Goin' back

I'm goin' back to where the winds howl my name,
I'm goin' back to where my footsteps echo on the old wooden walkways,
I'm goin' back to where my spirit lies...

Friday, July 27, 2012

Elizabeth of Vermandois

In my ancestral search, I came across her name several times~ Elizabeth de Vermandois (1085 - 1131)  Once it was Isabel Elizabeth de Vermandois. Another time it was Elizabeth de Vermandois.  Since I've now read about her 3x in the last week, I though I'd start with her since hers is an interesting story. She is on my Osborn/Turney line.

She was married twice, to wealthy men and into wealthy families in England.  Her descendants went on to become royal members of society in England and Scotland. She was a third daughter of her parents. Her mother was descended from Charlemagne. Her father was a great-grandson of Charlemagne and a son of Bermard of Italy.  He was also a younger brother of Philip I of France.  Elizabeth, by birth, was related to most of the royal families of Europe.

When she was VERY young, probably 10 or 11, she married Robert de Beaumont, who was 35 years older than she was. He had fought at the Battle of Hastings when he was very young himself...probably only 16. His parents died before his date of maturity and Robert became a close companion of William the Conqueror, who looked after his interests. Thus, with his father dead, the young Robert inherited his father's lands in Normandy as well as some in England.

Apparently Elizabeth agreed to this marriage and it seemed a happy one  (...insert eye roll here...) Together they had several children, including twins. Another child of this union was a daughter, Isabel de Beaumont, who became a mistress of Henry II. This child was Richard "Strongbow" de Clare, the 2nd Earl of Pembroke. She actually had her first child when she was about 14 years old.

At some point in this marriage, Elizabeth became...uh...should we say "tired" of her aging husband.  A much younger gentleman, William de Warenne, caught her eye. In 1115, she fell in love with him which resulted in the separation and end of her marriage to Robert.  Then Robert, humiliated and shamed by his wife's behavior died, leaving his properties to his two elder sons. Elizabeth thus married William and had several children by him.  I believe, at one point, that between the two men, she had 14 children...I'll have to research this number. That was the number which I've seen... Believe me, she was ONE busy woman!!!!

Unfortunately, there are no biographies of this amazing woman.  Frankly, I'm surprised.  She certainly was ahead of her time and I have a feeling that she would fit right into today's busy-paced society!

Here's a couple of links for you to follow and read more about her:

Geni (this actually has a short biography of her) and I wish to thank those who maintain her site there.
http://www.geni.com/people/Isabel-Elizabeth-de-Vermandois-Countess/6000000005861973018

And, here is info about her from Geni:


Isabella Elizabeth de Vermandois, Countess of Leicester Transparent

Place of Burial:Priory of Lewes, Lewes, East Sussex, England, UK
Birth:circa 1085
Valois, Picardy, West Francia, France Citation_note
Death:February 13, 1131 (46)
Saint-Nicaise, Val-de-Saâne, Upper-Normandy, France Citation_note
Immediate Family:

Here's another link to more info about her:

http://www.stepneyrobarts.co.uk/13097.htm

And, here's a picture of her pedigree:

Here are a couple of photos of Pembroke Castle:



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