Ralf de Toescini (?) Castellan of Tillieres

     Ralf de Toescini (?) Castellan of Tillieres was born before 1011. He was the son of Ranulf de Apulia (?). Ralf de Toescini (?) Castellan of Tillieres Title: Castellan of Tillieres, 1011 (and Nigel, Viscount of Coutances). Ralf had issue, Roger de Toecsini, surnamed D'Espagne, on account of his prowess against the Saracens in Spain, progenitor of the DeToesinis, Hereditary Standard- bearers of Normandy, Barons of Toesini and Conches, and of Stafford and Belvoir in England, ancestors of the English houses of Cholmondeley Egerton, Grisley and others, and Hugh de Toecsini, (Brother of Roger de Espagne), surnamed de Limesi (Limesay) from his Norman Seigneurie. He was living in 1060. He had several sons who accompanied William the Conqueror (to whom they were related as nephews through their mother who was William the Conqueror's half-sister); among them were Ralf and Baldrick, progenitor of Scottish Lindsays. William gave to Ralf the barony of Oxburg, or Oxenburg in Norfolk, and 41 other manors in several c unties with the lands of Christina one of the sisters of Prince Edgar, whom Ralf married. The end of the Viking age came with the Norman invasion of Britain in 1066. William, Duke of Normandy, a descendent of the Vikings who had been given land there by Charles the Simple in exchange for guarding the mouth of the Siene river from other Vikings, began a two pronged invasion of the Anglo-Saxon kingdom of King Harold. In the north Harald Hardrada of Norway and Tostiq ( Anglo-Saxon king Harold's half brother) led a force against King Harold. They both were defeated and killed at the battle of Stamford Bridge in 1066 by King Harold. At almost the same time William of Normandy and his forces were landing in the south of Britain. King Harold quickly marched his forces south and the two armies met at Hastings. William was victorious and Harold was killed in battle. As a result of this battle the direct ancestors of the Vikings now controlled most of France and Britain. In the east, members of the Viking bloodlines would control Russia until the Mongol invasions of Gengis Khan. But these were no longer the seaborne raiders who had come suddenly and ferociously from Scandinavia at the start of the Age of Vikings. They had adopted the language, customs and religion of the people they had come to conquer. The adaptability and flexibility that made the Vikings so successful during this period of history also meant that they were 'civilized' by the conquered peoples and became assimi lated into the course of European history.¹