de Bohun, Earl William

Male 1312 - 1360  (48 years)


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Generation: 1

  1. 1.  de Bohun, Earl William was born on 24 Mar 1312 in Northampton, Northamptonshire, England (son of de Bohun, Earl Humphrey and Plantagenet, Elizabeth of Rhuddlan); died on 16 Sep 1360 in Saffron Walden, Essex, England; was buried on 16 Sep 1360 in Walden Abbey, Saffron Walden, Essex, England.

    Other Events and Attributes:

    • FSID: K24L-MWK
    • Appointments / Titles: Between 24 Mar 1312 and 1360; 5th Earl of Essex
    • Appointments / Titles: Between 24 Mar 1312 and 1360; Earl of Northampton
    • Appointments / Titles: 1337; Earl of Northampton creation
    • Military: 1339, French Flanders (Historical), Nord, Nord-Pas-de-Calais, France; accompanied the King
    • Military: 24 Jun 1340, Sluis, Sluis-Aardenburg, Zeeland, Netherlands; Battle of Slyus
    • Military: 30 Sep 1342, Morlaix, Finistère, Bretagne, France; Commander at the Battle of Morlaix
    • Military: 26 Aug 1346, Crécy, Somme, Picardie, France; Commander at Battle of Crécy
    • Appointments / Titles: Between 1349 and 1360; High Sheriff of Rutland
    • Appointments / Titles: Between 1349 and 1360; Knight of the Garter
    • Occupation: Between 1352 and 1355; Admiral of the Northern Seas, Fleet

    Notes:

    William de Bohun, 1st Earl of Northampton, KG (c. 1312 – 16 September 1360) was an English nobleman and military commander. He was the fifth son of Humphrey de Bohun, 4th Earl of Hereford and Elizabeth of Rhuddlan. He had a twin brother, Edward. His maternal grandparents were Edward I of England and his first Queen consort Eleanor of Castile.

    William de Bohun assisted at the arrest of Roger Mortimer in 1330, allowing Edward III to take power. After this, he was a trusted friend and commander of the king and he participated in the renewed wars with Scotland.

    In 1332, he received many new properties: Hinton and Spaine in Berkshire; Great Haseley, Ascott, Deddington, Pyrton and Kirtlington in Oxfordshire; Wincomb in Buckinghamshire; Longbenington in Lincolnshire; Kneesol in Nottinghamshire; Newnsham in Gloucestershire, Wix in Essex, and Bosham in Sussex.

    In 1335, he married Elizabeth de Badlesmere. Her parents Bartholomew de Badlesmere, 1st Baron Badlesmere, and Margaret de Clare had both turned against Edward II the decade before. Elizabeth and William were granted some of the property of Elizabeth's first husband, who had also been Mortimer's son and heir.

    William was created Earl of Northampton in 1337, one of the six earls created by Edward III to renew the ranks of the higher nobility. Since de Bohun was a younger son, and did not have an income suitable to his rank, he was given an annuity until suitable estates could be found.

    In 1349 he became a Knight of the Garter. He served as High Sheriff of Rutland from 1349 until his death in 1360.

    In 1339 he accompanied the King to Flanders. He served variously in Brittany and in Scotland, and was present at the great English victories at Sluys and was a commander at Crécy. His most stunning feat was commanding an English force to victory against a much bigger French force at the Battle of Morlaix in 1342. Some of the details are in dispute, but it is clear that he made good use of pit traps, which stopped the French cavalry.

    In addition to being a warrior, William was also a renowned diplomat. He negotiated two treaties with France, one in 1343 and one in 1350. He was also charged with negotiating in Scotland for the freedom of King David Bruce, King of Scots, who was held prisoner by the English.

    From the 8 March 1352 to 5 March 1355 he was appointed Admiral of the Northern Seas, Fleet.

    Issue
    1. Humphrey de Bohun, 7th Earl of Hereford (1341–1373)
    - Eleanor de Bohun (1366 - October 3, 1399); married Thomas of Woodstock, 1st Duke of Gloucester, youngest son of Edward III; mother of Anne of Gloucester.
    - Mary de Bohun (1368–1394); mother of Henry V of England
    2. Elizabeth de Bohun (c. 1350–1385); married Richard FitzAlan, 4th Earl of Arundel [1]

    [1] William de Bohun, 1st Earl of Northampton, Wikipedia

    William married de Badlesmere, Countess Elizabeth in 1335 in England. Elizabeth was born in 1313 in Badlesmere Castle, Badlesmere, Kent, England; died on 8 Jun 1356 in Caldecote, Huntingdonshire, England; was buried on 26 Jun 1356 in Blackfriars, Middlesex, England. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

    Children:
    1. de Bohun, Countess Elizabeth was born in 1350 in Derby, Derbyshire, England; died on 3 Apr 1385 in Arundel, Sussex, England; was buried after 3 Apr 1385 in Lewes Priory (Historical), Lewes, Sussex, England.

Generation: 2

  1. 2.  de Bohun, Earl Humphrey was born in 1276 in Pleshey Castle, Pleshey, Essex, England (son of de Bohun, Humphrey); died on 16 Mar 1322 in Boroughbridge, Yorkshire, England; was buried after 16 Mar 1322 in Blackfriars (demolished), Pontefract, Yorkshire, England.

