Eustace de Montaut, or Monte Alto, Montalt, Monhaut, or FitzNorman ( 1027 – 1112), was a

Breton Breton most often refers to: *anything associated with Brittany, and generally **Breton people **Breton language, a Southwestern Brittonic Celtic language of the Indo-European language family, spoken in Brittany ** Breton (horse), a breed **Gale ...

soldier, and later

baron Baron is a rank of nobility or title of honour, often Hereditary title, hereditary, in various European countries, either current or historical. The female equivalent is baroness. Typically, the title denotes an aristocrat who ranks higher than ...

, who fought on the side of the

Normans The Normans (Norman language, Norman: ''Normaunds''; ; ) were a population arising in the medieval Duchy of Normandy from the intermingling between Norsemen, Norse Viking settlers and locals of West Francia. The Norse settlements in West Franc ...

during the

Norman Conquest The Norman Conquest (or the Conquest) was the 11th-century invasion and occupation of England by an army made up of thousands of Normans, Norman, French people, French, Flemish people, Flemish, and Bretons, Breton troops, all led by the Du ...

of England in 1066 and for his achievements was granted several manors by the new king,

William the Conqueror William the Conqueror (Bates ''William the Conqueror'' p. 33– 9 September 1087), sometimes called William the Bastard, was the first Norman king of England (as William I), reigning from 1066 until his death. A descendant of Rollo, he was D ...

Biography

Eustace was born in the early to mid-11th century, possibly in

Monthault Monthault (; ; Gallo: ''Montaut'') is a commune in the Ille-et-Vilaine department in Brittany in northwestern France. Population Inhabitants of Monthault are called ''Monthaltais'' in French. Notable people Eustace de Montaut, Anglo-Nor ...

, Ille-et-Vilaine,

Brittany Brittany ( ) is a peninsula, historical country and cultural area in the north-west of modern France, covering the western part of what was known as Armorica in Roman Gaul. It became an Kingdom of Brittany, independent kingdom and then a Duch ...

, to parents whose names are not recorded. Some historians have identified him as

Eustace III, Count of Boulogne Eustace III (c. 1050 – c. 1125) was the count of Boulogne from 1087 succeeding his father, Eustace II. He joined the First Crusade, being present at Nicaea, Dorylaeum, Antioch, and Jerusalem. After fighting in the battle of Ascalon, he returned ...

, but it is most likely that they were separate people. It has often been claimed that Eustace's family were originally the Lords of Montalto in Italy, but there is no evidence of this, and it may simply be based on the Latin form of "de Montaut, "de Monte Alto". Eustace came to England in the years following the

, aiding

Hugh Lupus Hugh d'Avranches ( 1047 – 27 July 1101), nicknamed ''le Gros'' (the Large) or ''Lupus'' (the Wolf), was from 1071 the second Norman Earl of Chester and one of the great magnates of early Norman England. Early life and career Hugh d'Avra ...

in his conflict with the Welsh. Eustace united his forces with those of Hugh Lupus, and together succeeded in subduing the Welsh in the county of

Flintshire Flintshire () is a county in the north-east of Wales. It borders the Irish Sea to the north, the Dee Estuary to the north-east, the English county of Cheshire to the east, Wrexham County Borough to the south, and Denbighshire to the west. ...

. Hugh Lupus and Eustace shared the lands they gained, with Eustace receiving the manors of

Montalt Montalt is a mountain that is part of the Serra de Montalt, Serra de Llaberia in Catalonia, Spain. It has an elevation of above sea level. There is a triangulation station (''256141001'') at the summit. See also *Tivissa *Mountains of Catal ...

and

Hawarden Hawarden (; ) is a village and community (Wales), community in Flintshire, Wales. It is part of the Deeside conurbation on the Wales-England border and is home to Hawarden Castle (medieval), Hawarden Castle. In the 2011 United Kingdom census, ...

—both of which are still ruled by his descendants. Eustace died at an unknown date and was succeeded by his eldest son,

Hugh de Montaut Hugh de Montaut, or Monte Alto, Montalt, Monhaut, or FitzNorman (ca. 1050 – 1130), was an English nobleman and Baron under Hugh Lupus during the early years of the reign of William the Conqueror. Biography Hugh was born in the mid 11th centur ...

Family

The identity of any wife of Eustace has not been recorded. She bore Eustace at least three sons: Hugh, Roger and Ralph (or Ranulph). Some sources also mention another son, Peter, Seneschal of Chester.

Issue

* Hugh (FitzNorman) de Monte Alto ( 1045 – before 1130) married N.N. **William de Monte Alto (c. 1075 – c. 1141) married Colobella Grant ***Robert de Monte Alto (c. 1095 – ?) *Ralph (FitzNorman) de Montaut (c. 1050 – before c. 1141) married N.N. **Robert de Mohaut (c. 1125 – c. 1162) married Leucha FitzNeel de Halton ***Ralph de Mohaut (c. 1155 – c. 1200) ***Roger de Mohaut (1160 – 1232) ***Eustace de Mohaut (1160 – 1232) ***Robert de Mohaut (c. 1162 – before c. 1132) ***William de Mohaut ***John de Mohaut ***Matthew de Mohaut **Simon de Mohaut (? – c. 1190) married N.N. ***Richard de Montealt, Lord of Riddlesden (? – c. 1240) ***Isabel de Montealt *Roger (FitzNorman) de Montaut (c. 1052 – ?)

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Montaut, Eustace De 1112 deaths Anglo-Normans Norman warriors 1040s births English people of Breton descent