Family tree Bas » Mabillia "de gifmengster" van Belleme-Alencon (1030-1079)

Personal data Mabillia "de gifmengster" van Belleme-Alencon 

  • She was born in the year 1030.

    Waarschuwing Attention: Was younger than 16 years (15) when child (Mathilde van Montgomery) was born (??-??-1045) .

  • (Geschiedenis) .Source 1
    Mabilla van Bellême (ca. 1030 - 2 december 1079),bijg. de Gifmengster, was een dochter van Willem II Talvas van Bellême en van Hildeburgis.

    In opvolging van haar grootoom Yves, werd zij vrouwe van Bellême in 1070, maar zij deed in 1077 afstand ten voordele van haar zoon Robert. Zij zette de vete van haar vader met de families Grandmesnil en Giroie voort door haar machtige echtgenoot tegen hen op te zetten en door zelf gifmoorden te beramen. Tijdens haar bezoek aan het kasteel Bures bij Caen in 1079 drongen leden van de Giroie familie het kasteel binnen. Zij vonden Mabilla die op bed lag te rusten na een bad en onthoofdden haar. Volgens Ordericus Vitalis was ze "krachtig, werelds, sluw, oorlogszuchtig en zeer wreed". Mabilla werd begraven in Troarn.
  • (Levens event) .Source 2
    Mabel de Bellême (a.k.a. Mabel Talvas) (d. 1079), Dame de Alençon, de Séez, and Bellême, Countess of Shrewsbury and Lady of Arnudel. She was a member of the House of Bellême.

    Contents
    Life

    Mabel was the daughter of William I Talvas and his first wife Hildeburg.[1] She was the heiress of her father’s estates, her half-brother Oliver apparently being excluded.[2] She also inherited the remainder of the Belleme honor in 1070 at the death of her uncle Yves, Bishop of Séez and Lord of Bellême.[3] When their father was exiled by her brother Arnulf in 1048 she accompanied him until both were taken in by the Montgomery family. Between 1050-1054 she married Roger II de Montgomery, later 1st Earl of Shrewsbury.[4] Roger II de Montgomery was already a favorite of Duke William and by being given the marriage to Mabel it increased his fortunes even further.[5]

    Her husband Roger had not participated in the Norman conquest of England but had remained behind in Normandy as co-regent along with Queen Matilda.[6] He had also contributed 60 ships to Duke William's invasion force.[7] He joined the king in England in 1067 and was rewarded with the earldom of Shropshire and a number of estates to the point that he was one of the largest landholders in the Domesday Book.[1]

    She and her husband Roger transferred the church of Saint-Martin of Séez to Evroul and petitioned her uncle, Yves, Bishop of Séez to build a monastery there on lands from her estates. The consecration was in 1061 at which time Mabel made additional gifts.[8]
    Her character

    Of all of Orderic’s female subjects Mabel was the most cunning and treacherous; if not entirely for her own misdeeds then as the mother of Robert de Bellême, who had a reputation for savagery as well as cruelty.[9] In one passage Orderic describes her as "small, very talkative, ready enough to do evil, shrewd and jocular, extremely cruel and daring."[2]

    In perpetuating her family’s feud with the Giroie family she set her sights on Arnold de Echauffour, she son of William fitz Giroie who her father had mutilated at his wedding celebration.[a] She obtained part of his estates when she and her husband Roger convinced Duke William to confiscate his lands. In 1063 however, Arnold was promised forgiveness by the Duke and was to have his lands restored. To prevent this Mabel plotted to kill Arnold.[10] She attempted to poison Arnold of Echauffour by placing it in a glass of wine but he declined to drink. Her husband's brother, refreshing himself after a long ride, drank the wine and died shortly thereafter. In the end though she bribed Arnold's chamberlain providing him with the necessary poison, this time being successful.[b][11]

    Excepting Theodoric, abbot of the abbey of Saint-Evroul, who she listened to at times, Mabel was hostile to most members of the clergy; but her husband loved the monks at Saint-Evroul so she found it necessary to be more subtle.[2] In an incident in 1064,[12] she deliberately burdened their limited resources by visiting the abbey for extended stays with a large retinue of her soldiers.[c] When rebuked by Theodoric the abbot for her callousness she snapped back that the next time she would visit with an even larger group. The abbot predicted that if she did not repent of her evilness she would suffer great pains and that very evening she did. She left the abbey in great haste as well as in great pain and did not abuse their hospitality again.[13]

    Mabel continued her wickedness causing many nobles to lose their lands and become destitute.[3] In 1077 she took the hereditary lands of Hugh Bunel by force.[14] Two years later while resting after a bath, she was murdered in her bed by the same Hugh Bunel[15] Hugh had enlisted the help of his three brothers, gained entry to the castle of Bures on the Dive and struck off her head with his sword. The murderers were pursued but escaped by destroying a bridge behind them.[3] Mabel's murder occurred on 2 December 1079 and she was buried three days later at Troarn.[16]
    Epitaph

    Her epitaph is notable as an example of monks bowing more to “the partiality of her friends than to her own merits":

    Sprung from the noble and the brave,
    Here Mabel finds a narrow grave.
    But, above all woman’s glory,
    Fills a page in famous story.
    Commanding, eloquent, and wise,
    And prompt to daring enterprise;
    Though slight her form, her soul was great,
    And, proudly swelling in her state,
    Rich dress, and pomp, and retinue,
    Lent it their grace and houours due.
    The border’s guard, the country’s shield,
    Both love and fear her might revealed,
    Till Hugh, revengeful, gained her bower,
    In dark December’s midnight hour.
    Then saw the Dive’s o’erflowing stream
    The ruthless murderer’s poignard gleam.
    Now friends, some moments kindly spare,
    For her soul’s rest to breathe a prayer![17]
    Family

    Mabel and her husband, Roger de Montgomery had ten children
  • She died on December 2, 1079, she was 49 years old.

    Fout Attention: Died (December 2, 1079) before marriage (??-??-1082).

    Fout Attention: Deceased (December 2, 1079) prior to birth (??-??-1085) of child (Roger "Poitevin" van Montgomery).

  • A child of Willem I Talvas van Belleme and Hildeburgis
  • This information was last updated on November 9, 2012.

Household of Mabillia "de gifmengster" van Belleme-Alencon

She is married to Roger II "de Grote" van Montgomery.

They got married in the year 1082, she was 52 years old.Source 3


Child(ren):

  1. Robert II van Belleme  1055-1130 

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Timeline Mabillia "de gifmengster" van Belleme-Alencon

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Sources

  1. http://nl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mabilla_van_Bell%C3%AAme
  2. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mabel_de_Bell%C3%AAme
  3. http://www.genealogieonline.nl/de-meijer-stamboom/I8460.php en http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roger_de_Montgomery,_1st_Earl_of_Shrewsbury


Same birth/death day

Source: Wikipedia


About the surname Van Belleme-Alencon


The Family tree Bas publication was prepared by .contact the author
When copying data from this family tree, please include a reference to the origin:
Andre Bas, "Family tree Bas", database, Genealogy Online (https://www.genealogieonline.nl/stamboom-bas/I3427.php : accessed January 7, 2026), "Mabillia "de gifmengster" van Belleme-Alencon (1030-1079)".