    Other Events and Attributes:

    • FSID: LBK2-KG9
    • Appointments / Titles: Between 1298 and 1322; 4th Earl of Hereford
    • Appointments / Titles: Between 1298 and 1322; Earl of Essex
    • Occupation: Between 1298 and 1322; Lord High Constable of England

    Notes:

    Humphrey (VII) de Bohun, 4th Earl of Hereford (1276 – 16 March 1322) was a member of a powerful Anglo-Norman family of the Welsh Marches and was one of the Ordainers who opposed Edward II's excesses.

    Humphrey de Bohun's birth year is uncertain although several contemporary sources indicate that it was 1276. His father was Humphrey de Bohun, 3rd Earl of Hereford and his mother was Maud de Fiennes, daughter of Enguerrand II de Fiennes, chevalier, seigneur of Fiennes. He was born at Pleshey Castle, Essex.

    Humphrey (VII) de Bohun succeeded his father in 1298 as Earl of Hereford and Earl of Essex, and Constable of England (later called Lord High Constable). Humphrey held the title of Bearer of the Swan Badge, a heraldic device passed down in the Bohun family. This device did not appear on their coat of arms, (az, a bend ar cotised or, between 6 lioncels or) nor their crest (gu, doubled erm, a lion gardant crowned), but it does appear on Humphrey's personal seal (illustration).

    Humphrey was one of several earls and barons under Edward I who laid siege to Caerlaverock Castle in Scotland in 1300 and later took part in many campaigns in Scotland. He also loved tourneying and gained a reputation as an "elegant" fop. In one of the campaigns in Scotland Humphrey evidently grew bored and departed for England to take part in a tournament along with Piers Gaveston and other young barons and knights. On return all of them fell under Edward I's wrath for desertion, but were forgiven. It is probable that Gaveston's friend, the future Edward II, had given them permission to depart. Later Humphrey became one of Gaveston's and Edward II's bitterest opponents.

    He would also have been associating with young Robert Bruce during the early campaigns in Scotland, since Bruce, like many other Scots and Border men, he eventually submitted to English allegiance. Robert Bruce is closely connected to the Bohuns. Between the time that he swore his last fealty to Edward I in 1302 and his defection four years later, Bruce stayed for the most part in Annandale, rebuilding his castle of Lochmaben in stone, making use of its natural moat. Rebelling and taking the crown of Scotland in February 1306, Bruce was fighting a war against England which went poorly for him at first, and he was forced into hiding. By 1307, the war had begun to turn in his favor. His properties in England and Scotland were confiscated and three of his brothers were executed.

    Humphrey de Bohun received many of Robert Bruce's forfeited properties. It is unknown whether Humphrey was a long-time friend or enemy of Robert Bruce, but they were nearly the same age and the lands of the two families in Essex and Middlesex lay very close to each other. After Bruce's defeats, Humphrey took Lochmaben, and Edward I awarded him Annandale and the castle. Lochmaben was retaken by the Scots in 1312 and remained in Scottish hands until 1333 when it was once more seized by the English. It remained in the hands of Humphrey's son William, Earl of Northampton, who held and defended it until his death in 1360. Scots retook Lochmaben in 1385. Some de Bohuns remained in Scotland, where they became known as the Bounds.

    At the Battle of Bannockburn (23–24 June 1314), Humphrey de Bohun should have been given command of the army because that was his responsibility as Constable of England. However, since the execution of Piers Gaveston in 1312 Humphrey had been out of favour with Edward II, who gave the Constableship for the 1314 campaign to the youthful and inexperienced Earl of Gloucester, Gilbert de Clare. Nevertheless, on the first day, de Bohun insisted on being one of the first to lead the cavalry charge. In the melee and cavalry rout between the Bannock Burn and the Scots' camp he was not injured although his rash young cousin Henry de Bohun, who could have been no older than about 22, charged alone at Robert Bruce and was killed by Bruce's axe.

    On the second day, Gloucester was killed at the start of the battle. Hereford fought throughout the day, leading a large company of Welsh and English knights and archers. The archers who might have had success at breaking up the Scots schiltrons were attacked and overrun by the Scots cavalry. When the battle was lost Bohun retreated with the Earl of Angus and several other barons, knights and men to Bothwell Castle, seeking a safe haven. However, all the refugees who entered the castle were taken prisoner by its formerly pro-English governor Walter fitz Gilbert who, like many Lowland knights, declared for Bruce as soon as word came of the Scottish King's victory. Humphrey de Bohun was ransomed by Edward II, his brother-in-law, on the pleading of Edward's wife Isabella. This was one of the most interesting ransoms in English history. The Earl was traded for Bruce's queen, Elizabeth de Burgh and daughter, Marjorie Bruce, two bishops amongst other important Scots captives in England. Isabella MacDuff, Countess of Buchan, who had crowned Robert Bruce in 1306 and for years had been locked in a cage outside Berwick, was not included; presumably, she had died in captivity.

    Like his father, grandfather, and great-great-grandfather, this Humphrey de Bohun was careful to insist that the king obey Magna Carta and other baronially established safeguards against monarchic tyranny. He was a leader of the reform movements that promulgated the Ordinances of 1311 and fought to insure their execution.

    The subsequent revival of royal authority and the growing ascendancy of the Despensers (Hugh the elder and younger) led de Bohun and other barons to rebel against the king again in 1322. De Bohun had special reason for opposing the Despensers, for he had lost some of his estates in the Welsh Marches to their rapacity and he felt they had besmirched his honour. In 1316 De Bohun had been ordered to lead the suppression of the revolt of Llywelyn Bren in Glamorgan which he did successfully. When Llewelyn surrendered to him the Earl promised to intercede for him and fought to have him pardoned. Instead Hugh the younger Despenser had Llewelyn executed without a proper trial. Hereford and the other marcher lords used Llywelyn Bren's death as a symbol of Despenser tyranny.

