Roger had been as close 'as a son' to Archbishop Lanfranc of Canterbury, who sent him a number of missives deploring him to cease his actions; these were ignored, and Roger was excommunicated.[5]
On the collapse of their rebellion uprising, Roger was tried for treason[6] before the Great Council, for his role in the Revolt of the Earls. Roger was deprived of his lands and earldom in 1075, and sentenced to perpetual imprisonment.[1]Ralph Guader and Waltheof, 1st Earl of Northumberland were charged as co-conspirators.[6]
Orderic Vitalis reports that Roger remained imprisoned following the death of William I in 1087, despite the release of his other political prisoners.
Though Roger is not known to have married, he left two sons, Reginald and Roger. Living during the reign of Henry I of England, they were described as young men of great promise, but nonetheless were excluded from succeeding to Roger's lands. This has led to disagreement among scholars as to whether or not they were of legitimate birth. Reginald fitz Count, son of Earl Roger, would marry Emmeline de Ballon, the daughter and heiress of Hamelin de Ballon, whose inherited land he held in her right. Their descendants, using the de Ballon surname were lords of Much Marcle.[7]
^Lanfranc (1979). Letters of Lanfranc. Oxford. pp. 120–123.
^ abPlacita Anglo-Normannica [electronic resource] : Law Cases from William I to Richard I — Preserved in Historical Records (London: S. Low, Marston, Searle, & Rivington, 1879) p11
^J. Horace Round, "The Family of Ballon and the Conquest of South Wales", Studies in Peerage and Family History (1901), pp. 181-215.
Remfry. P.M., The Herefordshire Beacon and the Families of King Harold II and the Earls of Hereford and Worcester (ISBN1-899376-73-9)
One or more of the preceding sentences incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). "Fitz-Osbern, Roger". Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 10 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. p. 446.
