April in Oregon

Hi April, this is Lis, Vince's daughter continuing... It has been so fascinating reading what you have found out, I hope I can help with a few names but it might be what you already know.

William Marshal is on our tree through his daughter Eva who married William de Braose (he was hung in 1230 by Llywelyn The Great (another ancestor) after he was found in Llywelyn's wife's bed chamber). William Marshal had alot of castles through his marriage to Isabella de Clare - Goodrich, Chepstow and Pembroke. He built Cartmel Priory and had connections to Tintern Abbey where Isabella is buried.

William earl of Arundel is also on our line, he married Mabel of Chester (her Great Grandfather was Robert of Gloucester illegitimate son of Henry I) their daughter Isabel inherited Arundel Castle when there were no more male heirs, another daughter inherited Castle Rising Castle. Arundel Castle had been in their family since 1138 when Isabel's Great Grandfather William d'Aubigny 1st Earl of Arundel married Henry I's widow Adeliza of Louvain. He was responsible for building the stone keep that still stands and as a marriage gift he built Castle Rising Castle, he was also one of the barons that helped bring the Matilda/ Stephen war to an end at Wallingford Castle, his father, another William was William d'Aubigny Pincerna who married Maud Bigod, her sister Cecily married William d'Aubigny Brito (very confusing). William of Belvoir Castle is a descendant of William Brito and Roger and Hugh Bigod are descendants of Maud Bigod's father another Roger Bigod.

I apologise for any bad grammar.

I also thought you might be interested in Elizabeth Chadwick's historical fiction on William Marshal - The Greatest Knight,

 The Scarlet Lion,

To Defy a King is about his daughter Maud who married Hugh Bigod

A Place Beyond Courage is about his father John Marshal

She has also written other books :

For The King's Favor about Roger Bigod II

Lady of the English about Adeliza of Louvain and Empress Matilda.

 I think I'd better stop now or I could be here all night, hope it's been helpful

Hi rustyruth; Hi Lis, Hi all,

If anyone sees an error in my posts I hope they will correct me (I didn't mean to misplace the Provisions of Oxford (1258).

Nice to meet you ruth; I like your picture of the clock tower in Chester.

 Lis, I love your post! There were things new to me, and seeing things with a new viewpoint also. Thank you!

 We also have the Eva Marshal connection. It seems that a large percentage of our ancestors were Marcher Lords, a more active military than lords in other areas of the country. Fierce indeed.

Thank you especially for details on relationships and on who built/owned the castles. If I already knew some of it, it is still good to see it in a new perspective, and to go over it until I can remember it.

I am especially fascinated by William Marshal - so many people are; I have four of the books written on his life. The title of the book I'm writing is "William Marshal and Our Magna Carta Ancestors".  He seems to have been in favor of Magna Carta, since he caused it to be reissued as one of the first actions of the boy king Henry III under his Regency. Although he was on King John's "side" in 1215, when he looked across the field at the rebel barons he saw the husbands of two of his daughters among them, and their fathers - his in-laws; also other of his relatives, including his son William Marshall. 

I see from your post that you get the complex inter-relationships between the barons. It has been quite a revelation to me, as I have stumbled upon more and more family ties.

When I have my book more complete, I would appreciate if you might look it over; let me know where you see errors, etc. I hope we may continue to exchange stories and findings on our mutual ancestors, and thank you for ideas on where they had their castles, etc.

The people I have done the most work on in my the book are: William Marshal; Hubert de Burgh; William Longespee; William  D'Aubeney/Albini of Belvoir; Robert de Vere and Robert de Roos/Ros.

It was incredible to read about the 7 week seige of Rochester Castle by King John. William D'Aubeney and his knights (up to 140 of them, supported by crossbowmen, etc) made the seige famous by their determined resistence.  King John made it infamous by the things he did to them afterwards.

I'm very sleepy so by for now. (We are 8 hours behind your time there, I think, and I didn't sleep at all last night, because sometimes I have insomnia.)

So nice to meet you, Lis, and thank you Vince and everyone for your interest!

Hi April, Thank you I am lost for words that you would like me to look at your book, apart from that I would love to and would be honoured.

I've had a look at the website you mentioned, it looks really interesting and needs lots of investigating.

I wondered if you would be interested in a blog that I found awhile ago. It centres around Edward II and people during his time.

http://edwardthesecond.blogspot.co.uk/

It's really informative and there are links to other blogs on history, there is a link to a blog on Henry III and the one called "sarah's blog" has articles on a variety of historical royalty.

I hope this might be useful.

Warm wishes to all Lis 

Wow Lis! That is a wonderful blog on Edward II.  The post on 13 Feb this year and the addition to it on 2 March show so perfectly why people should take novelization of historical people very skeptically. Below is the only book I have read by Ashe, but since you recommend Elizabeth Chadwick so highly I intend to read her books, beginning with thoseo of William Marshal.

When I read Simon Montfort The Early Years by Katherine Ashe last year, I was very disturbed at the character portrait in it of Simon de Montfort. It did not match other things I knew of him.  I'm so relieved to now have evidence from the primary source records to refute the 'factual' novel!!

You have given me a great gift with recommending that blog, and a peek at Sarah's history blog shows it to full of research too. Thank you very much. It is really important to me, because men who died at Simon's side at the Battle of Evesham are our ancstors, and I wouldn't expect them to give their loyalty to such a sly, sneaking dog as portrayed in Ashe's novel.

This is another good reason for me to be making this book for my descendants: To see that they get a true picture of their ancestors as they were, and not a distorted one that contradicts the facts. It is a shame how fast people are to believe things to the detriment of famous people. They are only human, and make mistakes, so there is no need to go inventing bad things. They can be admired for what they do well without either idealizing them or slandering them.

I am very happy to know you are willing to look over my book when it is ready. It is not the same as asking a relative, because they might hesitate to point out any flaws, but the only way produce a good book is to find the flaws and fix them. Rest assured though, I am not a lazy writer, and it will be as thoroughly checked for spelling, grammar, correct dates, etc as possible. I also know that I can miss things that someone else will see, and who better to ask than someone else who really likes Medieval history like I do?

Right now, my book is like a jigsaw puzzle that is only half done - some pieces are in the right place and connected to the right pieces, and other places are nearly blank. I have much work to do before it is ready, work on biographies, and on finding the right pictures to go with them. Some of those are relatively easy, like pictures of Dover Castle, but it will take me time to find others.  It is always exciting to find the exactly right next piece for the puzzle!

Thank you Lis, and everyone, for your encouragement!