William Malet (land forfeiture)
William Malet (died c. 1121) was the third of his family to hold the honour of Eye and the lordship of Graville in Normandy. He was either the younger brother, son, or nephew of Robert Malet, in other words, either a son or grandson of the first William Malet.
He forfeited his English lands and was banished sometime between his father's death (c. 1106) and 1113. Several other barons lost their lands in 1110, so that year is likely. The precise cause is not known, but probably it is connected with the conflicts between Henry and King Louis VI of France during that period.
Malet was the grandson of the Norman-Breton Lord of Graville, William Malet, who had fought in the Battle of Hastings with William the Conqueror despite relations through marriage with King Harold II of England. After his exile from England, Malet re-established himself in Normandy where he retained his Lordship of Graville. His descendants rose to prominence in the French Courts through their military exploits for the French Crown.
References
- Hollister, C. Warren (1973). "Henry I and Robert Malet". Viator. 4: 115–32.
- Hurt, Cyril. "William Malet and His Family". Anglo-Norman Studies XIX.
- Lewis, C. P. (1989). "The King and Eye: A Study in Anglo-Norman Politics". English Historical Review. 104: 569–87. doi:10.1093/ehr/CIV.CCCCXII.569.