CHESTER 165 (by Robert, Duke of Normandy) was mother of William "the Con- queror." He is generally supposed to have fought at the battle of Hastings (1066), when, at the utmost, he would have been but 19 years old;(^) anyhow, not long afterwards, in 107 1, he received from the King, his maternal uncle, the whole of the county palatine of Chester (excepting the Episcopal lands) " to hold as freely by the Sword as he [the King] himself held the Kingdom of England by the Crown," becoming thereby Count Pa/atineC) thereof, as EARL OF CHESTER.('=) He sue. his father, who was living as late as 1082, as Vicomte d'Avranches, fffc, in Normandy. In the rebellion (1096) against William II, he stood loyally by his Sovereign. () He m. Ermentrude, da. of Hugues, Count of Clermont in Beauvaisis, by Margaret, da. of Hilduin, Count of Rouci and MoNTDiDiER. Having founded the Abbeys of St. Sever in Normandy and St. W^erburg at Chester (besides largely endowing that of Whitby, CO. York), he became a monk 23, and d. 27 July iioi, at St. Werburg's afsd. III. IIOI 2. Richard, Earl of Chester, also Vicomte to d'Avranches, fe'c, in Normandy, only s. and h., aged 1 120. 7 years at his father's death. He m., in 11 15, Maud, da. of Stephen, Count of Blois, by Adelaide, da. of William I. He ^. s.p. legit., 25 Nov. 11 20, being drowned, together with (*) See The Conqueror and his Companions, by J. R. Planchi, Somerset Herald, vol. ii, pp. 16-24. (■=) As such he had his hereditary Barons, who (besides one Robert de Rhuddlan, General of his forces, who d. 3 July 1088, many years before him) are generally con- sidered to have been eight, as under, vix. (i) Eustace of Mold, Baron of Hawarden, CO. Flint, Hereditary Steward; (2) William Fitz-Niel, Baron of Halton, Hereditary Constable and Marshal, whose descendants took the name of De Lacy and became Earls of Lincoln in 1232. (3) William Malbank, Baron of Nantwich, or Wich-Mal- bank, whose issue male ended with his grandson. (4) Robert FitxHugh, Baron of Malpas, who d. s.p.m., but appears to have been sue. (in Earl Hugh's lifetime) by David le Clerk (or Belward), said to have been his son-in-law. (5) Hamond de Massey, Baron OF Dunham-Massey, whose representation (through Fitton, Venables and Booth) passed to the Greys, Earls of Stamford and Warrington. (6) Richard Vernon, Baron OF Shipbrooke. (7) William Venablei, Baron of Kinderton, whose issue male continued till 1676. (8) Robert Stockport, Baron of Stockport, whose existence is somewhat questionable. After 1265, however, when the Earldom of Chester was, by Henry III, annexed to the Crown, the dignity of these Barons became merely titular. if) Sir George R. Sitwell, Bart., holds the view that Hugh was not a palatine Earl, though "as Edwin's heir he was the military leader of the shire and President of the Folkmoot." The number of his Barons, given by Dugdale as 6 or 7, and by Stubbs as 8, is given by Sir George as I2; one of the forgotten ones being Hugh FitzOsbern, the head of whose Barony was Pulford. (See The Barons of Pulford, by Sir G. R. Sitwell). (^) His career was chiefly notorious for gluttony, prodigality and profligacy.
