Please see Darrell Wolcott: The Children of Lord Rhys; http://www.ancientwalesstudies.org/id187.html. (Steven Ferry, September 15, 2020.)

Please see Darrell Wolcott: Maredudd Gethin ap Lord Rhys; http://www.ancientwalesstudies.org/id213.html. (Steven Ferry, September 17, 2020.)

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

No primary source gives an exact birth date - exact dates in this era are always to be regarded with suspicion.

William III de Braose (or Briouse or Briouze), 4th Lord of Bramber

http://fmg.ac/Projects/MedLands/ENGLISHNOBILITYMEDIEVAL3.htm

WILLIAM [III] de Briouse, son of WILLIAM [II] de Briouse Lord of Abergavenny, Briouse, Bramber, Brecon and Over-Gwent & his wife Berthe of Hereford (-Corbeil 9 Apr 1211, bur Paris, Saint-Victor).

• A manuscript which narrates the descents of the founders of Lanthony Abbey names “Willielmus, Egidius et Reginaldus” as the three sons of “Willelmo Brewes” and his wife “Berta…comitis Milonis secunda filia”, adding that William was disinherited by King John[1184].
• The Red Book of the Exchequer refers to "Willelmus de Breose xxviii l de honore de Berdestaple" in Devonshire in [1186/87][1185].
• The Red Book of the Exchequer, listing scutage payments in [1190/91], records "Willelmus de Braosa" in Sussex[1186]. The Red Book of the Exchequer, listing scutage payments in [1194/95], names "Willelmus de Breose" among those granted delay in payment "per brevis" in Buckinghamshire, Bedfordshire[1187].
• "Willelmus de Braiosa, Philippi filius" notified "filio suo" that he had donated "Armigetone mansionem" to the monks of Saint-Florent by charter dated to [1140], witnessed by "Robertus frater meus…", later confirmed by "Willelmus dominus de Braiosa filius Philippi, avi mei filii Willelmi" witnessed by "Bertam conjugem meam, Philippum fratrem meum…"[1188].
• King John confirmed "honore de Limeric" to "Willo de Braos", as King Henry II had granted it to "Philipp de Braos avunculo predicti Willlemi", by charter dated 12 Jan 1201[1189].
• "Willelmus de Braosa dominus de Brechen" donated property to Flaxley Abbey, Gloucestershire, for the souls of "uxoris meæ Matildis de Sancto Walerico et puerorum nostrorum", by undated charter, witnessed by "Willelmo et Philippo filiis meis"[1190].
• His lands were forfeited by King John in 1208[1191].
• The 13th century Histoire des ducs de Normandie et des rois d´Angleterre records that "Guillaumes de Brayouse" fled from King John to France[1192].
• The Annals of Waverley record that “Willelmus…de Brausa” fled “apud Sorham” after his wife and son were captured and died in Paris soon afterwards[1193].
• The Annals of Margan record the death in 1211 of “Willielmus de Breusa senior exul in Francia”[1194].

m ([1170/75]%29 MATHILDE de Saint-Valéry, daughter of BERNARD de Saint-Valéry & his [second wife Anora ---] (-Corfe Castle 1210).

• The 13th century Histoire des ducs de Normandie et des rois d´Angleterre names "fille fu Bernart de Saint-Waleri…Mehaus" as the wife of "Guillaumes de Brayouse", commenting that she once boasted about her cows to "Bauduin le conte d´Aubemalle son neveu"[1195].
• A manuscript which narrates the descents of the founders of Lanthony Abbey names “Matildis de S. Walerico, quondam uxoris Willielmi de Brewes” when recording the marriage of her daughter[1196].
• "Willelmus de Braosa dominus de Brechen" donated property to Flaxley Abbey, Gloucestershire, for the souls of "uxoris meæ Matildis de Sancto Walerico et puerorum nostrorum", by undated charter, witnessed by "Willelmo et Philippo filiis meis"[1197].
• The Annals of Waverley record that “Matildis matrona nobilis cognomento de la Haie, uxor Willelmi de Braose” was captured with “Willelmo filio suo milite…in Galwaitha” in 1210 and starved to death “apud Windeshores”[1198].
• A manuscript which narrates the descents of the founders of Lanthony Abbey records that “Mathildis uxor eius et Willielmus filius eorum” (referring to William, son of “Willelmo Brewes” and his wife “Berta…comitis Milonis secunda filia”) were imprisoned by King John and died in prison[1199].
• The Annals of Dunstable record that “Willelmum de Brause juniorem et sororem eius et Matildam matrem eius” were captured in Ireland in 1210 by King John, adding that they later died in prison[1200].
• The 13th century Histoire des ducs de Normandie et des rois d´Angleterre records that "Mehaus sa feme [Guillaumes de Braiouse] et Guillaumes ses fils" fled from King John to Ireland where they were captured at "le castiel de Cracfergu", taken to England, and imprisoned at "el castiel del Corf" where they were starved to death[1201].
• The question whether "Mathilde de Saint-Valéry" and "Mathilde de la Haie" refer to the same person appears to be resolved by the 13th century Histoire des ducs de Normandie et des rois d´Angleterre which records her parentage and the circumstances of her death in the same lengthy passage.

William & his wife had nine children:

1. MARGERY ([1175/85]-after 1255). ... may have been her mother´s daughter by an earlier marriage, not the daughter of William de Briouse, although no other primary source has yet been identified which suggests that Maud married twice. m WALTER de Lacy Lord of Meath, son of HUGH de Lacy Lord of Meath & his first wife Rose de Monmouth ([1172]-before 24 Feb 1241).