    The rebel forces were halted by loyalist troops at the wooden bridge at Boroughbridge, Yorkshire, where Humphrey de Bohun, leading an attempt to storm the bridge, met his death on 16 March 1322.

    His marriage to Elizabeth of Rhuddlan (Elizabeth Plantagenet), daughter of King Edward I of England and his first wife, Eleanor of Castile, on 14 November 1302, at Westminster gained him the lands of Berkshire.

    1. Margaret de Bohun (born 1302 – died 7 Feb. 1304).
    2. Humphrey de Bohun (born c. Oct. 1303 – died c. Oct. 1304).
    3. Eleanor de Bohun (17 October 1304 – 1363), married James Butler, 1st Earl of Ormonde and Thomas Dagworth, 1st Baron Dagworth.
    4. John de Bohun, 5th Earl of Hereford (About 1307 – 1336)
    5. Humphrey de Bohun, 6th Earl of Hereford (About 1309 to 1311 – 1361).
    6. Margaret de Bohun (3 April 1311 – 16 December 1391), married Hugh Courtenay, 2nd Earl of Devon. Gave birth to about 16 to 18 children (including an archbishop, a sea commander and pirate, and more than one Knight of the Garter) and died at the age of eighty.
    7. William de Bohun, 1st Earl of Northampton (About 1310–1312 –1360). Twin of Edward. Married Elizabeth de Badlesmere, daughter of Bartholomew de Badlesmere, 1st Baron Badlesmere and Margaret de Clare, by whom he had issue.
    8. Edward de Bohun (About 1310–1312 –1334). Twin of William. Married Margaret, daughter of William de Ros, 2nd Baron de Ros, but they had no children. He served in his ailing elder brother's stead as Constable of England. He was a close friend of young Edward III, and died a heroic death attempting to rescue a drowning man-at-arms from a Scottish river while on campaign.
    9. Agnes, (About 1313), married Robert de Ferrers, 2nd Baron Ferrers of Chartley, son of John de Ferrers, 1st Baron Ferrers of Chartley.
    10. Eneas de Bohun, (Birth date unknown, died after 1322, when he's mentioned in his father's will). Nothing known of him.
    11. Isabel de Bohun (b. ? May 1316). Elizabeth died in childbirth, and this child died on that day or very soon after. Buried with her mother in Waltham Abbey, Essex. [1]

    [1] Humphrey de Bohun, 4th Earl of Hereford, Wikipedia.

    Humphrey married Plantagenet, Elizabeth of Rhuddlan on 14 Nov 1302 in Westminster Abbey, Westminster, London, England. Elizabeth (daughter of Plantagenet, Edward of England I and of Castille, Queen of England Eleanor) was born on 7 Aug 1282 in Rhuddlan, Denbighshire, Wales; was christened on 17 Aug 1282 in Rhuddlan, Denbighshire, Wales; died on 5 May 1316 in Quendon, Essex, England; was buried on 23 May 1316 in Walden Abbey, Saffron Walden, Essex, England. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]


  2. 3.  Plantagenet, Elizabeth of RhuddlanPlantagenet, Elizabeth of Rhuddlan was born on 7 Aug 1282 in Rhuddlan, Denbighshire, Wales; was christened on 17 Aug 1282 in Rhuddlan, Denbighshire, Wales (daughter of Plantagenet, Edward of England I and of Castille, Queen of England Eleanor); died on 5 May 1316 in Quendon, Essex, England; was buried on 23 May 1316 in Walden Abbey, Saffron Walden, Essex, England.

    Other Events and Attributes:

    • House: House of Plantagenet
    • FSID: MCT9-W4B

    Notes:

    Elizabeth of Rhuddlan (7 August 1282 – 5 May 1316) was the eighth and youngest daughter of King Edward I and Queen Eleanor of Castile. Of all of her siblings, she was closest to her younger brother King Edward II, as they were only two years apart in age.

    In April 1285 there were negotiations with Floris V for Elizabeth's betrothal to his son John I, Count of Holland. The offer was accepted and John was sent to England to be educated. On 8 January 1297 Elizabeth was married to John at Ipswich. In attendance at the marriage were Elizabeth's sister Margaret, her father, Edward I of England, her brother Edward, and Humphrey de Bohun. After the wedding Elizabeth was expected to go to Holland with her husband, but did not wish to go, leaving her husband to go alone. It is recorded that while in Ipswich the King, in some outburst, threw his daughter's coronet into the fire: a great ruby and a great emerald were supplied by Adam the Goldsmith for stones lost as a result.

    After some time traveling England, it was decided Elizabeth should follow her husband. Her father accompanied her, traveling through the Southern Netherlands between Antwerp, Mechelen, Leuven and Brussels, before ending up in Ghent. There, they remained for a few months, spending Christmas with her two sisters Eleanor and Margaret. On 10 November 1299, John died of dysentery, though there were rumours of his murder. No children had been born from the marriage.

    On her return trip to England, Elizabeth went through Brabant to see her sister Margaret. When she arrived in England, she met her stepmother Margaret, whom Edward had married while she was in Holland. On 14 November 1302 Elizabeth was married to Humphrey de Bohun, 4th Earl of Hereford, 3rd of Essex, also Constable of England, at Westminster Abbey.

