http://fmg.ac/Projects/MedLands/NORMAN%20NOBILITY.htm#_Toc279557169:

NEEL [I] (-[1040/42]). Vicomte [de Cotentin].

• William of Jumièges records that Richard II Duke of Normandy left "Nigel de Coutances, Raoul de Ternois, et Roger, fils de celui-ci" as guardians of the château de Tillières {Verneuil, Eure}, built in the early 1000s against Eudes Comte de Blois[1392].
• "…Niellus…" witnessed the charter dated to [1015] under which "Rotbertus comes" donated property to the abbey of Mont-Saint-Michel for the souls of "uxoris meæ Bileeldis defunctæ et…vivente Ascelinæ, filiorumque meorum Vilelmi et Rotberti atque Ricardi"[1393].
• "…Nielli vicecomitis…" witnessed the charter dated to [1020] under which Richard II Duke of Normandy donated property "in pago Constantino, villam…Hetredvilla" to the abbey of Marmoutier[1394].
• "Ricardi filii Gulberti, Nigelli vicecomitis…Storstingi vicecomitis" signed the charter dated 1027 (redated to [1017]%29 in which "secundus nominis mei Normannorum dux Ricardus" confirmed donations to Fécamp abbey[1395]. "…Negel vicecomes…" witnessed the charter dated Aug 1027 under which Richard II Duke of Normandy donated property to the abbey of Bernay[1396].
• "…Nigelii vicecomes…" witnessed the charter dated to [1030] under which Robert II Duke of Normandy confirmed rights of Mont Saint-Michel[1397].
• "…Nielli vicecomitis, Nielli filii eius…" witnessed the charter dated to [1030] under which Robert II Duke of Normandy donated "in comitatu Abrincatensi villam…Sancti Johannis" to the abbey of Mont-Saint-Michel[1398].
• "…vetulus Nigellus, Turaldus…Radulfus camberarius filius Geraldi, Gotscellinus Rufus de Formovilla, Humfridus constructor eiusdem loci cum filiis suis Rogerio, Roberto, Willelmo…Ricardus de Lillabona…Hugo filius Waleranni comitis…" are named as present in the charter dated 1035 under which "Willelmus adhuc puerulus…Roberti comitis filius" donated "Turstini villa" to the abbey of Préaux[1399].
• The Chronique Manuscrite de Normandie records that, after the death of Canute King of England, "le Conte Neel de Coustantin…le sire de Guerarville, le sire de Gournay" sailed from Harfleur to England with Edward Prince of England to claim the English throne[1400].
• "Robertus archiepiscopus, Odo comes et Niellus vicecomes" are named as present in the charter dated to [1035/37] under which Hugues Bishop of Bayeux made a census of the properties of the church[1401].
• "Nigelli vicecomitis, Goisfridi vicecomitis, Rodulfi Taisson" witnessed the charter dated to [1040] under which Mauger Archbishop of Rouen confirmed the foundation of the priory of Sigy[1402].
• "…Nigelli vicecomitis, Tursteni vicecomitis…Willelmi Arcacensis comitis, Godefridi vicecomitis, Rodgerii filii Rodulfi, Wimundi…" witnessed the charter dated to [1040] under which Guillaume Comte de Talou donated property to Jumièges[1403].

m ---. The name of Néel´s wife is not known.

Néel & his wife had:

a) NEEL [II] (-1 Aug, before [1073] or 1092). "…Nielli vicecomitis, Nielli filii eius…" witnessed the charter dated to [1030] under which Robert II Duke of Normandy donated "in comitatu Abrincatensi villam…Sancti Johannis" to the abbey of Mont-Saint-Michel[1404]. "…Nielli vicecomitis, Nielli filii eius…" witnessed the charter dated to [1030] under which Robert II Duke of Normandy donated "in comitatu Abrincatensi villam…Sancti Johannis" to the abbey of Mont-Saint-Michel[1405]. - see below.

