1. Mabel of_Gloucester*
2. Amice FITZROBERT
3. Isabel of_Gloucester*
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William Fitz Robert, 2nd Earl of Gloucester
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
William FitzRobert
Earl of GloucesterReign: 31 October 1147 – 23 November 1183, (36 years, 23 days)
Predecessor: Sir Robert de CaenSuccessor: John de MortainSpouse
Hawise de Beaumont
Issue
Robert FitzWilliam
Mabel FitzWilliam
Amice FitzWilliam
Isabel, Countess of GloucesterBorn
23 November 1116
Died
23 November 1183 (aged 67)
William Fitz Robert, 2nd Earl of Gloucester (died 1183) was the son and heir of
Sir Robert de Caen, 1st Earl of Gloucester, and
Mabel FitzHamon of Gloucester, daughter of
Robert Fitzhamon.
Contents
Lineage
His father was
Robert, 1st Earl of Gloucester, an illegitimate son of King
Henry I of England, thus William was a nephew of the
Empress Maud and a cousin of King
Stephen, the principal combatants of the English
Anarchy period.
Early career
In October 1141, William looked after the Baronial estates, when his father fell into the hands of partisans at
Winchester. His father was exchanged for King Stephen, and during his father's absence in
Normandy in 1144 he served as Governor of
Wareham. In 1147, he overthrew
Henry de Tracy at
Castle Cary.
In 1154 he made an alliance with
Roger de Clare, 3rd Earl of Hertford, by which they agreed to aid each other against all men except
Henry II of England.
FitzRobert granted
Neath, a town in
Glamorgan, a charter. He was Lord of the manor of
Glamorgan, as well as
Caerleon, residing chiefly at
Cardiff Castle. It was there that in 1158 he and his wife and son were captured by the Welsh Lord of
Senghenydd,
Ifor Bach ("Ivor the Little") and carried away into the woods, where they were held as prisoners until the Earl redressed Ivor's grievances.
Relationship with King Henry II
In 1173 the earl took the King's part against his sons, but thereafter he appears to have fallen under suspicion, for the following year he submitted to the King, and in 1175 surrendered to him
Bristol Castle. Because his only son and heir Robert died in 1166, Earl William made John, the younger son of King
Henry II, heir to his earldom, in conformity with the King's promise that John should marry one of the Earl's daughters, if the Church would allow it, they being related in the third degree.
Earl William was present in March 1177 when the King arbitrated between the Kings of Castile and Navarre, and in 1178, he witnessed Henry's charter to Waltham Abbey. But during the King's struggles with his sons, when he imprisoned a number of magnates of whose loyalty he was doubtful, Earl William was among them.
Family and children
He was married to
Hawise de Beaumont of Leicester, daughter of
Robert de Beaumont, 2nd Earl of Leicester and
Amica de Gael and had children:
1. Robert fitz William (1151,
Cardiff,
Glamorganshire – 1166, Cardiff, Glamorganshire).
2. Mabel fitz William, married
Amaury V de Montfort, her son Amaury briefly being
Earl of Gloucester 3. Amice fitz William, d. 1220. Married
Richard de Clare, 3rd Earl of Hertford, their descendants eventually inherited the Earldom of Gloucester
4. Isabel, Countess of Gloucester. She was married three times:
1. Prince John 2. Geoffrey FitzGeoffrey de Mandeville, 2nd Earl of Essex,
Earl of Gloucester 3. Hubert de Burgh, 1st Earl of KentThe earl died on his birthday in 1183; his wife Hawise survived him. Since their only son, Robert, predeceased his father, their daughters became co-heirs to the Gloucester inheritance.