Birth Date: c. 1392 or c. 1401 ?

IGI Individual Record FamilySearch™ International Genealogical Index v5.0

 British Isles 

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

William Herbert Pedigree

 Male   Family 

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

event(s):

Birth:  

Christening:  

Death:  1446      

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

parents:

 Father:  Thomas Herbert  Family 

 Mother:  Maud Morley       

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Marriages:

 Spouse:  Gladys Gam  Family 

 Marriage:  1420   Raglan, Monmouth, England 

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Messages:

Record submitted after 1991 by a member of the LDS Church 

Individual Record FamilySearch™ Pedigree Resource File

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

William AP THOMAS HERBERT Compact Disc #32 Pin #498740 (AFN: 9TDX-TF) Pedigree

Sex:  M  

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Event(s)

Birth:   abt 1401  

 Ragland Castle, Ragland, Monmouthshire, England  

Death:   1446  

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Parents

Father:  Thomas AP GUILLEM HERBERT     Disc #32     Pin #498759   

Mother:  Maud MORLEY     Disc #32     Pin #498760  

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Marriage(s)

Spouse:  Elizabeth BLUET     Disc #32     Pin #498807  

Marriage:  abt 1420  

 Ragland Castle, Ragland, Monmouthshire, England  

Spouse:  Gladys GAM *     Disc #32     Pin #498741  

Marriage:  abt 1421  

 Bredwardine, Herefordshire, England  

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Notes and Sources

Notes:  Available on CD-ROM Disc# 32  

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Submitter

Janae GOUGH 

215 N Minnesota Waterville, KS 66548

--------------------

From Wikipedia:

William ap Thomas (died 1445) was a member of a minor Welsh gentry family and was responsible for beginning the construction of Raglan Castle one of the finest late medieval Welsh castles.

He obtained Raglan through his marriage to Elizabeth Bloet, widow of Sir James Berkeley shortly after 1406. When Elizabeth died in 1420, ap Thomas retained Raglan as a tenant of his stepson James Berkeley, 1st Baron Berkeley, and in 1425 Lord Berkeley agreed that he could continue to hold Raglan for the duration of his life.

William married for a second time, and chose another heiress, Gwladus, described by a Welsh poet as 'The Star of Abergavenny' for her beauty. She was the daughter of Sir Dafydd Gam and the widow of Roger Vaughan of Bredwardine. Both these men had been part of the Welsh contingent that fought with King Henry V of England in France, and both were at the Battle of Agincourt, where William ap Thomas had also fought.

In 1426, ap Thomas was knighted by King Henry VI, becoming known to his compatriots as "Y marchog glas o Went" (the blue knight of Gwent). Gradually he began to establish himself as a person of consequence in south Wales.

As early as 1421 William held the important position of Steward of the Lordship of Abergavenny, and later became Chief Steward of the Duke of York's estates in Wales, 1442-1443. Other positions held by Sir William included that of Sheriff of Cardiganshire and Carmarthenshire, to which he was appointed in 1435, and his position as Sheriff of Glamorgan followed in 1440. Although he became one of the followers of Richard, Duke of York, and a member of the Duke's military council, Sir William's sphere of influence was largely confined to south Wales.

By 1432 William was in a position to purchase the manor of Raglan from the Berkeleys for about L667 and it was probably from this time that he began to build the castle as we know it. His building programme eventually swept away most of the original structures. The principal buildings surviving from this time are the Great Tower (left) a self-contained fortress in its own right, together with the south gate, both equipped with gunloops. He also raised the hall, though later largely rebuilt, and part of the service range beyond. Two sources indicate that William ap Thomas was the builder of the keep. One of which is a contemporary poem praising ap Thomas, mentioning the tower at Raglan Castle which "stands above all other buildings." There is also a reference to Sir William Thomas' tower from a family chronicle written by Sir Thomas Herbert of Tintern.

William ap Thomas died in London in 1445, and his body was brought back to Wales to be buried in the Benedictine Priory Church of St Mary, Abergavenny]. His wife Gwladus (the star of Abergavenny, as she was hailed by the poet Lewys Glyn Cothi), died in 1454 and her tomb and effigy can also be seen in Abergavenny in the Priory Church of St Mary. William was succeeded by his eldest son, William Herbert, 1st Earl of Pembroke (1423-1469) who took the surname Herbert.

