Eustace de Montaut

Eustace de Montaut, or Monte Alto, Montalt, Monhaut, or FitzNorman (ca. 1027-1112), was a Norman soldier, and later baron, who fought on the side of the Normans in the Norman Conquest of England in 1066 and for his achievements was granted several manors by the new king, William the Conqueror.

Eustace was born in the early to mid 11th century, probably in Monthault, Ille-et-Vilaine, Brittany, to parents whose names are not recorded. It has often been claimed that Eustace's family were originally the Lords of Monte Alto in Italy, but there is no evidence of this, and it may simply be based on the Latin form of "de Montaut, "de Monte Alto". Eustace came to England in the time of William the Conqueror, under "Palatine Earl of Chester, the potent Hugh Lupus". Due to his skill as a soldier, he was nicknamed "The Norman Hunter" by the English.

Shortly after Eustace's arrival, he united his forces with those of Hugh Lupus, subduing the Welsh in the province of Flintshire, and sharing the lands he conquered with his ally. Among the lands Eustace gained were the manors of Montalt and Hawarden, which were ruled by his descendants, the viscounts Hawarden and Barons of Montalt for several centuries.

Eustace died at an unknown date and was succeeded by his eldest son, Hugh de Montaut.

Eustace married the daughter of an English lord, shortly after his arrival in England, but her name has not survived. She bore Eustace at least three sons: Hugh, Roger, and Ralph (or Ranulph). Some sources also mention another son, Peter, Seneschal of Chester.

Issue

• Hugh (FitzNorman) de Monte Alto (c. 1045 - before 1130) married N.N.
  • William de Monte Alto (c. 1075 - c. 1141) married Colobella Grant
    • Robert de Monte Alto (c. 1095 - ?)
• Ralph (FitzNorman) de Montaut (c. 1050 - before c. 1141) married N.N.
  • Robert de Mohaut (c. 1125 - c. 1162) married Leucha FitzNeel de Halton
    • Ralph de Mohaut (c. 1155 - c. 1200)
    • Roger de Mohaut (1160 - 1232)
    • Eustace de Mohaut (1160 - 1232)
    • Robert de Mohaut (c. 1162 - before c. 1132)
    • William de Mohaut
    • John de Mohaut
    • Matthew de Mohaut
  • Simon de Mohaut (? - c. 1190) married N.N.
    • Richard de Montealt, Lord of Riddlesden (? - c. 1240)
    • Isabel de Montealt
• Roger (FitzNorman) de Montaut (c. 1052 - ?)