2. LAURETTE (-Hackington 4 Mar [1266 or after]). ... m ROBERT de Breteuil "FitzPernel" Earl of Leicester, son of ROBERT de Beaumont Earl of Leicester & his wife Pernelle de Grantmesnil (-20/21 Oct 1204, bur Leicester Abbey).

3. ELEANOR [Annor] (-after 26 Jan 1241). ... m (before 1210) HUGH de Mortimer of Wigmore, son of ROGER de Mortimer & his wife Isabel de Ferrers (-10 Nov 1227, bur Wigmore).

4. WILLIAM [IV] de Briouse (-Corfe 1210). ... m as her first husband, MATILDA [Joan] de Clare, daughter of RICHARD de Clare Earl of Hertford & his wife Amicie of Gloucester ([1185/90]-).

5. PHILIP de Briouse . ... m as her first husband, MATILDA de Pont de l´Arche, daughter of --- (-after 1 Sep 1227). ...

6. MATILDA de Briouse . ... m (1189) GRUFFYDD ap Rhys, son of RHYS ap Gruffydd King of Deheubarth & his wife Gwenllian of Powys (-[Jul/Aug] 1201). He succeeded his father in 1197 as King of Deheubarth.

7. daughter . The Annals of Dunstable record that “Willelmum de Brause juniorem et sororem eius et Matildam matrem eius” were captured in Ireland in 1210 by King John, adding that they later died in prison[615].

8. --- . The identity of Lucy´s parents is not known. Her father or mother may have been one of the other children of William [III] de Briouse who are named in this section. m ---- One child:

a) LEUCA (-before 28 Aug 1236). ... m GEOFFREY de Canville, son of --- (-before 20 Sep 1219).

9. REYNOLD de Briouse (-[5 May 1227/9 Jun 1228]). ... m firstly GRECIA, daughter of WILLIAM Briwere & his wife Beatrix de Vaux. ... m secondly ([1215/16]) GWLADUS Ddu, illegitimate daughter of LLEWELYN ap Iorwerth Prince of North Wales & his mistress --- (-Windsor 1251). ...

Sources

• [1184] Dugdale Monasticon VI, Lanthony Abbey, Gloucestershire, II, Fundatorum progenies, p. 134.
• [1185] Red Book Exchequer, Part I, Knights fees, p. 60.
• [1186] Red Book Exchequer, Part I, Anno secundo regis Ricardi…scutagium Walliæ assisum, p. 72.
• [1187] Red Book Exchequer, Part I, Anno VI regis Ricardi, ad redemptionem eius, scutagium ad XXs, p. 91.
• [1188] Saint-Florent Saumur (Chartes normandes), 23, p. 692.
• [1189] Rotuli Chartarum, 2 John, p. 84.
• [1190] Crawley-Boevey, A. W. (ed.) (1887) The Cartulary and Historical Notes of the Cistercian Abbey of Flaxley otherwise called Dene Abbey in the county of Gloucester (Exeter) ("Flaxley (Dene)") 8, p. 134.
• [1191] CP I 22.
• [1192] Michel, F. (1840) Histoire des ducs de Normandie et des rois d´Angleterre (Paris), p. 112.
• [1193] Annales de Waverleia, p. 265.
• [1194] Luard, H. R. (ed.) (1864) Annales Monastici Vol. I, Annales de Margan, Annales de Theokesberia, Annales de Burton (London), Annales de Margan, p. 31.
• [1195] Michel (1840), p. 111.
• [1196] Dugdale Monasticon VI, Lanthony Abbey, Gloucestershire, II, Fundatorum progenies, p. 135.
• [1197] Flaxley (Dene) 8, p. 134.
• [1198] Annales de Waverleia, p. 265.
• [1199] Dugdale Monasticon VI, Lanthony Abbey, Gloucestershire, II, Fundatorum progenies, p. 134.
• [1200] Annales de Dunstaplia, p. 32.
• [1201] Michel (1840), pp. 112-5.

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

William de Braose, 4th Lord of Bramber

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_de_Braose,_4th_Lord_of_Bramber

William de Braose, (or William de Briouze), 4th Lord of Bramber (1144/1153 – 9 August 1211), court favourite of King John of England, at the peak of his power, was also Lord of Gower, Abergavenny, Brecknock, Builth, Radnor, Kington, Limerick, Glamorgan, Skenfrith, Briouze in Normandy, Grosmont, and White Castle.

Lineage

William was the most notable member of the de Braose dynasty and his steady rise and sudden fall at the hands of King John is often taken as an example of that king's arbitrary and capricious behaviour towards his barons.

William was the son of William de Braose, 3rd Lord of Bramber and his wife Bertha of Hereford, also known as Bertha de Pitres, (born 1130) daughter of Miles Fitz Walter, Earl of Hereford and his wife, Sibyl, daughter of Bernard de Neufmarche. From his father he inherited the Rape of Bramber, in Sussex, and through his mother he inherited a large estate in the Welsh Marches area of modern day Monmouthshire.

Abergavenny Massacre

In 1175, William de Braose carried out the Abergavenny Massacre, luring three Welsh princes and other Welsh leaders to their deaths. His principal antagonist was a Seisyll ap Dyfnwal, of Castell Arnallt near Llanover in the valley of the River Usk near Abergavenny, whom he blamed for the death of his uncle Henry. After having invited the Welsh leaders to a Christmas feast at Abergavenny Castle under the pretence of peace and the start of a new era at the end of the year (a traditional time for settling outstanding differences amongst the Welsh), he had them murdered by his men. This resulted in great hostility against him among the Welsh, who named him the "Ogre of Abergavenny". Gerald of Wales exonerates him and emphasises the religious piety of de Braose and his wife and de Braose generosity to the priories of Abergavenny and Brecon. William de Braose did however reputedly hunt down and kill Seisyll ap Dyfnwal's surviving son, Cadwaladr, a boy of seven.