From thePeerage.com:

    Sir William ap Thomas was the son of Gwilym ap Jenkin and Gwenillian Hywel.  He married Elizabeth Bluet, daughter of Sir John Bluet.  He married Gladys Dafydd, daughter of Thomas ap Gwilym and Maud Morley.  He died in 1446.

Child of Sir William ap Thomas and Gladys Dafydd

   * Richard Herbert+ d. Jul 1469

Children of Sir William ap Thomas

   * William Herbert, 1st Earl of Pembroke+ b. c 1423, d. 27 Jul 1469

   * Elizabeth Herbert+ b. c 1427

--------------------

Knighted on the field  of Agincourt by Henry V

The castle is probably most closely associated with William ap Thomas,who fought with King Henry V at the Battle of Agincourt in 1415. In 1426, ap Thomas was knighted by Henry VI, becoming known to his compatriots as "the blue knight of Gwent." Sir William Herbert, Earl of Pembroke, was the next owner of the castle, and it is Herbert who is responsible for Raglan's distinctive Tudor-styling. The castle was also the boyhood home of Henry Tudor, later King Henry VII. As a boy he bided his time at Raglan, while his uncle Jasper agitated a Lancastrian return to the throne in the person of young Henry.

History: Godwin 8 Wales p 352, 448, H 852a

This Gwilim ap Thomas was steward of lordships of Usk and Caerleon under Richard, duke of York. He appears to have married twice, his first wife being Elizabeth Bluet of Raglan, widow of Sirl James Berkeley, and his second a daughter of David Gam, Welsh squire slain at Agincourt. he was able to buy Raglan Castle from the Lord Berkeley, his first wife’s son, the deed, which remains amon~ the Beaufort muniments, refuting the pedigree-maker’s statement that he inherited the castle as heir of his mother “Maude daughter of Sir John Morley.” His sons William and Richard both partisans of the White Rose, took the surname of Herberi in or before 1461.

Knighted by Henry V.

BIOGRAPHY: In 1418, William ap Thomas was knighted by King Henry V and in 1432, he acquired Raglan Castle <http://www.castlewales.com/raglan.html> (Castell Rhaglan in Welsh) from his stepson James, Lord Berkeley, for 1000 marks (almost £667). Sir William ap Thomas fought with King Henry V in France, becoming known as Y marchog glas o Went, the Blue Knight of Gwent. In the 1430s, he enlarged and modernized the castle which became a huge fortress. In 1418, Sir William's nephew, a ten-year old boy, Robert ap Jevan whose father had died early, and two more of his siblings, came to live at Raglan Castle. Robert was the first family member to take the Raglan/Ragland name (both versions used indiscriminately).

Sir William ap Thomas was a Welsh nationalist and a hero, a military genius admired and praised by the bards as the knight who would free Wales from the English yoke. Neither Sir William ap Thomas nor his son, Sir William Herbert, Viceroy in Wales during the War of the Roses, would fight to regain Welsh independence. Quite to the contrary, they helped to integrate Wales with England. One might speculate that the campaigns in France convinced both knights of the need for England and Wales to be united in the struggle with Normans and other Gauls.

Pedigree: Castell Rhaglan

Sir William Herbert added a palatial double-courtyard mansion to the moated Yellow Tower with its double drawbridge. He also served in France and became rich by trading and importing Gascony wine. King Edward IV made Sir William Baron Herbert of Raglan. In 1462 "the young Henry Tudor, the future King Henry VII, was placed in the custody of Sir William and his wife, and was brought up at Raglan Castle." In 1465, Raglan became an independent lordship "with a weekly market and a fair, held twice a year."

'Not farre from thence, a famous castle fine That Raggland hight, stands moted almost round.... The stately tower, that looks ore pond and poole, The fountaine trim, that runs both day and night, Doth yeeld in showe, a rare and noble sight.' (15th century poem)

In 1468, King Edward elevated William Herbert to the rank of Earl of Pembroke. "The remarkable feature of the honour was that Earl William had become one of the first members of the Welsh gentry to enter the ranks of the English peerage."

Already then, poets praised Raglan's exceptional size and beauty:

"Hundred rooms filled with festive care, its hundred towers, parlours and doors, its hundred heaped-up fires of long-dried fuel, its hundred chimneys for men of high degree..." (Dafydd Llwyd, 15th c.)

