Person Page - 1351

     Henry I (c. 1068/1069 – 1 December 1135) was the fourth son of William I of England. He succeeded his elder brother William II as King of England in 1100 and defeated his eldest brother, Robert Curthose, to become Duke of Normandy in 1106. He was called Beauclerc for his scholarly interests and Lion of Justice for refinements which he brought about in the administrative and legislative machinery of the time.

Henry's reign is noted for its political opportunism. His succession was confirmed while his brother Robert was away on the First Crusade and the beginning of his reign was occupied by wars with Robert for control of England and Normandy. He successfully reunited the two realms again after their separation on his father's death in 1087. Upon his succession he granted the baronage a Charter of Liberties, which formed a basis for subsequent challenges to rights of kings and presaged Magna Carta, which subjected the King to law.

The rest of Henry's reign was filled with judicial and financial reforms. He established the biannual Exchequer to reform the treasury. He used itinerant officials to curb abuses of power at the local and regional level, garnering the praise of the people. The differences between the English and Norman populations began to break down during his reign and he himself married a daughter of the old English royal house. He made peace with the church after the disputes of his brother's reign, but he could not smooth out his succession after the disastrous loss of his eldest son William in the wreck of the White Ship. His will stipulated that he was to be succeeded by his daughter, the Empress Matilda, but his stern rule was followed by a period of civil war known as the Anarchy.¹

     Maud, Abbess of Montivilliers was a natural daughter of Henry I of England and his young mistress Isabel de Beaumont (ca 1102 - ca 1172), herself a sister of Robert de Beaumont, 2nd Earl of Leicester.

Born Matilda Fitzroy, her maternal grandparents were Robert de Beaumont, 1st Earl of Leicester and Elizabeth of Vermandois. She was a half-sister of Richard "Strongbow" de Clare, her mother's son through a marriage to Gilbert de Clare, 1st Earl of Pembroke, and of the Empress Matilda, who apparently valued her company and advice. Perhaps due to their closeness, Matilda or "Maud" is called the Sister of the Empress Matilda.

She was the abbess at the Abbey Church of Notre-Dame, Montivilliers, and for that reason is best known as Maud of Montivilliers.¹

     Robert de Beaumont, 2nd Earl of Leicester (1104 – 5 April 1168) was Justiciar of England 1155-1168.

The surname "de Beaumont" is given him by genealogists. The only known contemporary surname applied to him is "Robert son of Count Robert". Henry Knighton, the fourteenth-century chronicler notes him as Robert "Le Bossu" (meaning "Robert the Hunchback" in French).

Robert was an English nobleman of Norman-French ancestry. He was the son of Robert de Beaumont, Count of Meulan and 1st Earl of Leicester and Elizabeth de Vermandois. He was the twin brother of Waleran de Beaumont. There is no knowing whether they were identical or fraternal twins, but the fact that they are remarked on by contemporaries as twins indicates that they probably were in fact identical.

The two brothers, Robert and Waleran, were adopted into the royal household shortly after their father's death in June 1118 (upon which Robert inherited his father's second titles of Earl of Leicester). Their lands on either side of the Channel were committed to a group of guardians, led by their stepfather, William earl of Warenne or Surrey. They accompanied King Henry I to Normandy, to meet with Pope Callixtus II in 1119, when the king incited them to debate philosophy with the cardinals. Both twins were literate, and Abingdon Abbey later claimed to have been Robert's school, but though this is possible, its account is not entirely trustworthy. A surviving treatise on astronomy (British Library ms Royal E xxv) carries a dedication "to Earl Robert of Leicester, that man of affairs and profound learning, most accomplished in matters of law" who can only be this Robert. On his death he left his own psalter to the abbey he founded at Leicester, which was still in its library in the late fifteenth century. The existence of this indicates that like many noblemen of his day, Robert followed the canonical hours in his chapel.¹

     Alexander II (Mediaeval Gaelic: Alaxandair mac Uilliam; Modern Gaelic: Alasdair mac Uilleim) (24 August 1198 – 6 July 1249), King of Scots, was the only son of the Scottish king William the Lion and Ermengarde of Beaumont. He was born at Haddington, East Lothian, in 1198, and spent time in England (John of England knighted him at Clerkenwell Priory in 1213) before succeeding to the kingdom on the death of his father on 4 December 1214, being crowned at Scone on 6 December the same year.

