Roger de Toeni

  General Notes:

In 1013 Roger and his father Ralph II guarded the castle at Tillières for Richard II, Duke of Normandy. A few years later, for an unknown reason, the pair were forced into exile. While his father gained a reputation for himself in Apulia, Roger did the same in fighting the Muslims in Iberia. The small Christian states of Northern Iberia welcomed volunteers and adventurers who they could use to mount a strong force for the Reconquista. Roger was summoned by Ermessenda, regent-countess of Barcelona after the death of her husband Ramon Borrell, to help her against the Muslim threat to her power. Roger rushed to help, marrying Ermesende's daughter, terrorising the Saracens and capturing several towns and castles. Adémar de Chabannes gives an echo of the more or less legendary deeds of Roger in Iberia. He gained the nickname Mangeur de Maures (Moor Eater). Adémar recounts that Roger took his captured Saracens each day and, in front of them, cut one of their number in two, boiling the first half and giving it to the other Muslims to eat and pretending to take the other half into his own tent for him and his companions to eat. Then Roger allowed some of these prisoners escape to spread these horrific rumours.

Before 1024 Roger and his father gained permission from Richard II to return to Normandy and Ralph died soon afterwards.

Roger de Toeni founded Conches-en-Ouche. He built its church of Sainte-Foy (before 1026) then the abbey of Saint-Pierre de Castillon (c. 1035) where monks from Fécamp Abbey were installed. This monastery was one of the first baronial foundations in Normandy. The foundation charter reveals that the Lord of Toeni gave it a small possession around Conches and his forest.

In 1035 Robert I's death began a troubled period in the Duchy of Normandy. Civil wars multiplied and Roger (whose relations with his neighbours were already argumentative) was one of the main players in them. According to the Norman chroniclers the Lord of Toeni refused to serve the new Duke, the future William the Conqueror, due to his being a bastard. He especially took advantage of the weakness of the Duke's power by ravaging his neighbours' lands, notably those of Humphrey of Vieilles. Humphrey sent his son Roger to face Roger of Toeni and around 1040 the latter was killed in battle and his two eldest sons died a few weeks later of their wounds.

Peace was re-established between the Toeni family and the neighbouring families. The widow Gotelina/Godehildis was forced to marry Richard, Count of Évreux.

Married :

Daughter of Ermesende, countess of Barcelona Gotelina/Godehildis who married, after the death of Roger, Count of Évreux, Richard.

Children :

Helbert (died 1040 with his father).
Elinand, (idem).
Ralph II de Toeni successor of his father.
Robert de Toeni lord of Stafford.
Béranger l'Espagnol.
Adelise, married Guillaume Fils Osbern.
Berthe, married Guy de Laval.
One other son

Roger married Godehilde Borrell. (Godehilde Borrell was born in 1010 and died in 1079.)