The Earl of Pembroke's son, William Herbert, himself named Earl of Huntingdon, married Mary Woodville, sister of the future queen. In 1502, Sir Walter Herbert, Earl William's brother, entertained his sister-in-law, the wife of King Henry VII, at Raglan.

"Mae Rhaglan yn fwy o ddatganiad o gyfoeth nac o bresenoldeb milwrol bygythiol" -- "Raglan is more a statement of wealth than an intimidating military presence" (CADW:Castell Rhaglan)

In 1492, Elizabeth Herbert, granddaughter of the Earl of Pembroke and owner of Raglan Castle, married Sir Charles Somerset, a son of Henry Beaufort, 3rd duke of Somerset. In 1504, Sir Charles became Baron Herbert of Raglan, Chepstow and Gower, and later Earl of Worcester. His grandson William, 3rd Earl of Worcester, made Raglan Castle "an Elizabethan great house; he also laid out fabulous Renaissance gardens to enhance his sumptuous home." Thomas Churchyard (1587) mentioned him "Earle Worster living nowe, Who buildeth up, the house of Raggland throwe."

The famous library of Raglan Castle was established by William Herbert, the first Earl of Pembroke, who was a great supporter of Welsh literature and chaired the solemn gathering of Eisteddfod, an all-Welsh competition of bards. The library contained a collection of manuscripts of Welsh bards and the druidic religion in new Welsh language which were excerpted by Llywelin Sion <http://www.arbredor.com/titres/triades.html>, a bard from Glamorgan, about 1560. The library was subsequently destroyed by Cromwell but the Horae Pembrochianae, the Pembroke Hours survived, an exceptionally beautiful illuminated manuscript of the Hours of the Blessed Virgin Mary, written about 1440 for William Herbert, and now in the Philadelphia Museum of Art.

During the English Civil War, the castle resisted a thirty weeks' siege by Lord Fairfax's troops, and when it finally fell, Parliament tried to destroy what is considered Britain's "finest late medieval fortress." The Duke of Somerset, however, was allowed to leave the castle with his armed men in full dress, music playing. Joshua Sprigge (1647), Fairfax's chaplain, commented on Somerset's tenacity "The two Garrisons of Ragland and Pendennis, like winter fruit, hung on."

    Cromwell's technicians worked for months to undermine the tower. After the castle's furnishings had been dispersed and the roof timbers sold it was in too bad a state to be rebuilt. The ruin of Raglan castle <http://www.worldisround.com/articles/4149/photo1.html> is now a tourist attraction and venue of an annual summer art festival. (Above quotes in italics from John R. Kenyon: Ragland Castle. CADW: Welsh Historic Monuments. Cardiff 1994)

-------------------- Knighted on the field of Agincourt by Henry V

The castle is probably most closely associated with William ap Thomas,who fought with King Henry V at the Battle of Agincourt in 1415. In 1426, ap Thomas was knighted by Henry VI, becoming known to his compatriots as "the blue knight of Gwent." Sir William Herbert, Earl of Pembroke, was the next owner of the castle, and it is Herbert who is responsible for Raglan's distinctive Tudor-styling. The castle was also the boyhood home of Henry Tudor, later King Henry VII. As a boy he bided his time at Raglan, while his uncle Jasper agitated a Lancastrian return to the throne in the person of young Henry.

History: Godwin 8 Wales p 352, 448, H 852a This Gwilim ap Thomas was steward of lordships of Usk and Caerleon under Richard, duke of York. He appears to have married twice, his first wife being Elizabeth Bluet of Raglan, widow of Sirl James Berkeley, and his second a daughter of David Gam, Welsh squire slain at Agincourt. he was able to buy Raglan Castle from the Lord Berkeley, his first wife’s son, the deed, which remains amon~ the Beaufort muniments, refuting the pedigree-maker’s statement that he inherited the castle as heir of his mother “Maude daughter of Sir John Morley.” His sons William and Richard both partisans of the White Rose, took the surname of Herberi in or before 1461.

Knighted by Henry V.

