Robert [III] Marmion of Tamworth, Staffordshire

   Cause of his death was Killed in battle.¹

  General Notes:

ROBERT Marmion [III] of Tamworth, Staffordshire, son of ROGER Marmion & his wife --- (-killed in battle [1143/44]). His parentage is confirmed by the charter dated to [1144] under which King Stephen granted the land of "Rogeri avi sui et Roberti Marmium patris sui" to [his grandson] "Roberto Marmium". The 1130 Pipe Roll records "Robt Marmion" owing in Lincolnshire for "terre patris sui". William of Newburgh records that "Robertus...Marmiun...homo bellicosus, ferocia, astutia, audacia, feri nulli suo tempore impar", who had expelled the monks from Coventry church, was killed by a soldier in the Earl of Chester's army, maybe dated to [1143/44]. Henry II King of England confirmed the possessions of the abbey of Barberie, including donations by "Roberti Marmium, concessione Roberti filii sui et uxoris sue et filiarum suarum", by charter dated to [1182/89]. "Philippus de Marmiun filius et hæres Roberti le Marmiun" recalls the donation of "Buteyate" to Bardney by "Robertus Marmiun…et Milesent uxor mea et Robertus filius meus" by charter dated Jun 1248.

m as her first husband, MELISENDE de Rethel, daughter of GERVAIS de Rethel & his wife Elisabeth de Namur ([1121/23]-after 1154). The Chronicle of Alberic de Trois-Fontaines records that [her stepfather] "Clarenbaldus de Roseto" alienated the lands of "filiastram suam Gervasii filiam" and married her to "cuidam nobili Roberto Marmioni de Normannia", without giving her name. The Complete Peerage names her "Elizabeth" and identifies her husband as Robert Marmion [IV] without citing any primary source on which it bases this statement. From a chronological point of view, it is more likely that the husband of Gervais de Rethel's daughter was Robert Marmion [III], considering especially that Robert [III]'s wife had three known children by her second husband whom she married after Robert died in [1143/44]. If that is correct, other sources quoted below confirm that Robert [III]'s wife was named Mélisende, not Elisabeth, presumably after her paternal grandmother. She married secondly (after [1143/44]) as his second wife, Richard [I] de Camville . A charter dated to [1200], recounting the history of a donation of land to Eynsham abbey, records that King [Henry I] granted "Stantonam [cum] quadam femina" to "Roberto Marmiun", and that "post Robertum Marmiun" the king granted "predictam Milisent" to "Ricardo de Kamuilla". Domesday Descendants refers to the second marriage of Mélisende, whom it calls "a kinswoman of Queen Adelicia". The primary source which confirms Mélisende's family connection with the second wife of Henry I King of England has not been identified. The Victoria County History of Oxfordshire states that the queen "before 1141...gave to her kinswoman Millicent, wife of Robert Marmion, land in Stanton Harcourt and South Leigh...", without citing the corresponding primary source. In light of the previous information, her second marriage is indicated by the charter dated 1154 under which Henry Duke of Normandy [the future King Henry II] confirmed Stanton Harcourt, Oxfordshire to "Milicenti uxori Ricardi de Camvilla in feodo et hereditate sibi…sicut regina Adelisia…in maritagium dedit" by charter dated 1154. "Ricardus de Camvilla" donated "terciam partem decimarum...apud Hottoth" to Jumièges, for the souls of "uxoris mee Adelicie et sequentis uxoris mee Milesente...Rogeri fratris mei", by charter dated [5 Apr 1170/27 Mar 1171], subscribed by "Ricardi filii mei...". "Philippus de Marmiun filius et hæres Roberti le Marmiun" recalls the donation of "Buteyate" to Bardney made by "Robertus Marmiun…et Milesent uxor mea et Robertus filius meus" by charter dated Jun 1248.

Robert [III] & his wife had two children: Robert and [daughters]. ¹

Robert married Mélisende de Rethel, daughter of Gervais de Rethel Comte de Rethel and Elizabeth de Namur. (Mélisende de Rethel was born about 1121-1123 ¹ and died after 1154 ¹.)