Roger (Mortimer) de Mortimer (abt. 1231 - 1282)

Born about 1231 in Cwmaron Castle, Radnorshire, Wales

Ancestors

Husband of Matilda (Braose) de Mortimer — married 1247 in Wigmore, Herefordshire, England

Descendants

Died 26 Oct 1282 at about age 51 in Kingsland, Herefordshire, England

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Biography

Sir Roger de Mortimer was a famous and honoured knight from Wigmore Castle in Herefordshire, and a loyal ally of King Henry III of England. He was at times an enemy, at times an ally, of the Welsh prince, Llywelyn the Last.

Roger was the son and heir of Ralph de Mortimer and Gladys (Gladusa) Duy (or Dark-eyed), daughter of Llewelyn ap Jorworth, by his second wife, Joan (the illegitimate daughter of King John), and widow of Reynold de Braose (d. June 1228). Roger was likely born at his father's castle of Cwmaron. He was a minor when his father died on 6 Aug 1246 and had "livery of his inheritance" on 26 Feb 1246/7. In 1253, he was made a knight by the King at Winchester. Roger served in Gascony in 1253 and 1254.^[1]

In 1255/56 Roger went to war with his cousin, Llywelyn ap Gruffydd, when the latter invaded his lordship of Gwrtheyrnion or Rhayader. This war would continue intermittently until the death of both Roger and Llywelyn in 1282. They were both grandsons of Llywelyn ab Iorwerth.

From 1255 to 1264, Roger was "chiefly occupied with his duties on the March" in opposition to Llywelyn. He was involved in the disputes between the King and the Barons in 1258, at first siding with the Barons, but by Apr 1259, he had been "sworn of the Kings Council". On 19 May 1260 the Council of Magnates appointed Sir Roger Mortimer constable of Hereford Castle. Roger arrived in London to attend Council on 17 July 1260, the same day Llewelyn’s army took Builth Castle, which Roger had held as custodian for Prince Edward.^[1]

Mortimer fought for the King against the rebel Simon de Montfort, 6th Earl of Leicester, and almost lost his life in 1264 at the Battle of Lewes fighting Simon de Montfort's men. In 1265 Mortimer helped rescue Prince Edward and they made an alliance against de Montfort.

In August 1265, de Montfort's army was surrounded by the River Avon on three sides, and Prince Edward's army on the fourth. Mortimer had sent his men to block the only possible escape route, at the Bengeworth bridge. The Battle of Evesham began in earnest. Montfort's Welsh soldiers broke and ran for the bridge, where they were slaughtered by Mortimer's men. Mortimer himself killed Simon de Montfort, 6th Earl of Leicester.

Roger was rewarded for his efforts at Evesham, receiving grants of land including the "county and honour" of Oxford, or more specifically, the lands forfeited by Robert de Vere. In Sep 1265 Roger was at the Parliament at Winchester and was sheriff of Herefordshire from 1266-1267. In Aug 1270, Roger was named one of the trustees for Prince Edward’s estates while the Prince traveled to the Holy Lands on Crusade.^[1]

Roger Mortimer died shortly before 30 Oct 1282, at Kingsland, Herefordshire, aged about 50, and was buried at Wigmore Abbey, Wigmore, Herefordshire, England^[1] where his tombstone read:

Here lies buried, glittering with praise, Roger the pure, Roger Mortimer the second, called Lord of Wigmore by those who held him dear. While he lived all Wales feared his power, and given as a gift to him all Wales remained his. It knew his campaigns, he subjected it to torment.

Immediate Family

• Son of Ralph de Mortimer, Baron of Wigmore and Gwladus verch Llewelyn, daughter of Llewelyn ab Iorwerth, Princess of North Wales (Gwladys Ddu).
• Brother of Peter de Mortimer; Hugh de Mortimer; John de Mortimer and Joan de Mortimer.
• Half brother of Maud la Zouche.