BIOGRAPHY: In 1418, William ap Thomas was knighted by King Henry V and in 1432, he acquired Raglan Castle (Castell Rhaglan in Welsh) from his stepson James, Lord Berkeley, for 1000 marks (almost £667). Sir William ap Thomas fought with King Henry V in France, becoming known as Y marchog glas o Went, the Blue Knight of Gwent. In the 1430s, he enlarged and modernized the castle which became a huge fortress. In 1418, Sir William's nephew, a ten-year old boy, Robert ap Jevan whose father had died early, and two more of his siblings, came to live at Raglan Castle. Robert was the first family member to take the Raglan/Ragland name (both versions used indiscriminately). Sir William ap Thomas was a Welsh nationalist and a hero, a military genius admired and praised by the bards as the knight who would free Wales from the English yoke. Neither Sir William ap Thomas nor his son, Sir William Herbert, Viceroy in Wales during the War of the Roses, would fight to regain Welsh independence. Quite to the contrary, they helped to integrate Wales with England. One might speculate that the campaigns in France convinced both knights of the need for England and Wales to be united in the struggle with Normans and other Gauls.

Pedigree: Castell Rhaglan Sir William Herbert added a palatial double-courtyard mansion to the moated Yellow Tower with its double drawbridge. He also served in France and became rich by trading and importing Gascony wine. King Edward IV made Sir William Baron Herbert of Raglan. In 1462 "the young Henry Tudor, the future King Henry VII, was placed in the custody of Sir William and his wife, and was brought up at Raglan Castle." In 1465, Raglan became an independent lordship "with a weekly market and a fair, held twice a year." 'Not farre from thence, a famous castle fine That Raggland hight, stands moted almost round.... The stately tower, that looks ore pond and poole, The fountaine trim, that runs both day and night, Doth yeeld in showe, a rare and noble sight.' (15th century poem) In 1468, King Edward elevated William Herbert to the rank of Earl of Pembroke. "The remarkable feature of the honour was that Earl William had become one of the first members of the Welsh gentry to enter the ranks of the English peerage." Already then, poets praised Raglan's exceptional size and beauty: "Hundred rooms filled with festive care, its hundred towers, parlours and doors, its hundred heaped-up fires of long-dried fuel, its hundred chimneys for men of high degree..." (Dafydd Llwyd, 15th c.) The Earl of Pembroke's son, William Herbert, himself named Earl of Huntingdon, married Mary Woodville, sister of the future queen. In 1502, Sir Walter Herbert, Earl William's brother, entertained his sister-in-law, the wife of King Henry VII, at Raglan. "Mae Rhaglan yn fwy o ddatganiad o gyfoeth nac o bresenoldeb milwrol bygythiol" -- "Raglan is more a statement of wealth than an intimidating military presence" (CADW:Castell Rhaglan) In 1492, Elizabeth Herbert, granddaughter of the Earl of Pembroke and owner of Raglan Castle, married Sir Charles Somerset, a son of Henry Beaufort, 3rd duke of Somerset. In 1504, Sir Charles became Baron Herbert of Raglan, Chepstow and Gower, and later Earl of Worcester. His grandson William, 3rd Earl of Worcester, made Raglan Castle "an Elizabethan great house; he also laid out fabulous Renaissance gardens to enhance his sumptuous home." Thomas Churchyard (1587) mentioned him "Earle Worster living nowe, Who buildeth up, the house of Raggland throwe." The famous library of Raglan Castle was established by William Herbert, the first Earl of Pembroke, who was a great supporter of Welsh literature and chaired the solemn gathering of Eisteddfod, an all-Welsh competition of bards. The library contained a collection of manuscripts of Welsh bards and the druidic religion in new Welsh language which were excerpted by Llywelin Sion <http://www.arbredor.com/titres/triades.html>, a bard from Glamorgan, about 1560. The library was subsequently destroyed by Cromwell but the Horae Pembrochianae, the Pembroke Hours survived, an exceptionally beautiful illuminated manuscript of the Hours of the Blessed Virgin Mary, written about 1440 for William Herbert, and now in the Philadelphia Museum of Art. During the English Civil War, the castle resisted a thirty weeks' siege by Lord Fairfax's troops, and when it finally fell, Parliament tried to destroy what is considered Britain's "finest late medieval fortress." The Duke of Somerset, however, was allowed to leave the castle with his armed men in full dress, music playing. Joshua Sprigge (1647), Fairfax's chaplain, commented on Somerset's tenacity "The two Garrisons of Ragland and Pendennis, like winter fruit, hung on."

