Edith Forne
Encyclopedia
Edith Forne was an English
noblewoman who was the concubine of King Henry I of England
and the foundress of Osney Abbey
in Oxford
.
She was the daughter of Forn Sigulfson, Lord of Greystoke, Cumberland.
Edith had two children by King Henry:
In 1120, Henry caused Edith to marry Robert D'Oyly the younger, second son of Nigel D'Oyly
. As a marriage portion, she was granted the Manor of Cleydon
, Buckinghamshire
. Robert and Edith had at least two children, Henry, buried at Osney in 1163, and Gilbert.
In 1129, Edith persuaded her husband to build the Church of St Mary, in the Isle of Osney
, near Oxford Castle
, for the use of Augustine Monks
- this was to become Osney Abbey
.. She told him that she had dreamt of the chattering of magpies, interpreted by a friar as souls in purgatory who needed a church in which to rest.
Edith was buried in Osney Abbey, in a religious habit, as John Leland describes upon seeing her tomb as it was on the eve of the dissolution: ‘Ther lyeth an image of Edith, of stone, in th' abbite of a vowess, holding a hart in her right hand, on the north side of the high altaire’. The legendary dream of magpies was painted near the tomb.
English people
The English are a nation and ethnic group native to England, who speak English. The English identity is of early mediaeval origin, when they were known in Old English as the Anglecynn. England is now a country of the United Kingdom, and the majority of English people in England are British Citizens...
noblewoman who was the concubine of King Henry I of England
Henry I of England
Henry I was the fourth son of William I of England. He succeeded his elder brother William II as King of England in 1100 and defeated his eldest brother, Robert Curthose, to become Duke of Normandy in 1106...
and the foundress of Osney Abbey
Osney Abbey
Osney Abbey or Oseney Abbey, later Osney Cathedral, was a house of Augustinian canons at Osney in Oxfordshire. The site is south of the modern Botley Road, down Mill Street by Osney Cemetery, next to the railway line just south of Oxford station. It was founded as a priory in 1129, becoming an...
in Oxford
Oxford
The city of Oxford is the county town of Oxfordshire, England. The city, made prominent by its medieval university, has a population of just under 165,000, with 153,900 living within the district boundary. It lies about 50 miles north-west of London. The rivers Cherwell and Thames run through...
.
She was the daughter of Forn Sigulfson, Lord of Greystoke, Cumberland.
Edith had two children by King Henry:
- Robert FitzEdith, Lord OkehamptonRobert FitzEdith, Lord OkehamptonRobert FitzEdith, Lord of Okehampton was an illegitimate son of Henry I of England and Edith Forne, who was one of Henry's many mistresses. Compared to his illegitimate siblings and half-siblings, much is known about him...
, (1093–1172) married Dame Maud d'Avranches du Sap. They had one daughter, Mary, who married Renaud, Sire of Courtenay (son of Miles, Sire of Courtenay and Ermengarde of Nevers). - Adeliza FitzEdith. Appears in charters with her brother, Robert.
In 1120, Henry caused Edith to marry Robert D'Oyly the younger, second son of Nigel D'Oyly
Nigel D'Oyly
Nigel D'Oyly was an 11th-12th century nobleman of England and, in 1120, the Lord of Oxford Castle, and briefly the Lord of Wallingford Castle.-Biography:...
. As a marriage portion, she was granted the Manor of Cleydon
Steeple Claydon
Steeple Claydon is a village and also a civil parish within the district of Aylesbury Vale in Buckinghamshire, England. It has an unusually high number of gingers, it is speculated that this is due to most people's mums also being their aunts. Steeple Claydon is located about four miles south of...
, Buckinghamshire
Buckinghamshire
Buckinghamshire is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan home county in South East England. The county town is Aylesbury, the largest town in the ceremonial county is Milton Keynes and largest town in the non-metropolitan county is High Wycombe....
. Robert and Edith had at least two children, Henry, buried at Osney in 1163, and Gilbert.
In 1129, Edith persuaded her husband to build the Church of St Mary, in the Isle of Osney
Osney
Osney, Osney Island, or Osney Town is a riverside community in the west of the city of Oxford, England. It is located off the Botley Road, just west of the city's main railway station, on an island surrounded by the River Thames, known in Oxford as the Isis. Osney is part of the city council ward...
, near Oxford Castle
Oxford Castle
Oxford Castle is a large, partly ruined Norman medieval castle situated on the west edge of Oxford in Oxfordshire, England. The original moated, wooden motte and bailey castle was replaced with stone in the 11th century and played an important role in the conflict of the Anarchy...
, for the use of Augustine Monks
Augustinians
The term Augustinians, named after Saint Augustine of Hippo , applies to two separate and unrelated types of Catholic religious orders:...
- this was to become Osney Abbey
Osney Abbey
Osney Abbey or Oseney Abbey, later Osney Cathedral, was a house of Augustinian canons at Osney in Oxfordshire. The site is south of the modern Botley Road, down Mill Street by Osney Cemetery, next to the railway line just south of Oxford station. It was founded as a priory in 1129, becoming an...
.. She told him that she had dreamt of the chattering of magpies, interpreted by a friar as souls in purgatory who needed a church in which to rest.
Edith was buried in Osney Abbey, in a religious habit, as John Leland describes upon seeing her tomb as it was on the eve of the dissolution: ‘Ther lyeth an image of Edith, of stone, in th' abbite of a vowess, holding a hart in her right hand, on the north side of the high altaire’. The legendary dream of magpies was painted near the tomb.