During a truce between King Stephen and William's father at the
siege of Newbury Castle in 1152 William was given as hostage.
William's father immediately broke the truce by sending in
reinforcements. "Stephen's entourage urged him to hang William
at once, but the king was unwilling to execute the child without
giving his father a chance to surrender Newbury. But John
Marshall, having four sons and a fruitful wife, considered the
youngest of his sons of far less value than a strong castle. He
cheerfully told the king's messenger that he cared little if
William were hanged, for he had anvils and hammers with which to
forge still better sons. When he received this brutal reply,
Stephen ordered his men to lead William to a convenient tree.
Fearing that John planned a rescue, the king himself escorted
the executioners with a strong force.
William, who was only five or six years old, had no idea what
this solemn parade portended. When he saw William, Earl of
Arundel twirling a most enticing javelin, he asked him for the
weapon. This reminder of William's youth and innocence was too
much for King Stephen's resolution, and taking the boy in his
arms, he carried him back to camp. A little later some of the
royalist had the ingenious idea of throwing William over the
walls from a siege engine, but Stephen vetoed that scheme as
well. He had decided to spare his young prisoner. from "William
Marshal" by S. Painter (Baltimore, 1933)
On the occasion of the Coronation of Henry III: "By God's
sword," said William Marshall, "this advice is true and good; it
goes straight to my heart, that if everyone else abandoned the
king, do you know what I would do? I would carry him on my
shoulders, step by step, from island to island, from country to
country, and I would not fail him, not even if it meant begging
for my bread." the Barnwell Annalist.
When the King(Henry III), who loved William devotedly, heard the
news of his death and saw his dead body coverd with a cloth, he
heaved a deep sigh and said: "Alas, woe is me, is the blood of
blessed Thomas the martyr(Becket) not even yet avenged". Mathew
Paris
William the Younger (Eldest son of William Marshal, 1241 - All
sons and direct male descendents of William Marshal whom could
carry on the Marshal name are dead.
Site dedicated to Wm Marshall
"1219 - on Tuesday, May 14, William Marshal, once Earl of
Pembroke, Marshal to four kings, Protector of the Royal
Treasury, and finally Regent of England - succumbs to death
after a long illness. When word reaches the palace of Philip of
France, he openly weeps, declaring that the Marshal was the true
flower of chivalry."
Pembroke Castle, built on an earlier site by William Marshall in
1190. Bounded on three sides by a tidal inlet, the imposing
castle, with its 16-ft thick limestone walls, was the birthplace
of Harry Tudor, later Henry VII. The circular Great Keep is 75
ft high and 24 ft in diameter, with walls 19 ft thick at the
base. There are many nooks and crannies, turrets and rooms to be
explored. One staircase leads down to the Wogan, a large natural
cavern.
Pembroke's old town walls can be traced in many places. The
Church of St Deniol at the ruined Monkton Priory has been
restored, to something like its original condition. Its windows
are decorated with the symbols of free masonry. St. Mary's and
St. Michael's churches are both of 13th century origin. Pembroke
contains the unique National Museum of Gypsy Caravans, Romany
Crafts and Lore and the Castle Hill Museum.
Southwest Wales: The Ancient Kingdom of Dyfed: The Southwest is
a region of soft, gentle farmlands and verdant valleys, hidden
coastal villages, rocky, dramatic sea scapes, ancient fishing
villages, and great, green empty moorlands. In this part of West
Wales, there are sharp divisions between Welsh and English
speaking regions, but the landscapes all betoken centuries of
peaceful co-existence. This is the home of the coracle; of
Wales' first designated area of natural beauty, and of its
finest 20th century poet. It also contains Britain's only
coastal national park.