    Cromwell's technicians worked for months to undermine the tower. After the castle's furnishings had been dispersed and the roof timbers sold it was in too bad a state to be rebuilt. The ruin of Raglan castle < is now a tourist attraction and venue of an annual summer art festival. (Above quotes in italics from John R. Kenyon: Ragland Castle. CADW: Welsh Historic Monuments. Cardiff 1994)

William ap Thomas (died 1445) was a member of a minor Welsh gentry family and was responsible for beginning the construction of Raglan Castle one of the finest late medieval .

Marriage He obtained Raglan through his marriage to Elizabeth Bloet , widow of Sir James Berkeley shortly after 1406. When Elizabeth died in 1420, ap Thomas retained Raglan as a tenant of his stepson James Berkeley, 1st Baron Berkeley , and in 1425 Lord Berkeley agreed that he could continue to hold Raglan for the duration of his life.

2nd Marriage

William married for a second time, and chose another heiress, Gwladus , described by a Welsh poet as 'The Star of Abergavenny' for her beauty. She was the daughter of Sir Dafydd Gam and the widow of Sir Roger Vaughan . Both these men had been part of the Welsh contingent that fought with King Henry V of England in France, and both were at the battle of Agincourt, where William ap Thomas had also fought.

The Blue Knight of Gwent In 1426, ap Thomas was knighted by King Henry VI, becoming known to his compatriots as "Y marchog glas o Went" (the blue knight of Gwent). Gradually he began to establish himself as a person of consequence in south Wales.

Important Offices In Wales As early as 1421 William held the important position of Steward of the Lordship of Abergavenny , and later became Chief Steward of the Duke of York's estates in Wales, 1442-1443. Other positions held by Sir William included that of Sheriff of Cardiganshire and Carmarthenshire , to which he was appointed in 1435, and his position as Sheriff of Glamorgan followed in 1440. Although he became one of the followers of Richard, Duke of York , and a member of the Duke's military council, Sir William's sphere of influence was largely confined to south Wales.

Raglan Castle By 1432 William was in a position to purchase the manor of Raglan from the Berkeleys for about L667 and it was probably from this time that he began to build the castle as we know it. His building programme eventually swept away most of the original structures. The principal buildings surviving from this time are the Great Tower (left) a self-contained fortress in its own right, together with the south gate, both equipped with gunloops. He also raised the hall, though later largely rebuilt, and part of the service range beyond. Two sources indicate that William ap Thomas was the builder of the keep. One of which is a contemporary poem praising ap Thomas, mentioning the tower at Raglan Castle which "stands above all other buildings." There is also a reference to Sir William Thomas' tower from a family chronicle written by Sir Thomas Herbert of Tintern.

Death & Burial William ap Thomas died in London in 1445, and his body was brought back to Wales to be buried in the Benedictine Priory Church of St Mary, Abergavenny. His wife Gwladus (the star of Abergavenny, as she was hailed by the poet Lewys Glyn Cothi ), died in 1454 and her tomb and effigy can also be seen in Abergavenny in the Priory Church of St Mary. William was succeeded by his eldest son, William Herbert, 1st Earl of Pembroke (1423-1469) who took the surname Herbert.

William ap Thomas (died 1445) was a member of a minor Welsh gentry family and was responsible for beginning the construction of Raglan Castle one of the finest late medieval Welsh castles. Marriage

He obtained Raglan through his marriage to Elizabeth Bloet, widow of Sir James Berkeley shortly after 1406. When Elizabeth died in 1420, ap Thomas retained Raglan as a tenant of his stepson James Berkeley, 1st Baron Berkeley, and in 1425 Lord Berkeley agreed that he could continue to hold Raglan for the duration of his life. 2nd Marriage

William married for a second time, and chose another heiress, Gwladus, described by a Welsh poet as 'The Star of Abergavenny' for her beauty. She was the daughter of Sir Dafydd Gam and the widow of Sir Roger Vaughan. Both these men had been part of the Welsh contingent that fought with King Henry V of England in France, and both were at the battle of Agincourt, where William ap Thomas had also fought. \The Blue Knight of Gwent

In 1426, ap Thomas was knighted by King Henry VI, becoming known to his compatriots as "Y marchog glas o Went" (the blue knight of Gwent). Gradually he began to establish himself as a person of consequence in south Wales. Important Offices In Wales