b) EUDES (-after 1104). Vicomte de Contentin. ["%E2%80%A6Eudo vicecomes Constantini…" witnessed the charter dated to [1060] under which Guillaume II Duke of Normandy granted "Brenerias" to the abbey of Bayeux[1406]. Delisle suggests that Eudes was the son of Thurstan Haldup. However, it appears more likely that he was the younger brother of Vicomte Néel [II].] "Eudo vicecomes pagi Constantini" donated property to the abbey of Marmoutier by charter dated 1081[1407]. "…Eudone Luxoviensi…" was named as a judge at the court of William I King of England in the charter dated to [1081] which records an agreement between the monks of Marmoutier and "Gaufridus Nervei filius"[1408]. A charter dated to [1090] records donations to the abbey of Saint-Sauveur by "Nigellus vicecomes" and "…Eudo vicecomes, concessu Henrici comitis…Eudo vicecomes Sancto Salvatori…Eudo vicecomes…"[1409]. A charter dated 1104 records donations to the abbey of Saint-Sauveur by "Nigellus presbyter de Geroville et Rogerus frater eius et Briennius filius ipsius", witnessed by and with the consent of "Eudone vicecomite…", and by "Eudo vicecomes" confirmed earlier donations by "Nigellus frater eius"[1410]. A manuscript at Caen, which commemorates the death of Abbess Mathilde, daughter of William I King of England, names "Nigello vicecomite, Eudone vicecomite" among the deceased at "sancti Salvatoris de Constantino"[1411]. m ROHAISE, daughter of --- (-after 1104). A charter dated 1104 records donations to the abbey of Saint-Sauveur by "Eudo vicecomes…et Rohais vicecomitissa", with the consent of "Nigellus presbyter de Geroville [et Rogerus frater eius] et Briennius filius ipsius"[1412].

Sources

• [1392] WJ V.10, p. 124.
• [1393] Delisle (1867), Pièces justificatives, 1, p. 1.
• [1394] Delisle (1867), Pièces justificatives, 3, p. 4.
• [1395] Louviers, Tome I, II, p. 3.
• [1396] Delisle (1867), Pièces justificatives, 7, p. 8, citing Neustria pia, p. 398.
• [1397] Lambert ´Les anciens vicomtes de Bayeux´, p. 252.
• [1398] Delisle (1867), Pièces justificatives, 9, p. 10.
• [1399] Delisle (1867), Pièces justificatives, 12, p. 12, citing Gallia Christiana XI, instr. col. 200.
• [1400] Chronique Manuscrite de Normandie, RHGF XI, p. 339.
• [1401] Bayeux (Livre noir), Tome I, XXI, p. 27.
• [1402] Delisle (1867), Pièces justificatives, 15, p. 18, citing Gallia Christiana XI, instr. 12.
• [1403] Delisle (1867), Pièces justificatives, 16, p. 17.
• [1404] Delisle (1867), Pièces justificatives, 9, p. 10.
• [1405] Delisle (1867), Pièces justificatives, 17, p. 19.
• [1406] Delisle (1867), Pièces justificatives, 30, p. 33.
• [1407] Delisle (1867), Pièces justificatives, 40, p. 44.
• [1408] Delisle (1867), Pièces justificatives, 42, p. 46.
• [1409] Delisle (1867), Pièces justificatives, 45, p. 50.
• [1410] Delisle (1867), Pièces justificatives, 46, p. 55.
• [1411] Delisle (1866), p. 204.

Histoire de l'abbaye bénédictine de Saint-Sauveur-le-Vicomte By A. Lerosey, Abbeville, 1894. [Google Books]

NÉEL Ier. — A Roger succéda Néel, premier du nom, qui figure dans les annales religieuses et militaires de la province au commencement du xie siècle. Nous le voyons, en 1002, à la tête des gens du pays, tailler en pièces une armée anglaise envoyée par Ethelred pour ravager le Cotentin. Il en fit un carnage tel, disent les historiens, qu'il en échappa à peine assez pour porter en Angleterre la nouvelle de ce désastre. Il mourut vers l'an 1040 ou 1042.

