William Marshal, Earl of Pembroke

MARSHALL

1. GILBERT-

Gilbert may have been the son or grandson of Robert, who in 1086 held Cheddar, Somerset under Robert de Courseulles.(1)

Gilbert was the Royal Serjeant and Marshal of King Henry I's royal household. This office was part of the Curia and was subordinate to the office of constable of the royal household. As marshal he was responsible for everything having to do with the horses, hawks, and hounds of the Royal Family and had the duty of keeping order in the court, keeping tract of the expenditures of the household, the rolls of those who performed military service, the imprisonment of debtors and the billeting of members of the court. Gilbert and his son John are found in the king's court before 1130 where they maintained their office by trial of battle against William de Hastings and Robert de Venoiz.

Issue-

  • 2I. JOHN- m.1. _______ Pipard (annulled), 2. SIBYL, d.c.1165
  • II. William Giffard- presented to the church of Cheddar Hole, admitted by Godfrey, Bishop of Bath.

    Ref:

    (1) Domesday Book- Vol. I, f. 94

    "The Complete Peerage of England, Scotland, Ireland, Great Britain and the United Kingdom, Extant, Extinct or Dormant"- George E. Cockayne, Ed., Alan Sutton Pub., 1910-1959- Vol. X, p. 92


    2I. JOHN (GILBERT 1)

    m.1. Aline Pipard (annulled), d. of Walter Pipard
    2. SIBYL d. of Walter of Salisbury, Sheriff of Wiltshire and Sybil de Chaworth
    d.c.1165

    On a roll of pipe dated 1130 John paid £22 for seisin of his father's lands and 40 marks for the office of marshal. John was witness to 12 charters of Henry I between 1129 and 1135 in England and in Normandy.

    Site of Marlborough Castle on the grounds of Marlborough College

    Upon the accession of King Stephen in 1135 John continued to serve the new king as marshal and went with Stephen to Normandy in 1137. In 1138 he became castellan of Marlborough and Ludgershall castles in Wiltshire and used his position there to attack the lands of those opposed to King Stephen (or anybody else). However, upon Stephen's capture in 1141, John switched sides and supported the Empress Matilda from that time onward. He was with her at Reading in May, Oxford in July, and at the siege of Winchester in Aug. 1141. As Henry of Blois, Bishop of Winchester approached with troops to relieve the siege, the Empress fled to John's castle of Ludgershall with Brian fitz Count and he stayed back to protect her retreat at the River Test. By the end of the battle only John and one of his knights were left standing. They fled to sanctuary at Wherwell Abbey which Stephen's troops set fire to and left the scene thinking John had died, but, he survived, having lost one eye from melting iron in the fire and fled to Marlborough castle. John had switched his allegiance only once (as opposed to the many who changed sides repeatedly) in this civil war. Once he joined the Empress he served her faithfully, a service which Henry II remembered and rewarded.

    Ludgershall Castle

    During this time John was constantly fighting his neighbor, Patrick, constable of Salisbury, who was one of King Stephen's men. After this back and forth feuding they reached an agreement in 1141 with John putting aside his first wife and marrying Sibyl, Patrick's sister and Patrick then came over to the Empress's side. This gave both of them the opportunity to raid the lands of Stephen's other supporters in the area.

    John was witness to four charters from the Empress and there are two writs by her to John. He also witnessed five charters by Henry, Duke of Normandy. After Stephen's death in December 1154, Henry became King Henry II and gave John charters to manors in Marlborough, Wexcombe and Cherhill, Wiltshire amounting to £82 in revenue per year and was retained as marshal of the Royal Household. He also had the lands that he had inherited from his father, seven other knights' fees including the land of the Bishop of Winchester, the Bishop of Exeter, the Abbot of Abingdon, Richard de Chandos, Manasser de Arsic, and Geoffrey de Mandeville. He also held Tidworth, Wiltshire through his office of marshal and probably Hampstead, Berkshire. He also appears to have held Wigan, Oxon and Inkberrow, Worcester.

    John was ruthless and known for his military ability. The Gesta Stephani calls him "a limb of hell and the root of all evil" and accused John of building adulterine castles, taking lands from both laity and clergy and forcing payments from the church. He put aside his first wife without any problem to better himself. In L'Historie de Guillaume le Marechal the story is told of the siege of John's castle of Newbury by King Stephen in 1152. Stephen held John's son William hostage for his good behaviour, however, John ignored the truce and Stephen called John to the castle walls and reminded hm that his son's life was forfeit for his actions, John said that "he had the anvils and the hammer to forge still better sons." Only the gentle nature of King Stephen saved the life of five year old William.(1)

    Issue-first two children by his first wife, last six by Sibyl.