In 1192 William de Braose was made Sheriff of Hereford, a post he held until 1199. In 1196 he was made Justice Itinerant for Staffordshire. In 1195 he accompanied King Richard I of England to Normandy and in 1199, William de Braose fought beside Richard at Chalus, where the king was mortally wounded.

He then supported King John's claim to the throne of England, supported the new king in making various royal grants and was in attendance with John in Normandy at the time of Arthur of Brittany's death in 1203. Arthur was John's nephew and was seen by many as the rightful heir to the English throne. De Braose served in the war of 1204 against King Philip II of France in France.

Royal favourite

He was greatly favoured by King John early in his reign. John granted him all that he might conquer from the Welsh in Radnorshire, gave him lordship over Limerick in Ireland (save for the city itself), possession of Glamorgan castle, and the Lordship of Gower with its several castles.

In 1203, William de Braose was put in charge of Arthur of Brittany, whom he had personally captured the previous year at the Battle of Mirebeau. William was suspected of involvement in Arthur's disappearance and death, although no concrete evidence ever came to light. There is somewhat better evidence that he at least knew the truth of the matter.

In 1206 King John gave William de Braose the three great neighbouring trilateral castles of Gwent (Skenfrith Castle, Grosmont Castle, and White Castle). These have been interpreted as bribes encouraging silence on the demise of Arthur, seen by many as a rightful heir to the throne occupied by John of England.

At this point only an earldom separated him from the greatest in England.

Royal persecution and exiled death

But soon after this William de Braose fell out of favour with King John of England. The precise reasons remain obscure. King John cited overdue monies that de Braose owed the Crown from his estates. But the King's actions went far beyond what would be necessary to recover the debt. He distrained de Braose's English estates in Sussex and Devon and sent a force to invade Wales to seize the de Braose domains there. Beyond that, he sought de Braose's wife, Maud de St. Valery, who, the story goes, had made no secret of her belief that King John had murdered Arthur of Brittany. Gerald of Wales describes Maud as a 'prudent and chaste woman' who bore her husband three sons William, Giles and Reginald de Braose.

De Braose fled to Ireland, then returned to Wales as King John had him hunted in Ireland. In Wales, William allied himself to the Welsh Prince Llywelyn the Great and helped him in rebellion against King John.

In 1210, William de Braose fled Wales in disguise as a beggar, to France. His wife and eldest son were captured, and he died the following year in August 1211 at Corbeil, France. He is buried in the Abbey of St. Victor in Paris by a fellow exile and vociferous opponent of King John, Stephen Langton, the Archbishop of Canterbury. His hopes to return alive to Wales and a burial in Brecon were to be unfulfilled. William's wife, Maud, and eldest son, William, once captured were murdered by King John, possibly starved to death incarcerated in Windsor Castle and Corfe Castle in 1210.

While William had aroused the jealousy of the other barons during his rise, the arbitrary and violent manner of his fall very likely discomfited them and played a role in the Baronial uprisings of the next decade. The historian Sidney Painter, in his biography of King John, called it "the greatest mistake John made during his reign, as the King revealed to his Barons once and for all his capacity for cruelty".

Junior branch of the de Braose dynasty

William de Braose's eldest son, William, although captured in hiding with his mother and starved to death in 1210, had fathered four sons. They were John, Giles, Phillip and Walter and although they were also held imprisoned they were released in 1218. John, the eldest, was said to have been brought up in secret, on Gower, by a Welsh ally or retainer. On release he came under the care of his uncle Giles de Braose. John made a claim to being rightful heir of the de Braose lands and titles and although the courts did not find for him, his other uncle Reginald de Braose was able to cede by a legal convention the Baronies of both Gower and Bramber to him for a fee. This established the junior branch of the dynasty in its own right and further positioned the dynasty for survival at worst and at best opportunity, continued future power and influence.

Later dynasty

The middle son, Giles de Braose, exiled in France until 1213, was Bishop of Hereford from 1200 until his death in 1215. He made peace with King John and agreed terms for regaining de Braose lands in 1215 but had also made alliances with the Welsh leader Llywelyn the Great. He died in 1215 before he could come into the lands.

William's third son, Reginald de Braose reacquired his father's lands and titles for himself through simply seizing them back by force following the death of Giles. Reginald did not actually come to terms with the Crown until 1217 and the new, young King Henry III of England, after the death of King John. This in turn aroused the anger of Llywelyn the Great who had an understanding with Giles de Braose and the seeming duplicity caused the Welsh to attack de Braose lands in Brecon and Abergavenny and Gower. Abergavenny Castle had to be rebuilt as a result. Reginald de Braose died in 1228.

William's eldest daughter Matilda (also called Maud) married a prominent Welsh prince, Gruffydd ap Rhys II of Deheubarth. Another daughter, Margaret, married Walter de Lacy, Lord of Meath in Ireland and himself another powerful Marcher Lord.

Fiction

The story of the death of Maud de St. Valery and the conflict of her family with John Lackland is covered in several novels, notably Lady of Hay by Barbara Erskine. Erskine describes the life of Maud by sending a woman of the 20th century by psychological regression back into the 12th century.

