Agnes of Beaumont-le-Richard

Beaumont-le-Richard is in the north west part of Calvados, only few kms from the coast, in a commune called Englesqueville-la-Percee. It is marked on Stapleton's map as Bellusmons.

The castle site is a small hill next to a marsh, which indicates a watercourse that may have been navigable for the small vessels of the Viking and Norman period.

from topographic-map.com. The castle site is shown as 63 ft and the
surrounding marsh area about 20 ft, above sea level.

At an early date Aethelwold the chamberlain (of the bishop of Bayeux) is mentioned in connection with Anglicivilla (Englesqueville-la-Percée) (Haskins, Norman Institutions p.63; also Domesday People).

The fee of "Aeloudi Camerarii" was held from and owed military service to the diocese of Bayeux in 1133. The service owed is inconsistently stated in two printed sources as either three or eight knights (Red Book of the Exchequer, ed. Hall vol. 2 p.645; Historiens de France vol. xxiii p.698). I doubt if Aethelwold was still living in 1133. This may be a case where the identity of a former holder is still remembered.

As a working theory (far from proven) Aethelwold may have left co-heiresses one of whom was the ancestress of the lady who is central to this piece. This is the kind of family tree I suggest:-

• Aethelwold the chamberlain
• Daughter - took lands in England initially to Robert Latimer
• Daughter - took lands in Normandy to unknown husband
• Daughter married Engelram son of Jordan de Say
• Agnes de Bellomonte m. Richard du Hommet Constable of Normandy
• William du Hommet Constable of Normandy
• other sons Richard, Jordan, Thomas, Engelram, Henry, William

Approach to Beaumont-le-Richard from south (Google street scene)

The heiress of Beaumont-le-Richard

However it came about, the heiress of the place was Agnes de Bellomonte, and she was also the heiress of Jordan de Say, of Aunay-sur-Odon. Agnes' husband was Richard du Hommet, Constable of Normandy. They married by about 1150, perhaps as early as c.1135.

It seems reasonable to suggest that the designation "-le-Richard" comes from Agnes' husband, and that one or more of the surviving buildings date from his lifetime.

Sam and Caroline Beaumont at Beaumont-le-Richard in the mid 1990s.

A return of 1172 states that Ricardus de Hummeto owed "servitium corporis sui de honore de Bello Monte" (Red Book ed.Hall vol. 2 p.630; Historiens de France xxiii p.695).

Agnes had inherited other lands which are beyond the scope of this piece but it is worth noting that she had her own seal for executing documents. One such relating to lands not far from Oxford is marked with the legend "agnetis de bellomonte" and is on a document which I understand survives in the National Archives (E 40/6865; Cat. Anc. Deeds, vol. 4, no. 6865). 

Richard "de Humet" issued a charter in 1174 apud Bellummontem [at Beaumont] (Round, Cal. Docs. France no. 552) (d’Anisy, MSAN 8 pp.71-72).

After a career serving Henry II, Richard du Hommet entered Aunay-sur-Odon Abbey in about 1180 and was succeded by William. I suspect Agnes had already died. 

Although Agnes is often said to have been daughter of Jordan de Say, and she was his heiress, I suggest she was daughter of Jordan's eldest son Engelram. I suggest Engelram's wife brought Beaumont-le-Richard to him, for it does not seem to have ever been held by Jordan.  I suggest something like:- 

• Jordan de Say
• Gilbert de Say (childless)
• Engelram de Say (married heiress at Englesquville & Beaumont)
• Agnes (married Richard du Hommet)

(I am aware that Clay (EYC 7 p.32) thought Agnes to be daughter of Gilbert de Say. Query).

Aerial view of Beaumont-le-Richard (internet)

The Barfleur-Portchester connection

Richard and then his son William du Hommet were in turn the "Constable" of Normandy and ran Portchester castle for the Crown in the time of kings Henry II, Richard, and (till 1204) John.

Barfleur to Portsmouth Harbour (Portchester) was the main route across the channel in that period. William du Hommet was a benefactor to Southwick Priory near Portchester and his wife Lucy was buried there.

There was a family of Hommet tenants called Meisnil, one of whom in the 1190s gave Southwick priory his body and rents at Maisy next to "Bellusmons" with the consent of his lord, William du Hommet who then confirmed that (K. A Hanna, Cartularies of Southwick Priory, III no. 324, no.55).

It remains to be considered whether various Beaumonts who are found at later dates near Portchester and in other charters of Southwick priory had any link, perhaps through the Hommets, to Beaumont-le-Richard, or to the Beaumonts in my previous piece, who hailed from very near Barfleur.

EMB 12 March 2021

• In respect of the 1172 information given above, the index to Historiens de France vol. xxiii at p.834 identifies the place as Beaumont-Hague, near Cherbourg, which is wrong.