William de Braose (died 1230)

Arms attributed to William de Braose by Matthew Paris: Party per pale indented gules and azure. Marginal drawing of an inverted shield referring to his Nota impiam murthram ("impious murder")[1][2]

William de Braose (c. 1197 – 2 May 1230) was the son of Reginald de Braose by his first wife, Grecia Briwere. He was an ill-fated member of the House of Braose, a powerful and long-lived dynasty of Marcher Lords.

Biography

William de Braose was born in Brecon, probably between 1197 and 1204. The Welsh, who detested him and his family name, called him Gwilym Ddu, Black William. He succeeded his father in his various lordships in 1227, including Abergavenny and Buellt.

William was captured by the Welsh forces of Prince Llywelyn the Great, in fighting in the commote of Ceri near Montgomery, in 1228. As part of the price of his ransom, William agreed to marry his daughter Isabella de Braose to Llywelyn's only legitimate son Dafydd ap Llywelyn. However, while in captivity William had an affair with Llywelyn's wife, Joan, Lady of Wales. Invited by Llywelyn to the Easter festivities in 1230, William renewed the liaison with Joan and was caught in flagrante with her. Llywelyn had him hanged on 2 May 1230.[3]

Wife and family

William married Eva Marshal, daughter of William Marshal, 1st Earl of Pembroke. They had four daughters:

Legacy

With William's death by hanging and his having four daughters, who divided the de Braose inheritance between them and no male heir, the titles now passed to the junior branch of the de Braose dynasty, and the only male heir was now John de Braose who had already inherited the titles of Gower and Bramber from his far-sighted uncle Reginald de Braose.

Literature

Notes

  1. ^ British Library MS Royal 14 C VII f. 116
  2. ^ Paris, Matthew (1250–1259), "Royal 14 C VII", Historia Anglorum, Chronica majora, Part III; Continuation of Chronica maiora, Catalogue of Illuminated Manuscripts, British Library
  3. ^ Carpenter, David (2020). Henry III 1207-1258. Vol. 1. New Haven, Connecticut: Yale University Press. pp. 75–76, 100. ISBN 978-0-300-23835-8.
  4. ^ "The Royal Bed: Theatr Pena". Wales Online. Archived from the original on 13 February 2015.

Further reading

  • Evans, Gwynfor (2001), Cymru O Hud Abergwyngregyn
  • Evans, Gwynfor (2002), Eternal Wales Abergwyngregyn
  • Fynes-Clinton, F.E. (1912), The Welsh Vocabulary of the Bangor District, Oxford
  • Llyfrfa'r Methodistiaid Calfinaidd (1998), "Tystiolaeth Garth Celyn", Y Traethodydd, ISSN 0969-8930
  • Lloyd, John Edward (1911), A history of Wales from the earliest times to the Edwardian conquest, Longmans, Green & Company
  • Martin, C. T., ed. (1882–1886), Registrum Epistolarum Fratis Johannis Peckham Archiepiscopi Cantuariensis (3 Vols ed.)
  • Pierce, Professor T. Jones (1962), "Aber Gwyn Gregin", Caernarvonshire Historical Society Transactions
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