In *Domesday People* p. 196 the entry for Eustace says without
qualification the he died in 1087. In ODNB vol 18 (2004) p. 648 Heather
Tanner wrote that he died c. 1087, but in *Families, Friends and Allies: Boulogne and Politics in Northern France and England* (also 2004) p. 111
she wrote: "The date of his death is unknown; it probably occurred
between the summer of 1088 and 1093. [note 174:] There is no evidence
which allows us to determine when Eustace II died, although it is
typically given as c. 1093. Orderic Vitalis states that Eustace II was
defended by the king's advisors when William II was rendering judgment
on the men who had joined Robert Curthose in rebelling against him."

There is no doubt that Eustace II took part in the rebellion by
Orderic's account, as after the surrender of Rochester (probably in July
1088) the nobles discussing this with William II described the count of Boulogne who was there as having been a faithful supporter, comrade in
arms and fellow campaigner of the king's father ("Comes etiam
Boloniensis patri tuo satis fuit fidelis, et in rebus arduis strenuus
adiutor et contubernalis").

In February 1092 a charter of Robert Curthose for Le Bec abbey was
subscribed by Eustace count of Boulogne, see the transcription and
facsimile here: http://telma.irht.cnrs.fr/outils/originaux/charte2725/.
It is possible that this was Eustace II's son and successor Eustace III,
but given the part played by the former in support of Robert a few years earlier it seems more likely to have been him - in any case his death
cannot have occurred in 1087, and most probably not until ca 1093.

Peter Stewart

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