Possible Ancestry of Main d’Aubigne Ralph the Large de Gahard and his Son Main d’Aubigne were the lords of Aubigne, which included a cluster of towns and mound fortifications centered around the Breton village of Saint-Aubin-d'Aubigné. The other villages included; Chauvigné, Gahard, Saint-Médard-sur-Ille, Saint-Germain and Montreuil-sur-Ille all located between Rennes and Vitré. In Chauvigné, the Lord’s Aubigne held land in fee to the Lords of Fougères (Ferns), and probably shared a close relationship with them through a matrimonial marriage do to similar naming patterns.(a) The first mention of Ralph the Large is c. 1040 in a charter chronicling the donation of Borne wood to the monks of of Gahard. (b) Ralph was a probable participant in the Invasion of Britain with Duke William in 1066 attached to the Breton calvary and received lands around Raynham in Norfolk after the conquest. (c)(d) By 1206 Ralph had lost his English holdings because he most likely was caught up in the Breton revolt of Ralph Gael in 1075. KSB Keats-Rohan, mentions that Ralph the Large was a follower of Ralph of Gael and was associated with Eudo fitz Clamarhoc and Wihenoc, son of Goranton(e). Ralph according to B. N. lat. 5441.3, pp. 295-6 had eight sons other than Main. “Rad. Largus dedit nobis Eccliam Sancti Medardi cum &c. annuentibus, Maino, Jvano, Guill * Steph * Alfr * Rotb * Herv *Juhali * Herberto. Testes Rad. De Meso Germundi. &c”(f) . There is also a bastard son Albert mentioned in the previously mentioned charter to the Monks of Gahard, “Signum Albrici filii ejus bastardi.(b). Evan, Ralphs’s second son was in charge of restoring the Monastary of St Melanie and later became the Archbishop of Dol in 1081.(g) Main d’Aubigne, Ralphs eldest son, seems to have inherited his father’s lands in Saint-Aubin-d'Aubigné, Chauvigné and Saint-Germain and has also carried the surname of Saint-Germain. In a charter giving lands in Chauvigné to the Monks of Mont-St-Michel c. 1100 the names in no particular order, “Maini de Sancto Germano”, his son Robert, in absentia (signed by Main himself) for his son Ralph, and Main’s wife Adelesia (Bohun).(h) Ralph, Main’s eldest son, possibly by a different marriage, carried on the Breton line of Aubigny (i) and witnessed a charter with his Uncle Juhel in 1106.” “Radulfus de Albiniaco. Juhardus avunculus ejus.”(j). The Anglo-Breton line was carried out by Main’s son William (Brito), nephews; Ewen, Elias, and Geoffrey whose parentage is uncertain (could it be Robert?) can be traced from the charters of Belvoir Priory (k) and John Ravinous’s posts. (l) Link to pedigrees Pedigree of’Aubigny - Manoirs et châteaux dans le comté de Rennes Michel Brand’Honneur 2001 Pedigree 1 http://books.openedition.org/pur/docannexe/image/11270/img-5.png pg 179 Pedigree http://books.openedition.org/pur/docannexe/image/11274/img-2.png pg 266 Pedigree of Anglo-Breton Aubigne From John P Ravilious https://groups.google.com/forum/#!msg/soc.genealogy.medieval/LD4o5uCGO1o/DKZF_0NyNIQJ Keats-Rohan, mentions a clue that might shed some light on the ancestry of Ralph the Large. She mentions a Euen de Saint-Germain, who was probably an uncle to Main d’Aubigne (m) that is named in a charter involving the Monastery of St Martin in Erbreé (B. N. lat. 5441.3, pp. 295-6) located in the French Archives(n). This charter loosely translated with help from accounts from Michel Brand'Honneur (o) and a