Gilbert Fitz Richard (–), 2nd

feudal baron A feudal baron is a vassal holding a heritable fief called a ''barony'', comprising a specific portion of land, granted by an overlord in return for allegiance and service. Following the end of European feudalism, feudal baronies have largely be ...

Clare Clare may refer to: Places Antarctica * Clare Range, a mountain range in Victoria Land Australia * Clare, South Australia, a town in the Clare Valley * Clare Valley, South Australia Canada * Clare (electoral district), an electoral district * Cl ...

in Suffolk, and styled "de Tonbridge", was a powerful Anglo-Norman baron who was granted the Lordship of Cardigan, in Wales .

Life

Gilbert, born before 1066, was the second son and an heir of Richard Fitz Gilbert of Clare and Rohese Giffard. He succeeded to his father's possessions in

England England is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is located on the island of Great Britain, of which it covers about 62%, and List of islands of England, more than 100 smaller adjacent islands. It ...

in 1088 when his father retired to a monastery; his brother, Roger Fitz Richard, inherited his father's lands in

Normandy Normandy (; or ) is a geographical and cultural region in northwestern Europe, roughly coextensive with the historical Duchy of Normandy. Normandy comprises Normandy (administrative region), mainland Normandy (a part of France) and insular N ...

. That same year he, along with his brother Roger, fortified his castle at Tonbridge against the forces of

William Rufus William II (; – 2 August 1100) was King of England from 26 September 1087 until his death in 1100, with powers over Normandy and influence in Scotland. He was less successful in extending control into Wales. The third son of William the Co ...

. But his castle was stormed, Gilbert was wounded and taken prisoner. However he and his brother were in attendance on king William Rufus at his death in August 1100. He was with

Henry I Henry I or Henri I may refer to: :''In chronological order'' * Henry I the Fowler, King of Germany (876–936) * Henry I, Duke of Bavaria (died 955) * Henry I of Austria, Margrave of Austria (died 1018) * Henry I of France (1008–1060) * Henry ...

at his Christmas court at

Westminster Westminster is the main settlement of the City of Westminster in Central London, Central London, England. It extends from the River Thames to Oxford Street and has many famous landmarks, including the Palace of Westminster, Buckingham Palace, ...

in 1101. It has been hinted, by modern historians, that Gilbert, as a part of a baronial conspiracy, played some part in the suspicious death of William II.Frank Barlow, ''William Rufus'' (Berkeley & Los Angeles, University of California Press, 1983), p. 425 Frank Barlow points out that no proof has been found he had any part in the king's death or that a conspiracy even existed. In 1110, King Henry I took Cardigan from

Owain ap Cadwgan Owain ap Cadwgan (died 1116) was a prince of Powys in eastern Wales. He is best known for his abduction of Nest, wife of Gerald of Windsor. Owain was the eldest son of Cadwgan ap Bleddyn, prince of part of Powys. He is first recorded in 1106, w ...

, son of

Cadwgan ap Bleddyn Cadwgan ap Bleddyn (1051–1111) was a prince of the Kingdom of Powys () in north eastern Wales. He (possibly born 1060) was the second son of Bleddyn ap Cynfyn who was king of both Kingdom of Powys and Gwynedd. The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle stated: ...

as punishment for a number of crimes including that of the abduction of

Nest A nest is a structure built for certain animals to hold Egg (biology), eggs or young. Although nests are most closely associated with birds, members of all classes of vertebrates and some invertebrates construct nests. They may be composed of ...

, wife of

Gerald de Windsor Gerald de Windsor (1075 – 1135), ''alias'' Gerald FitzWalter, was an Cymro-Norman lord who was the first Castellan of Pembroke Castle in Pembrokeshire (formerly part of the Kingdom of Deheubarth). Son of the first Norman-French Constable o ...

. In turn Henry gave the Lordship of Cardigan, including

Cardigan Castle Cardigan Castle () is a castle overlooking the River Teifi in Cardigan, Ceredigion, Wales. It is a Grade I listed building. The castle dates from the late 11th-century, though was rebuilt in 1244. Castle Green House was built inside the castl ...

to Gilbert Fitz Richard.George Edward Cokayne, ''The Complete Peerage of England Scotland Ireland Great Britain and the United Kingdom, Extant Extinct or Dormant'', Vol III, Ed. Vicary Gibbs (London: The St. Catherine Press, Ltd., 1913), p. 243 He founded the Clunic priory at

Stoke-by-Clare Stoke-by-Clare is a small village and civil parish in Suffolk located in the valley of the River River Stour, Suffolk, Stour, about two miles west of Clare, Suffolk, Clare. In 1124 Richard de Clare, 1st Earl of Hertford, moved the Benedictine ...

, Suffolk. Gilbert died in or before 1117.Detlev Schwennicke, ''Europäische Stammtafeln: Stammtafeln zur Geschichte der Europäischen Staaten'', Neue Folge, Band III Teilband 4 (Marburg, Germany: Verlag von J. A. Stargardt, 1984), Tafel 653

Family

About 1088, Gilbert married Adeliza/Alice de Clermont, daughter of

Hugh Hugh is the English-language variant of the masculine given name , itself the Old French variant of '' Hugo (name)">Hugo'', a short form of Continental Germanic Germanic name">given names beginning in the element "mind, spirit" (Old English ). ...

, Count of Clermont, and Margaret de Ramerupt. Gilbert and Adeliza had at least eight children: *

Richard Fitz Gilbert de Clare Richard fitz Gilbert de Clare (died 15 April 1136) 3rd feudal baron of Clare in Suffolk, was an Anglo-Norman nobleman. A marcher lord in Wales, he was also the founder of Tonbridge Priory in Kent. Life Richard was the eldest son of Gilbert F ...

, d. 1136.John Horace Round, ''Studies in Peerage and Family History'' (Archibald Constable and Co., Ltd., 1901), p. 214 * Gilbert Fitz Gilbert de Clare, d. 1148, 1st

Earl of Pembroke Earl of Pembroke is a title in the Peerage of England that was first created in the 12th century by King Stephen of England. The title, which is associated with Pembroke, Pembrokeshire in West Wales, has been recreated ten times from its origin ...

. * Baldwin Fitz Gilbert de Clare, d. 1154, m. Adeline de Rollos. * Adelize/Alice de Clare, d. 1163, m. (ca. 1105), Aubrey II de Vere, son of Aubrey I de Vere and Beatrice. She had 9 children and in her widowhood was a corrodian at St. Osyth's, Chich, Essex. * Hervey de Clare, Lord of Montmorency. * Walter de Clare, d. 1149. * Margaret de Clare, d. 1185, m. (ca. 1108), Sir William de Montfitchet, Lord of

Stansted Mountfitchet Stansted Mountfitchet is an England, English village and civil parishes in England, civil parish in Uttlesford district, Essex, near the Hertfordshire border, north of London. According to the 2001 census it had a population of 5,533, increasi ...

. * Rohese de Clare, d. 1149, m. (ca. 1130), Baderon of MonmouthGeorge Edward Cokayne, ''The Complete Peerage of England Scotland Ireland Great Britain and the United Kingdom, Extant Extinct or Dormant'', Vol 12, Part 2, Eds. Geoffrey H. White & R.S. Lea (London: The St. Catherine Press, Ltd., 1959), p. 168

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Gilbert fitz Richard Anglo-Normans De Clare family People from Clare, Suffolk Burials at Tonbridge Priory, Kent 1060s births 1110s deaths Year of birth uncertain Year of death uncertain