    The children of Elizabeth and Humphrey de Bohun, 4th Earl of Hereford were:

    1. Margaret de Bohun (born 1302 - died 7 Feb. 1304).
    2. Humphrey de Bohun (born c. Oct. 1303 - died c. Oct. 1304).
    3. Lady Eleanor de Bohun (17 October 1304 – 1363)
    4. John de Bohun, 5th Earl of Hereford (23 November 1306 – 1335)
    5. Humphrey de Bohun, 6th Earl of Hereford (6 December c. 1309 – 1361)
    6. Margaret de Bohun, 2nd Countess of Devon (3 April 1311 – 1391)
    7. William de Bohun, 1st Earl of Northampton (1312–1360).
    8. Edward de Bohun (1312–1334), twin of William
    9. Eneas de Bohun, (1314 - after 1322); he is mentioned in his father's will
    10. Isabel de Bohun (b&d 5 May 1316)

    During Christmas 1315, Elizabeth, who was pregnant with her eleventh child, was visited by her sister-in-law, Queen Isabella of France. On 5 May 1316 she went into labour, giving birth to her daughter Isabella. Both Elizabeth and her daughter Isabella died shortly after the birth, and were buried together in Walden Abbey Church, Walden Essex. [1]

    [1] Elizabeth of Rhuddlan, Wikipedia.

    Children:
    1. 1. de Bohun, Earl William was born on 24 Mar 1312 in Northampton, Northamptonshire, England; died on 16 Sep 1360 in Saffron Walden, Essex, England; was buried on 16 Sep 1360 in Walden Abbey, Saffron Walden, Essex, England.


Generation: 3

  1. 4.  de Bohun, Humphrey was born on 15 Nov 1249 in Essex, England; died on 31 Dec 1298 in Pleshey, Essex, England; was buried after 31 Dec 1298 in Walden Abbey, Saffron Walden, Essex, England.

    Other Events and Attributes:

    • FSID: L23G-MWL

    Notes:

    The de Bohun then Bohun family is an English noble family of Norman origin that played a prominent role in English political and military history during the Late Middle Ages. The swan used by the family and their descendants as a heraldic badge came to be called the Bohun swan.

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bohun_family

    Humphrey (VI) de Bohun (c. 1249 – 31 December 1298), 3rd Earl of Hereford and 2nd Earl of Essex, was an English nobleman known primarily for his opposition to King Edward I over the Confirmatio Cartarum.[1] He was also an active participant in the Welsh Wars and maintained for several years a private feud with the earl of Gloucester.[2] His father, Humphrey (V) de Bohun, fought on the side of the rebellious barons in the Barons' War. When Humphrey (V) predeceased his father, Humphrey (VI) became heir to his grandfather, Humphrey (IV). At Humphrey (IV)'s death in 1275, Humphrey (VI) inherited the earldoms of Hereford and Essex. He also inherited major possessions in the Welsh Marches from his mother, Eleanor de Braose...

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Humphrey_de_Bohun,_3rd_Earl_of_Hereford

    Children:
    1. 2. de Bohun, Earl Humphrey was born in 1276 in Pleshey Castle, Pleshey, Essex, England; died on 16 Mar 1322 in Boroughbridge, Yorkshire, England; was buried after 16 Mar 1322 in Blackfriars (demolished), Pontefract, Yorkshire, England.

  2. 6.  Plantagenet, Edward of England IPlantagenet, Edward of England I was born on 17 Jun 1239 in Westminster Palace, Westminster, London, England; was christened on 28 Jun 1239 in Westminster, London, England (son of of England, Henry III and Berenger, Eleanor); died on 7 Jul 1307 in Burgh by Sands, Cumberland, England; was buried on 28 Oct 1307 in Westminster Abbey, Westminster, London, England.

    Other Events and Attributes:

    • Appointments / Titles: Hammer of the Scots
    • Appointments / Titles: King of England
    • Appointments / Titles: The Best Lance in the World
    • Appointments / Titles: The Edward Justian
    • Appointments / Titles: The Flower of Chivalry
    • Nickname: Longshanks
    • FSID: LHWS-PRY
    • Occupation: Peerage of England
    • Religion: Roman Catholic
    • Military: 21 May 1264; Battle of Lewes
    • Appointments / Titles: 1265; Lord Warden of the Cinque Ports
    • Military: 2 Jul 1271, Nazareth, Israel; 7th or 9th Crusade: After capturing Nazareth in 1271, he massacred all the Muslims found within its walls. In retaliation for this savagery, an Assassin with a poisoned dagger stabbed him three times, but his life was saved by his wife's prompt action of sucking the poison from the wounds, and by his vigorous constitution which resisted whatever poison remained in his system. So in 1272 he negotiated and signed a 10 year truce before heading home, which is when he learned of his father’s death. He finally reached England in 1274 and was crowned in Westminster Abbey on August 19th.
    • Appointments / Titles: Between 1272 and 1307; Duke of Aquitaine
    • Appointments / Titles: Between 1272 and 1307; King of England
    • Appointments / Titles: Between 1272 and 1307; Lord of Ireland
    • Appointments / Titles: Between 1272 and 1307; Lord of Scotland
    • Appointments / Titles: 26 Aug 1274, Westminster, London, England; Coronation as King of England
    • Military: Between 1276 and 1277, Wales; Supressed a minor rebellion in Wales.
    • Appointments / Titles: Between 1279 and 1281; Count of Ponthieu
    • Military: Between 1282 and 1283, Wales; He responded to a second rebellion with a full scale war of conquest. After this success he subjected Wales to English rule, built a series of castles and towns in the country and settled them with English settlers.
    • Appointments / Titles: Between 1290 and 1306; Lord of Scotland
    • Military: 1293, France; War between England and France broke out in 1293 as a result of the efforts of France to curb Edwards’s power in Gascony. He lost Gascony in 1293 and did not regain it until 1303.
    • Military: 1296, Scotland; After invading and conquering Scotland, he declared himself King of that realm.
    • Military: 1298, Scotland; In winning the Battle of Falkirk led by Sir William Wallace, he achieved the greatest military triumph of his career, but failed to crush Scottish opposition. Wallace was captured and executed in 1305.

