Roger the Poitevin (Roger de Poitou) was born in Normandy, around the year 1058, and died between 1122 and 1140. He was an Anglo-Norman aristocrat, who possessed large holdings in both England and (in right of his wife) in France. Mont Saint-Michel, one of the famous symbols of Normandy. ... Motto: (French for God and my right) Anthem: God Save the King/Queen Capital London Largest city London Official language(s) English (de facto) Unification    - by Athelstan AD 927  Area    - Total 130,395 km² (1st in UK)   50,346 sq mi  Population    - 2005 est. ... Mont Saint-Michel, one of the famous symbols of Normandy. ...

He was the third son of Roger of Montgomery, 1st Earl of Shrewsbury and Mabel of Bellême. The appellation "the Poitevin" was for his marriage to an heiress from Poitou (see below). Roger of Montgomery, 1st Earl of Shrewsbury (d. ... Coat of arms of Richard, Earl of Cornwall, Plantagenet claimant to the county of Poitou, now favored as the coat of arms of Poitou by people in Poitou Poitou is a province of France. ...

Around1074 Roger acquired, probably through the influence of his father, a great lordship in England, with lands in Lancashire (which however had not yet been established as a county), Essex, Suffolk, Nottinghamshire, Derbyshire, Lincolnshire and Hampshire. The principal part of the Lordship was in was then called inter Mersam et Ripam, that is, "between the Mersey and the Ribble", and is now part of Lancashire. Lancashire is a county in North West England, bounded to the west by the Irish Sea. ... Essex is a county in the East of England. ... Suffolk (pronounced ) is a large historic and modern non-metropolitan county in the East Anglia region of eastern England. ... Nottinghamshire (abbreviated Notts) is an English county in the East Midlands, which borders South Yorkshire, Lincolnshire, Leicestershire and Derbyshire. ... Derbyshire is a county in the East Midlands of England. ... Lincolnshire (abbreviated Lincs) is a county in the east of England. ... Hampshire, sometimes historically Southamptonshire or Hamptonshire, (abbr. ... The River Mersey is a river in the north west of England. ... The River Ribble is a river that runs through North Yorkshire and Lancashire, in the North of England. ...

Also before 1086 he married Almodis, daughter of count Aldebert II of La Marche in Poitou, and sister and presumptive heiress of the childless and unmarried count Boso III. The County of Marche was a medieval French county. ...

Around 1091 Roger's brother-in-law Boso died, but Roger was apparently preoccupied with Norman and English affairs, and his wife's uncle Odo became count of La Marche. Events Henry, son of William I attempted a coup against his brothers but failed to seize the English throne. ...

In 1092 Roger acquired a large part of what is now north Lancashire. These grants gave Roger effective control of all the lands north of the River Ribble to the River Lune, which formed a natural border between the secure Norman lands in England and the strongly contested Scottish frontier lands in Cumberland. Due to long established lines of communication across Morecambe Bay, Roger also assumed authority over the regions of Barrow-in-Furness and Cartmel; these remained a part of Lancashire until as recently as 1974. The expansion of Roger's lands followed his support of King William II Rufus's invasion of Cumbria in 1092, where Dolfin of Dunbar ruled as a vassal of Scottish King Malcolm Canmore. Dolfin was driven out and the Anglo-Scottish border was establised north of Carlisle. Roger also acquired the great honour of Eye centered in Suffolk. The Lune passing through Lancaster The Lune passing through the gorge between the outlying fells of the Lake District and the Howgill Fells, with the local road, M6 motorway, and West Coast Main Line railway sharing the valley with the river The River Lune is a river of the United... Cumberland is one of the 39 traditional counties of England. ... Morecambe Bay at low tide from Hest Bank, looking towards Grange-over-Sands. ... Barrow-in-Furness is a town in Cumbria, England. ... Cartmel is a village in Cumbria several miles west of Grange-over-Sands. ... William II (called Rufus, perhaps because of his red-faced appearance) (c. ... King Malcolm III of Scotland, (1031? - November 13, 1093) also known as Malcolm Canmore (Malcolm with the large head), was the eldest son of King Duncan I of Scotland and first king of the House of Dunkeld. ... Carlisle is a city in the extreme northwest of England, some 16 km from the border with Scotland. ... This article or section may contain original research or unverified claims. ... Eye is a small town in the county of Suffolk, East Anglia, England, south of Diss, and on the River Dove. ... Suffolk (pronounced ) is a large historic and modern non-metropolitan county in the East Anglia region of eastern England. ...

Roger's father died in 1094, leaving his estates to Roger's elder brothers. Roger now had to pick his own course in the complicated politics of late 11th century England and France. His first big choice came later in 1094, during the conflicts between William Rufus and Robert Curthose. Rufus had been generous to Roger and was his overlord in England, while Roger's elder brother Robert was loyal to Curthose. // Events May - El Cid completes his Christian reconquest of Valencia, Spain from the Muslims. ... As a means of recording the passage of time, the 11th century was that century which lasted from 1001 to 1100. ... // Events May - El Cid completes his Christian reconquest of Valencia, Spain from the Muslims. ... Robert II (called Curthose for his short squat appearance) (c. ...

Rufus sent Roger to hold the castle at Argentan in Normandy, but Roger quickly and without a fight surrendered it to Philip I of France, who was an ally of Curthose. Naturally he lost Rufus's trust and had little influence on the remaining four years of the reign. Argentan is a commune, and the chief town of two cantons and of an arrondissement of the Orne département, in France. ... Philip I (French: Philippe Ier) (May 23, 1052 – July 29, 1108) was King of France from 1060 to 1108. ...

Roger, along with his brothers, was a supporter of Curthose in his conflicts with Henry I of England during the early years of Henry's reign. After their failed rebellion of 1102, they lost their English holdings and were exiled. King Henry I of England (c. ... Events Valencia is captured by the Almoravids. ...

Roger then went to his wife's holdings in Poitou. Almodis's uncle Odo was ousted as count of La Marche in 1104, and subsequently the sons of Roger and Almodis are styled as count. Roger himself appears not have had much influence in affairs there, and in 1109 he was permitted to return to England (Robert Curthose having in the interim been defeated and imprisoned), where he stayed for a while but did not recover his earlier holdings. Events Battle of Naklo Battle of Hundsfeld Fulk of Jerusalem becomes count of Anjou Alfonso I of Aragon marries Urraca of Castile Crusaders capture Tripoli Anselm of Laon becomes chancellor of Laon Births July 25 - Afonso, first king of Portugal Deaths Alfonso VI of Castile Anselm of Canterbury, philosopher and...

The children of Roger and Almodis include:

• Aldebert IV of La Marche
• Boso IV of La Marche
• Odo II of La Marche
• Ponce, who married Vulgrin II, count of Angoulême

References

• Victoria Chandler, "The Last of the Montgomerys: Roger the Poitevin and Arnulf", Historical Research, 62 (1989) 1-14
• C. P. Lewis, "The King and Eye: A Study in Anglo-Norman Politics", English Historical Review, 104 (1989) 569-87