Petronilla de Grandmesnil, countess of Leicester was the daughter of one of three Grandmesnil brothers, William, Ivo, or Hugh, and wife of Robert de Beaumont III, earl of Leicester, known as "Blanchmains".
It seems that Countess Petronilla and her husband Earl Robert de Beaumont III were participants in the rebellion of Henry "the Young King" against King Henry II, his father. Because of grievances against the king, Earl Robert participated in the Young King's rebellion in 1173-4.
Countess Petronilla made dismissive remarks about the English who were fighting for Henry II: "The English are great boasters, but poor fighters; they are better at quaffing great tankards and guzzling."She accompanied her husband on his military campaign against those English troops, under the command of the earl of Arundel and Humphrey de Bohun. During the final showdown, she is said to have fled from the battle, only to be found in a ditch. "The earl's wife wanted to drown herself, when Simon of Odell saw to pulling her out: My lady, come away from this place, and abandon your design! War is all a question of losing and winning." Her husband was also captured, the couple were briefly in joint custody and the earl's holdings were confiscated. Countess Petronilla was released before her husband, and during the earl's continued imprisonment he wrote to her asking that she discharge the bequests stated in his father's will.
Countess Petronilla claimed to be the heiress of the Grandmesnil barony but the records do not record the names of her parents.
Her children were:
William (d. before 1190)
Robert IV, 3rd earl of Leicester, "fitz Parnel/Petronilla" (d. 1204) married Loretta de Braose
Roger, bishop of St. Andrews (d. 1202)
Amice married (1) Simon de Montfort III (d. 18 July before 1188), (2) William de Barres (d. 3 Sept. 1215)
Margaret married Saher de Quincy, later earl of Winchester
Hawise, who became a nun at Nuneaton Priory
Pernel/Petronilla
Two additional children are possible: Geoffrey, and Mabel
She was buried in Leicester Abbey following her death on April 1, 1212.
It seems that Countess Petronilla and her husband Earl Robert de Beaumont III were participants in the rebellion of Henry "the Young King" against King Henry II, his father. Because of grievances against the king, Earl Robert participated in the Young King's rebellion in 1173-4.
Countess Petronilla made dismissive remarks about the English who were fighting for Henry II: "The English are great boasters, but poor fighters; they are better at quaffing great tankards and guzzling."She accompanied her husband on his military campaign against those English troops, under the command of the earl of Arundel and Humphrey de Bohun. During the final showdown, she is said to have fled from the battle, only to be found in a ditch. "The earl's wife wanted to drown herself, when Simon of Odell saw to pulling her out: My lady, come away from this place, and abandon your design! War is all a question of losing and winning." Her husband was also captured, the couple were briefly in joint custody and the earl's holdings were confiscated. Countess Petronilla was released before her husband, and during the earl's continued imprisonment he wrote to her asking that she discharge the bequests stated in his father's will.
Countess Petronilla claimed to be the heiress of the Grandmesnil barony but the records do not record the names of her parents.
Her children were:
William (d. before 1190)
Robert IV, 3rd earl of Leicester, "fitz Parnel/Petronilla" (d. 1204) married Loretta de Braose
Roger, bishop of St. Andrews (d. 1202)
Amice married (1) Simon de Montfort III (d. 18 July before 1188), (2) William de Barres (d. 3 Sept. 1215)
Margaret married Saher de Quincy, later earl of Winchester
Hawise, who became a nun at Nuneaton Priory
Pernel/Petronilla
Two additional children are possible: Geoffrey, and Mabel
She was buried in Leicester Abbey following her death on April 1, 1212.
Petronilla de Grandmesnil, countess of Leicester was the daughter of one of three Grandmesnil brothers, William, Ivo, or Hugh, and wife of Robert de Beaumont III, earl of Leicester, known as "Blanchmains".
It seems that Countess Petronilla and her husband Earl Robert de Beaumont III were participants in the rebellion of Henry "the Young King" against King Henry II, his father. Because of grievances against the king, Earl Robert participated in the Young King's rebellion in 1173-4.
Countess Petronilla made dismissive remarks about the English who were fighting for Henry II: "The English are great boasters, but poor fighters; they are better at quaffing great tankards and guzzling."She accompanied her husband on his military campaign against those English troops, under the command of the earl of Arundel and Humphrey de Bohun. During the final showdown, she is said to have fled from the battle, only to be found in a ditch. "The earl's wife wanted to drown herself, when Simon of Odell saw to pulling her out: My lady, come away from this place, and abandon your design! War is all a question of losing and winning." Her husband was also captured, the couple were briefly in joint custody and the earl's holdings were confiscated. Countess Petronilla was released before her husband, and during the earl's continued imprisonment he wrote to her asking that she discharge the bequests stated in his father's will.
Countess Petronilla claimed to be the heiress of the Grandmesnil barony but the records do not record the names of her parents.
Her children were:
William (d. before 1190)
Robert IV, 3rd earl of Leicester, "fitz Parnel/Petronilla" (d. 1204) married Loretta de Braose
Roger, bishop of St. Andrews (d. 1202)
Amice married (1) Simon de Montfort III (d. 18 July before 1188), (2) William de Barres (d. 3 Sept. 1215)
Margaret married Saher de Quincy, later earl of Winchester
Hawise, who became a nun at Nuneaton Priory
Pernel/Petronilla
Two additional children are possible: Geoffrey, and Mabel
She was buried in Leicester Abbey following her death on April 1, 1212.
It seems that Countess Petronilla and her husband Earl Robert de Beaumont III were participants in the rebellion of Henry "the Young King" against King Henry II, his father. Because of grievances against the king, Earl Robert participated in the Young King's rebellion in 1173-4.
Countess Petronilla made dismissive remarks about the English who were fighting for Henry II: "The English are great boasters, but poor fighters; they are better at quaffing great tankards and guzzling."She accompanied her husband on his military campaign against those English troops, under the command of the earl of Arundel and Humphrey de Bohun. During the final showdown, she is said to have fled from the battle, only to be found in a ditch. "The earl's wife wanted to drown herself, when Simon of Odell saw to pulling her out: My lady, come away from this place, and abandon your design! War is all a question of losing and winning." Her husband was also captured, the couple were briefly in joint custody and the earl's holdings were confiscated. Countess Petronilla was released before her husband, and during the earl's continued imprisonment he wrote to her asking that she discharge the bequests stated in his father's will.
Countess Petronilla claimed to be the heiress of the Grandmesnil barony but the records do not record the names of her parents.
Her children were:
William (d. before 1190)
Robert IV, 3rd earl of Leicester, "fitz Parnel/Petronilla" (d. 1204) married Loretta de Braose
Roger, bishop of St. Andrews (d. 1202)
Amice married (1) Simon de Montfort III (d. 18 July before 1188), (2) William de Barres (d. 3 Sept. 1215)
Margaret married Saher de Quincy, later earl of Winchester
Hawise, who became a nun at Nuneaton Priory
Pernel/Petronilla
Two additional children are possible: Geoffrey, and Mabel
She was buried in Leicester Abbey following her death on April 1, 1212.
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