Biography of Emma Fitzosbern Countess East Anglia -1096

Maternal Family Tree: Ermesinde of Carcassonne 975-1058

Emma Fitzosbern Countess East Anglia was born to William Fitzosbern 1st Earl Hereford and Adelise Tosny Countess Hereford.

Battle of Cassel

                    On 22nd February 1071 Battle of Cassel was fought between uncle Robert "The Frisian" I Count Flanders (age 38) and nephew Arnulf III Count Flanders (age 16), supported by his mother Richilde Countess Flanders and Hainault and King Philip I of France (age 18), over the succession of Flanders.
                
                    Arnulf III Count Flanders was killed. His brother Baldwin (age 15) succeeded II Count Hainault. Robert "The Frisian" I Count Flanders was appointed I Count Flanders.
                
                    [her father] William Fitzosbern 1st Earl Hereford (age 51) was killed. His son [her brother] Roger succeeded 2nd Earl Hereford.
                
                    Eustace Flanders II Count Boulogne (age 56) and his son Eustace Flanders III Count Boulogne fought for Robert. During the battle Robert "The Frisian" I Count Flanders and Richilde Countess Flanders and Hainault were captured, and subsequently exchanged for each other.

In 1075 Ralph de Gael 2nd Earl East Anglia (age 33) and Emma Fitzosbern Countess East Anglia were married at Exning. She the daughter of William Fitzosbern 1st Earl Hereford and Adelise Tosny Countess Hereford. He the son of Ralph "Staller" Gael 1st Earl East Anglia.

Revolt of the Earls

In 1075 three Earls joined in rebellion against King William "Conqueror" I of England (age 47). The three Earls were: [her brother] Roger de Breteuil Fitzosbern 2nd Earl Hereford, [her husband] Ralph de Gael 2nd Earl East Anglia (age 33) and Waltheof Northumbria 1st Earl of Northampton 1st Earl Huntingdon. The ostensible cause of their rebellion was William's the marriage of Emma Fitzosbern Countess East Anglia, daughter of [her father] William Fitzosbern 1st Earl Hereford, with Ralph de Gael 2nd Earl East Anglia. Possibly to do with she being Norman and he being British/English.

Roger de Breteuil Fitzosbern 2nd Earl Hereford forfeit Earl Hereford and was sentenced to life imprisonment.

Flowers of History. 1075. Queen Edith (age 49) died on the fifth of April. The same year, king William (age 47) gave the daughter of [her father] William, the son of [her grandfather] Osbert, to [her husband] earl Radolph (age 33), as his wife, and gave him also the government of Norfolk and Suffolk. This Radolph was of British extraction, on his mother's side, and his father was an Englishman. He was born in Norfolk, and there he celebrated his marriage, which was the cause of destruction to many persons. At that wedding there were present [her brother] earl Roger and earl Waltheof; and many bishops and abbots; and they took counsel how to expel king William from his kingdom. And this speedily became known to the king, who was in Normandy, and immediately the king returned to England, and took Waltheof, and Roger, who was his own kinsman, and threw them into prison. As to the rest who were present at the wedding, he deferred his determination.

Anglo-Saxon Chronicle. 1075. This year King William (age 47) gave [her husband] Earl Ralph (age 33) the daughter of [her father] William Fitz-Osborne to wife. This same Ralph was British on his mother's side; but his father, whose name was also Ralph, was English; and born in Norfolk. The king therefore gave his son the earldom of Norfolk and Suffolk; and he then led the bride to Norwich [Map]. There was that bride-ale the source of man's bale. There was [her brother] Earl Roger, and Earl Waltheof, and bishops, and abbots; who there resolved, that they would drive the king out of the realm of England. But it was soon told the king in Normandy how it was determined. It was Earl Roger and Earl Ralph who were the authors of that plot; and who enticed the Britons to them, and sent eastward to Denmark after a fleet to assist them. Roger went westward to his earldom, and collected his people there, to the king's annoyance, as he thought; but it was to the great disadvantage of himself. He was however prevented. Ralph also in his earldom would go forth with his people; but the castlemen that were in England and also the people of the land, came against him, and prevented him from doing anything. He escaped however to the ships at Norwich [Map].⁹⁷ And his wife was in the castle; which she held until peace was made with her; when she went out of England, with all her men who wished to join her. The king afterwards came to England, and seized Earl Roger, his relative, and put him in prison. And Earl Waltheof went over sea, and bewrayed himself; but he asked forgiveness, and proffered gifts of ransom. The king, however, let him off lightly, until he⁹⁸ came to England; when he had him seized. Soon after that came east from Denmark two hundred ships; wherein were two captains, Cnute Swainson, and Earl Hacco; but they durst not maintain a fight with King William. They went rather to York, and broke into St. Peter's minster, and took therein much treasure, and so went away. They made for Flanders over sea; but they all perished who were privy to that design; that was, the son of Earl Hacco, and many others with him.

Note 97. Whence he sailed to Bretagne, according to Flor. S. Dunelm, etc.; but according to Henry of Huntingdon he fled directly to Denmark, returning afterwards with Cnute and Hacco, who invaded England With a fleet of 200 sail.

Note 98. i.e. Earl Waltheof.

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Around 1096 [her husband] Ralph de Gael 2nd Earl East Anglia (age 54) died. Earl Norfolk and Suffolk aka East Anglia extinct.

After 1096 Emma Fitzosbern Countess East Anglia died.

[her son] Alain Gael was born to Ralph de Gael 2nd Earl East Anglia and Emma Fitzosbern Countess East Anglia.

[her son] William de Gael Gael was born to Ralph de Gael 2nd Earl East Anglia and Emma Fitzosbern Countess East Anglia.

Ralph de Gael 2nd Earl East Anglia succeeded Earl East Anglia. Emma Fitzosbern Countess East Anglia by marriage Countess East Anglia.

All About History Books

The Chronicle of Geoffrey le Baker of Swinbroke. Baker was a secular clerk from Swinbroke, now Swinbrook, an Oxfordshire village two miles east of Burford. His Chronicle describes the events of the period 1303-1356: Gaveston, Bannockburn, Boroughbridge, the murder of King Edward II, the Scottish Wars, Sluys, Crécy, the Black Death, Winchelsea and Poitiers. To quote Herbert Bruce 'it possesses a vigorous and characteristic style, and its value for particular events between 1303 and 1356 has been recognised by its editor and by subsequent writers'. The book provides remarkable detail about the events it describes. Baker's text has been augmented with hundreds of notes, including extracts from other contemporary chronicles, such as the Annales Londonienses, Annales Paulini, Murimuth, Lanercost, Avesbury, Guisborough and Froissart to enrich the reader's understanding. The translation takes as its source the 'Chronicon Galfridi le Baker de Swynebroke' published in 1889, edited by Edward Maunde Thompson. Available at Amazon in eBook and Paperback.

[her son] Raoul Gael was born to Ralph de Gael 2nd Earl East Anglia and Emma Fitzosbern Countess East Anglia.

Biography of Emma Fitzosbern Countess East Anglia -1096

Royal Descendants of Emma Fitzosbern Countess East Anglia -1096

Ancestors of Emma Fitzosbern Countess East Anglia -1096