Sibyl of Falaise


Sibyl of Falaise was an Anglo-Norman noblewoman and kinswoman of King Henry I of England.

Life

Sibyl was called the "nepta" of King Henry. The term "niece" was often used to mean that the person was an illegitimate child rather than a niece, so it is possible that she was really Henry's bastard daughter. The historian Frank Barlow also implies that she could have been Henry's daughter rather than his niece. Against this, Kathleen Thompson argues that Henry was not shy about recognizing his bastards, and that it is more likely that Sibyl was the daughter of Henry's elder brother Robert Curthose. Robert was Duke of Normandy from 1086, and Falaise was where Robert's legitimate son, William Clito, was being raised. Katharine Keats-Rohan argues instead that Sibyl was the younger daughter of William de Falaise and Geva de Burcy. William de Falaise was the lord of Stogursey in Somerset. Keats-Rohan says that Sibyl was just a "kinswoman" of Henry's and not a bastard of either Henry or Robert. I. J. Sanders does not believe Sibyl was William's daughter, but does not speculate further on her ancestry.
If Sibyl was a bastard, nothing is known of her mother. Thompson speculates that if Sibyl was the daughter of Robert, Sibyl's mother may have been someone employed in raising William Clito and that Sibyl was named for Robert's deceased wife, Sibyl of Conversano.
Sibyl married Baldwin de Boullers, at the instigation of Henry I. Baldwin had at least two sons – Stephen and Baldwin – and two daughters – Matilda and Hillaria. Matilda married Richard fitzUrse. Only Matilda is known to be surely the daughter of Sibyl. Matilda was the mother of Reginald fitzUrse, one of the murderers of Thomas Becket.

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