William De Braose 4th Lord of Bramber

     William De Braose 4th Lord of Bramber was born between 1144 and 1153.¹ He was the son of William De Braose 3rd Lord of Bramber and Bertha of Hereford.² William De Braose 4th Lord of Bramber married Maud de St Valéry, daughter of Bernard de St Valéry and Matilda de St Valéry, circa 1168 at Bramber, West Sussex, England; Maud was referred to as a prudent and chaste woman. She supported her husband's military ambitions and he put her in charge of Hay Castle and surrounding territory. She is often referred to in history as the Lady of Hay. In 1198, Maud defended Painscastle in Elfael against a massive Welsh attack led by Gwenwynwyn, Prince of Powys. She successfully held off Gwenwynwyn's forces for three weeks until English reinforcements arrived. Over three thousand Welsh were killed. Painscastle was known as Matilda's Castle by the locals.³ William De Braose 4th Lord of Bramber died on 9 August 1211 at Corbeuil, Marne, Champagne, France.¹ He was buried on 10 August 1211 at Abbey of St Victorie, Paris, Ile-de-France, France.
     William was Sheriff of Herefordshire , 1192-99 , and, in 1196 , Justice Itinerant for Staffordshire . He accompanied Richard I to Normandy in 1195 . He supported John 's claim to the throne, witnessing various royal grants , and he was in attendance on John in Normandy at the time of Arthur 's death ( 1203 ). He also served in the French war of 1204 . He was high in John 's favour and acquired vast possessions, being granted the right to conquer territories from the Welsh (1200). He seized Elfael (1191) and in 1196 acquired full rights in Barnstaple by agreement with the co-heir. In 1200 he received the Honour of Limerick on payment of 5,000 marks at 500 marks a year, and, later, the town of Limerick . He became lord of Gower (1203) and of the Three Castles (1205). In 1207 he suddenly fell from grace, largely because of his failure to meet the charges on his estates. His English estates were distrained and the royal army occupied his Welsh territories, William and his family fleeing to Ireland . Here they were pursued, his wife and eldest son being captured, eventually to be starved to death at Windsor . William himself escaped to France , where he d. 9 Aug. 1211 . He was buried at the Abbey of S. Victor, Paris .