    Notes:

    Reign 16 November 1272[1] – 7 July 1307
    Coronation 19 August 1274
    Predecessor Henry III
    Successor Edward II
    Born 17/18 June 1239 Palace of Westminster, London, England
    Died 7 July 1307 (aged 68) Burgh by Sands, Cumberland, England
    Burial Westminster Abbey, London, England
    Spouse Eleanor of Castile (m. 1254–1290)
    Margaret of France (m. 1299–1307)
    Issue Eleanor, Countess of Bar
    Joan, Countess of Hertford
    Alphonso, Earl of Chester
    Margaret, Duchess of Brabant
    Mary of Woodstock
    Elizabeth, Countess of Hereford
    Henry
    Edward II of England
    Thomas, Earl of Norfolk
    Edmund, Earl of Kent
    House Plantagenet
    Father Henry III of England
    Mother Eleanor of Provence

    Edward I (17 June 1239 – 7 July 1307), also known as Edward Longshanks and the Hammer of the Scots (Latin: Malleus Scotorum), was King of England from 1272 to 1307. The first son of Henry III, Edward was involved early in the political intrigues of his father's reign, which included an outright rebellion by the English barons. In 1259, he briefly sided with a baronial reform movement, supporting the Provisions of Oxford. After reconciliation with his father, however, he remained loyal throughout the subsequent armed conflict, known as the Second Barons' War. After the Battle of Lewes, Edward was hostage to the rebellious barons, but escaped after a few months and joined the fight against Simon de Montfort. Montfort was defeated at the Battle of Evesham in 1265, and within two years the rebellion was extinguished. With England pacified, Edward joined the Ninth Crusade to the Holy Land. The crusade accomplished little, and Edward was on his way home in 1272 when he was informed that his father had died. Making a slow return, he reached England in 1274 and was crowned at Westminster on 19 August.

    He spent much of his reign reforming royal administration and common law. Through an extensive legal inquiry, Edward investigated the tenure of various feudal liberties, while the law was reformed through a series of statutes regulating criminal and property law. Increasingly, however, Edward's attention was drawn towards military affairs. After suppressing a minor rebellion in Wales in 1276–77, Edward responded to a second rebellion in 1282–83 with a full-scale war of conquest. After a successful campaign, Edward subjected Wales to English rule, built a series of castles and towns in the countryside and settled them with English people. Next, his efforts were directed towards Scotland. Initially invited to arbitrate a succession dispute, Edward claimed feudal suzerainty over the kingdom. In the war that followed, the Scots persevered, even though the English seemed victorious at several points. At the same time there were problems at home. In the mid-1290s, extensive military campaigns required high levels of taxation, and Edward met with both lay and ecclesiastical opposition. These crises were initially averted, but issues remained unsettled. When the King died in 1307, he left to his son, Edward II, an ongoing war with Scotland and many financial and political problems.

    Edward I was a tall man for his era, hence the nickname "Longshanks". He was temperamental, and this, along with his height, made him an intimidating man, and he often instilled fear in his contemporaries. Nevertheless, he held the respect of his subjects for the way he embodied the medieval ideal of kingship, as a soldier, an administrator and a man of faith. Modern historians are divided on their assessment of the King: while some have praised him for his contribution to the law and administration, others have criticised him for his uncompromising attitude towards his nobility. Currently, Edward I is credited with many accomplishments during his reign, including restoring royal authority after the reign of Henry III, establishing Parliament as a permanent institution and thereby also a functional system for raising taxes, and reforming the law through statutes. At the same time, he is also often criticised for other actions, such as his brutal conduct towards the Scots, and issuing the Edict of Expulsion in 1290, by which the Jews were expelled from England. The Edict remained in effect for the rest of the Middle Ages, and it would be over 350 years until it was formally overturned under Oliver Cromwell in 1656.

    He was involved early in the political intrigues of his father’s reign, which included rebellion by the English Barons. In 1259 he sided with a Baronial Reform Movement, supporting the Provisions of Oxford.

