Robert, 1st Earl of Gloucester

Robert of Caen
Earl of Gloucester
Effigy of Robert Consul, St James' Priory, Bristol. 1840 drawing
Bornc. 1090
Died31 October 1147
Bristol Castle
Noble familyNormandy
Spouse(s)Mabel FitzRobert
Issue
FatherHenry I of England
MotherA woman from Gay or Gayt family of north Oxfordshire[1]
Attributed arms of Robert FitzRoy, 1st Earl of Gloucester: Gules, three clarions or (later successively arms of de Clare, Earl of Gloucester and Granville, Earl of Bath)
Robartus Consull et Mabilia uxor eius ("Robert Consul and Mabel his wife"). They are shown holding churches or abbeys which they founded or were benefactors of, including Tewkesbury Abbey. The attributed arms shown quartered on his tabard and below are: Left: Gules, three clarions or (de Clare, Earl of Gloucester); Centre: Gules, three clarions or (de Clare, Earl of Gloucester) impaling Azure, a lion rampant guardant or (FitzHamon); Right: Azure, a lion rampant or. Tewkesbury Abbey Founders Book (c. 1500 – 1525), Bodleian Library, Oxford

Robert FitzRoy, 1st Earl of Gloucester (c. 1090 – 31 October 1147[2]) (alias Robert Rufus, Robert de Caen (Latinised to Robertus de Cadomo[3]), Robert Consul[4][5]) was an illegitimate son of King Henry I of England. He was the half-brother of the Empress Matilda, and her chief military supporter during the civil war known as the Anarchy, in which she vied with Stephen of Blois for the throne of England.

  1. ^ David Crouch, Historical Research, 1999
  2. ^ David Crouch, 'Robert, first earl of Gloucester (b. c. 1090, d. 1147)', Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, 2004; online edn, May 2006 Retrieved 1 October 2010
  3. ^ twice styled Robert de Caen (de Cadomo) by Orderic (ed. Le Prevost), vol. v, pp. 121, 122
  4. ^ Cite error: The named reference CP1892 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  5. ^ The Complete Peerage claims only that he is "described" as consul, as are most earls of his time.