ROBERT DE

See also:

• BEAUMONT
• BEAUMONT, BELMONT, or BELLOMONT
• BEAUMONT, CHRISTOPHE DE (1703-1781)
• BEAUMONT, SIR JOHN (1583–1627)

BEAUMONT (I104-1168)  , justiciar of England, married a granddaughter of Ralph Guader, earl of Norfolk, and receiving his father's English fiefs in 1118 became earl of Leicester . He and his brother, Waleran, were the chief advisers of Stephen, and helped this king to seize the bishops of Salisbury and Lincoln in 1139; later, however, Robert made his peace with Henry II., and became chief justiciar of England . First among the lay nobles he signed the Constitutions of Clarendon, he sought to reconcile Henry and Archbishop Becket, and was twice in charge of the kingdom during the king's absences in France . The earl founded the abbey of St Mary cle Pre at Leicester and other religious houses, and by a charter confirmed the burgesses of Leicester in the possession of their merchant-gild and customs . His son,.Robert, succeeded to the earldom of Leicester, and with other English barons assisted prince Henry in his revolt against his father the king in 1193 . For this participation, and also on a later occasion, he was imprisoned; but he enjoyed the favour of Richard I., and died in Greece when returning from a pilgrimage in 119o . His son and heir, Robert, died childless in 1204 .