As early as 1421 William held the important position of Steward of the Lordship of Abergavenny, and later became Chief Steward of the Duke of York's estates in Wales, 1442-1443. Other positions held by Sir William included that of Sheriff of Cardiganshire and Carmarthenshire, to which he was appointed in 1435, and his position as Sheriff of Glamorgan followed in 1440. Although he became one of the followers of Richard, Duke of York, and a member of the Duke's military council, Sir William's sphere of influence was largely confined to south Wales. Raglan Castle

By 1432 William was in a position to purchase the manor of Raglan from the Berkeleys for about L667 and it was probably from this time that he began to build the castle as we know it. His building programme eventually swept away most of the original structures. The principal buildings surviving from this time are the Great Tower (left) a self-contained fortress in its own right, together with the south gate, both equipped with gunloops. He also raised the hall, though later largely rebuilt, and part of the service range beyond. Two sources indicate that William ap Thomas was the builder of the keep. One of which is a contemporary poem praising ap Thomas, mentioning the tower at Raglan Castle which "stands above all other buildings." There is also a reference to Sir William Thomas' tower from a family chronicle written by Sir Thomas Herbert of Tintern. Death & Burial

William ap Thomas died in London in 1445, and his body was brought back to Wales to be buried in the Benedictine Priory Church of St Mary, Abergavenny. His wife Gwladus (the star of Abergavenny, as she was hailed by the poet Lewys Glyn Cothi), died in 1454 and her tomb and effigy can also be seen in Abergavenny in the Priory Church of St Mary. William was succeeded by his eldest son, William Herbert, 1st Earl of Pembroke (1423-1469) who took the surname Herbert.

William ap Thomas Herbert (died 1445) was a member of a minor Welsh gentry family and was responsible for beginning the construction of Raglan Castle one of the finest late medieval Welsh castles.

In 1426, ap Thomas was knighted by King Henry VI, becoming known to his compatriots as "Y marchog glas o Went" (the blue knight of Gwent). Gradually he began to establish himself as a person of consequence in south Wales.

As early as 1421 William held the important position of Steward of the Lordship of Abergavenny, and later became Chief Steward of the Duke of York's estates in Wales, 1442-1443. Other positions held by Sir William included that of Sheriff of Cardiganshire and Carmarthenshire, to which he was appointed in 1435, and his position as Sheriff of Glamorgan followed in 1440. Although he became one of the followers of Richard, Duke of York, and a member of the Duke's military council, Sir William's sphere of influence was largely confined to south Wales.

Raglan Castle By 1432 William was in a position to purchase the manor of Raglan from the Berkeleys for about L667 and it was probably from this time that he began to build the castle as we know it. His building programme eventually swept away most of the original structures. The principal buildings surviving from this time are the Great Tower (left) a self-contained fortress in its own right, together with the south gate, both equipped with gunloops. He also raised the hall, though later largely rebuilt, and part of the service range beyond. Two sources indicate that William ap Thomas was the builder of the keep. One of which is a contemporary poem praising ap Thomas, mentioning the tower at Raglan Castle which "stands above all other buildings." There is also a reference to Sir William Thomas' tower from a family chronicle written by Sir Thomas Herbert ,_1st_Baronet of Tintern.

Death & Burial William ap Thomas died in London in 1445, and his body was brought back to Wales to be buried in the Benedictine Priory Church of St Mary, Abergavenny. His wife Gwladus (the star of Abergavenny, as she was hailed by the poet Lewys Glyn Cothi ), died in 1454 and her tomb and effigy can also be seen in Abergavenny in the Priory Church of St Mary. William was succeeded by his eldest son, William Herbert, 1st Earl of Pembroke (1423-1469) who took the surname Herbert.

William ap Thomas (died 1445) was a member of a minor Welsh gentry family and was responsible for beginning the construction of Raglan Castle one of the finest late medieval Welsh castles. Marriage

William married for a second time, and chose another heiress, Gwladus, described by a Welsh poet as 'The Star of Abergavenny' for her beauty. She was the daughter of Sir Dafydd Gam and the widow of Roger Vaughan of Bredwardine. Both these men had been part of the Welsh contingent that fought with King Henry V of England in France, and both were at the Battle of Agincourt, where William ap Thomas had also fought.