Richard D' AVRANCHES 2nd Earl of Chester

   Research Notes:

Orderic Vitalis names “Ricardum Cestrensis comitatum hæredum” as the child of “Hugonis de Abrincis filio Ricardi cognomento Goz” and his wife “Ermentrudem filiam Hugonis de Claromonte Belvacensi”, adding that he died “juvenis” and childless “VII Kal Dec” in the shipwreck “cum Guillelmo Adelino Henrici regis Anglorum filio”. A manuscript narrating the descent of Hugh Earl of Chester to Alice Ctss of Lincoln records that “Richardus filius eius” was “puer septem annorum” when he succeeded “Hugo primus comes Cestriæ”. His date of birth is estimated from the Annales Cestrienses which record the death in 1101 of “Hugone comite Cestrensi” and the succession of “Ricardus puer vii annorum”.

He succeeded his father in 1101 as Earl of Chester and Vicomte d'Avranches. William of Malmesbury records that Richard drowned with his wife following the sinking of the “Blanche Nef [White Ship]”. The Continuator of Florence of Worcester names "…Ricardus comes Cestrensis, Otthuel frater eius…" among those drowned in the sinking of the White Ship. The Annales Cestrienses record that “in die S. Katerine” 1120 “filius regis et Ricardus comes Cestrie cum uxore sua” were sunk “apud Barbelfleo”. ¹

   Marriage Information:

Richard married Mathilde DE BLOIS, daughter of Étienne III DE BLOIS Count of Chartres, Châteaudun, Sancerre & Meaux and Princess Adaele (Alice) DE NORMANDIE of England, about 1115. (Mathilde DE BLOIS was born about 1097 in Blois, Loir-et-Cher, Centre, France and died on 25 Nov 1120.)