External links

• FMG on the first son of William de Braose/Briouse
• Holden, Brock W., "King John, the Braoses, and the Celtic Fringe, 1207-1216", Albion: Journal of British Studies v.33 (2001)

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

from thePeerage.com:

William de Briouze1

M, #102562, d. 9 August 1211

Last Edited=30 Apr 2008

    William de Briouze was the son of William de Briouze and Bertha of Hereford.1 He married Maud de St. Valery.1 He died on 9 August 1211.1 He was buried on 10 August 1211 at Abbey of St. Victor, Paris, France.1

    William de Briouze succeeded to the title of Lord of Bramber, Sussex [Feudal].1 He gained the title of Lord of Brecon [Feudal].1 He succeeded to the title of Lord de Briouze, Normandie.1 He succeeded to the title of Lord Abergavenny [Feudal] after 1179.1 In 1208 as a result of his well-known quarrel with King John, his lands were forfeited.1

Children of William de Briouze and Maud de St. Valery

   * William de Briouze+ d. 12101

   * Giles de Briouze d. 13 Nov 12151

   * Reynold de Briouze+ b. b 1188, d. bt 5 May 1227 - 9 Jun 1228

Citations

  1. [S6] G.E. Cokayne; with Vicary Gibbs, H.A. Doubleday, Geoffrey H. White, Duncan Warrand and Lord Howard de Walden, editors, The Complete Peerage of England, Scotland, Ireland, Great Britain and the United Kingdom, Extant, Extinct or Dormant, new ed., 13 volumes in 14 (1910-1959; reprint in 6 volumes, Gloucester, U.K.: Alan Sutton Publishing, 2000), volume I, page 22. Hereinafter cited as The Complete Peerage.

---

William de Braose, 7th Baron Abergavenny and 4th Lord of Bramber (1144/1153 – August 9, 1211), court favourite of King John, at the peak of his power was also Lord of Gower, Abergavenny, Brecknock, Builth, Radnor, Kington, Limerick, Glamorgan,Skenfrith, Briouze in Normandy, Grosmont, and White Castle.

Contents

[hide]

   * 1 Lineage

   * 2 Abergavenny Massacre

   * 3 Royal favourite

   * 4 Royal persecution and exiled death

   * 5 The junior branch of the de Braose dynasty

   * 6 Later dynasty

   * 7 Fiction

   * 8 External links

Lineage

William is the most famous member of the de Braose dynasty and his steady rise and sudden fall at the hands of King John is often taken as an example of that king's arbitrary and capricious behaviour towards his Barons.

William was the son of William de Braose, Third Lord of Bramber and his wife Bertha of Hereford, also known as Bertha de Pitres, (born 1130) daughter of Miles Fitz Walter, Earl of Hereford and his wife, formerly Sibyl de Neufmarche, daughter of Bernard de Neufmarche. From his father he inherited the Rape of Bramber, in Sussex, and through his mother he inherited a large estate in the Welsh Marches area of modern day Monmouthshire.

Abergavenny Massacre

In 1175, William de Braose carried out the Abergavenny Massacre, luring three Welsh princes and other Welsh leaders to their deaths. His principal antagonist was a Seisyll ap Dyfnwal, of Castell Arnallt near Llanover in the valley of the River Usk near Abergavenny, whom he blamed for the death of his uncle Henry. After having invited the Welsh leaders to a Christmas feast at Abergavenny Castle under the pretence of peace and the start of a new era at the end of the year (a traditional time for settling outstanding differences amongst the Welsh), he had them murdered by his men. This resulted in great hostility against him among the Welsh, who named him the "Ogre of Abergavenny". Gerald of Wales exonerates him and emphasises the religious piety of de Braose and his wife and de Braose generosity to the priories of Abergavenny and Brecon. William de Braose did however reputedly hunt down and kill Seisyll ap Dyfnwal's surviving son, Cadwaladr, a boy of seven.

In 1192 William de Braose was made Sheriff of Hereford, a post he held until 1199. In 1196 he was made Justice Itinerant for Staffordshire. In 1195 he accompanied King Richard I of England to Normandy and in 1199, William de Braose fought beside Richard at Chalus, where the king was mortally wounded.

He then supported King John's claim to the throne of England, supported the new king in making various royal grants and was in attendance with John in Normandy at the time of Arthur of Brittany's death in 1203. Arthur was John's nephew and was seen by many as the rightful heir to the English throne.

De Braose served in the war of 1204 against King Philip II of France in France.

Royal favourite

He was greatly favoured by King John early in his reign. John granted him all that he might conquer from the Welsh in Radnor, gave him lordship over Limerick in Ireland (save for the city itself), possession of Glamorgan castle, and the Lordship of Gower with its several castles.

In 1203, William de Braose was put in charge of Arthur of Brittany, whom he had personally captured the previous year at the Battle of Mirabeau. William was suspected of involvement in Arthur's disappearance and death, although no concrete evidence ever came to light. There is somewhat better evidence that he at least knew the truth of the matter.

In 1206 King John gave William de Braose the three great neighbouring trilateral castles of Gwent (Skenfrith Castle, Grosmont Castle, and White Castle). These have been interpreted as bribes encouraging silence on the demise of Arthur, seen by many as a rightful heir to the throne occupied by John of England.

At this point only an earldom separated him from the greatest in England.

Royal persecution and exiled death

But soon after this William de Braose fell out of favour with King John of England. The precise reasons remain obscure. King John cited overdue monies that de Braose owed the Crown from his estates. But the King's actions went far beyond what would be necessary to recover the debt. He distrained de Braose's English estates in Sussex and Devon and sent a force to invade Wales to seize the de Braose domains there. Beyond that, he sought de Braose's wife Maud who, the story goes, had made no secret of her belief that King John had murdered Arthur of Brittany. Gerald of Wales describes Maud de St. Valery, as a 'prudent and chaste woman' who bore her husband three sons William, Giles and Reginald de Braose.

De Braose fled to Ireland, then returned to Wales as King John had him hunted in Ireland. In Wales, William allied himself to the Welsh Prince Llywelyn the Great and helped him in rebellion against King John.

