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ADELA (ALICE) verch WILLIAM 'GUILLAUME' PEUEREL
BIRTH: 1062 in Normandy, France DEATH: 8 Mar 1135 in Marsigny, Charente-Maritim, France BURIAL: Caen, Calvados, Normandy, France FATHER: GUILLAUME PEUEREL - The Conqueror - 14 Oct 10124 in Falaise, Calvados, Normandy, France MOTHER: Matilda verch BAUDOUIN of FLANDERS - BIRTH: 1031 in Flanders, France
MARRIAGE: Abt 1080 - Stephen De BLOIS ap THEOBALD De Champagne in Breteuil, Eure, France CHILDREN: 1. GUILLAUME 'William' ap STEPHEN De BLOIS - BIRTH: Abt 1080 in Blois, Loir-Et-Cher, France
2. Adele Lithiuse verch STEPHEN De BLOIS - BIRTH: Abt 1082 in Blois, Loir-Et-Cher, France
3. Agnes verch STEPHEN De BLOIS - BIRTH: Abt 1084 in Blois, Loir-Et-Cher, France 4. Stephen ap STEPHEN De BLOIS - BIRTH: Abt 1085 in Blois, Loir-Et-Cher, France
5. Alix 'Alice' verch STEPHEN De BLOIS - BIRTH: Abt 1086 in Blois, Loir-Et-Cher, France
6. Eleanor verch STEPHEN De BLOIS - BIRTH: Abt 1087 in Blois, Loir-Et-Cher, France 7. Emma verch STEPHEN De BLOIS - BIRTH: Abt 1088 in Blois, Loir-Et-Cher, France
8. Theobald IV ap STEPHEN De BLOIS - BIRTH: 1091 in Blois, Loir-Et-Cher, England
9. Humbert ap STEPHEN De BLOIS - BIRTH: Abt 1092 in Blois, Loir-Et-Cher, France
10. Odo ap STEPHEN De BLOIS - BIRTH: Abt 1094 in Blois, Loir-Et-Cher, France
11. Philip ap STEPHEN De BLOIS - BIRTH: Abt 1095 in Blois, Loir-Et-Cher, France
12. Henry ap STEPHEN De BLOIS - BIRTH: Abt 1097 in Blois, Loir-Et-Cher, France
13. Lucia Mahaut 'Matilda' De BLOIS - BIRTH: 1099 in Blois, Loir-Et-Cher, France  Richard & Matilda were both aboard the doomed White Ship. The ship went down,drowning all but one boy, on 25 November 1120.
Adela was the favorite sister of King Henry I of England; they were possibly the youngest of the Conqueror's children. According to Norman chroniclers, Adela was very beautiful, high spirited and full of valour. Baldric of Anjou, abbot of Bourgeuil, and others, speak of her as being her father's equal in bravery. She was a Latin and Greek scholar, loved poetry, at which she was herself an adept (Histoire Littéraire de la France, vii. 152, ix. 131).
Stephen, earl of Meaux and Brie demanded Adela in marriage in 1075. He was the son of Theobald, earl of Blois and a powerful neighbor of The Conqueror. Stephen's proposal was not accepted until 1080 when he again asked for Adela. The two were married at Breteuil the same year with a second ceremony at Chartres in Theobald's dominion. She then became Countess of Blois, Chartres, and Meaux.
Her husband succeeded to the Earldom of Blois and Chartres when his father died in 1090. Adela was active in the adminstration of Stephen's lands. She often witnessed charters. She also saw to it that the Cathedral of Chartres was rebuilt in stone. She encouraged her husband to go on the First Crusade to the Holy Land and she became 'regent' while he was away.
Stephen deserted the crusade in 1098 and Adela resented his disgrace.
She encouraged Stephen and perhaps even bullied him to think of his reputation and return to the Holy Land joining William, Earl of Poitou.
Stephen returned to the Holy Land in 1101 and was killed at Ramlah in 1102. He then became a hero and Adela was not a coward's wife any longer. While raising her sons, Adela continued to rule Blois and Chartres.
Adela became a Nun in 1120 and retired to the Marcigny-sur-Loire Abbey of Cluniac Priory. Later that same year, her daughter Lucia-Mahaut & her husband Richard D'Avranches, were drowned in the wreck of the White Ship. Adela passed away there in 1137 and had previously chosen to be buried at her mother's side at Caen. Her inscription read 'Adela, filiaregis'. Despite marrying a French count and having her son Stephen crowned King of England, Adela was still and always the daughter of The Conqueror.
SOURCES:
The Peerage: http://www.thepeerage.com/p10203.htm#i102030
Normandy: http://fmg.ac/Projects/MedLands/NORMANDY.htm
Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia:
Who's Who in Early Medieval England:
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