William of Talou

William of Talou was the son of duke Richard II of Normandy and Papia from Envermeu. His brother was Mauger, who became archbishop of Rouen in 1037. Their elder half-brothers were dukes of Normandy, Richard III from 1026 to 1027, and Robert II from (1027 to 1035), the father of William the Conqueror.

William of Talou and his brother the archbishop became implacable enemies of their bastard nephew. During William's minority, following the death of his father duke Robert on pilgrimage to Jerusalem, Mauger and William of Talou plotted and murdered with their co-conspirators to remove William the Bastard out of their way. The young duke's regent was his great-uncle, Robert I, the archbishop of Rouen. When he died in 1037 there were rumors of poison. Mauger was made archbishop in Robert's place; and his brother William of Talou was made count of Arques, specifically to advance the protection and power of his nephew, the duke.

At first, William and Mauger appeared to be duke William's most faithful adherents, while advancing themselves at every turn. Both managed to remain distant enough from the concerted rebellion of 1047 and retained their offices and holdings after the battle of Val-ès-Dunes.

William of Talou did not show his hand until 1052, when Arques was made the center of a rebellion. Talou was married to the sister of Enguerrand II, the count of Ponthieu. Duke William placed Arques under siege, and defeated the relieving army of French and Ponthievins that came to support the rebellion. Talou was soon forced to surrender, and was banished for life from the duchy. He went to live at the court of Eustace II of Boulogne where he eventually died.

Mauger (perhaps because of complicity with the rebellion) was deposed from his archbishopric at the council of Lisieux in either 1054 or 1055.

Sources

*The Gesta Normannorum Ducum of William of Jumièges, Orderic Vitalis, and Robert of Torigni, edited and translated by Elisabeth M. C. Van Houts, Clarendon Press, Oxford, 1995.
*William the Conqueror, David C. Douglas, University of California Press, Berkley and Los Angeles, 1964.