separate text from the Abbey of Martimour (Rennes, AD Ille-et-Vilaine, 6 H 34 n° 3 Numéro 2168)(n) . There were three Soldiers; Norman, Frotgier, and Adam all sons of Tetbaud who were disputing Hervé the cannon of Tours of becoming a monk at the Monastery of Erbrée. One of the brothers became ill and while he was dying retracted his dispute with Hervé. Claritia, Adam’s aunt, wife of Eudon son of Almodius, protested and assaulted Hervé by hitting him on the head with a stick and in front of Rivallon the priest. The lord of the area, Andrew I of Vitre then imprisoned Clarice and called a council at the Hall of Dominus to settle the dispute with Hervé and all of Clarice’s relatives. They in turn had to claim that Herve could become a monk because Andrew needed to keep the peace because of violence and protest with the other monks. Clarice was henceforth whipped as a result of her insolence. Among the witnesses are Norman’s sons; Hamelin, Payen, Andrew, and his daughter ; and her Husband Ewen (Euen) Saint-Germain. Also in attendance are Frotgier’s sons Walter (Gualterio) and Botardo. Another online translation that was used that was translated by DuPaz (p). If anyone would like to take a stab at translating further and or finding mistakes please do. The links are directly below. Brand'Honneur Michel. La motte et le clocher : l'affrontement des symboles ?. In: Cahiers de civilisation médiévale, 43 eannée (n°169), Janvier-mars 2000. p. 16 http://www.persee.fr/docAsPDF/ccmed_0007-9731_2000_num_43_169_2769.pdf Rennes, AD Ille-et-Vilaine, 6 H 34 n° 3 http://www.cn-telma.fr/originaux/charte2168/ B. N. lat. 5441.3, pp. 294-6 http://gallica.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/btv1b9077003n/f161.item.zoom And http://www.infobretagne.com/erbree.htm Pedigree of this Charter and Euen de St-Germain and possible Line of Raoul le Large - Manoirs et châteaux dans le comté de Rennes Michel Brand’Honneur 2001http://books.openedition.org/pur/docannexe/image/11274/img-16.png pg 275 (a)Manoirs et châteaux dans le comté de Rennes Michel Brand’Honneur 2001 pgs, 171,178-179,187,193,266 http://books.openedition.org/pur/11260 Translated from French (b)Recueil des historiens des Gaules et de la France, Volume 10 edited by Martin Bouquet, Léopold Delisle pg 10 Bibloth. Nat. MSS Cartul. De Marmoutier, t. III p. 309. Donation of Raoul Le Large to the priory of Gahrad (1040-1066) “Radulfus cognomento Largus donat Sancto Exupcrio silvam Bornus, monachis qui in Gahardo commorantur. Signum ejus et Mainonis, Heweni et Guillelmi filiorum ejus. Signum Albrici filii ejus bastardi. A la marge Signum comitis Conani Signum comitis Heudonis” (c)http://deeds.library.utoronto.ca/charters/01770244 Cartulary Title: Feet of Fines for the County Norfolk 1198-1202 Date: 1200 “of all the land which Ralph Largus (Radulfus Larges)held in Reinham (Raynham)” (d)Cartulary Title: Beauchamp Cartulary, 1100-1268 Date: 1206 http://deeds.library.utoronto.ca/charters/00320367 “Richard Lowoghewall the children of the east, and toward the west, and in Stockholm, according to the verses of Cecilia Luyo and two acres of meadow and two acres and a half, meadow under the messuage of Richard son of Cecilia, at the meadow that belonged to Ralph Largus (Radulfi Largi)” (e)Domesday People, The Bretons and the Norman Conquest, K.S.B. Keats-Rohan 1999. Pg 44-45 (f)B. N. lat. 5441.3 pgs 295-296 http://gallica.