Agnes de Valence (born 1250) was a 13th-century noblewoman and daughter of

William de Valence, 1st Earl of Pembroke {{Infobox noble, name=William de Valence , christening_date= , noble family= , house-type= , father= Hugh X of Lusignan , mother= Isabella of Angoulême , birth_name= , birth_date={{c. 1227 , birth_place= , christening_place= , styles= , death_da ...

Family

Agnes was born in 1250 and was the youngest daughter of William de Valence and Joan de Munchensi. She was born into a prominent and influential family that was heavily involved in the politics of the 13th century. William de Valence was a French nobleman and Knight with close connections to the Crown, being a half-brother to

Henry III of England Henry III (1 October 1207 – 16 November 1272), also known as Henry of Winchester, was King of England, Lord of Ireland, and Duke of Aquitaine from 1216 until his death in 1272. The son of John, King of England, King John and Isabella of Ang ...

and uncle to

Edward I Edward I (17/18 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. Concurrently, he was Lord of Ireland, and from 125 ...

. Furthermore, her mother Joan was the granddaughter of

William Marshal, 1st Earl of Pembroke William Marshal, 1st Earl of Pembroke (1146 or 1147 – 14 May 1219), also called William the Marshal (Anglo-Norman language, Norman French: ', French language, French: '), was an Anglo-Normans, Anglo-Norman soldier and statesman during High Med ...

who had served five successive Kings of England and was herself a wealthy heiress to the Marshal inheritance of Leinster.

First Marriage

During the siege of

Kenilworth Castle Kenilworth Castle is a castle in the town of Kenilworth in Warwickshire, England, managed by English Heritage; much of it is in ruins. The castle was founded after the Norman Conquest of 1066; with development through to the Tudor period. It ...

in 1266, William attempted to make connections with various Irish lords who were taking part in the siege or in pacifying areas of rebel support.Christine Meek and Katharine Simms (eds), ''The Absentee Landlady and the Sturdy Robbers, Medieval Irishwomen in Their European Context'', p.101 Thus William entered into an agreement with Maurice Roe FitzGerald whereby he would marry Agnes and in turn she would receive joint-possession of his Limerick properties. In this way, William received a local ally who would facilitate the maintenance of his Irish interests.Christine Meek and Katharine Simms (eds), ''The Absentee Landlady and the Sturdy Robbers, Medieval Irishwomen in Their European Context'', p.102 Maurice, on the other hand, gained close access to the Crown and the opportunity for royal patronage and favour. The marriage took place in 1266 but did not last long as in 1268 Maurice drowned while crossing from England to Ireland. After the death of her husband, Agnes returned home to her father in England.
By Maurice, Agnes got a son.

Second and Third Marriages and Death

Agnes was swiftly remarried to Scottish magnate Hugh de Balliol, the son of

John I de Balliol John de Balliol (before 1208 – 25 October 1268) was an English nobleman, belonging to the House of Balliol. Balliol College, in Oxford, is named after him. Life John de Balliol was born before 1208 to Cecily de Fontaines, daughter of Aléa ...

. The marriage remained childless. Balliol died in Palestine in 1271.
In the 1270s, she was married to Jean d'Avesnes, Lord of Beaumont who died in 1283. By him she got four children, two sons and two daughters.
She died about five to six years before her third husband.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:de Valence, Agnes Daughters of British earls 13th-century English nobility 13th-century English women 1250 births Year of death unknown