    On 24 December 1264 he was forced to deliver the Earldom of Chester into the hands of Simon de Montfort, Earl of Leicester just before his escape. In late June 1260, Edward, attempting to alleviate Henry's money crisis, by subterfuge under cover of darkness requested admittance into the New Temple of the Knights Templar in London & robbed the treasuries of the city guilds. In June 1263 Prince Edward's foreign Flemish troops burned Bristol; the populace rose up & besieged him & his army in the castle. The Bishop of Worcester, Walter de Cantelou placated the townsfolk by taking Edward's pledge to make peace with de Montfort & the barons (Edward had no intention of honoring his pledge). March 1264 Simon's sons Henry & Bran de Montfort trap Prince Edward at Gloucester Castle, but Edward solemnly avows to Henry (they were extremely close, growing up together) that if Henry grants him a truce he will work with King Henry & Richard of Cornwall to arrange a truce & avoid war. Henry de Montfort was in command, & believed him. Edward was lying through his teeth. As soon as Henry & Bran de Montfort's army were out of sight, Edward seized the town & imposed harsh fines & penalties. On April 5 1264 the defeat at Northampton by Edward of Simon's forces (de Montfort was in London) crippled rebel forces. Northampton defenses had been allowed to decay in the years previous to de Montfort's occupation there, plus the battle was lost due to the treachery of the Prior at St. Andrew's. After the defeat, Edward allowed his army to have their sport on the town, culminating in utter destruction, rapine, murder, etc. of its inhabitants. Some 80 barons & knights were taken prisoner & the rebel army was gutted. The defeat touched off a riot in London (since Londoners were very favorable to Simon) on Apr 9, 1264 in which hundreds, mainly Jews, were slain. In May 1264 Edward looted lands of Robert de Ferrers, the Earl of Derby, & after Derby lost Tutbury Castle, he defected from Simon's support. King Henry meanwhile took Leicester & Nottingham. Simon & Gilbert de Clare attacked Rochester Castle (which surrendered) & besieged the town when Edward approached London so Simon went back to defend it. King Henry & Edward were practicing fierce cruelty by chopping off the nads & feet of all common soldiers captured from de Montfort's army. The Cinque Ports & Dover Castle held fast for Simon, & did not obey Henry & Edward's command for a naval force to attack London. Thwarted, Edward takes Gilbert de Clare's Tonbridge Castle. Simon continued to hold London, but was surrounded by Edward & Henry. In May 1264, the Bishop of Chichester tried to convince Henry III to negotiate, but he refused. The Bishops of London & Worcester (Walter de Cantelou) try to do the same on the eve of the Battle of Lewes; again Henry refuses. At Lewes, Montfort was outnumbered 2:1; Royalist forces numbered some 10,000. Montfort introduced a new strategy to warfare; he established a reserve command to be commanded by him, plus he introduced the concept of the night march. He was thought to be miles away by the Royalist forces on the eve of the battle, but he & his army undertook a night march to focre the battle on May 14, 1264. Henry was utterly taken by surprise, & his garrison lodged at the Priory were in some confusion; however, Edward, who garrisoned his men at Lewes Castle, was able to meet the rebel left flank of greenhorn & untrained Londoners under the command of Nicholas de Segrave. Edward routed them with no care for the "rules" of war in that he & his knights undertook a pursuit miles away from the battle only to slay every man they could find. This was thought caused by the Londoner's steadfast support for Monfort and their animosity toward Henry & especially Edward's mother Queen Eleanor (including the London mob's attack on her barge July 1263). From these beginnings Edward had a lifelong hatred for Londoners. On the eve of the Battle of Lewes, 14 May 1264, after Henry had refused the entreaty of the Bishops of London & Worcester (Walter de Cantelou) to negotiate, Simon formally renounced all allegiance to Henry, & was followed by his men. Including Gilbert de Clare, Hugh le Despenser, Humfrey de Bohun VI "the Younger", John Giffard, Sir John FitzJohn, Nicholas de Segrave, & Robert de Vere. Clare & Vere had the most to lose of any rebel supporters. At the battle itself, the left flank of green & hastily trained but no battle-experience Londoners was under the command of Nicholas de Segrave with 2nd an inexperienced John Giffard; the right flank was commanded by Simon's sons Henry & Guy de Montfort (Bran still being held in captivity at Windsor Castle by Henry) with 2nd Humphrey de Bohun VI "the Younger", the center column was commanded by Gilbert de Clare, 2nded by Sir John FitzJohn, with Simon himself commanding the new reserve force 2nded by Hugh le Despenser. For the Royalists, Henry commanded the center column, Richard of Cornwall commanded the left flank, & Edward commanded the vanguard. Royalist forces outnumbered the rebels by some 2:1 with some 10,000 men. Henry's force was augmented by a Scots force sent by his son in law Alexander III the Glorious, King of Scotland. With Edward were Dafydd ap Gruffydd, Hugh le Bigod, Henry Plantagenet of Almaine, Richard of Cornwall's son (& Edward's cousin & Simon's nephew), & John de Warenne. At the time of the battle, Simon was thought to be miles away, & still unable to ride a horse due to his broken leg. After Edward had absented himself from the field so long (carrying out his vengeance on the Londoners) Simon attacked & obliterated King Henry's force. Henry fled to the Priory. Richard of Cornwall was captured by Gilbert de Clare. When Edward & his men found out, Edward was urged to flee to Pevensey Castle & from there toward France. Edward refused to abandon his father, but the de Lusignans fled the battle, as did John de Warenne, Hugh le Bigod, Dafydd ap Gruddydd & over 300 knights. Only Edward's cousin Henry of Almaine (Richard of Cornwall's son) & Edwards’s household knights remained with him. Edward got through John FitzJohn's surrounding encampment to his father in the priory; Simon then offered a 12 hour truce & accepted their surrender the following morning. Lewes resulted in 2700 known dead (one of every five men). Under the Mise of Lewes, the Oxford Provisions were again reinstated as the law of the land, with an arbitration commission. Under no circumstances could Henry appoint aliens onto his council. Henry's extravagant spending was also to be brought under control & he to live within his means & pay off his enormous debts. A full amnesty was proclaimed for all rebels. No ransoms were to be paid for men captured neither at Lewes nor earlier at Northampton. Edward & Henry of Almaine surrendered themselves as hostages for their fathers' good faith. Edward was confined at Wallingford Castle with Richard of Cornwall. King Henry was lodged securely at the palace of the Bishop of London, In June 1264; Simon called a Parliament, one that included knights & town officials. The effect of Lewes that while Henry was still King, Simon had command of the realm. He also called for the terms of the Chivalric code to cover not only knights, but also commoners & Jews. In October 1264, the Pope (who hated Simon & the English Lords who had refused to succor his (the Pope's) abortive plans for Sicily) formally excommunicated Simon, his sons Henry, Bran & Guy, Gilbert de Clare, Hugh le Despenser, the Mayor of London Thomas Fitz Thomas, & many of their supporters. The Bishops of Worcester, London & Winchester refused to publish the sentence of anathema; the Pope laid England under Interdict Oct 21 1264, but the English clergy continued to support Simon & services & rites of the Church continued to be performed. Fought against and defeated Simon de Montfort (his uncle) in the Battle of Evesham and on 4 August 1265 took back his title with the death of Simon.

