Bastards of Henry I, part 2: sons
Stewart Baldwin
Proven sons:
A. Robert "filius Regis", d. 1147, earl of Gloucester [W1, T1].
[GND(RT) viii, 29 (v. 2, pp. 248-9), and many other sources]
He is called the eldest by RT. His mother was evidently a relative of
Philip Gai and of Nigel son of William, both of whom appear in the
sources as relatives of Robert. [Thompson 142-3]
B. Richard, d. in the White Ship, 25 November 1120 [W2, T2].
[GND(RT) viii, 29 (v. 2, pp. 248-9)]
Son of Ansfrid [Chr. Mon. Abington ii, 37, 122-3]
C. Reginald, earl of Cornwall, d. 1175 [W3, T3].
[GND(RT) viii, 29 (v. 2, pp. 248-9)]
Son of a woman [Sibyl in later sources] who later married Herbert Fitz
Herbert. (see the part on the mothers for more)
D. Robert "filius Regis", d. 1172 [W4, T4].
[GND(RT) viii, 29 (v. 2, pp. 248-9)]
Son of Eda/Edith, later wife of Robert de Oilli [Simeon of Durham ii,
310; Dugdale vi, 251; White 109, citing the cartulary of Oseney
Abbey.]
E. Gilbert [W5, T5].
[GND(RT) viii, 29 (v. 2, pp. 248-9)]
Thompson speculates that his mother may have been an unnamed sister of
Walter de Gand whom Henry took as a mistress according to thirteenth
century evidence, by the only "evidence" is onomastic (Walter's father
being named Gilbert), a weak argument.
F. William de Tracy, d. shortly after his father [W6, T6].
[GND(RT) viii, 29 (v. 2, pp. 250-1)]
G. Henry, d. 1157 [W7, T7 (some doubt indicated)].
[Giraldus Cambrensis i, 58-9]
Son of Nest ferch Tewdwr, wife of Gerald of Windsor.
The B manuscript of AC, in the account of his death, calls him son of
Gerald, stating that some would wish him to be a son of Henry I,
suggesting that the author of the annal did not believe the connection
to Henry, but this is the only known indication of doubt in the early
sources. The Welsh vernacular annals call him a son of Henry I with
no indication of doubt. Since Giraldus was a relative, his word has
greater weight, and it seems highly probable that he was Henry's son.
H. Fulk "filius Regis" [W8, T8].
[Chr. Mon. Abingdon ii, 122-3]
White would make him a son of Ansfrid, based on the fact that he
appears in the same document as her and her son Richard (B. above).
Thompson considers it unlikely that he was Ansfrid's son, since the
source does not explicitly say that Fulk was her son.
Stewart Baldwin