Ranulf II de Warenne was born 1020 in Castle Varenne, Bellencombre, Seine-Maritime, Normandy, France to Ranulf I de Warenne (998-1058) and Beatrice of Rouen (1008-) and died 24 June 1074 Castle Varenne, Bellencombre, Seine-Maritime, Normandy, France of unspecified causes. He married Emma Torta de Pont-Audemer (1020-1059) 1052 JL .
Norman Knight
Ralph de Warenne (or Rudolf II) was a benefactor to the abbey of La Trinité du Mont about the middle of the 11th century, who, as well as Roger de Mortemer, Nicholas de Basqueville, Walter de St. Martin, and many others, were the issue of some of the numerous nieces of the Duchess Gonnor ("Nepotes plures predicta Gunnora"), who have been inaccurately set down as kinsmen instead of distant connections of her great-grandson the Conqueror.
Rudolf II de Warenne, son of Rudolf I of Warenne, was a Norman aristocrat and progenitor of the Earl of Surrey family line. He is known only from his subscriptions to two charters of his father for the Holy Trinity of Rouen. As his fathers lands near Rouen and in the Pays de Caux did not pass to his son William or William's descendants, it is likely that Rodulf succeeded to them on his father's death.
Warenne Ancestry
The origin of Roger of Mortemer has been subject to much scholarly debate. Only two early sources provide information. Orderic Vitalis calls William de Warenne (c1040-1088) consanguineo ejus (his cousin/kinsman), while Robert de Torigny confusingly provides three different versions of his parentage that, though inconsistent, all make him either brother or son, of William de Warenne.
In researching the parentage of this family, Katherine Keats-Rohan concluded that two Rodulfs were mistakenly combined into one, and that Roger was son of Ranulf I de Warenne (998-1058) and his wife Beatrice, while William de Warenne was his nephew, son of Rodulf (II) and Emma, and as this removes many of Loyd's concerns, she identifies Roger de Mortimer with Roger, son of Rodulf.[1] C.P. Lewis calls this hypothesis the "most plausible" solution.[8] Robert de Torigny called Roger's mother, who is not named, one of the nieces of Gunnor, Duchess of Normandy. This would seemingly make Beatrice that niece. Keats-Rohan identifies her with a later widow, Beatrice, daughter of Tesselin, vicomte of Rouen.[1]
Castle Varenne
The ruins of Castle Varenne is found in the rural township of Bellencombre, bisected by the River Varenne (for which the Warren Family / de Warenne Family takes its name. Their primary namesake, William de Warenne (c1040-1088) was an important companion of William the Conqueror and was awarded vast landholdings in England. "Saint-Martin-sous-Bellencombre" is a rural village on the west side of Bellencombre. It is not known when the Castle was built and the Saint-Martin family transfered into the castle and adopt the name of Warenne.
Family
The Family of Warenne originated from near Normandy, France. The de Warenne surname derives from the castle of that name on the Varenne River, which flows through the territory William acquired in Upper Normandy.
He married Emma (a descendant of Charlemagne (747-814)) probably around 1040 A.D. - both were still living in 1074, and had several children. Rudolf's children were probably born closer to the year 1040 or earlier as William as active at the Battle of Castle Mortemer in 1052-1054.
This fact makes a strong case that Rodulf II was born closer to the year 1020, which would put him also closer to the same birth year as his wife, Emma Torta.
- Rudolf III de Warenne - who inherited most of the family lands in Normandy.
- William de Warenne (c1040-1088) - who fought with William the Conqueror at the Battle of Hastings and was reward with vast land holdings as the Earl of Surrey.
- Frederick de Warenne - who was killed by Hereward the Wake. He is listed in the Domesday book holding lands in Cambridgeshire and Norfolk. (Domesday, ff.196, ii.465b, 170b, 172b). Another source lists Frederick as the brother of William's wife, Gundred [1].
References:
- Orderic Vitalis Vol II, P 219
- K.S.B. Keats-Rohan, Nottingham Med. Studies, vol. 37, 1993, pp. 21-4.
- Cartography of Ste Trinité Abbey - cf. vol. 12, part 1, p. 492, notes h and i, citing Cart. Ste Trinité, nos xxix and xxxv.
Children
Name | Birth | Death | Joined with |
Ranulf III de Warenne (1053-1086) | 1053 Castle Varenne, Bellencombre, Seine-Maritime, Normandy, France | 1086 | |
William de Warenne (c1040-1088) | 1040 Castle Varenne, Bellencombre, Seine-Maritime, Normandy, France | 24 June 1088 Lewes, Sussex, England, United Kingdom | Gundred (1053-1085) |
Frederick de Warenne (c1057-c1104) | 1057 Castle Varenne, Bellencombre, Seine-Maritime, Normandy, France | 1104 |
Siblings
Name | Birth | Death | Joined with |
Ranulf II de Warenne (c1020-1074) | 1020 Castle Varenne, Bellencombre, Seine-Maritime, Normandy, France | 24 June 1074 Castle Varenne, Bellencombre, Seine-Maritime, Normandy, France | Emma Torta de Pont-Audemer (1020-1059) |
Roger de Mortimer (1022-1078) | 1022 Normandy, France | 1078 Saint-Valery-en-Caux, Seine-Maritime, Normandy, France | Hadewisa du Valois (c1040-1086) |
See Also
- Ranulf Warenne
- Warenne Family Ancestry
- Warenne in Seine-Maritime
- Rudolf de Warenne II - Geni.com
- Rudolph de Warenne at thePeerage
Footnotes (including sources)
‡ General |