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Multiple Williams and Mauds/Matildas in this family can cause confusion. Cawley numbers them by generation as follows:
William de Brewes (Breuse, Brause) was the son and Heir apparent of William de Brewes (or Breuse) of Bramber, Sussex, Tetbury, Gloucestershire, etc, seigneur of Briouze in Normandy, by Maud, daugfhter of Bernard de Saint Valery, Knt, of Isleworth, Middlesex, Tetbury, Gloucestershire, and Beckley, Oxfordshire. [2]
William de Braose's eldest son, William (IV) , married Maud (Matilda) de Clare (ca. 1184–1213), the daughter of Richard de Clare, 3rd Earl of Hertford. [3]
Willelmus de Braosa had sons William and Philip who witnessed his donation of property to Flaxley Abbey, Gloucestershire for the soul of his wife Matildis de Sancto Walerico. [1]
William married Matilda. Cawley offers two theories of the identities of William's wife Matilda.[1]
A charter of John King of England relating to Briouse properties, dated 1212, recites the history of the king’s turbulent relationship with the family and includes a record that “consanguineus de Galweya...Dunecanus de Karyc” had “apud Cracfergus” at some point (presumably in [1209/10]) captured “Matildis de Haya...et filiam suam uxorem filii Rogeri de Mortimer et...Willelmum juniorem et uxorem suam et duos filios suos”[825].
Matthew Paris records that "uxorem Willelmi de Brause et Willelmum filium eius cum uxore sua" were captured in 1210 at the siege of Meath, but escaped, were captured again “in insula de May”, and imprisoned at Windsor, in a later passage recording that all four died “apud Windleshores”[826].
This report appears to be inaccurate concerning the death of the younger William’s wife, in light of the sources quoted below in which she is named later.
[Henry III King of England granted letters of conduct to "Matillis de Breusa" dated 13 Aug 1217, but the extract neither states the purpose or destination of the journey nor gives any further information to identify Matilda more precisely[827].]
“Matilda de Clere who was the wife of Wm de Breus” demanded “a third part of the manors of Sheiham, Braeck, Beding [and others]” from “Reginald de Breus” in 1219[828]. Elwes quotes this claim as part of the same action under which “John de Breus” demanded “the castle of Brembre” from “Reginald de Breus”. This latter claim is summarised by Bracton, who does not include any reference to a claim by Matilda[829].
Two possible parentages of Matilda, wife of William [IV], have been proposed.
The first possibility, according to Elwes, is that William’s wife was “the daughter of Ralph and sister and coheir of John de Fay”, adding that “after her first husband Wm de Braose’s death in 1210, [she] married Roger de Clere”[830]. He cites no primary source on which he bases this information.
Drake, in a short Braose pedigree, expands the information slightly when he records the wife of William [IV] as “Matilda dau. of Ralph de Fay, sister and heiress of John de Fay of Bromley, co. Surrey, d. 1249” but also cites no primary source[831].
The connection between the Fay and Clere families can be established by two claims recorded by Bracton. Under the first, dated 1231, "Hugo de Neouilla et Beatricia uxor eius" claimed against "Rogerum de Clere et Matillidem uxorem eius" revenue from "Childerst" which Beatrix held "per Radulfum de Fay primum virum suum", the defendants stating “ad warantum Johannem de Fay filium et heredum predicti Radulfi de Fay qui presens est” that they had “ingressum in terram...per predictum Radulfum patrem suum”[832].
The second, dated 1232, is a claim by "Hugo de Neouilla et Beatricia uxor eius" against "Johannem de Fay filium et heredem Radulfi de Fay" relating to land "in Brumlegha in com. Surreie" in which "Rogerus de Clere et Matillis uxor eius" had “ingressum...per Radulfum de Fay quondam virum ipsius Beatricie”[833].
Bracton’s summaries do not state any relationship between Ralph de Fay and Matilda nor, more importantly, do they establish any connection with the Briouse family.
The second possibility is that William [IV] married Matilda de Clare, daughter of Richard de Clare Earl of Hertford & his wife Amice of Gloucester ([1185/90]-). This marriage is stated in many secondary sources, but the primary source which confirms this parentage and marriage of William’s wife has not yet been identified.
If her parentage is correct, she was presumably the earl of Hertford’s daughter who married secondly (1219) Rhys ap Rhys "Gryg/the Hoarse". The Chronicle of the Princes of Wales records that "Rhys the Hoarse married the daughter of the earl of Clare" in 1219[834]. This second possibility appears more plausible, given the generally high-profile marriages contracted by the Briouse family at the time.
In addition, a writ dated 27 Dec "46 Hen III", after the death of "Richard Lungespeye" refers to the manor of "Brumleghe" in Surrey being held by “John de Fay...after whose death it was parted between his two sisters Maud and Philippa, and from the said Maud issued a daughter Agatha...”[835]. The absence in this passage of any mention of the Briouse family, who would have been the senior heirs of “Maud” if she had married William [IV] de Briouse, suggests that she could not have been his wife.