In 1210, William de Braose fled Wales in disguise as a beggar, to France. His wife and eldest son were captured, and he died the following year in August 1211 at Corbeil, France. He is buried in the Abbey of St. Victor in Paris by a fellow exile and vociferous opponent of John of England, Stephen Langton, the Archbishop of Canterbury. His hopes to return alive to Wales and a burial in Brecon were to be unfulfilled. William's wife, Maud de Braose, and eldest son, William, once captured were murdered by King John, possibly starved to death incarcerated in Windsor Castle and Corfe Castle in 1210.

While William had aroused the jealousy of the other Barons during his rise, the arbitrary and violent manner of his fall very likely discomfited them and played a role in the Baronial uprisings of the next decade. The historian Sidney Painter, in his biography of King John, called it "the greatest mistake John made during his reign, as the King revealed to his Barons once and for all his capacity for cruelty".

The junior branch of the de Braose dynasty

William de Braose' eldest son, William, although captured in hiding with his mother and starved to death in 1210, had fathered four sons. They were John, Giles, Phillip and Walter and although they were also held imprisoned they were granted release in 1218. John, the eldest, was said to have been brought up in secret, on Gower, by a Welsh ally or retainer. On release he came under the care of his uncle Giles de Braose. John made a claim to being rightful heir of the de Braose lands and titles and although the courts did not find for him, his other uncle Reginald de Braose was able to cede by a legal convention the Baronecies of both Gower and Bramber to him for a fee. Thus establishing the junior branch of the dynasty in its own right and further positioning the dynasty for survival at worst and at best opportunity, continued future power and influence.

Later dynasty

The middle son, Giles de Braose, exiled in France until 1213, was Bishop of Hereford from 1200 until his death in 1215. He made peace with King John and agreed terms for regaining de Braose lands in 1215 but had also made alliances with the Welsh leader Llywelyn the Great. He died in 1215 before he could come into the lands.

William's third son, Reginald de Braose reacquired his father's lands and titles for himself through simply seizing them back by force following the death of Giles. Reginald did not actually come to terms with the Crown until 1217 and the new, young King Henry III of England, after the death of King John. This in turn aroused the anger of Llywelyn the Great who had an understanding with Giles de Braose and the seeming duplicity caused the Welsh to attack de Braose lands in Brecon and Abergavenny and Gower. Abergavenny Castle had to be rebuilt as a result. Reginald de Braose died in 1228.

William's eldest daughter Matilda (also called Maud) married a prominent Welsh prince, Gruffydd ap Rhys II of Deheubarth. Another daughter, Margaret, married Walter de Lacy, Lord of Meath in Ireland and himself another powerful Marcher Lord.

---

William de Braose, 7th Baron Abergavenny

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

William de Braose, 7th Baron Abergavenny and 4th Lord of Bramber (1144/1153 – 9 August 1211), court favourite of King John, at the peak of his power was also Lord of Gower, Abergavenny, Brecknock, Builth, Radnor, Kington, Limerick, Glamorgan,Skenfrith, Briouze in Normandy, Grosmont, and White Castle.

Lineage

William is the most famous member of the de Braose dynasty and his steady rise and sudden fall at the hands of King John is often taken as an example of that king's arbitrary and capricious behaviour towards his Barons.

William was the son of William de Braose, Third Lord of Bramber and his wife Bertha of Hereford, also known as Bertha de Pitres, (born 1130) daughter of Miles Fitz Walter, Earl of Hereford and his wife, formerly Sibyl de Neufmarche, daughter of Bernard de Neufmarche. From his father he inherited the Rape of Bramber, in Sussex, and through his mother he inherited a large estate in the Welsh Marches area of modern day Monmouthshire.

[edit]Abergavenny Massacre

In 1175, William de Braose carried out the Abergavenny Massacre, luring three Welsh princes and other Welsh leaders to their deaths. His principal antagonist was a Seisyll ap Dyfnwal, of Castell Arnallt near Llanover in the valley of the River Usk near Abergavenny, whom he blamed for the death of his uncle Henry. After having invited the Welsh leaders to a Christmas feast at Abergavenny Castle under the pretence of peace and the start of a new era at the end of the year (a traditional time for settling outstanding differences amongst the Welsh), he had them murdered by his men. This resulted in great hostility against him among the Welsh, who named him the "Ogre of Abergavenny". Gerald of Wales exonerates him and emphasises the religious piety of de Braose and his wife and de Braose generosity to the priories of Abergavenny and Brecon. William de Braose did however reputedly hunt down and kill Seisyll ap Dyfnwal's surviving son, Cadwaladr, a boy of seven.

In 1192 William de Braose was made Sheriff of Hereford, a post he held until 1199. In 1196 he was made Justice Itinerant for Staffordshire. In 1195 he accompanied King Richard I of England to Normandy and in 1199, William de Braose fought beside Richard at Chalus, where the king was mortally wounded.

He then supported King John's claim to the throne of England, supported the new king in making various royal grants and was in attendance with John in Normandy at the time of Arthur of Brittany's death in 1203. Arthur was John's nephew and was seen by many as the rightful heir to the English throne.

De Braose served in the war of 1204 against King Philip II of France in France.

[edit]Royal favourite

He was greatly favoured by King John early in his reign. John granted him all that he might conquer from the Welsh in Radnor, gave him lordship over Limerick in Ireland (save for the city itself), possession of Glamorgan castle, and the Lordship of Gower with its several castles.

In 1203, William de Braose was put in charge of Arthur of Brittany, whom he had personally captured the previous year at the Battle of Mirabeau. William was suspected of involvement in Arthur's disappearance and death, although no concrete evidence ever came to light. There is somewhat better evidence that he at least knew the truth of the matter.

In 1206 King John gave William de Braose the three great neighbouring trilateral castles of Gwent (Skenfrith Castle, Grosmont Castle, and White Castle). These have been interpreted as bribes encouraging silence on the demise of Arthur, seen by many as a rightful heir to the throne occupied by John of England.

