this cruel lady caused much joy to many persons; and the perpetrators of the bold deed instantly took the road for Apulia. Hugh de Montgomery, who was then in the place with sixteen men-at-arms, on hearing of his mother's murder, instantly pursued the assassins, but was unable to come up with them, as they had taken the precaution to break down behind them the bridges over which they crossed the rivers, to prevent their falling into the hands of Mabel's avengers. It was the winter season, the night was dark, and the streams being flooded, there were such obstacles in the way of pursuit, that the assassins, having satiated their revenge, were able to escape out of Normandy."