  • I. Gilbert- d.s.p. c.1165
  • II. Walter- d.s.p. before 1165
  • III. John-
  • IV. Maud- m. Robert de Pont de l'Arche
  • V. Margaret- Sir Ralph de Somery
  • 3VI. WILLIAM- b.c.1146, m. Aug. 1189 ISABEL de CLARE, d.c. Apr. 1219 Caversham, bur. Westminster Abbey
  • VII. Henry- Bishop of Exeter
  • VIII. Ancel- knight to Rotrou, Count of Perche.

    Ref:

    (1) See the wonderful essay "John fitz Gilbert; the Marshal"- by Catherine Armstrong at: http://www.castlewales.com/jf_gilbt.html

    Ancestral Roots of Certain American Colonists Who Came to America Before 1700- Frederick Lewis Weis, Lines 55-28, 66-27, 81-28, 122A-29
    The Feudal Kingdom of England 1042-1216- Frank Barlow, Longman Group Ltd, London, 1961


    3VI. WILLIAM (GILBERT 1, JOHN 2)- 4th Earl of Pembroke

    b.c.1146
    m. Aug. 1189 ISABEL de CLARE
    d.c. Apr. 1219 Caversham
    bur. Westminster Abbey

    About 1159 William was sent to his mother's cousin William de Tancarville, Normandy to be trained as a knight and was probably knighted in 1167 while on campaign in upper Normandy which was being invaded by Flanders. At this time William was taken to his first tournament. After leaving de Tancarville he served in the household of his mother's brother Patrick, Earl of Salisbury. In 1168 Patrick was killed by Guy de Lusignan in an ambush and William was injured and captured. He was ransomed by Eleanor of Aquitaine who was impressed with his bravery. William was then appointed by King Henry II to be the head of the military household of Prince Henry in 1170, a post which he held until the prince's death in June 1183. William was responsible for training, running and protecting the mesnie (military) household of the prince. William led the young Prince Henry and his mesnie to numerous tournament victories in Normandy and from 1170 until 1183 William was undefeated in the tournaments. On his deathbed he recalled winning 500 victories during his tourneying career. By the time of the French state tournament in 1179 at Lagny-sur-Marne held to celebrate the coronation of King Philip II, William was wealthy enough to raise his own banner over his own company of knights. Needless to say he was the subject of considerable envy and his rivals at court would conspire against him claiming in 1182 that he was more interested in profiting from the tournaments than in protecting his lord, the prince. He was also accused of disrespecting the king in his choice of war cry: "God aids the Marshal" and the way in which his men trumpeted his fame above the king's. Due to these problems he left the Prince's service and joined the tournament team of his rival, Philip of Flanders, but was recalled to Henry's household shortly thereafter.

    William unhorses Baldwin de Guisnes from Chronica Major by Matthew Paris

    William followed the young prince in his rebellion against his father in 1173-4 where he is listed by the clerks of King Henry II as one of the rebels. He was at the Prince's side when he died of dysentery near Limoges on 11 June 1183. Upon the prince's death, William obtained permission from King Henry II to take the prince's cross to Jerusalem where he spent two years fighting for King Guy of Jerusalem and the Knights Templar.

    Some of the castle building techniques William used at Pembroke Castle were undoubtedly learned while he was in the East.

    Pembroke Castle

    The Inner Ward and Great Keep

    King Henry II granted William the fief of Cartmel, Lancashire in 1187 and the keeping of Heloise, the heiress of the barony of Lancaster. In 1188 King Henry summoned William to assist him in fighting Philip who was trying to seize the disputed territory of Berry. The letter the king wrote to William makes some sarcastic comments about William's complaints that he had not been properloy rewarded for his past service. Henry promised him the marriage and lands of Dionisia de Chateauroux in Berry. He served the king as knight, counselor and ambassador until the king's death.(2)

    "During Richard's rebelion against his father he had pressed hard upon Henry II's rout at Le Mans in the very forefront of the cavalry without even wearing his mail. In the rearguard of the beaten army stood Henry's faithful warrior, William the Marshal. He confronted Richard and had him at his mercy. "Spare me!" cried Richard in his disadvantage; so the Marshal turned his lance against the prince's horse and killed it, saying with scorn, "I will not slay you. The Devil may slay you." This was humiliation and insult worse than death. It was not therefore without anxiety that the Marshal and his friends awaited their treatment at the hands of the sovereign to whom their loyalties must now be transferred. But King Richard rose at once above the past. He spoke with dignity and detachment of the grim incident so fresh and smarting in his mind. He confirmed his father's true servant in all his offices and honours, and sent him to England to act in his name. He gave him in marriage the rich Crown heiress of Pembroke, and at a stroke the Marshal became one of the most powerful of English barons."(1) By this marriage William obtained the palatine lordships of Pembroke and Striguil in Wales and the lordship of Leinster, Ireland. As Lord Palatine he had the right to appoint his own officials, sheriffs and courts and retain the proceeds of his courts and government. Other than in church cases, the king's writ did not run in the palatines. King Richard also granted to William half the barony of Giffard for 2,000 marks which was split with Richard de Clare, giving him the manors of Crendon, Bucks, Caversham, Oxon, 43 knights fees, the fief of Longueville, Normandy and the castles of Longueville, Mueller and Moulineaux and about 40 knights fees. William therefore held the castles of Pembroke, Chepstow (Striguil), Kilkenny, Emlyn, Cilgerran, Goodrich, Haverford, Inkberrow, Tenby and Usk

