BIOGRAPHY
Roger I 'Hispanicus' was the son of Radulf II, seigneur de Tosny. He was a Norman nobleman of the House of Tosny who took part in the _Reconquista_ of Iberia, for which he was known as Hispanicus.
In 1013 Roger and his father guarded the castle at Tillières for Richard II, duke of Normandy. A few years later, for an unknown reason, the pair were forced into exile. While his father gained a reputation for himself in Apulia, Roger did the same in fighting the Muslims in Iberia. The small Christian states of Northern Iberia welcomed volunteers and adventurers whom they could use to mount a strong force for the _Reconquista._ Roger was summoned by Ermensinde de Carcassone, regent-countess of Barcelona after the death in 1018 of her husband Ramon Borrell I, conde de Barcelona, Gerona and Osona, to help her against the Muslim threat to her power. Roger rushed to help, terrorising the Saracens and capturing several towns and castles. Some sources suggest that his first wife, whom he married about then, may have been Ermensinde's daughter, though this is not confirmed.
Adémar de Chabannes gives an echo of the more or less legendary deeds of Roger in Iberia. He gained the nickname 'Mangeur de Maures' (Moor-Eater). Adémar recounts that Roger took his captured Saracens each day and, in front of them, cut one of their number in two, boiling the first half and giving it to the other Muslims to eat, and pretending to take the other half into his own tent for him and his companions to eat. Then Roger allowed some of these prisoners to escape, to spread these horrific rumours.
Before 1024, Roger and his father gained permission from Richard II to return to Normandy, and Radulf II died soon afterwards. By 1025 he had repudiated his first wife and before August 1026/1027 he married Godehildis/Gotelina, with whom he had several children of whom Radulf III and Adelise would have progeny.
Roger founded Conches-en-Ouche. He built its church of Sainte-Foy (before 1026), then the abbey of Saint-Pierre de Castillon (about 1035) where monks from Fécamp Abbey were installed. This monastery was one of the first baronial foundations in Normandy. The foundation charter reveals that the lord of Tosny gave it a small possession around Conches and his forest.
In 1035 Duke Robert I's death began a troubled period in the duchy of Normandy. Civil wars multiplied and Roger (whose relations with his neighbours were already argumentative) was one of the main players in them. According to the Norman chroniclers, the lord of Tosny refused to serve the new duke, the future William the Conqueror, due to his being a bastard. He especially took advantage of the weakness of the young duke's authority by ravaging his neighbours' lands, notably those of Hunfroy de Vieilles. Hunfroy sent his son Roger to face Roger de Tosny, and around 1040 the latter was killed in battle, and his two eldest sons, Helbert and Helinand, died a few weeks later of their wounds.
Peace was re-established between de Tosny family and the neighbouring families. His widow Godehildis was forced to marry Richard, comte d'Evreux, with whom she had progeny.