Our Folk Home Page - Index of Names and Surnames- Additional Resource Materials
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| de Braose Family Genealogy
Our Folk Home Page - Index of Names and Surnames- Additional Resource Materials | |
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| Details for de Braose Family |
| See Descendency Chart for direct line to the Hart Family |
| Ancestry.com users - See de Braose Family Tree for individual charts. |
| 1. |
William de Braose I - was born about 1049 in Brienze, Normandy, France and died in 1087 in Bramber, Sussex, England .
William married Agnes de St. Claire. Agnes was born about 1054 in Barnstaple, Devonshire, England. She is the daughter of Waldron de Saint Clare and Helen Le Bon. Agnes - Brydges edition of Collins' Peerage claims William de Braose was first married to Agnes, dau of Waldron de Saint Clare but no evidence for this can be found. It may be an example of Bruce - Braose confusion. According to L C Perfect, a 13th century genealogy in the Bibliothèque de Paris gives the name of his wife as Eve de Boissey, widow of Anchetil de Harcourt. There is a lot of evidence from contemporary charters which supports this view. William - known in french as Guillaume de Briouze. his name is recorded in lists of those present at the Battle of Hastings. He became the first Lord of Bramber Rape by 1073 and built Bramber Castle. (Image: - remains of the gatehouse) William made considerable grants to the abbey of Saint Florent, Saumur to endow the foundation of Sele Priory near Bramber and a priory at Briouze. He continued to fight alongside King William in the campaigns in Britain, Normandy and Maine. The Barons de Braose were a formidable force in medieval England and Wales. Their origins were in Briouze, Normandy and after 1066 the family settled in the Adur Valley of West Sussex, England. In Wales the spirit of conquest sustained them for 250 years. The terror of their reputation had few equals although they were themselves overwhelmed by injustice and tragedy several times. The latest evidence for William is his presence at the consecration of his church at Briouze in 1093. In 1096 his son Philip was isuing charters. From this we can deduce that William died between 1093 and 1096.
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| ----- Second Generation ----- |
| 2. |
Philip de Braose - was born before 1073 in Bramber, Sussex, England and died in 1134/1135 in Palestine .
He was the son of William de Braose I and Agnes de St. Claire.
Philip married Aenor de Totnais. Aenor was born about 1084, lived in Barnstaple, Devonshire, England. She is the daughter of Judeal de Totnais. Philip - Confirmed his father's gifts to the abbey of St. Florent in 1096. He was the first Braose Lord of Builth and Radnor, their initial holding in the Welsh Marches. Philip seems to have gone on the 1st Crusade and returned in 1103. He built the Norman church of St Nicolas at Old Shoreham and founded the port of New Shoreham. His lands were confiscated by Henry I in 1110, due to his traitrous support of William, son of Robert Curthose but they were returned in 1112. Between 1125 and 1130 Philip confirmed the gifts of his nephew, Philip de Harcourt, to the newly established Knights Templar.
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| ----- Third Generation ----- |
| 3. |
William de Braose II - was born about 1100 in Bramber, Sussex, England and died about 1192 while living in England .
He was the son of Philip de Braose and Aenor de Totnais.
William married Bertha de Gloucester about 1148 while living in Herefordshire, England. Bertha was born about 1130, lived in Gloucester, Gloucestershire, England. She is the daughter of Miles of Gloucester and Sybil de Neufmarche. William - - 3rd Lord of Bramber. William was very fortunate in his marriage to Berta. All of her brothers died young without heirs so she brought a number of important lordships to the de Braoses in 1166. These included Brecon and Abergavenny. William became Sheriff of Hereford in 1174. His interest in Sussex was maintained as he confirmed the grants of his father and grandfather for the maintenance of Sele Priory and extended St. Mary's, Shoreham.
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| ----- Fourth Generation ----- |
| 4. |
William de Braose - was born about 1153 in Bramber, Sussex, England and died on 9 Aug 1211 in Corbeil, Marne, France .
He was the son of William de Braose II and Bertha de Gloucester.
William married Maud de St. Valery. Maud was born about 1155 in Bramber, Sussex, England. She died in 1210 in Corfe, Windsor, England . Maud - was said to have built Hay Castle single handed in one night, carrying the stones in her apron. When one fell out and lodged in her slipper she picked it out and flung it to land in St Meilig's churchyard, three miles away across the River Wye at Llowes. The nine foot high standing stone can still be seen inside the church. William - , the 4th Baron, succeeded his father in about 1187. At his peak he was Lord of Bramber, Gower, Abergavenny, Brecknock, Builth, Radnor, Kington, Limerick and the three castles of Skenfrith, and Whitecastle, and Grosmont Castle. William inherited Bramber, Builth and Radnor from his father; Brecknock and Abergavenny through his mother. On John's accession to the throne in 1199 William, who was a leader among those urging that he should be crowned, became John's close companion in Britain and Normandy; John made him various territorial grants and it was the non-payment of dues on these lands which was the ostensible reason for William's later downfall. However it seems likely that the trouble between them arose from the King's loss of confidence in the discretion of William and especially of his wife, Maud (sometimes called Matilda). It appears that William was one of the few people to know what happened to John's nephew, Arthur of Brittany, who was John's only serious rival for the throne, being the son of John's elder brother. This boy had been captured by John in 1202 and put in the charge of Hubert de Burgh at Falaise. It was said that Hubert was ordered to blind Arthur but could not bring himself to do so; Shakespeare uses this story in 'King John'. On 24th February 1203 John gave William the land of Gower (in South Wales) for himself and his heirs, it was said "on account of William threatening to depart from him and to return to England." It is possible that William had remonstrated with the King regarding Arthur and was bribed with Gower. William had publicly refused to take charge of the prince. He massively extended the Church of Saint Mary de Haura in New Shoreham, Sussex. The Lords of Brecon were among the most powerful men in the. Kingdom. Their possessions in this area were only a part of their vast lands. Their Brecon estates, including Brecon Castle passed to William de Braose. They remained in the de Braose family for about a hundred years then by marriage the Brecon and Hereford lands of the original Lordship were united in the possession of Humphrey de Bohun. The area needed inland defences so William built Knepp Castle, near Shipley. It became a hunting lodge favoured by generations of de Braoses and even by King John when he briefly held the castle. A mound and some flint ruins can still be seen. Shipley Church has survived with many Norman features intact.