In the period 1208-10, William witnessed charters for his father to the Hospital of St. John the Baptist in Dublin, Ireland.[2]
Exile and Death of William (III)
Toward 1210, William's father, William (III) de Braose fell out of favour with King John of England who cited overdue monies owed by de Braose. John seized de Braose's English estates in Sussex and Devon, and sent a force to invade Wales to seize the de Braose domains there. William (III) fled to Ireland, then returned to Wales, allied to the Welsh prince Llywelyn the Great. [3]
King John also sought Maud de St. Valéry, wife of William (III) and mother of William (IV). Maud de St. Valéry was known to have made no secret of her belief that King John had murdered his nephew Arthur of Brittany. [3]
In 1210, William's father William (III) de Braose fled Wales disguised as a beggar, to France where he died on 9 August 1211 at Corbeil, France, near Paris, and was buried in the Abbey of St. Victor in Paris [4]by Stephen Langton, Archbishop of Canterbury and a fellow exile and opponent of John. [5]
Capture and Death of William (IV) and his mother Maud
William (IV) was implicated in his father's rebellion.[2]
This younger William was captured with his mother and starved to death in 1210. [3]
By the order of King John, he was starved to death with his mother in the dungeons of Windsor Castle in 1210. [2]
Maud de St. Valéry, mother of William (IV) and William (IV) himself, eldest son of William (III) were captured and allegedly murdered by King John, possibly starved to death while incarcerated at Windsor Castle or Corfe Castle in 1210. [3]
Matthew Paris records that "uxorem Willelmi de Brause et Willelmum filium eius cum uxore sua" were captured in 1210 at the siege of Meath, but escaped, were captured again “in insula de May”, and imprisoned at Windsor, in a later passage recording that all four died “apud Windleshores”. [1]
The Annals of Waverley record that “Matildis matrona nobilis cognomento de la Haie, uxor Willelmi de Braose” was captured with “Willelmo filio suo milite…in Galwaitha” in 1210 and starved to death “apud Windeshores”[820].
A manuscript which narrates the descents of the founders of Lanthony Abbey records that “Mathildis uxor eius et Willielmus filius eorum” (referring to William, son of “Willelmo Brewes” and his wife “Berta…comitis Milonis secunda filia”) were imprisoned by King John and died in prison[821].
The Annals of Dunstable record that “Willelmum de Brause juniorem et sororem eius et Matildam matrem eius” were captured in Ireland in 1210 by King John, adding that they later died in prison[822].
A charter of John King of England relating to Briouse properties, dated 1212, recites the history of the king’s turbulent relationship with the family and includes a record that “consanguineus de Galweya...Dunecanus de Karyc” had “apud Cracfergus” at some point (presumably in [1209/10]) captured “Matildis de Haya...et filiam suam uxorem filii Rogeri de Mortimer et...Willelmum juniorem et uxorem suam et duos filios suos”[823].
The 13th century Histoire des ducs de Normandie et des rois d’Angleterre records that "Mehaus sa feme [Guillaumes de Braiouse] et Guillaumes ses fils" fled from King John to Ireland where they were captured at "le castiel de Cracfergu", taken to England, and imprisoned at "el castiel del Corf" where they were starved to death[824].
William de Briouse died in Corfe in 1210.[1]
His wife, Maud, escaped when her husband was captured. She was imprisoned in Corfe Castle, and was restored to her father 28 July 1213. [2]
In 1217 she had letters of conduct to come to England. [2]
In 1219 Maud sued her brother-in-law, Reynold de Brewes, for dower in the manors of Shorehand, Bramber, Reeding, Steyning, Findon, Knepp (in Shipley), Horsham, Warnham, and Washington, Sussex. [2]
They had four sons, John Giles, Philip and Walter, and one daugher, Maud. [2]
Although the sons were also held in prison, they were released in 1218. [3]
While William (III) had aroused the jealousy of the other barons during his rise, the arbitrary and violent manner of his fall very probably discomfited them and played a role in the Baronial uprisings of the next decade. The historian Sidney Painter, in his biography of King John, called it "the greatest mistake John made during his reign, as the King revealed to his Barons once and for all his capacity for cruelty."[6]
Richardson notes that William (IV) and his wife, Maud de Clare, are often assigned a daughter, Lleucu, wife of Geoffrey de Camville (died 1219), of Llanstephan Castle, Carmarthenshire. This affliation is made due to the fact that Lleucu de Camville is known to have been a granddaughter of William de Brewes IV's father, William de Brewes III, who granted her property in Ireland in marriage (see Shirley Royal & Other Hist. Letters Ill. of the Reign of Henry III 1 (1862): 6061 [letter discussing lands in Ireland claimed by Lleucu as her maritagium]). [2]
Recent research, however, has located evidence which indicates Lleuca was the daughter of Gruffydd ap Rhys (died 1201), Prince of South Wales, by his wife, Maud (died 1210), daughter of William de Brewes III (see Jones Brut y Tywysogyon (Board of Celtic Studies 6) (1941): 154; Dict. of Welsh Biog.(1959): 318319 (biog. of Gruffydd ap Rhys); Bartrum Welsh Gens. 3001400 (1980) [Rhys ap Tewdwr 6]). [2]
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B > Braose | D > de Braose > William (Braose) de Braose
Categories: Early Barony of Bramber
Source: James Wills, Lives of Illustrious and Distinguished Irishmen, from the earliest times to the present period (Dublin: Macgregor, Polson 1840-47), p.307
Maud de Clare, married before 1198 William De Brewes (or Breuse, Brause), son of William de Brewes, by Maud, daughter of Bernard de Saint Valery. They had four sons, John, Giles, Philip, and Walter, and one daughter, Maud.
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