Biography of William Mortain Count Mortain 2nd Earl Cornwall 1083-1140

Before 1066 [his father] Robert Mortain Count Mortain 1st Earl Cornwall (age 34) and [his mother] Matilda or Maud Montgomery were married. She the daughter of [his grandfather] Roger "The Great" Montgomery 1st Earl of Shrewsbury and [his grandmother] Mabel Belleme.

In 1077 [his son-in-law] Roger I King Sicily (age 46) and [his daughter] Eremburga Mortain were married. She the daughter of William Mortain Count Mortain 2nd Earl Cornwall.

Before 1084 William Mortain Count Mortain 2nd Earl Cornwall was born to Robert Mortain Count Mortain 1st Earl Cornwall (age 52) and Matilda or Maud Montgomery.

Around 1085 [his mother] Matilda or Maud Montgomery died.

In 1090 [his father] Robert Mortain Count Mortain 1st Earl Cornwall (age 59) died. His son William (age 6) succeeded Count Mortain Mortagne, 2nd Earl Cornwall.

Anglo-Saxon Chronicle. 1104. This year also William, Earl of Moreton (age 20)¹³⁴ went from this land into Normandy; but after he was gone he acted against the king (age 36); because the king stripped and deprived him of all that he had here in this land. It is not easy to describe the misery of this land, which it was suffering through various and manifold wrongs and impositions, that never failed nor ceased; and wheresoever the king went, there was full licence given to his company to harrow and oppress his wretched people; and in the midst thereof happened oftentimes burnings and manslaughter. All this was done to the displeasure of God, and to the vexation of this unhappy people.

Note 134. A title taken from a town in Normandy, now generally written Moretaine, or Moretagne; de Moreteon, de Moritonio, Flor.

Anglo-Saxon Chronicle. 1105. In this year, on the Nativity, held the King Henry (age 37) his court at Windsor Castle [Map]; and afterwards in Lent he went over sea into Normandy against his brother Earl Robert (age 54). And whilst he remained there he won of his brother Caen [Map] and Baieux; and almost all the castles and the chief men in that land were subdued. And afterwards by harvest he returned hither again; and that which he had won in Normandy remained afterwards in peace and subjection to him; except that which was anywhere near the Earl William of Moretaine (age 21). This he often demanded as strongly as he could for the loss of his land in this country.

Before 1106 William Mortain Count Mortain 2nd Earl Cornwall (age 22) forfeit 2nd Earl Cornwall for having attacked the Normandy castles of King Henry I "Beauclerc" England (age 37).

Battle of Tinchebray

                    On 28th September 1106 King Henry I "Beauclerc" England (age 38) defeated his older brother Robert Curthose III Duke Normandy (age 55) at the Battle of Tinchebray at Tinchebray, Orne.
                
                    William Warenne 2nd Earl of Surrey and Robert Beaumont 1st Earl of Leicester Count Meulan (age 66). Elias La Flèche De Baugency I Count Maine commanded the reserve. The following fought for Henry:
                
                    William "Brito aka Breton" D'Aubigny (age 20).
                
                    Alan Canhiart IV Duke Brittany (age 43).
                
                    Raoul Tosny (age 26).
                
                    William "Pincerna aka Butler" D'Aubigny (age 42).
                
                    Robert Grandesmil (age 28), and.
                
                    William Normandy I Count Évreux.
                
                    Robert Curthose III Duke Normandy was captured and spent the next twenty-eight years in prison; never released.
                
                    William Mortain Count Mortain 2nd Earl Cornwall (age 22) was also captured. He spent the next thirty or more years in prison before becoming a monk. Earl Cornwall forfeit.
                
                    King Edgar Ætheling II of England (age 55) was captured and subsequently released; Henry had married to Edgar's niece Edith aka Matilda Dunkeld Queen Consort England (age 26) in 1100.
                
                    [his uncle] Robert II Belleme 2nd Count Ponthieu 3rd Earl of Shrewsbury (age 50) escaped.
                
                    Robert Stuteville was captured.

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Anglo-Saxon Chronicle. 1106. After this, and before August, went the king (age 38) over sea into Normandy; and almost all that were in that land submitted to his will, except [his uncle] Robert de Belesme (age 50) and the Earl of Moretaine (age 22), and a few others of the principal persons who yet held with the Earl of Normandy (age 55). For this reason the king afterwards advanced with an army, and beset a castle of the Earl of Moretaine, called Tenerchebrai.¹³⁶ Whilst the king beset the castle, came the Earl Robert of Normandy on Michaelmas eve against the king with his army, and with him Robert of Belesme, and William, Earl of Moretaine, and all that would be with them; but the strength and the victory were the king's. There was the Earl of Normandy taken, and the Earl of Moretaine, and Robert of Stutteville, and afterwards sent to England, and put into custody. Robert of Belesme was there put to flight, and William Crispin was taken, and many others forthwith. Edgar Etheling (age 55), who a little before had gone over from the king to the earl, was also there taken, whom the king afterwards let go unpunished. Then went the king over all that was in Normandy, and settled it according to his will and discretion.