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/btv1b9077003n/f161.item.zoom “Rad. Largus dedit nobis Eccliam Sancti Medardi cum &c. Annuentibus filiis juis, Manio Ivano, Guill . Steph . Alfr . Rotb . herv . Juhali . herberto. Testes Rad. De Meso Germundi. & c” (g)Mondes de l'Ouest et villes du monde: Regards sur les sociétés médiévalesMélanges en l'honneur d'André Chédeville, Catherine Laurent, Bernard Merdrignac, Daniel Pichot 1998 pgs 314, 322-323 (h)The Cartulary of the Abbey of Mont-Saint-Michel K. S. B. Keats-Rohan, Shaun Tyas, 2006, Pgs 143-144 Carta de Albinneio c. 1100 ”NOTVM sit omnibus ueram sancte trinitatis fidem colentibus. Mainnum quendam nobilem uirum de Albinnei castro cum propria uxore quondam sancti Michaelis adisse limina. ac fratribus eiusdem sancte ecclesie sedule famulantibus quandam fecisse donationem de quadem maiteria ut uulgo dicitur. quam apud quandam uillam que Caluinnei dicitur habebat. pro salute sui uxorisque sue infantum quoque suorum ac omnium amicorum. et ut predicti fratres assidue sui in orationibus suis sint memores. Si quis huic dono calumpniam inferre presumpseritr sit maledictus cum Iuda traditore Domini. Vt autem hoc uerius credatur. ac per labentia tempora firmius teneatur. nomina eorum qui presentes adfuerunt cum signis uiuifice crucis que fecerunt subter notata sunt. [fol. 78v] Signum Maini [ + ] qui donum fecit. Signum uxoris eius Adelesie [ + ]. Signum Rotberti filii eius. Signum Frotgerii militis. Signum Torulfi. Signum Maini de Sancto Germano. Signum Ilgerii prepositi. Signum Guarini Ernaldi filii. Signum quod fecit Mainus [ + ] sub persona filii sui Radulfi qui absens erat et tamen hoc donum concessit. (i)K.S.B. Keats-Rohan 1995. Published MSHAB 74 (1996) 181-215 1 Le rôle des Bretons dans la politique de la colonisation normande d'Angleterre (c.1042-1135) pg 21 http://www.coelweb.co.uk/BRETSHAB.pdf (j)Rennes, AD Ille-et-Vilane, 6 H 16 n° 7 http://www.cn-telma.fr/originaux/charte2817/ c. 1106 “Radulfus de Albiniaco, Juhardus avunculus ejus”. (k)The Manuscripts of His Grace the Duke of Rutland: Letters and papers, 1440-1797 (v.3 mainly correspondence of the fourth Duke of Rutland). v.4. Charters, cartularies, &c. Letters and papers, supplementary. Extracts from household accounts John James Robert Manners Duke of Rutland, Richard Ward, Robert Campbell, John Horace Round H.M. Stationery Office, 1905 - Great Britain. Pgs, 98-174. (l)John P. Ravilious, Tuesday, 15 December 2009 https://groups.google.com/forum/#!msg/soc.genealogy.medieval/LD4o5uCGO1o/DKZF_0NyNIQJ (m)The Cartulary of the Abbey of Mont-Saint-Michel K. S. B. Keats-Rohan, Shaun Tyas, 2006, Pg 148. “ Main was a son of Ralph Largus of Gahard (Morice, Preuves, i, 408; Cartulaire de Saint-Aubin d'Angers, ii, no. 677, pp. 171-5; Arch. dépt. d'Ille-et- Vilaine, IF 529, Gahard III). His wife Adelaide was daughter of Humphrey de Bohun….Main de Saint-Germain was probably a nephew of the donor, one of whose many brothers was Euen de Saint-Germain (B. N. lat. 5441.3, pp. 295-6). [65}.” (n)Rennes, AD Ille-et-Vilaine, 6 H 34 n° 3 http://www.cn-telma.fr/originaux/charte2168/ (o)Brand'Honneur Michel. La motte et le clocher : l'affrontement des symboles ?. In: Cahiers de civilisation médiévale, 43 eannée (n°169), Janvier-mars 2000. p. 16 http://www.persee.fr/docAsPDF/ccmed_0007-9731_2000_num_43_169_2769.pdf (p)Online link translated by “DuPaz” http://www.infobretagne.com/erbree.htm