William Marshal, 2nd Earl of Pembroke
Born [abt.1190] in Pembroke, Wales
Died April 6, 1231 in London, England
Buried at the Temple Church in London, Greater London, England
Married
1)
Alice Bethune in September, 1214 in England
no children
Married 2)
Eleanor Plantagenet in 1224 England
no children
Notes:
Held as hostage for his father's loyalty in King John's court in 1205 until 1212. (about age 22)
Married Alice, daughter of his father's friend Baldwin de Bethune. (she was engaged to William at age 9) Alice died in 1215, still in her teens and possibly pregnant. It is possible she was murdered over a land dispute that occured not too long before or could have died as result of pregnancy. It is only known that she died nine months after the marriage. William was fighting at the time on the side of the rebels supporting Prince Louis of France during his attempted takeover of England during the First Baron's war of 1215. His father William the Marshal supported (of course) King John of England. William (the son) was excommunicated for his support of the French, though by 1217 he was absolved and fought alongside his father at the Battle of Lincoln in 1217. King John died, more rebel Barons switched sides to support young King Henry III (a child of 9), but others did not.
Following the death of his father in 1219, William succeeded him as Earl of Pembroke and as Lord Marshal of England. He had his hands full.
In 1223 William was in Ireland (now married to Eleanor of Leicester) when his Welsh holding of Pembroke was attacked by Llywelyn of Wales. While away from Ireland defending his holdings in Wales, Hugh de Lacy attacked William's holdings in Ireland. William was appointed Justicier of Ireland and subdued de Lacy after quelling Llywelyn. The regents of young King Henry III thought he had overstepped his authority and had acted a little too independently in retaking his Welsh holdings and two Royal castles in Wales using armies raised in Ireland. He was ordered to surrender to the crown the castles of Cardigan and Carmarthen which he had taken from Llywelyn. (young King Henry was trying to consolodate his authority and income as so many holdings were not paying their taxes!) Later, in 1226 he was removed from office as Justiciar of Ireland for his opposition to the treatment of Hugh O'Connor during campaign in Connacht.
With a young king, rival regents and barons setting up illegal castles all over the marches, feuding in Ireland and in France, William traveled quite a lot, attempting to settle things down. In 1230 William went with the king to Brittany and assumed control of the forces there when the king returned to England. William returned to England in February the following year, arranged the marriage of his sister Isabel (widow of Gilbert de Clare) to Henry's brother Richard, Earl of Cornwall, and two months later fell ill and died. Hugh de Burgh, Justicier of England (and regent to young King Henry) according to Matthew Paris, was later accused of poisoning William, though no other sources support this.
William was buried in the Temple Church in London near his father.
Children : none
Siblings of William Marshall:
Maud Marshal
, Richard Marshal, Eva Marshal, Gilbert Marshal, Walter Marshal, Isabel Marshal, Sybil Marshal, Anselm Marshal, Joane Marshal
| |
|
|
Gilbert Marshal FitzRobert |
| |
|
John Marshal FitzGilbert |
Margaret [unknown] |
| |
|
|
Walter d'Evreux |
| |
William Marshal |
Sibella of Salisbury |
Sibyl Chaworth |
| William Marshal |
|
|
|
| |
Isabel de Clare |
Richard FitzGilbert de Clare |
Gilbert FitzGilbert de Clare |
| |
|
|
Isabel de Beaumont |
| |
|
Aiofe MacMurrough |
Diarmuid MacMurrough |
| |
|
|
Mor O'Toole |
