William d'Aubigny (Brito)

William d'Aubigny (d. after 1148), was an itinerant justice under King Henry I of England. He was commonly known by the appellation Brito.

William was a son of Main d'Aubigny, Breton lord of Saint-Aubin-d'Aubigné (now in Ille-et-Vilaine department) and Adelaïde de Bohun, daughter of Humphrey with the Beard.[1] He fought at the Battle of Tinchebray (1106) and was high in Henry I's favor.[1] He was allowed to marry Cecily, the elder daughter of Roger Bigod, sheriff of Norfolk. Through her, he acquired a part of the honour of Belvoir in Leicestershire – his castle became the centre of the family estates – after his mother-in-law, who had been the heir of Robert de Todeni, lord of Belvoir, died about 1130.[1]

The couple had four or five sons and two daughters.[1] His heir was William, who married Maud Fitz Robert, daughter of Robert Fitz Richard. William d'Aubigny, a Magna Carta surety, was their son – his grandson.

His daughter Matildis married Gille Brigte, Earl of Strathearn.

After the death of King Henry I in 1135, William was and remained a loyal supporter of King Stephen, who presumably confirmed him in succession of Belvoir which passed to his son William.[2]

Notes
  1. K. S. B. Keats-Rohan, 'Aubigné, William d' (d. in or after 1148)', Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, 2004.
  2. The Descent of Belvoir by Judith A. Green: http://users.ox.ac.uk/~prosop/prosopon/issue10-2.pdf

References
  • K. S. B. Keats-Rohan, 'Aubigné, William d' (d. in or after 1148)', Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, 2004. doi:10.1093.
Wikisource has the text of the 1885–1900 Dictionary of National Biography's article about William de Albini (Brito).


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