The year after his accession the clans Meic Uilleim and MacHeths, inveterate enemies of the Scottish crown, broke into revolt; but loyalist forces speedily quelled the insurrection.

In the same year Alexander joined the English barons in their struggle against John of England, and led an army into the Kingdom of England in support of their cause. The Scottish Army of Alexander II reached the south coast of England at the port of Dover awaiting the arrival of the French Army under the Dauphin. Alexander and the Dauphin, with their forces joined the English barons, when they signed Magna Carta. But King John died and the Pope and the English aristocracy changed their attitude, which meant the French army returned home shortly after taking London and the Scottish army returned to Scotland. Peace between John's youthful son Henry III of England and the French prince Louis VIII of France and Alexander followed.

Diplomacy further strengthened the reconciliation by the marriage of Alexander to Henry's sister Joan of England on 18 June or 25 June 1221.

The next year marked the subjection of the hitherto semi-independent district of Argyll. Royal forces crushed a revolt in Galloway in 1235 without difficulty; nor did an invasion attempted soon afterwards by its exiled leaders meet with success. Soon afterwards a claim for homage from Henry of England drew forth from Alexander a counter-claim to the northern English counties. The two kingdoms, however, settled this dispute by a compromise in 1237. This was the Treaty of York which defined the boundary between the two kingdoms as running between the Solway Firth (in the west) and the mouth of the River Tweed (in the east).

Joan died in March, 1238 in Essex, and in the following year, 1239, Alexander remarried. His second wife was Marie de Coucy. The marriage took place on 15 May 1239, and produced one son, the future Alexander III, born in 1241.

A threat of invasion by Henry in 1243 for a time interrupted the friendly relations between the two countries; but the prompt action of Alexander in anticipating his attack, and the disinclination of the English barons for war, compelled him to make peace next year at Newcastle. Alexander now turned his attention to securing the Western Isles, which still owed a nominal allegiance to Norway. He successively attempted negotiations and purchase, but without success. Alexander next attempted to persuade Ewen, the son of Duncan, Lord of Argyll, to sever his allegiance to Haakon IV of Norway. Ewen rejected these attempts, and Alexander sailed forth to compel him.

But on the way he suffered a fever at the Isle of Kerrera in the Inner Hebrides, and died there in 1249. He was buried at Melrose Abbey, Roxburghshire. His son Alexander III succeeded him as King of Scots.¹

     Gilbert Marshal, 4th Earl of Pembroke (1194 – 27 June 1241) was the third son of William Marshal, 1st Earl of Pembroke and Isabel de Clare, 4th Countess of Pembroke, the daughter of Richard de Clare.

Gilbert acceded to the title of Earl of Pembroke on 11 June 1234, on the death of his elder brother Richard who had died childless.

He was married on 1 August 1235 in Berwick-upon-Tweed to Marjorie of Scotland (1200 - 17 November 1244), daughter of King William of Scotland. Their marriage was childless. By an unknown mistress he had one illegitimate daughter, Isabel, who was married to Rhys ap Maeldon Fychan.[1]

He was accidentally killed on 27 June 1241 while in a tournament, which King Henry III had expressely forbidden, as he did not want any of his subjects killing one another in sport.[2] Gilbert was thrown from his horse and his foot was caught in the stirrup, thus he was dragged for some distance on the ground and died from the injuries he had received. He was buried at Temple Church next to his father. His title was passed to his younger brother Walter a year after his death. Walter was not immediately confirmed as earl and Earl Marshal due to the King's anger at Walter's disobedience of royal orders as he had also attended the tournament which had killed Gilbert.[3]¹

     Joan of England, Queen Consort of Scotland (22 July 1210 – 4 March 1238) was the eldest legitimate daughter and third child of John of England and Isabella of Angouleme.