At this point only an earldom separated him from the greatest in England.

[edit]Royal persecution and exiled death

But soon after this William de Braose fell out of favour with King John of England. The precise reasons remain obscure. King John cited overdue monies that de Braose owed the Crown from his estates. But the King's actions went far beyond what would be necessary to recover the debt. He distrained de Braose's English estates in Sussex and Devon and sent a force to invade Wales to seize the de Braose domains there. Beyond that, he sought de Braose's wife Maud who, the story goes, had made no secret of her belief that King John had murdered Arthur of Brittany. Gerald of Wales describes Maud de St. Valery, as a 'prudent and chaste woman' who bore her husband three sons William, Giles and Reginald de Braose.

De Braose fled to Ireland, then returned to Wales as King John had him hunted in Ireland. In Wales, William allied himself to the Welsh Prince Llywelyn the Great and helped him in rebellion against King John.

In 1210, William de Braose fled Wales in disguise as a beggar, to France. His wife and eldest son were captured, and he died the following year in August 1211 at Corbeil, France. He is buried in the Abbey of St. Victor in Paris by a fellow exile and vociferous opponent of John of England, Stephen Langton, the Archbishop of Canterbury. His hopes to return alive to Wales and a burial in Brecon were to be unfulfilled. William's wife, Maud, and eldest son, William, once captured were murdered by King John, possibly starved to death incarcerated in Windsor Castle and Corfe Castle in 1210.

While William had aroused the jealousy of the other Barons during his rise, the arbitrary and violent manner of his fall very likely discomfited them and played a role in the Baronial uprisings of the next decade. The historian Sidney Painter, in his biography of King John, called it "the greatest mistake John made during his reign, as the King revealed to his Barons once and for all his capacity for cruelty".

[edit]The junior branch of the de Braose dynasty

William de Braose' eldest son, William, although captured in hiding with his mother and starved to death in 1210, had fathered four sons. They were John, Giles, Phillip and Walter and although they were also held imprisoned they were granted release in 1218. John, the eldest, was said to have been brought up in secret, on Gower, by a Welsh ally or retainer. On release he came under the care of his uncle Giles de Braose. John made a claim to being rightful heir of the de Braose lands and titles and although the courts did not find for him, his other uncle Reginald de Braose was able to cede by a legal convention the Baronecies of both Gower and Bramber to him for a fee. Thus establishing the junior branch of the dynasty in its own right and further positioning the dynasty for survival at worst and at best opportunity, continued future power and influence.

[edit]Later dynasty

The middle son, Giles de Braose, exiled in France until 1213, was Bishop of Hereford from 1200 until his death in 1215. He made peace with King John and agreed terms for regaining de Braose lands in 1215 but had also made alliances with the Welsh leader Llywelyn the Great. He died in 1215 before he could come into the lands.

William's third son, Reginald de Braose reacquired his father's lands and titles for himself through simply seizing them back by force following the death of Giles. Reginald did not actually come to terms with the Crown until 1217 and the new, young King Henry III of England, after the death of King John. This in turn aroused the anger of Llywelyn the Great who had an understanding with Giles de Braose and the seeming duplicity caused the Welsh to attack de Braose lands in Brecon and Abergavenny and Gower. Abergavenny Castle had to be rebuilt as a result. Reginald de Braose died in 1228.

William's eldest daughter Matilda (also called Maud) married a prominent Welsh prince, Gruffydd ap Rhys II of Deheubarth. Another daughter, Margaret, married Walter de Lacy, Lord of Meath in Ireland and himself another powerful Marcher Lord.

[edit]Fiction

The story of the death of Maud de St. Valery and the conflict of her family with John Lackland is covered in several novels, notably Lady of Hay by Barbara Erskine. Erskine describes the life of Maud by sending a woman of the 20th century by psychological regression back into the 12th century.

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William de BRAOSE Lord Brecknock 5th Baron de Braiose (1144-1211) [Pedigree]

Son of William de BRAOSE 1st Baron of Gwentland (1112-1179) and Berta of Hereford (1123-)

   b. ABT 1144, Bramber, Sussex, Eng.

   d. 9 Aug 1211, Corbeil

   d. 9 Aug 1211, Corbeil, near Paris, France

   bur. 10 Aug 1211, St. Victor's Abbey, Paris, France

Married Matilda (Maud) de ST. VALERIE (1148-1210)

Children:

William de BRAOS (1200-1210) m(1) Maud (Matilda) de CLARE (1175-1213)

Reginald de BRAOSE (1171-1228) m(1) Grace de BRIWERE (1186-1251)

Margaret de BRAOSE (1177-) m(2) Walter de LACY Lord of Meath, Ireland (1172-1241)

References: [AR7],[EnglishP],[ConverseA],[PlantagenetA], [GENSERV],[MCS4],[MC],[RD500]

• William de Braose Lord Bramber

born about 1153 Bramber, Sussex, England

died 9 August 1211 Corbeil, Marne, France

buried 10 August 1211 France

father:

• William de Braose Lord of Abergavenny and Brechnock

born about 1100 Bramber, Sussex, England

died about 1192 England

mother:

• Bertha de Pitres of Gloucester

born about 1130 Gloucester, Gloucestershire, England

married about 1148 Herefordshire, England

siblings:

