Roger The Poitevin - 1088 and After

1088 and After

In 1088 he led a military force against William de St-Calais, bishop of Durham, at the request of William Rufus when the bishop was implicated in a revolt against the king; Roger also negotiated with the bishop on the king's behalf before the bishop went to trial.

Roger's father Roger de Montgomery died in 1094.

In 1094 Rufus sent Roger to hold the castle at Argentan in Normandy, but Roger surrendered it to Philip I of France on the first day of the siege; Roger and his men were held for ransom and purchased their freedom. Though Philip I was an ally of Curthose, it is thought that this action was less a betrayal of Rufus and more a result of Roger's dual vassalage between the King of England and the King of France. Roger did not lose his English lands as a result of this action but held no position in Rufus' government from this point. Roger continued to be loyal to Rufus but in 1102 joined his brothers' failed rebellion against Henry I of England in favor of Robert Curthose. As a result Roger de Poitou lost his English holdings.

Roger then went to his wife's holdings in Poitou. Almodis's uncle Odo was ousted as count of La Marche in 1104, and subsequently the sons of Roger and Almodis are styled as count. In 1109 Roger was permitted to briefly return to England to the court of Henry I though did not recover his earlier English holdings. After ca. 1109, Roger appears to have either lost interest in governing in La Marche or lost the political power itself as he is only seen once in the documents of La Marche as his wife and sons held the authority in the region.