    Chepstow Castle

    Emlyn Castle

    Cilgerran Castle

    Goodrich Castle

    William was one of the members of the Council of Regency appointed by King Richard upon his departure for the Third Crusade in 1190.

    King Richard and his sister Joan, Queen of Sicily with King Philip of France in Sicily c.1190- from "History of the Crusades" by William of Tyre.

    William was on the side of Prince John when he expelled William Lonchamp, the justiciar, from the kingdom, however, William soon discovered that John's interests were different from those of his brother Richard and therefore in 1193 he joined the loyalists in making war against him. William served Richard the Lion Hearted as his knight, ambassador, justiciar and counselor and upon Richard's death in 1199 he supported King John as heir to the throne. King John made William Earl of Pembroke on the day he was crowned King on 27 May 1199. William was involved in the defence of Normandy from 1200 to 1203 and he sailed with King John when he abandoned the duchy in Dec. 1203. He was sent with the Earl of Leicester as an ambassador to negociate a truce with King Philip in 1204 and took this opportunity to negociate the continued possession of his lands in Normandy for which William paid homage to King Philip which caused offended King John. We all know how King John alienated his barons and he accused William of being a traitor and took all his English and Welsh castles and took two of William's sons as hostages and tried to take his lands in Leinster as well and burned the town of New Ross by Meilyr fitz Henry. Meilyr was defeated by the Countess Isabel before her husband's return when he built Carlow Castle. King John even tried to get his own knights to challenge William to trial by combat.

    William remained loyal despite all of this and supported John against the Papal Interdict and supported him in the baronial rebellion as William considered the bond of fealty to one's lord as one of the most important points of honor and something not to be broken. Upon John's death in 1216 William was chosen by his peers as regent for the minority of Henry III and he took responsibility for the king's funeral and burial at Worcester Cathedral. He was the main force for the defeat of King Philip II of France and led the attack to relieve Lincoln Castle in May 1217 at the age of 70.

    William was preparing to besiege Prince Louis in London when the war ended by the victory of Hubert de Burgh in the straits of Dover. William was criticised for the generous terms given to the rebels at the Treaty of Lambeth on 11 Sept. 1217 but he wished for a speedy settlement of hostilities to provide peace and stability to the young king's realm. He was one of the witnessing barons upon the re-issue of Magna Carta. The Angevin dynasty probably would not have survived the disasterous reign of King John if it wasn't for William and his honesty and reputation of self-restraint and compromise as well as his support for the Magna Carta.

    The Battle of Lincoln- 20 May 1217

    William's health finally failed him in Feb. 1219 and in Mar. he summoned his son William and his household knights and left the Tower of London for Caversham, Oxfordshire where he called a meeting of the barons, Henry III, Pandulf Masca, the papal legate, Hubert de Burgh, the royal justiciar, and Peter des Roches, the Bishop of Winchester and the king's guardian. William entrusted the regency to the papal legate as he did not trust the Bishop or any of the other barons. Forfilling the vow he made when on Crusade he was invested into the order of the Knights Templar on his deathbed. He died on 14 May 1219 at Caversham and was buried as a Knight Templar at the Temple Church in London. The memorials in the nave of the Temple Church were believed to be the family tombs, however, restorations after World War II revealed no bodies, but only effigies. So where are they buried? About 1240 his body was moved and the tomb opened. The body was putrid with decay which Matthew Paris, the monk and chronicler regarded as evidence for William's sins as he died an excommunicant (by the Bishop of Ferns).

    Marshal Family Tombs- Temple Church- London

    William Marshal's effigy- Temple Church

    William was one of the few medieval laymen to be the subject of a biography: "L'histoire de Guillaume le Marechal". This biography is a poem of over 19,000 lines in rhyming couplets and was probably written by John of Tourangeau, probably in the Southern March of Wales c.1225 and commissioned by his son William. The original manuscript of this poem is now owned by the J. Pierrepont Morgan Library, call number Ms M.0888.