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Néel Ier de Saint-Sauveur
Un article de Wikipédia, l'encyclopédie libre. http://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/N%C3%A9el_Ier_de_Saint-Sauveur (updated Aug 2019)

Néel Ier de Saint-Sauveur

• Titre Vicomte du Cotentin
• Autre titre Seigneur de Saint-Sauveur
• Prédécesseur Roger de Saint-Sauveur
• Successeur Néel II de Saint-Sauveur
• Faits d'armes Bataille du Val de Saire
• Biographie
• Dynastie Famille de Saint-Sauveur
• Décès vers 1040
• Père Roger de Saint-Sauveur
• Enfants Néel II de Saint-Sauveur

Néel Ier de Saint-Sauveur1 (parfois nommé Nigel) est un baron normand du xie siècle, issu de la famille de Saint-Sauveur.

Origines

Son ascendance est certainement scandinave, Néel dérivant de l'iro-norvégien Niall2. Le prénom Néel est resté d'un usage courant en Normandie, il subit parfois dans les textes la fausse latinisation en Nigellus dérivé de niger noir, en latin. Ce prénom est comme bien d'autres, devenu nom de famille vers le xiiie siècle. Encore aujourd'hui, il est surtout très fréquent dans le nord Cotentin et dans le pays de Caux. On le retrouve dans des toponymes : Néhou, Néville-sur-Mer (Cotentin) et Néville (pays de Caux)3.

On le dit fils de Roger de Saint-Sauveur lui-même descendant d'un certain Malahulc Eysteinsson, un jarl païen norvégien né vers le milieu du ixe siècle, frère cadet de Ragnvald Eysteinsson, le père de Rollon le Marcheur, 1er « duc de Normandie » (en réalité comte de Rouen). Mais tout cela semble légendaire.

Les coups d'éclat du vicomte

Un acte du duc de Normandie daté entre 1013 et 1020 nous apprend que Néel était vicomte du Cotentin. Il dirigeait donc pour le compte de Richard II une région excentrique du duché.

En 1001, près de Saint-Vaast-la-Hougue, il repousse un débarquement anglo-saxon du roi Æthelred le Malavisé : l'invasion anglo-saxonne, échoue grâce à l'énergie de Néel de Saint-Sauveur qui extermine les envahisseurs à la bataille du Val de Saire. Guillaume de Jumièges explique que ce débarquement visait à capturer la personne du duc4. L'historien François Neveux émet quelques doute sur cette affirmation, constatant l'éloignement de Rouen du champ de bataille. Pour lui, il s'agit juste d'un raid de pillage en représailles des expéditions vikings dans le royaume anglo-saxon5.

Vers 1013, en compagnie de Raoul de Tosny et de son fils Roger, il est chargé par le duc Richard II de garder le château de Tillières6, à l'autre extrémité du duché. Eudes II de Blois assiège la nouvelle forteresse mais il est repoussé. Le duc Richard lui confie aussi la garde du château du Homme6.

Sous Robert le Magnifique (1027-1035), Néel reçoit la garde d'un autre château, Charuel en Sacey, à la limite de la Normandie et de la Bretagne. Le comte Alain III de Bretagne est en effet en conflit avec le duc. En représailles d'un raid de pillage, l'armée bretonne pénètre en Avranchin mais Néel aidé d'Alfred le Géant7 repousse encore une fois l'envahisseur8. Pierre Bauduin précise que ce fait d'armes est plutôt l'œuvre de Néel II9.

Il meurt vers 1040.

Il est le père de Néel II de Saint-Sauveur.

Notes et références

1. ↑ En rapport avec Saint-Sauveur-le-Vicomte en Cotentin
2. ↑ Lucien Musset, « Naissance de la Normandie », dans Michel de Bouard (dir.), Histoire de la Normandie, Privat, 1970, p.122
3. ↑ Cependant, la présence d'un foyer du nom dans le Lyonnais est obscure, peut-être s'agit-il d'un autre nom, lui-même dérivé de niger en francoprovençal ?
4. ↑ Guillaume de Jumièges, Histoire des Normands, éd. Guizot, 1825, p.114-115
5. ↑ François Neveux, La Normandie des ducs aux rois (Xe-XIIe siècle), Ouest-France, Rennes, 1998, p.68
6. ↑ a et b David Douglas, « The Earliest Norman Counts », The English Historical Review, vol. 61, no 240 (mai 1946), pages 129 à 156, p. 152-153.
7. ↑ ou Auvray le Géant. Il pourrait être le vicomte d'Avranches.
8. ↑ Guillaume de Jumièges, Orderic Vital, Robert de Torigni, Histoire des Normands, éd. Guizot, 1825, p.157
9. ↑ Pierre Bauduin, la première Normandie (Xe-XIe siècle), Presses Universitaires de Caen, 2002, p.186