    He spent much of his reign reforming royal administration and common law. Through an extensive legal inquiry, he investigated the tenure of various feudal liberties, while the law was reformed through a series of statutes regulating criminal and property law. He suppressed corruption in the administration of justice and passed legislation allowing feudal barons and the crown to collect revenues from properties willed to the church. He crushed clerical opposition when Pope Clement V allowed him in 1306 to suspend Archbishop Robert de Winchelsey. Early in his reign he divided the Curis Regis into three courts. 1) The Court of Kings Bench, to deal with criminal offenses reserved for the Kings judgment and with suits in which he was himself concerned; 2) The Court of Exchequer, to deal with all matters touching the Kings revenue; and 3) The Court of Common Pleas, to deal with suits between subject and subject. Edward took care that these courts should administer justice and dismissed judges and many other officials for corruption. He gave Scotland new constitution and representation in English Parliament.
    While some historians have praised him for his contribution to the law, others have criticized him for his uncompromising attitude toward his nobility. Accomplishments include: Restoring royal authority after the reign of Henry III, Establishing Parliament as a permanent institution and thereby also a functional system for raising taxes, reforming the law through statutes. His criticisms include: His brutal conduct towards the Scots, and issuing the Edict of Expulsion in 1290 (by which the Jews were expelled from England and would take over 350 yrs before it was overturned in 1656 by Oliver Cromwell).

    Edward married of Castille, Queen of England Eleanor. Eleanor was born in 1241 in Burgos, Burgos, Castilla-Leon, Spain; died on 5 Dec 1290 in Harby, Nottinghamshire, England; was buried on 24 Dec 1290 in Westminster Abbey, Westminster, London, England. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]


  3. 7.  of Castille, Queen of England Eleanorof Castille, Queen of England Eleanor was born in 1241 in Burgos, Burgos, Castilla-Leon, Spain; died on 5 Dec 1290 in Harby, Nottinghamshire, England; was buried on 24 Dec 1290 in Westminster Abbey, Westminster, London, England.

    Other Events and Attributes:

    • Appointments / Titles: Princess of Castile and Leon
    • Appointments / Titles: Oct 1254; Queen of England

    Notes:

    From Life Sketch:

    Eleanor Of Castile, Spanish Leonor De Castilla born 1246—died Nov. 28, 1290, Harby, Nottinghamshire, England, queen consort of King Edward I of England (ruled 1272–1307). Her devotion to Edward helped bring out his better qualities; after her death, his rule became somewhat arbitrary. Eleanor was the daughter of King Ferdinand III of Castile and his wife, Joan of Ponthieu. In 1254 Eleanor was married to Lord Edward, son of England’s King Henry III. In honour of the event, her half brother, Alfonso X of Castile, transferred to Edward his claims to Gascony. When Henry III’s baronial opponents seized power in England in 1264, Eleanor was sent for safety to France; she returned in October 1265, after Edward had crushed the rebels. Eleanor accompanied Edward on a crusade from 1270 to 1273. The story that she saved his life at Acre (now in Israel) by sucking poison from a dagger wound is evidently apocryphal. After Edward ascended the throne, Eleanor was criticized for allegedly mistreating the tenants on her lands. Upon her death, Edward erected the famous Eleanor Crosses—several of which still stand—at each place where her coffin rested on its way to London.
    (Britannica.com)

    Children:
    1. 3. Plantagenet, Elizabeth of Rhuddlan was born on 7 Aug 1282 in Rhuddlan, Denbighshire, Wales; was christened on 17 Aug 1282 in Rhuddlan, Denbighshire, Wales; died on 5 May 1316 in Quendon, Essex, England; was buried on 23 May 1316 in Walden Abbey, Saffron Walden, Essex, England.


Generation: 4

  1. 12.  of England, Henry III was born on 8 Oct 1207 in Winchester Castle, Winchester, Hampshire, England; was christened after 8 Oct 1207 in Bermondsey, London, England (son of Plantagenet, King John Lackland of England and de Taillefer, Queen of England Isabelle); died on 23 Nov 1272 in Westminster Palace, Westminster, London, England; was buried after 23 Nov 1272 in Westminster Abbey, Westminster, London, England.