Joan was brought up in the court of Hugh X of Lusignan who was promised to her in marriage from an early age, as compensation for him being jilted by her mother Isabella of Angouleme, however on the death of John of England, Isabella decided she should marry him herself and Joan was sent back to England, where negotiations for her hand with Alexander II of Scotland were taking place.

She and Alexander married on 21 June 1221, at York Minster[1]. Alexander was twenty-three. Joan was ten, almost eleven. They had no children. Joan died in her brother's arms at Havering-atte-Bower in 1238, and was buried at Tarrant Crawford Abbey in Dorset[2].

Nothing now remains of this church; the last mention of it is before the Reformation.¹

     Hubert de Burgh (before 1180 – before 5 May 1243) was Earl of Kent, Justiciar of England and Ireland, and one of the most influential men in England during the reigns of John and Henry III.

De Burgh came from a minor gentry family about which little is known. He was a brother of William de Burgh, Governor of Limerick. The relationship between Hubert de Burgh and the later de Burghs Earl of Ulster and Lords of Connaught is not clear. They descend from William de Burgh (c. 1160?–1204) but the relationship between Hubert and William has never been clearly verified; it is possible that they were full or half brothers, but may have been cousins.

He was a minor official in the household of Prince John in 1197, and became John's chamberlain the next year. He continued as John's chamberlain when the latter became king in 1199.¹

     Floris III of Holland (1141 – August 1, 1190), Count of Holland from 1157 to 1190. He was a son of Dirk VI and Sophie of Luxemburg, heiress of Bentheim.

On September 28, 1162 he married Ada, sister of king William I of Scotland, also known as William the Lion. The county of Holland adopted from him the rampant lion in the coat of arms and the name of William.

Floris III was a loyal vassal to Frederick I Barbarossa. He accompanied the emperor on two expeditions to Italy in 1158 and 1176-1178. Frederick thanked him by making Floris part of the imperial nobility.

The emperor gave Floris the toll right of Geervliet, the most important toll station in Holland at that time. This was actually the legalisation of an existing situation, because the counts of Holland had charged tolls illegally since the start of the 11th century.

Many farmers came to Holland to turn the swamps into agricultural lands. Dikes and dams were build and the border between Holland and the bishopric of Utrecht had to be determined. There was a dispute between Floris and the bishop of Utrecht about a new dam in the Rhine at Zwammerdam in 1165, which had to be settled by emperor Frederick. The brother of Floris, Baldwin became bishop of Utrecht in 1178.

War broke out between Flanders and Holland. Count Philip of Flanders wanted to have Zeeland. Floris was captured in Brugge and had to accept Flemish overlordship in Zeeland as ransom in 1167.

During his reign Floris III had troubles with West Friesland and a war with Philip count of Flanders concerning their respective rights in West Zeeland, in which he was beaten. In 1170 a great flood caused immense devastation in the north and helped to form the Zuider Zee.

In 1189 Floris accompanied Frederick Barbarossa upon the third Crusade, of which he was a distinguished leader. He died in 1190 at Antioch of pestilence and was buried there.

Two sons of Floris III became Count of Holland: Dirk VII in 1190 and William I in 1203.

He married 28 August 1162 Ada of Huntingdon, daughter of Henry of Scotland, 3rd Earl of Huntingdon and Ada de Warenne.¹

     Gwladus Ddu, ("Gwladus the Dark"), full name Gwladus ferch Llywelyn (died 1251) was a Welsh noblewoman who was a daughter of Llywelyn the Great of Gwynedd and married two Marcher lords.

