2 questions about Mabel fitzHamon

Am I sure on those? - No I believe those are profiles I picked up along the way. I will defer to your judgement. Please change as you see fit

Hi Terry. Terry, from:

The history of the kings of England and the Modern history, tr. by J. Sharpe. Revised with notes by J. Stevenson. William (of Malmesbury.)

"THE AUTHOR'S EPISTLE1 TO ROBERT EARL OF GLOUCESTER, SON OF KING HENRY THE FIRST.2

To my respected lord, the renowned earl Robert, son of the king, greeting; and, if aught they may avail, his prayers, from William, monk of Malmesbury.

The virtue of celebrated men holds forth as its greatest excellence, its tendency to excite the love of persons even far removed from it: hence the lower classes make the virtues of their superiors their own, by venerating those great actions to the practice of which they themselves cannot aspire. Moreover it redounds altogether to the glory of exalted characters, both that they do good, and that they gain the affection of their inferiors. To you therefore, princes, it is owing that we act well; to you, indeed, that we compose anything worthy of remembrance: your exertions incite us to make you live for ever in our writings, in return for the dangers which you undergo to secure our tranquillity. For this reason I have deemed it proper to dedicate the History of the Kings of England, which I have lately published, more especially to you, my respected and truly amiable lord. None surely can be a more suitable patron of the liberal arts than yourself, in whom combine the magnanimity of your grandfather, the munificence of your uncle,' the circumspection of your father; more especially as you add to the qualities of these men, whom while you equal in industry, you resemble in person, this characteristic peculiarly your own, a devotion to learning. Nor is this all: you even condescend to honour with your notice, those literary characters who are kept in obscurity either by the malevolence of fame, or the slenderness of their fortune. And as our nature inclines us not to condemn in others what we approve in ourselves, therefore men of learning find in you manners which are congenial to their own ; for, without the slightest indication of- moroseness, you regard them with kindness, admit them svith complacency, and dismiss them with regret.1 Indeed, the greatness of your fortune has made no difference in you, except that your beneficence can now almost keep pace with your inclination.

1 In two MSS. (D.E.) this dedication occurs at the end of the third book; in two others (C.K.) it appears at the commencement of the work; but in others (A.G. H.L.) it is not found at all.

3 Robert earl of Gloucester was one of the natural children of Henry I. He married Maud, or Mabell as she is sometimes called, the eldest co-heir of Robert Fitz-Hamon, and in her right had the honour of Gloucester. He died on the 31st of October, 1147. Dugd. Baron. i. 534.

' An allusion probably to Robert duke of Normandy, to whose munificence Malmesbury more than once alludes in this work."

Thanks Lynn and Lori,
I'll set it so that his mother is woman from Caen and wife Maud/mabel.

My pleasure, Terry. I have managed to dig up one reference regarding the identity of his mother:

"2 Robert, Earl of Gloucester, was one of the natural sons of King Henry I. His mother was Nest, daughter of Rhys ap Tewdwr. He married Maud, by some called Mabell, the eldest of the four daughters and heiresses of Robert Fitzhamon, by means whereof he succeeded to the honour of Gloucester, and other property; and he was by his father created Earl of Gloucester.—Dugdale's Baronage, I. p. 534."

The source for this, is:

THE

LIBER LANDAVENSIS,

Llyfr Teilo,

OR THE ANCIENT REGISTER OF THE CATHEDRAL CHURCH OF LLANDAFF; FROM MSS. IN THE LIBRARIES OF HENGWRT, AND OF JESUS COLLEGE, OXFORD. WITH AN ENGLISH TRANSLATION AND EXPLANATORY NOTES,

BY THE REV. W. J. REES, M.A. F.S.A.

RECTOR OF CASCOB, RADNORSHIRE, PREBENDARY OF BRECKNOCK, AND HONORARY
MEMBER OF THE ROYAL CAMBRIAN INSTITUTION. .

LLANDOVERY:

PRINTED AND PUBLISHED BY WILLIAM REES: SOLD ALSO BY LONGMAN AND CO., D. WILLIAMS, AND H. HUGHES,
LONDON; AND E. PARRY, CHESTER.

Another interesting text with a genealogical account of Robert et al, Terry:

http://books.google.com.au/books?id=4EYFAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA287&d...

The mother of Robert of Gloucester remains unknown. It is thought she might have been Sibyll Corbet, the favourite concubine of Henry I, but there's no proof. What is certain is that Robert's mother was NOT Nest ferch Rhys ap Tewdwr.