[1] NEEL; see former note on Neel de Saint Sauveur, whose 'company,' as viscount of the Cotentin, seems to be here referred to.
[2] RAOL DE GAEL, lord of Gael or Guader, and Montfort in Brittany, 'Ranols de Gader, le proz,' in Benoit. It does not appear that Raol commanded all the Bretons, if that be what Wace meant here to say. He is known in English history as Ralf earl of Norfolk, whose estates were forfeited for his treason in 1075. From Domesday it would seem that both he and a former Ralf his father were earls under the Confessor; the father being repeatedly referred to in Norfolk as 'vetus comes,' the predecessor of 'comes Ralf Alius ejus,' and both holding lands in succession during Edward's reign. In one place we find 'Rex Edwardus dedit Radulfo comiti.' Was Ralf 'vetus comes' the same person as Ralf Stalra; can he have held the earldom of Norfolk when the Godwins were in disgrace; and may not his son at his death have failed in succeeding to that earldom, and have then repaired to the continent, and joined William in order to recover his own English property? Ralf the elder no doubt married a Breton heiress; from whom her estates passed to the son; an Englishman of Norfolk on the father's side, as described by the old historians, though also of Breton descent and estate. See Introd. Domesday, i. 471; and Blomfield's Norfolk repeatedly, as to the possessions of the two Ralfs.
[3] BIARZ, see last chapter, note 40. William Avenel, lord of Biarz, seems meant in both cases. The Avenels were seneschals to the counts of Mortain. A.L.P. See M. de Gerville, Mém. Ant. Norm. iv. 157. In the Red book, 'Willus Avenel 5 mil. regi, et servitium 1 mil. de com. Mort.'
[4] This may be read either HUBERT PAISNEL, lord of MOSTIERS—or PAISNEL, lord of MOSTIERS-HUBERT; but the latter is more likely, [no Hubert Paisnel being known, and] the Paisnels having been lords of Mostiers-Hubert, in the arrondissement of Lisieux. The scite of the castle there is still visible. Ordericus Vitalis mentions William Paisnel as one of the great men who died about the same time as the conqueror. He was perhaps [brother or] father of Ralf Paisnel, Paganel, or Pagnell, sheriff of Yorkshire. A.L.P. See M. de Gerville, Mém. Ant. Norm. ii. 280—308; Introd. Domesday, i. 464. In the Red book, 'Hugo Paganellus 5 mil. et ad servitium ejus 6 mil;' and 'In ballivâ de Passeis'—'Gervasius Paganellus 1 mil. et sibi 4 mil.'
[5] ROBERT BERTRAM the tort or crooked, lord of Briquebec near Valognes;—as to the picturesque remains of whose castle see Mr. Cotman's and Mr. Wiffen's works: in the latter is a pedigree of this illustrious family. Robert's brother William is also generally considered to have been at the conquest. A younger branch, from whom came the Mitfords, formed establishments, though not of much account, in England; it probably descended from this William; or from another William de Bertram who stands in Domesday as a small holder in Hampshire; Introd. Dom. i. 382. In the Red book Roll, 'Robertus Bertran 5 mil. ad servitium suum 34 et dim. in Constantin.'
[6] LE VAUDREUIL, arrondissement of Louviers.
[7] BRETEUIL, arrondissement of Evreux.
[8] SOULES, arrondissement of St. Lo. See M. de Gerville, Mém. Ant. Norm. v. 260. In the Red book, 'Willus de Sola 1 mil. ad servitium suum 2 mil. de com. Mort.'
[9] ORVAL, near Coutances. In the Red book, 'Willmus de Aureavalle 2 mil. et dim. et ad servitium suum 6 mil. in Constantin.' See, as to this family and the next, the charters, and the genealogy (though apparently incorrect) in Dugdale's Monasticon, under the head of BOXGRAVE.
[10] SAINT JEAN, near Avranches, from which came the St. Jean who married the daughter of Robert de Haiâ. See note 40 below, and the Recherches of M. de Gerville. BREHAL is between Coutances and Granville, and seems to have belonged to the Paisnels; M. de Gerville, Mém. Ant. Norm. ii. 278.