Robert de Chandos

The original seat of the family was a fief, lying at the junction of the communes of Catelon, Illeville,and Flancourt (Eure), the etymology being "Campi Dorsum." Robert de Chandos, founder of this great and illustrious house, companion-in-arms of the Conqueror, won with his sword a princely domain in Caerleon in Wales. He married Isabella, heiress of Auvrai d'Espagne, a very great Domesday baron, according to Eyton's Domesday Studies. He had three sons: Robert II, Roger and Gautier, and he or his son Robert II with his wife Isabel founded in 1113 Goldcliff (Goldclive) Friory in Monmouth which they very richly endowed with lands, churches and tithes in Somerset and Devon.

St Mary Magdalene Church, Goldcliff, Monmouth After Goldcliff priory was destroyed by flood, some of the limestone blocks were used to build this Church       Photo © Jim Mitchell, Feb 2005

He gave this priory to the abbey of Bec on the advice of Henry I. Dugdale says Robert I died 2 November 1120, which makes it uncertain whether the father or son is here involved. It is an established fact that Robert II married Isabel, sister of Gautier Giffard II or III, count of Longueville, as stated in the Cartulary of Mortemer, which records their donation for the founding of an abbey at Beaumont, near Estrepagny, in 1130, wherein Robert is called an old man "venab lis." The cartulary also shows that he died before 1134, when the monks removed to Mortemer, where they founded that famous abbey. Consequently both Roberts married ladies of the same name, as Eyton's statement does not seem to be questioned. Robert de Chandos, son of the Conqueror's companion, was castellan of Dangu in 1119, which the Crispin family had held in hereditary custodianship since the time of William Crispin I. His grandson, Wiiiiam Crispin lII had been deprived of it by king Henry I of England, because he was one of a number of Norman seigniors who founded a league with Louis-le-Gros in 1118 in favour of William Cleto, son of duke Robert Courteheuse, when king Henry gave it to Robert de Chandos. Robert was attacked there in 1119 by king Louis of France and when he saw surrender inevitable burned the castle and fled to Gisors, from which fortress he operated against the French. In 1123 Robert was "warden of the king's tower" at Gisors, where a plot was made by Amaury de Montfort, count of Evreux, and his grand-nephew, William Crispin III, both bitter enemies of Henry I, to take Robert de Chandos prisoner or assassinate him and capture the fortress. They made arrangements to meet him in the town, but Robert, hearing the noise made by the invading forces and sensing the plot, fled within the fortress, which he defended successfully until the arrival of king Henry, who brought forces to his succour a short time afterwards from Pont-Audemer. A family of Dangu, owners of the domain, must not be confused with the castle bearing the same name. Robert de Dangu was present in 1135 at the session of the court of common pleas held by Henry I at Sainte-Gauburge, diocese of Seez, to end a dispute between the monks of Marmoutiers and the bishop of Seez concerning the churches of Belesme. Dangu was a grand vavassorie (grand sub-fief), always considered a barony and the first of the four baronies and Franches vavassories (free sub-fiefs) in Normandy. It was held for the service of one knight's fee, and had the seigniorial rights of "low" and "middle justice" (i.e. all rights, save capital punishment)., Isabel du Plessis de Dangu, daughter of Robert de Dangu and his wife Eufemie was the wife of Joscelyn Crispin, the son of William Crispin III, who was probably castellan of Dangu at the time of his marriage. Blanche Crispin, lady of Dangu, and Thury by marriage, brought these seigniories to Pierre, seigneur de Preaux, shortly atfer 1327. Dangu passed through the female line to the seigniors of Ferrieres and eventually, 27 November 1554, was sold-to Anne de Montmorency, constable of France. Robert's descendants carried on for generations the bloody conflicts which devastated the Welsh border. "From him sprang the lords Chandos (whose eventual heiress, Alice Berkely, grand-daughter of sir John Chandos, married Thomas Bruges, ancestor by her of James Brydges, the princely duke of Chandos), and the renowned sir John Chandos of Radborne, a great warrior and one of the original knights of the Garter at the date of the foundation of that order." --(This name appears on the Falaise Roll).