Roger de Braose born about 1159 Bramber, Sussex, England died England

Miss de Braose born about 1161 Bramber, Sussex, England died England

Giles de Braose born about 1163 Bramber, Sussex, England died England

• Bertha de Braose born about 1151 Bramber, Sussex, England died 1170 England

died 9 August 1211 Corbeil, Marne, France buried 10 August 1211 France

Reginald de Braose born about 1155 Bramber, Sussex, England died 1225 England

• Sibilla Braose born about 1157 Bramber, Sussex, England

died after 05 February 1227/8 England

Isabel de Braose born about 1154 Bramber, Sussex, England

Gillian de Braose born about 1158 Bramber, Sussex, England

John de Braose born about 1160 Bramber, Sussex, England

Philip de Braose born <1126 Herefordshire, England>

Matilda de Braose born about 1150/1160 <Herefordshire, England>

Engeram de Braose born <1154 Bramber, Sussex, England>

spouse:

• Maud (Matilda) de Saint Valery de Haye

born about 1155

died 1210 Corfe, Windsor Castle, Berkshire, England

children:

• Margaret Braose born about 1177 Abergavenny, Wales

Fulk de Braose born about 1188 Bramber, Sussex, England

• Matilda de Braose born about 1173 Bramber, Sussex, England

Joan (Alice) de Braose born about 1174 Gower, Kent, England

Laurette de Braose born about 1176 Bramber, Sussex, England

died 4 March 1266 Hackington, Near Canterbury, Kent, England

• Reginald de Braose born about 1178/1185 Bramber, Sussex, England

died 9 June 1228 Brecon, Breconshire, Wales buried Priory Church, Brecon, Breconshire, Wales

Eleanor de Braose born about 1185 Bramber, Sussex, England died after 1241

Giles de Braose born about 1175 Bramber, Sussex, England died 13 November 1215 Gloucester, Gloustershire, England

• William "the Younger" de Braose born about 1175 Bramber, Sussex, England died 1210 Corfe, Windsor Castle, Berkshire, England

Hugh de Braose born 1180 <Bramber, Sussex, England>

John de Braose born about 1180/1183 Bramber, Sussex, England died before 26 March 1205

Robert de Braose born about 1166 Bramber, Sussex, England

Roger Braose born about 1171 Bramber Castle, Sussex, England

Thomas de Braose born about 1175 Bramber Castle, Sussex, England

Bernard de Braose born about 1183 Bramber Castle, Sussex, England

Henry de Braose born about 1181 Bramber, Sussex, England

Walter de Braose born about 1177 Bramber Castle, Sussex, England

Flandrina Braose born about 1170 Bramber Castle, Sussex, England

Philip de Braose born about 1204 Bramber, Sussex, England

biographical and/or anecdotal:

notes or source:

LDS

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William de Braose, 7th Baron Abergavenny and 4th Lord of Bramber (1144/1153 – 9 August 1211), court favourite of King John, at the peak of his power was also Lord of Gower, Abergavenny, Brecknock, Builth, Radnor, Kington, Limerick, Glamorgan,Skenfrith, Briouze in Normandy, Grosmont, and White Castle.

William is the most famous member of the de Braose dynasty and his steady rise and sudden fall at the hands of King John is often taken as an example of that king's arbitrary and capricious behaviour towards his Barons.

William was the son of William de Braose, Third Lord of Bramber and his wife Bertha of Hereford, also known as Bertha de Pitres, (born 1130) daughter of Miles Fitz Walter, Earl of Hereford and his wife, formerly Sibyl de Neufmarche, daughter of Bernard de Neufmarche. From his father he inherited the Rape of Bramber, in Sussex, and through his mother he inherited a large estate in the Welsh Marches area of modern day Monmouthshire.

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William was also called 4th Lord of Bramber. William "the Ogre of Abergavenny."

William married Maud de St. Valéry, daughter of Bernard IV de St. Valéry, before 1175.

William was the strongest of the Marcher Lords involved in constant war with the Welsh and other lords circa 1175. He was called the "Ogre of Abergavenny" by the Welsh for the massacre of three Welsh princes, their families, and their men, which took place during a feast at his castle of Abergavenny in 1175 at Monmouthshire, Wales.

William inherited Bramber, in Sussex, and Builth and Radnor, in Wales, from his father in 1192. He inherited Brecknock and Abergavenny through his mother.

William was made Sheriff of Hereford by King Richard I between 1192 and 1199. He was 4th Lord of Bramber at West Sussex, England, between 1192 and 9 August 1211.

He was one of the Normans' foremost warriors, and fought alongside King Richard (when Richard received his fatal wound) on 6 April 1199 at Châlus, Haute-Vienne, Aquitaine, France.

William received from King John the lordship of Limerick in 1201 at Ireland. He was also given custody of Glamorgan, Monmouth, and Gwynllwg in Wales in return for large payments.

William captured Arthur, Count of Brittany, and in charge of his imprisonment, for King John, but did not kill him, in 1202 at Mirebeau, Vienne, France.

William was granted custody, by King John, of Glamorgan castle in Wales in October 1202. He was rewarded by King John, who gave him the grant of Gower in Wales in February 1203.

William was possibly bribed by King John to keep silent about Arthur of Brittany's death by being given the city of Limerick in Ireland in July 1203.

William was released from the debt to King John (which he owed for the marriage of Amabil de Limesi to his son, John on 26 March 1205). He received the "three castles"--Whitecastle, Grosmont, and Skenfrith--albeit for a high fee, and was also re-appointed Sheriff of Hereford and justice itinerant of Gloucester in 1206.

William was stripped, for some reason, of his office as bailiff of Glamorgan and other custodies by King John in 1207. He was deprived of all his lands and sought by King John in Ireland after 1207.

William returned to Wales and joined the Welsh Prince, Llewelyn Fawr, in rebellion circa 1208. According to the Annals of Monte Fernando (1208): "Willelmus de Breaus ejicitur de Anglia et venit in Hiberniam."

William fled to France via Shoreham "in the habit of a beggar" in 1210. He died on 9 August 1211 at Corbeil, Marne, France, in exile, a year after his wife and son William were starved to death by King John in their dispute with John.

