[1205] Sloane, xxxi. 4. The witnesses are Randulf Earl of Chester, Reginald Earl of Cornwall, William Earl of Gloucester, the Earl of Hereford, Richard de Humez ("duhumesco"), constable, Philip de Columbers, Ralph Basset, Ralph "Walensis," Hugh de "Hamslep."
EXCURSUS.
THE CREATION OF THE EARLDOM OF GLOUCESTER.
One of the problems in English history as yet, it would seem, unsolved, is that of the date at which Henry I. conferred on his natural son Robert the earldom of Gloucester. The great part which Robert played in the eventful struggles of his time, the fact that this was, in all probability, almost the only earldom created in the course of this reign (1100-1135), and the importance of ascertaining the date of its creation as fixing that of many an otherwise doubtful record, all combine to cause surprise that the problem remains unsolved.
Brooke wrote that the earldom of Gloucester was conferred on Robert "in the eleventh year of his father's reign," and his critic, the argus-eyed Vincent, in his Discoverie of Errours, did not question the statement. As to Dugdale, he evaded the problem. Ignorance on the point is frankly confessed in the Reports on the Dignity of a Peer; while Mr. Freeman, so far as I can find, has also deemed discretion the better part of valour.
Three dates, however, have been suggested for this creation.
The first is 1109. This may be traced to Sandford (1707) and Rapin (1724), who took it from the rhyming chronicle assigned to Robert of Gloucester:—
"And of the kynges crownement in the [ninthe][1206] yere, The vorst Erle of Gloucestre thus was mayd there."
This date was revived by Courthope in his well-known edition (1857) of the Historic Peerage of Sir Harris Nicolas (by whom no date had been assigned to the creation). It may be said, by inference, to have received the sanction of the authorities at the British Museum.