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| ----- Fifth Generation ----- |
| 5. |
William de Braose - was born about 1175 in Bramber, Sussex, England and died in 1210 in Windsor Castle .
He was the son of William de Braose and Maud de St. Valery.
William married Maud (Mathilde) de Clare. Maud was born about 1180 in Lincoln, Lincolnshire, England. She was the daughter of Earl Richard de Clare and Amice Fitzrobert. She died in 1213 . William - did not accompany King Richard on Crusade but fought with King John against Philip of France in Normandy (1203/4). John demanded William as a hostage for his father's loyalty in 1208. His mother Maud refused and they fled to the family estates in Ireland. In 1210 John prepared an expedition to Ireland. Maud and William escaped Ireland but were apprehended in Scotland. (William the father was in Wales at this time.) It is believed that Maud and William were starved to death at Windsor Castle. (Some say Corfe.)
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| 6. |
Reginald de Braose - was born about 1178 in Bramber, Sussex, England and died on 9 Jun 1228 in Brecon, Breconshire, Wales .
He was the son of William de Braose and Maud de St. Valery.
Reginald married Gracia Briwere while living in Bramber, Sussex, England. Gracia was born about 1176, lived in Stoke, Devonshire, England. She was the daughter of William de Briwere and Beatrice de Vaux. She died in 1223 . Gracia - - "the Dark". Descendant of Lady Godiva. Reginald - supported Giles in his rebellions against King John. They were both active against the King in the barons' war. Neitherwas present at the signing of Magna Carta because they were still rebels whorefused to compromise. K. John aquiesced to Reginald's claims to the deBraose estates in Wales in May 1216. He became Lord of Brecon, Abergavenny, Builth and other Marcher Lordships but was very much a vassal of Llewelyn Fawr, Prince of Gwynedd and now his father-in-law. Henry III restored Reginald to favour and the Bramber estates (confiscated from William by K. John) in 1217. At this seeming betrayal, Rhys and Owain, Reginald's nephews who were princes of Deheubarth, were incensed and they took Builth (except the castle). Llewelyn Fawr also became angry and beseiged Brecon. Reginald eventually surrendered to Llewelyn and gave up Seinenydd (Swansea). By 1221 they were at war again with Llewelyn laying seige to Builth. The seige was relieved by Henry III's forces. From this time on Llewelyn tended to support the claims of Reginald's nephew John concerning the de Braose lands. Reginald was a witness to the re-issue of Magna Carta by Henry III in 1225. Said to be buried at St. Johns Church in Brecon Castle.
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| ----- Sixth Generation ----- |
| 7. |
Willaim "Black William" de Braose - was born in 1204 in Brecknock, Surrey, England and died on 2 May 1230 in Wales .
He was the son of Reginald de Braose and Gracia Briwere.
Willaim married Eve Marshall on 2 May 1230 while living in Pembroke, Pembrokeshire, Wales. Eve was born about 1194, lived in Pembroke, Pembrokeshire, Wales. She was the daughter of Earl William Marshall and Isabel Fitzgilbert de Clare. She died before 1246 in England . Eve - continued to hold Braose lands and castles in her own right after the death of her husband. Dugdale mentions her as holder of Totnes in 1230. It is recorded in the Close Rolls (1234-7) that Henry III granted 12 marks to her to strengthen the castle at Hay. Willaim - - Lord of Abergavenny. Rebuilt Abergavenny Castle, Wales, pre-1175 , he was much hated by native Welsh, through his wife inherited Dunamase Castle, Co.Laois, title extinct, later went to Beauchamp. Was quite possibly the cruelest and most hated of all the great Norman Marcher Lords. Practically all the Marcher Lords were forced to deal with a rebellious and resentful Welsh population in violent ways in order to protect their newly-awarded "kingdoms," but de Braose time and time again seems to have gone out of his way to commit acts of cruelty that went beyond his contemporaries. Although some would say his family eventually got what they deserved, the extinction of the male line and a forfeiture of all lands, de Braose stands out as an example of what the native Welsh population were up against, and why they rebelled so ferociously against the Norman invaders.
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Last change (on this page): Tuesday, January 13, 2004
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