Marriage

Roger married circa 1247 to Maud de Braose, Lady Mortimer, Baroness Wigmore. She was the eldest daughter and coheir of William de Braose, by Eve, sister and coheir of Richard Marshal, Earl of Pembroke, Marshal of England.^[1] Maud was born c 1230 in Bramber Castle (or Arundel), England and she died before 20 Mar 1301.

Children

1. Ralph Mortimer, (abt 1250 – bef 10 Aug 1274). A famed knight, but died in his youth, unmarried, s.p.
2. Edmund Mortimer, 2nd Lord Mortimer (1251- 17 Jul 1304). Edmund was recalled from Oxford University when his older brother Ralph died, and was made heir. Edmund married Margaret de Fiennes, the daughter of William II de Fiennes and Blanche de Brienne. Had issue, including Roger Mortimer, 1st Earl of March.
3. Isabella Mortimer, (c. 1248 - 1292). She married first 1260 John FitzAlan, 7th Earl of Arundel, (14 Sep 1246 - 18 Mar 1272). She married second Robert de Hastings.
4. Margaret Mortimer, (d. 1297). She married Robert de Vere, 6th Earl of Oxford.
5. Roger de Mortimer, (c. 1256 - 3 Aug 1326). He lived in Wigmore, Herefordshire, England.
6. Geoffrey de Mortimer, (b. c 1254). He lived in Wigmore, Herefordshire, England.
7. William Mortimer, (b. c 1258 - 1297). He lived in Wigmore, Herefordshire, England.

Sources

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4} Doubleday, H.A. and Lord Howard de Walden, ed., The Complete Peerage or A History of the House of Lords and All Its Members From The Earliest Times, London: The St Catherine Press, 1936. Accessed online at LDS, Vol. IX, pp. 276-281.

See also:

• Royal Ancestry 2013 Douglas Richardson Vol. IV. p. 166-168.
• Royal Ancestry 2013 Douglas Richardson Vol. I page 557.
• Brendan Smith, "Transnational Lordship and the Plantagenet Empire: The Mortimer Lords of Wigmore, 1247-1425". Delivered as the O’Donnell Lecture in May 2015 at Bangor University, Cardiff University and the University of Wales, Trinity Saint David, Lampeter.
  • https://www.academia.edu/36927324
• Arch. Cambr., Wales Pub. A, 3x, v. 3, p. 32, 4s, v. 3, p. 101.
• Dict. of Nat'l Biog., Eng. Pub. A, v. 39, p. 131-36.
• Antiquities of Shrops., Shrops 5, v. 4, p. 197, 216-24.
• Burke's Extinct Peerage 1883 Eng. Pub 383, 384, 385.
• Wikipedia.
• Royal and Noble Genealogical Data, Brian Tompsett, Copyright 1994-2001.
• https://web.archive.org/web/20040701020049/http://www3.dcs.hull.ac.uk/public/genealogy/GEDCOM.html Department of Computer Science, University of Hull, Hull, UK, HU6 7RX
• Source: S96 Record ID Number: MH:S96 User ID: CCD7662F-AD30-47C8-B9BC-6B348174ACE3 Title: Eula Maria McKeaig II - 061204.FTW Note: Other.

• "Royal Ancestry" 2013 Douglas Richardson Vol. IV. p. 166-168

Roger De Mortimer, Knt., son and heir, born about 1231. He married in or before 1247 Maude De Brewes (or Breuse). They had seven sons, Ralph, Edmund, Knt., Roger, Knt., William, Knt., Geoffrey, Knt., Llywelyn, and Hugh, and two daughters, Margaret and Isabel.

Children of Roger de Mortimer, Knt., by Maud de Brewes

i. Edmund De Mortimer, Knt.

ii. Margaret De Mortimer, married Robert De Vere, Knt., 6th Earl of Oxford.

iii. Isabel De Mortimer, married (1st) John Fitz Alan; (2nd) Ralph D'Arderne; (3rd) Robert De Hastang.

• "Royal Ancestry" 2013 Douglas Richardson Vol. I page 557

Acknowledgements

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