Voir aussi Château de Saint-Sauveur-le-Vicomte

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James Bulkeley, La Hougue Bie de Hambie: a tradition of Jersey. Volume 2. London: Gilbert & Rivington, Whitaker & Company, 1837. (Google Books)

[The following fight for the Castle of Tilleres took place in 1014-1015:]

Notes to Vol. 1
pp. 195-202 "p. 75 (55.) The constable Gislebert Crispin' Based on Roman de Rou, which is interspersed throughout... summary:

• Count Eudes of Chartres married Maud, the sister of Duke Richard II, and received in dowry the seigneuries of Dreux and other domains. When Maud died with no children, Richard tried to retake the city Dreux and castle of Tillieres back from Eudes by force.
• He "confided his defences" to Néel de Saint-Sauveur, to Ralph [de Tosny], and to this son Roger de Toseny and de Couches
• Eudes of Chartres allied himself to Valeran de Meulan, Hugh Count of Maine, and a reinforcement of French troops
• Néel commanded the center, defending the main road into the castle; Ralph the right wing, and Roger the left.
• Three divisions of Eudes' troops: (1) the troops of Chartres and Blois led by Eudes, (2) those of France and Maine by Count Hugh of Maine, and (3) those of Meulan by Valeran.
• Néel's column was attacked, but with the aid of Roger's and Ralphs' forces, the Normans routed the Counts of Chartres and Meulan, causing the Count of Maine to flee. When his horse died, he disguised himself as a peasant and was able to escape capture.

The castle of Tillieres, as a gateway to Chartres and France, became "of couble consquence to [Duke] Robert," and he gave command of it to Gilbert Crispin, Lord of Bec-Crispin. Later, King Henry of France, along with a group of disaffected Norman barons, "advanced a powerful army on Dreux" to persuade Duke William to raze the fortress. Crispin, indignant, "increased the garrison of the castle" but "could not overcome the brave resistance of the beseiged, or the virtuous obstinacy of the faithful Gilbert Crispin," who had pledged to turn it over only to the Duke, which he died, and Duke William in turn delivered it to King Henry, who "enveloped it in flames." The castle was later ceded by Henry to William after the Battle of Veraville, who named Gilbert's second son, also named Gilbert, as constable in remembrance of his father's loyalty. This younger Gilbert followed Duke William to the Conquest.

William, Gilbert's eldest son, Lord of Bec-Crispin, along with Robert Count of Eu, commanded a division of Duke William's army on the Battle of Mortimer, for which he was rewarded since his second son Milon, in the Domesday Book (1086) held 88 manors and was Lord of Wallingford in Buckinghamshire (he died s.p.). His older brother William possessed the Norman estates, was faithful to Robert Courtheuse and espoused his son William's cause against Henry I. "Twice beneath William Crispin's arm, at the battle of Bremulle, that monarch fell: the importance of this single combat arrested both armies; till either severely wounded and drenched in gore, fortune at length sided with the king, and the noble Crispin became his prisoner. About the middle of the thirteenth century, William Crispin, fifth of that name, Marshal of France, and who attended St. Louis to the African crusade, became possessed of the great estates of the family of Mortimer and the barony of Varanquebec, to which estate was attached the hereditary title of Constable, by marriage with the young heiress, Jeanne de Mortimer of Normandy. Their son William died in 1330, leaving no male issue; the eldest daughter married William de Melun, Count of Tancarville, and carried to that family Varanquebec and other seignories."

Nigel De Saint Sauveur was the Viscount of the Contentin and owned half the Manche.