Sources differ as to whether Gwladus was Llywelyn's legitimate daughter by his wife Joan or an illegitimate daughter by Tangwystl Goch. Some sources say that Joan gave her lands to Gwladus, which suggests, but does not prove, the former. Gwladus is recorded in Brut y Tywysogion as having died at Windsor in 1251.

She married firstly, Reginald de Braose, Lord of Brecon and Abergavenny in about 1215, but they are not known to have had any children. After Reginald's death in 1228 she was probably the sister recorded as accompanying Dafydd ap Llywelyn to London in 1229.
She married secondly, Ralph de Mortimer of Wigmore about 1230. Ralph died in 1246, and their son, Roger de Mortimer, inherited the lordship.

Children:
Roger Mortimer, 1st Baron Wigmore, in 1247, married Maud de Braose, by whom he had seven children.
Hugh de Mortimer
John de Mortimer
Peter de Mortimer.¹

     Ranulph or Ralph de Mortimer (before 1198 to before 2 October 1246) was the second son of Roger de Mortimer and Isabel de Ferrers of Wigmore Castle in Herefordshire He succeeded his elder brother before 23 November 1227 and built Cefnllys and Knucklas castles in 1240.

In 1230, Ralph married Princess Gwladus, daughter of Llywelyn ab Iorwerth. They had the following children:

Roger Mortimer, 1st Baron Mortimer, married Maud de Braose and succeeded his father.
Hugh de Mortimer
John de Mortimer
Peter de Mortimer.¹

     Roger de Mortimer (died before 8 July 1214) was a medieval marcher lord, residing at Wigmore Castle in the English county of Herefordshire. He was the son of Hugh de Mortimer (d. 26 February 1181 and Matilda Le Meschin. He was born before 1153

Roger would appear to have been of age in 1174 when he fought for King Henry II against the rebellion of his son, Henry. In 1179 Roger was instrumental in the killing of Cadwallon ap Madog, the prince of Maelienydd and Elfael, both of which Mortimer coveted. He was imprisoned until June 1182 at Winchester for this killing.

He had married Isabel (d. before 29 April 1252), the daughter of Walchelin de Ferriers of Oakham Castle in Rutland before 1196. With Isabel, Roger had three sons and a daughter:

Hugh de Mortimer (d.1227)
Ralph de Mortimer (d.1246).
Philip Mortimer
Joan Mortimer (d.1225) - married May 1212 to Walter de Beauchamp[1]
He is often wrongly stated to have been the father of Robert Mortimer of Richards Castle (died 1219) - married Margary de Say[2], daughter of Hugh de Say. This Robert was born before 1155 and therefore could not have been a son of Roger.

In 1195 Roger, with the backing of troops sent by King Richard I invaded Maelienydd and rebuilt Cymaron Castle. In 1196 he joined forces with Hugh de Say of Richards Castle and fought and lost the battle of New Radnor against Rhys ap Gruffydd, allegedly losing some forty knights and an innumerable number of foot in the fight. By 1200 he had conquered Maelienydd and issued a new charter of rights to Cwmhir Abbey. In the summer of 1214 he became gravely ill and bought the right for his son to inherit his lands while he still lived from King John. He died before 8 July 1214.¹

     Walchelin de Ferrieres (or Walkelin de Ferrers) (died 1201) was a Norman baron and principal captain of Richard I of England.

The Ferriers family hailed from the southern marches of Normandy and had previously protected the duchy from the hostility of the counts of Maine and Anjou. With the union of the domains of Anjou and Normandy in 1144, and the investment of Geoffrey V Plantagenet as duke of Normandy, most of this land lost its strategic importance.

Walchelin was the son of Henry de Ferrieres, a nephew of Robert de Ferrers, 1st Earl of Derby. Like his father, Walchelin held the castles of Ferrières-Saint-Hilaire and Chambray for the service of 5 knights. He had 42 and 3/4 in his service, enfeoffed in his lands. In England, Walchelin held the manors of Oakham in Rutland and Lechlade in Gloucestershire. He is known to have held this land since at least 1172.

