Reginald de Dunstanville, Earl of Cornwall

Reginald was born in Dénestanville in the Duchy of Normandy, an illegitimate son of King Henry I (1100–1135) by his mistress Sybilla Corbet of Alcester^[1] who was a daughter and co-heiress of Sir Robert Corbet, lord of the manor of Alcester, Warwickshire, and wife (at some point) of "Herbert the King's Chamberlain".

Antiquaries Carew and Williams refer to Reginald as the Earl of Bristol, and with Hals report that he married Agnes (sometimes called Avicia, or Beatrix), granddaughter of Condor of Cornwall (the Earl of Cornwall at the time of the Conquest), and in her right was made Earl of Cornwall.^[2][3][4] According to Carew William Camden gave an alternative account, with Henry I investing Reginald as earl of Cornwall, after taking it from William, Count of Mortain who rebelled against him in 1104; however, Camden's own account has Henry II advancing Reginald to the position, while making preparations to fight Stephen.^[2][5]

During the war between Matilda and Stephen, Reginald, who supported Matilda, was in control of Cornwall. Subsequently, forced out of Cornwall by Stephen's forces, Reginald lost the earldom to Alan of Richmond.^[6] By 1141, Stephen's forces had been beaten and Reginald was invested with the Earldom of Cornwall by his half-sister Matilda in 1141.^[a][7] In about 1173 he granted a charter to his free burgesses of Truro in Cornwall and addressed his meetings at Truro to "All men both Cornish and English", suggesting a differentiation of nations. He served as Sheriff of Devon from 1173 to 1174.

Reginald married Mabel FitzWilliam, daughter of William FitzRichard, a substantial landholder in Cornwall, by whom he had the following progeny:^[8]

• Nicholas de Dunstanville (1136–1175^{[citation needed]}), said to be illegitimate in some sources; had no known issue^[9]
• Hawyse (or Denise) de Dunstanville (1138 – 21 April 1162), wife of Richard de Redvers, 2nd Earl of Devon
• Maud (or Mathilda^[8]) FitzRoy de Dunstanville of Cornwall (b. 1143, Dunstanville, Kent, England), wife of Sir Robert de Beaumont, Count of Meulan^[10]
• Sarah (or Sara^[8]) de Dunstanville (b. 1147), wife of Ademar V, Viscount of Limoges

In addition, many authorities say he had a daughter, Ursula, who married Walter de Dunstanville, making Walter the baron of Castle Combe in her right. However, Robert William Eyton demonstrated that Castle Combe had belonged to the Dunstanville family before it was held by Reginald, that it was restored to Walter on Reginald's death, and that the documents given as evidence of Ursula's marriage were forgeries.^[9]

William Pole claimed that Reginald had another daughter, Joan, who married Roger de Valletort, but this is unproven, and Pole may well have been in error.^[11]

Albert A. Pomeroy's History and Genealogy of the Pomeroy Family (1912) assigns him two more daughters: Agnes de Cornwall who married Andre de Vitrei, and another Maud, who married Robert de Vere. These claims were included in The New Complete Peerage. However, no evidence is given for either, and they are likely to be among the several mistakes in the book.^[9]

Reginald died at Chertsey, Surrey, and was buried in Reading Abbey.^[13]