    Other Events and Attributes:

    • Appointments / Titles: Duke of Aquitaine
    • Appointments / Titles: King
    • Appointments / Titles: King of England
    • Appointments / Titles: Lord of Ireland
    • FSID: 9C69-MKH
    • Occupation: King Of England 1216-1272
    • Appointments / Titles: Between 4 Nov 1216 and 24 May 1220; King of England
    • Burial: 27 Nov 1272, Westminster Abbey, Westminster, London, England

    Henry married Berenger, Eleanor on 14 Jan 1236 in Canterbury Cathedral, Canterbury, Kent, England. Eleanor (daughter of Berenger, Count Raimund IV and de Savoie, Countess Béatrice) was born on 1 Jul 1223 in Aix, Bouches-du-Rhône, Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur, France; was christened in Fontevrault Abbey, Fontevrault, Maine-et-Loire, Pays de la Loire, France; died on 25 Jun 1291 in Amesbury, Wiltshire, England; was buried on 11 Sep 1291 in Abbey of St. Mary and St. Melor, Amesbury, Wiltshire, England. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]


  2. 13.  Berenger, EleanorBerenger, Eleanor was born on 1 Jul 1223 in Aix, Bouches-du-Rhône, Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur, France; was christened in Fontevrault Abbey, Fontevrault, Maine-et-Loire, Pays de la Loire, France (daughter of Berenger, Count Raimund IV and de Savoie, Countess Béatrice); died on 25 Jun 1291 in Amesbury, Wiltshire, England; was buried on 11 Sep 1291 in Abbey of St. Mary and St. Melor, Amesbury, Wiltshire, England.

    Other Events and Attributes:

    • Appointments / Titles: Countess of Provence
    • Appointments / Titles: Queen of England
    • Appointments / Titles: Queen of England

    Notes:

    Eleanor of Provence
    1223-1291
    Queen of England, 1236-1272
    "Beautiful, resourceful, clever—and unpopular"

    Eleanor of Provence, the queen of Henry III of England, was his loyal marriage-partner for thirty-six years. Strong-willed, ambitious and practical, she played a major role in ruling the kingdom during the volatile thirteenth century. So why is she so little remembered in the roster of medieval queens? Probably because Henry filled his reign with so many miscalculations and disasters that not even a strong helpmeet could avert them. If Eleanor had been a reigning queen instead of a queen-consort, things might have been different.

    As daughter of Count Raymond of Provence, Eleanor grew up steeped in the sunny, pleasure-loving culture of Southern France. She was acquainted with the nobility of the Mediterranean world. When she married Henry she brought from her birthplace her taste for the good life and her familiarity with many influential players on the European stage. Eleanor also brought her relatives to install in important offices in England. This didn't endear her to Henry's barons or to the English people, who mistrusted foreigners.

    What Henry, an ambitious but ineffective king, lacked in willpower Eleanor more than made up for. Like her two predecessors on the English throne, Isabella of Angouleme and Eleanor of Aquitaine, Eleanor of Provence was fiercely ambitious for her children and supremely self-confident in exercising her power.

    She was intimately involved in Henry's battles. These included excursions to France to fight for the Continental lands the French and English had been squabbling about for decades. At home, Henry and Eleanor had rebellious barons to contend with. When Henry was captured by his own barons and forced to agree to their terms for reforms, Eleanor went to France and raised a formidable army to free her husband. But her invasion fleet was wrecked before it reached England. Her son Edward (later Edward I), as combative as his mother, fought off the rebels and rescued his father.

    After Henry died in 1272 Eleanor became Queen Dowager, but she never gave up her active role in promoting the royal family's interests. Only after fourteen years did she take off her crown and don the veil at the nunnery of Amesbury. There she lived a quiet, pious life until her death in 1291.

    Queen Eleanor of Provence was beautiful, resourceful, clever-and unpopular. Her foreign airs and entanglements, her influence on her husband and her imperious manner could not endear her to the English. The chronicler summed up her contradictory qualities after her death: "the generous and devout virago."

    http://www.medievalqueens.com/queen-eleanor-of-provence.htm

    Eleanor of Provence (c. 1223 – 24/25 June 1291) was Queen consort of England, as the spouse of King Henry III of England, from 1236 until his death in 1272. She served as regent of England during the absence of her spouse in 1253.

    Although she was completely devoted to her husband, and staunchly defended him against the rebel Simon de Montfort, 6th Earl of Leicester, she was very much hated by the Londoners. This was because she had brought a large number of relatives with her to England in her retinue; these were known as "the Savoyards", and they were given influential positions in the government and realm. On one occasion, Eleanor's barge was attacked by angry citizens who pelted her with stones, mud, pieces of paving, rotten eggs and vegetables.

    Eleanor was the mother of five children including the future King Edward I of England. She also was renowned for her cleverness, skill at writing poetry, and as a leader of fashion
    Eleanor and Henry together had five children:
    1.Edward I (1239–1307), married Eleanor of Castile (1241–1290) in 1254, by whom he had issue, including his heir Edward II. His second wife was Margaret of France, by whom he had issue.
    2.Margaret (1240–1275), married King Alexander III of Scotland, by whom she had issue.
    3.Beatrice (1242–1275), married John II, Duke of Brittany, by whom she had issue.
    4.Edmund Crouchback, 1st Earl of Lancaster (1245–1296), married Aveline de Forz in 1269, who died four years later without issue; married Blanche of Artois in 1276, by whom he had issue.
    5.Katherine (25 November 1253 – 3 May 1257)

    Children:
    1. 6. Plantagenet, Edward of England I was born on 17 Jun 1239 in Westminster Palace, Westminster, London, England; was christened on 28 Jun 1239 in Westminster, London, England; died on 7 Jul 1307 in Burgh by Sands, Cumberland, England; was buried on 28 Oct 1307 in Westminster Abbey, Westminster, London, England.