During the Third Crusade, he and his son and heir, Henry, served in the force of Richard I of England. A John de Ferrieres, believed to be a nephew, was also present. Walchelin had stayed with the King in Sicily. It is apparent that Walchelin was close in the counsel of the king. He and his knights arrived at Saint-Jean d'Acre sometime in April or June of 1191. Some months previously, a distant relative, William de Ferrers, 3rd Earl of Derby had been killed at the siege.

After the conclusion of the siege, Richard of England and Hugh III of Burgundy marched their forces south to the city of Jaffa. Along the road, several skirmishes broke out between the marching crusaders and the Saracen army marching parallel under Saladin. On 7 September 1191, the great battle of Arsuf was fought. Richard had made Walchelin a commander of one of the elite bodies of knights according to the chronicle attributed to Geoffrey de Vinsauf.

Later, in 1194, Richard was imprisoned in Germany. Walchelin brought the treasure of Normandy to Speyer and gave himself as a hostage (along with many others) to the Western Emperor Henry VI. He was freed from captivity around 1197. His sons Henry and Hugh managed his estates during the years he spent in prison. Sometime prior to his death, the younger son, Hugh was granted lordship of the manor of Lechlade.

Walchelin died in 1201 and was succeeded by his son, Henry. Henry sided with John of England over King Philip II of France until December 1203 when John left Normandy, never to return. At this point, Henry did Philip homage for his Norman lands. Hugh had left England and the care of Lechlade and Oakham went to their sister, Isabella, who was married to Roger de Mortimer of Wigmore. After her death, the land was escheated to the crown as Terra Normanorum.¹

     Joan, Princess of Wales and Lady of Snowdon, (c. 1191 – 2 February 1237) was the wife of Llywelyn the Great, Prince of Wales and Gwynedd and effective ruler of most of Wales.

Joan was a natural daughter of King John of England and Agatha de Ferrers. She should not be confused with her half-sister Joan, Queen Consort of Scotland.

Little is known about her early life. Her mother's name is known only from Joan's obituary in the Tewkesbury Annals, where she is called "Regina Clementina" (Queen Clemence). Joan seems to have spent part of her childhood in France, as King John had her brought to the Kingdom of England from Normandy in December 1203 in preparation for her wedding to prince Llywelyn ab Iorwerth.

Joan married Llywelyn the Great between December 1203 and October 1204. She and Llywelyn had at least two children together:

Elen ferch Llywelyn (Helen or Ellen) (1207-1253), married (1) John the Scot, Earl of Chester and (2) Robert II de Quincy
Dafydd ap Llywelyn (c. 1215-1246) married Isabella de Braose, died at Garth Celyn, Aber Garth Celyn, (Aber).
Some of Llywelyn's other recorded children may also have been Joan's:

Gwladus Ddu (1206-1251), married (1) Reginald de Braose and (2) Ralph de Mortimer.
Susanna, who was sent to England as a hostage in 1228.
Margaret, who married Sir John de Braose, the grandson of William de Braose, 4th Lord of Bramber and had issue.
In April 1226 Joan obtained a papal decree from Pope Honorius III, declaring her legitimate on the basis that her parents had not been married to others at the time of her birth, but without giving her a claim to the English throne.¹ In 1230 Adultery. At Easter 1230, William de Braose, 10th Baron Abergavenny, who was Llywelyn's prisoner at the time, was discovered with Joan in Llywelyn's bedchamber. William de Braose was hanged at Aber Garth Celyn on 2 May 1230; the place was known as 'Gwern y Grog' and the incident remembered down the generations by the local community. A recent suggestion that the execution might have taken place at Crogen near Bala rests on the suggestion that 'Crogen' and 'Crokein' are one and the same: there is however no further eveidence in the area to lend this substance.

Joan was placed under house arrest for twelve months after the incident. She was then, according to the Chronicle of Chester, forgiven by Llywelyn, and restored to favour. She may have given birth to a daughter early in 1231.