Robert, Count of Mortain
Robert, Count of Mortain, was half brother of William the Conqueror. He was the second son of Herlwin of Conteville. His elder brother was Odo, bishop of Bayeux. William the Warling, a cousin of Duke William, was in 1048 - 9 deprived of the county of Mortain, which was handed over to Robert. In 1066 he was present at the select council held at Lillebonne to discuss the invasion of England; he contributed 120 ships to the fleet. In 1069 he was left in England to protect Lindsey against the Danes, and at the same time his castle of Montacute in Somerset was besieged. When William I lay dying, Robert was present and pleaded the cause of his brother Odo with success. He joined with Odo in supporting Robert Curthose against William II, and held the castle of Pevensey against the king from April to June 1088 , but he soon yielded and was reconciled to Rufus.His possessions in England were larger than those of any other follower of William, and have been estimated at 793 manors. Of these, 623 in the south-west counties returned him £400 a year. He had 248 manors in Cornwall, 196 in Yorkshire, 99 in Northamptonshire, 75 in Devonshire, with a church and house in Exeter, 54 in Sussex and the borough of Pevensey, 49 in Dorset, 29 in Buckinghamshire, and one or more in ten other counties.
He married Matilda, daughter of Roger of Montgomery. In 1082 they founded a collegiate church in their castle of Mortain, under the guidance of their chaplain Vitalis, abbot of Savigny. He had a son William, who forfeited Mortain after the battle of Tinchebrai. Robert died in 1091. and his son William succeeded him.
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