Note 5.6

The Anglo Saxon Chronicles, translated and collated by Anne Savage (1995), records for the year 1110 that: This year Philip de Braose, William Malet and William Bainart were deprived of land. Also this year eorl Helias passed away, who had held Maine for king Henry, and bowed the knee to him; after his departure the eorl of Anjou received it, and held it against the king. There is no further hint of what prompted Philip's punishment or whether the three men had separately or jointly offended the King. The threat to Normandy posed by an alliance of Fulk V of Anjou, the new count of Maine, and Robert de Belleme was a major crisis for King Henry. Philip de Braose's lands on the Norman border with Maine were caught in the centre of hostilities. He may have miscalculated the delicate political balance between saving his possessions in Normandy from attack and demonstrating loyalty to the King. Philip de Braose was soon back in favour. Perhaps he proved his worth during the King's campaign in Normandy. It may be significant that The Anglo Saxon Chronicles records the restoration of Philip's lands in 1112 alongside the defeat of Robert de Belleme: All this year king Henry stayed in Normandy because of the hostilities with France, and with the eorl of Anjou, who held Maine against him. During the time he was there, he deprived of land the eorl of Evreux and William Crispin, and drove them out of the land; Philip de Braose he gave back his land, who had been deprived of it, and Robert of Belleme he let be taken and put in prison.

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