    Go to: http://corsair.themorgan.org/cgi-bin/Pwebrecon.cgi?v1=1&ti=1,1&Search_Arg=guillaume%20le%20Marechal&Search_Code=GKEY^&CNT=50&PID=uiC7ymauFBecfDwOVNECorK-vCt2&SEQ=20101214162504&SID=4

    During the civil wars in Ireland William took two manors that the Bishop of Ferns claimed but could not get back. After William's death the bishop is said to have laid a curse on the family that William's sons would have no children and the estates of the great Marshal would be scattered. Each of William's sons did become Earl of Pembroke and Marshal of England, however none lived past forty and none had any children and the estates were divided between the five daughters.

    The famous William le Marischal appears in numerous works of fiction including Shakespeare's "King John" as the Earl of Pembroke; the central character in the English ballad "Queen Eleanor's Confession"; four generations of the family appear in Mary Pershall's historical romances with "Dawn of the White Rose" being about William and Isabel; he appears in Thomas Costain's "Below the Salt"; Sharon Kay Penman's "Time and Chance" and Devil's Brood" as well as "When Christ and His Saints Slept"; James Blish's "Doctor Mirabilis"; Juliet Dymoke's "A Pride of Kings"; Bernard Knight's "The Witch Hunter"; Elizabeth Chadwick's "The Greatest Knight" and "The Scarlet Lion"; Christian Balling's "Champion"; Graham Shelby's "The Devil is Loose" and "Wolf at the Door"; Virginia Henley's "The Falcon and the Flower" and "The Dragon and the Jewel". In film he appears in "The Lion in Winter", "A Knight's Tale", Sir Ridley Scott's "Robin Hood", the BBC Radio series "Plantagenet" and he is a key character in Christopher Morley's play "The King's Disposition".

    Issue-

  • I. Eva- m. before 1219 William de Briouze (hanged by Llywellyn ap Iorwerth 1230)
  • II. Matilda- m.1.1206 Hugh le Bigod, Earl of Norfolk (d. 1225), 2. before 13 Oct. 1225 William de Warenne, Earl of Surrey (d. 1240), d. 27 Mar. 1248. Maud's son Roger became Earl Marshal.
  • III. William- b.c.1190, m.1. contract 6 Nov. 1203, m. Sept. 1214 Alice Bethune (d.c.1215), 2. 23 Apr. 1224 Eleanor Plantagenet, d.s.p. 24 Apr. 1231, bur. New Temple Church, London. William was the 5th Earl of Pembroke.
  • IV. Richard- m. before 1224, Gervase de Dinan, murdered 16 Apr. 1234 s.p.
  • V. Gilbert- m.1. Sept. 1230 Margaret de Lanvallei, 2. Aug. 1235 Margaret, sister of King Alexander II of Scotland, killed s.p. at a tournament at Ware 27 June 1241, bur. Temple Church, London
  • VI. Walter- m. 2 Jan. 1242 Margaret de Quincy (m.1. John de Lacy, d. 1266), d.s.p. 24 Nov. 1245 Goodrich Castle
  • VII. Anselm- m. Maud de Bohun, d.s.p. 23 Dec. 1245 Striguil, bur. Tintern, Monmouth.
  • 4VIII. ISABEL- b. 9 Oct. 1200 Pembroke Castle, m.1. 9 Oct. 1217 Tewsbury Abbey, Gloucestershire, GILBERT de CLARE, 2. 30 Mar. 1231 Fawley, Buckinghamshire, Richard, Earl of Cornwall, d. 17 Jan. 1240 Berkhamsted Castle, Hertfordshire, bur. Beaulieu Abbey, Hampshire
  • IX. Sibilla- m. before 1219 William de Ferrers, Earl of Derby (d. 1254), d. after 1238
  • X. Johanna- m. after 1220 Warin de Munchensi of Swanscombe (d. 1255), d. before 1234

    Ref:

    (1) The Birth of Britain- Sir Winston Churchill, Dodd, Mead & Co., NY, 1956- p.228
    (2) William Marshal- Earl of Pembroke- Catherine Armstrong, 1998 at: http://www.castlewales.com/marshall.html

    The Complete Peerage of England, Scotland, Ireland, Great Britain and the United Kingdom, Extant, Extinct or Dormant, new ed- G.E. Cokayne; with Vicary Gibbs, H.A. Doubleday, Geoffrey H. White, Duncan Warrand and Lord Howard de Walden, editors- Vol. II, p. 126-7
    Britain's Royal Family: A Complete Genealogy- Alison Weir, The Bodley Head, London, 1999, p. 53
    Burke's Peerage, Baronetage & Knightage- Charles Mosley, Ed.- Vol. I, p. 682


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