Vicomte de Cotentin et de St Sauveur

Sources:

  1. Abbrev: The Plantagenet Ancestry, by William Henry Turton, 1968

     Title: The Plantagenet Ancestry, by William Henry Turton, 1968

     Date: 27 Jun 1998

     Page: 107

     Quality: 3 

=--------------------------------=

I wanted to offer a translation of the Latin quotes from http://fmg.ac/Projects/MedLands/NORMAN%20NOBILITY.htm#_Toc279557169. I placed a semi-colon after the latin with an english translation...

William of Jumièges records that Richard II Duke of Normandy left "Nigel de Coutances, Raoul de Ternois, et Roger, fils de celui-ci; Nigel de Coutances, Raoul de Ternois, and Roger, son thereof" as guardians of the château de Tillières in Verneuil, Eure, built in the early 1000s against Eudes Comte de Blois

"Niellus" witnessed the charter dated to 1015 under which "Rotbertus comes; Earl Robert" donated property to the abbey of Mont-Saint-Michel for the souls of "uxoris meæ Bileeldis defunctæ et…vivente Ascelinæ, filiorumque meorum Vilelmi et Rotberti atque Ricardi; My wife's sister and Bileeldis ... Ascelin, alive, my sons, Robert and Richard and Vilelmi".

Ricardi filii Gulberti, Nigelli vicecomitis…Storstingi vicecomitis; Richard the son of Gulbert, sheriff Nigel, sheriff Storstingi" signed the charter dated 1027, redated to 1017, in which "secundus nominis mei Normannorum dux Ricardus; Richard, 2nd Duke of Normandy," confirmed donations to Fécamp abbey.

"Nielli vicecomitis; sheriff Néel" witnessed the charter dated to 1020 under which Richard II Duke of Normandy donated property "in pago Constantino, villam…Hetredvilla; in the village of Constantine, the village of Hetredvilla" to the abbey of Marmoutier.

vetulus Nigellus, Turaldus Radulfus camberarius filius Geraldi, Gotscellinus Rufus de Formovilla, Humfridus constructor eiusdem loci cum filiis suis Rogerio, Roberto, Willelmo…Ricardus de Lillabona…Hugo filius Waleranni comitis; husband Nigel, Ralph Turaldus camberarius, son of Gerald, Rufus Gotscellinus of Formoville, founder of the place with their children, Humphrey and his sons, Roger, Robert, William Richard Lillabona, son of count Hugh Waleranni" are named as present in the charter dated 1035 under which "Willelmus adhuc puerulus…Roberti comitis filius; William, young son of Earl Robert" donated "Turstini villa; the town of Turstini" to the abbey of Préaux.

The Chronique Manuscrite de Normandie records that, after the death in 1035 of Canute King of England, "le Conte Neel de Coustantin…le sire de Guerarville, le sire de Gournay; Count Neel Coustantin, the lord of Guerarville, the Sire de Gournay" sailed from Harfleur to England with Edward Prince of England to claim the English throne.

"Robertus archiepiscopus, Odo comes et Niellus vicecomes; Archbishop Robert, count Odo and sheriff Nigel" are named as present in the charter dated to 1035-1037 under which Hugues Bishop of Bayeux made a census of the properties of the church.

"Nigelli vicecomitis, Goisfridi vicecomitis, Rodulfi Taisson; sheriff Nigel, the sheriff Goisfridi, Rodolfo Taisson" witnessed the charter dated to 1040 under which Mauger Archbishop of Rouen confirmed the foundation of the priory of Sigy.

"Nielli vicecomitis, Tursteni vicecomitis…Willelmi Arcacensis comitis, Godefridi vicecomitis, Rodgerii filii Rodulfi, Wimundi; sheriff Nigel, the sheriff Tursten, count William Arcacensis, Earl William, sheriff Godfrey, Rodgerii son of Rodolfo, Wimundi" witnessed the charter dated to 1040 under which Guillaume Comte de Talou donated property to Jumièges.

Thanks for your work as profile managers.

Sincerely,

Meg Keith

http://fmg.ac/Projects/MedLands/NORMAN%20NOBILITY.htm#_Toc279557169:
NEEL [II], son of NEEL [I] Vicomte [de Cotentin] & his wife --- (-1 Aug, before [1073] or 1092). "…