Despite his intention to be interred at St. John's, Brecon, William "the Ogre of Abergavenny" was buried in the Abbey of St. Victoire, Paris by Stephen Langton, the Archbishop of Canterbury, another of John's chief opponents, who was also taking refuge there.

See "My Lines"

( http://homepages.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~cousin/html/p384.htm#i6759 )

from Compiler: R. B. Stewart, Evans, GA

( http://homepages.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~cousin/html/index.htm )

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William was also called 4th Lord of Bramber. William "the Ogre of Abergavenny."

William married Maud de St. Valéry, daughter of Bernard IV de St. Valéry, before 1175.

William was the strongest of the Marcher Lords involved in constant war with the Welsh and other lords circa 1175. He was called the "Ogre of Abergavenny" by the Welsh for the massacre of three Welsh princes, their families, and their men, which took place during a feast at his castle of Abergavenny in 1175 at Monmouthshire, Wales.

William inherited Bramber, in Sussex, and Builth and Radnor, in Wales, from his father in 1192. He inherited Brecknock and Abergavenny through his mother.

William was made Sheriff of Hereford by King Richard I between 1192 and 1199. He was 4th Lord of Bramber at West Sussex, England, between 1192 and 9 August 1211.

He was one of the Normans' foremost warriors, and fought alongside King Richard (when Richard received his fatal wound) on 6 April 1199 at Châlus, Haute-Vienne, Aquitaine, France.

William received from King John the lordship of Limerick in 1201 at Ireland. He was also given custody of Glamorgan, Monmouth, and Gwynllwg in Wales in return for large payments.

William captured Arthur, Count of Brittany, and in charge of his imprisonment, for King John, but did not kill him, in 1202 at Mirebeau, Vienne, France.

William was granted custody, by King John, of Glamorgan castle in Wales in October 1202. He was rewarded by King John, who gave him the grant of Gower in Wales in February 1203.

William was possibly bribed by King John to keep silent about Arthur of Brittany's death by being given the city of Limerick in Ireland in July 1203.

William was released from the debt to King John (which he owed for the marriage of Amabil de Limesi to his son, John on 26 March 1205). He received the "three castles"--Whitecastle, Grosmont, and Skenfrith--albeit for a high fee, and was also re-appointed Sheriff of Hereford and justice itinerant of Gloucester in 1206.

William was stripped, for some reason, of his office as bailiff of Glamorgan and other custodies by King John in 1207. He was deprived of all his lands and sought by King John in Ireland after 1207.

William returned to Wales and joined the Welsh Prince, Llewelyn Fawr, in rebellion circa 1208. According to the Annals of Monte Fernando (1208): "Willelmus de Breaus ejicitur de Anglia et venit in Hiberniam."

William fled to France via Shoreham "in the habit of a beggar" in 1210. He died on 9 August 1211 at Corbeil, Marne, France, in exile, a year after his wife and son William were starved to death by King John in their dispute with John.

Despite his intention to be interred at St. John's, Brecon, William "the Ogre of Abergavenny" was buried in the Abbey of St. Victoire, Paris by Stephen Langton, the Archbishop of Canterbury, another of John's chief opponents, who was also taking refuge there.

See "My Lines"

( http://homepages.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~cousin/html/p384.htm#i6759 )

from Compiler: R. B. Stewart, Evans, GA

( http://homepages.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~cousin/html/index.htm )

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His last name aka 'Briouse'. Title: Lord of Brecon (Brecknock) & Bramber, Sheriff of Herefordshire in 1192-1199. In 1201 King John revived the Braose title to the whole kingdom of Limerick in favour of William, an absentee who thus became overlord of all the north Munster colony except for the land of de Burgh (also relatives), the church & the city of Limerick.

Sources:

The book, 'Reconstructing the Past', by Alan Sorrell

The book, 'The Oxford History of Ireland'

The book, 'The Europa Biographical Dictionary of British Women'

The book, 'The Thomas Book'

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http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_de_Braose,_7th_Baron_Abergavenny

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4th Lord of Bramber

The Ogre of Abergavenny

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William de Braose, 7th Baron Abergavenny and 4th Lord of Bramber (1144/1153 – 9 August 1211), court favourite of King John, at the peak of his power was also Lord of Gower, Abergavenny, Brecknock, Builth, Radnor, Kington, Limerick, Glamorgan,Skenfrith, Briouze in Normandy, Grosmont, and White Castle.

William is the most famous member of the de Braose dynasty and his steady rise and sudden fall at the hands of King John is often taken as an example of that king's arbitrary and capricious behaviour towards his Barons.

William was the son of William de Braose, Third Lord of Bramber and his wife Bertha of Hereford, also known as Bertha de Pitres, (born 1130) daughter of Miles Fitz Walter, Earl of Hereford and his wife, formerly Sibyl de Neufmarche, daughter of Bernard de Neufmarche. From his father he inherited the Rape of Bramber, in Sussex, and through his mother he inherited a large estate in the Welsh Marches area of modern day Monmouthshire.

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William de Braose was born on c. 1144 to 1153 to William de Braose, 3rd Lord of Bramber and Bertha de Hereford (aka Bertha de Pitres) de Braose. William married Maud "Matilda" de Clare on c. 1166 and had 9 children: William de Braose; Giles de Braose, Bishop of Hereford; Reginald de Braose; Matilda de Braose; Margaret de Braose; Annora de Braose; Loretta de Braose; John de Braose; and Flandrina de Braose, Abbess of Godstowe. He passed away on August 1211 in Corbeil, France and is buried in the Abbey of St. Victor in Paris, France.

Lord William de Braose, 4th Lord of Bramber is my 28th great uncle.