William Corbet (abt. 1153 - abt. 1208)

Born about 1153 in Pontesbury, Shropshire, England

Ancestors

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Biography

William Corbet was a member of the aristocracy in British Isles.

William is shown in the Pedigree as a Priest and died without issue.

Birth

Carl Boyer believed that Simon Corbet "probably died before his father, William Corbet of Wattlesborough. Assuming that William died in 1136, and Simon died shortly before, say, 1135, all of Simon's children would have been born prior to 1135. ^[1]

Uncle to Llywelyn

"For what it's worth, in her novel Here Be Dragons, Sharon Penman has Llewelyn (she uses that spelling), aged 10, being brought up by his mother Marared and stepfather Sir Hugh Corbet, in Caus Castle, Shropshire following his mother's marriage to Sir Hugh in June/July 1187. In her author's note she says "Little is known of Llewelyn's early years. It is believed he passed his childhood in Powys and England; by his fifteenth year he was challenging his uncles for control of Gwynedd. Historians have long been cognizant of his kinship to the Corbet family; he often stayed his hand, spared Corbet lands, and a letter of his addresses William Corbet as "uncle". In the nineteenth century historians speculated that Llewelyn's mother might be a hitherto unknown Corbet daughter, but Marared ferch Meredydd's identity has since been established beyond any doubt. Marared must therefore have made a second marriage after Iorwerth's death in 1174. In researching the Corbet family, I was able to eliminate Robert Corbet without difficulty. His brother William was the "uncle" of Llewelyn's letter. Walter Corbet was a monk. By the process of elimination, Hugh Corbet had to be Marared's second husband, Llewelyn's stepfather." ^[2]

No Corbet Daughter married Iorwerth ab Owain

[[Corbet168|Unknown daughther has now been disconnected, as per discussion below:

Many genealogies show a daughter of Simon Corbet who married Iorwerth ab Owain, father of Llywelyn ap Iorwerth. For instance, Augusta Corbet wrote in 1915: "One of (Thomas Corbet's) sisters became the wife of Jowerth, the father of the Great llewellyn ap Jowerth." ^[3]

This supposition appears to be based on a reference by Llywelyn to a certain Walter Corbet as frater Willielmi Corbet avunculi mei. If William Corbet was Iorwerth's uncle, then surely Iorwerth's mother was William's sister, an unnamed Corbet, as reflected in Augusta Corbet's conclusion. But there are other ways an uncle-nephew relationship can be established.

It is now well established that Llywelyn ap Iorwerth"s mother was Marared ferch Madog. Cawley reports that Marared ferch Madog was born about 1130 and was called Margred, Marared, Marget, Marred, Marret, and Marvred in various records. ^[4]

Yet there were clearly other signs of some Corbet connection. "Historians have long been cognizant of (Llywelyn's) kinship to the Corbet family; he often stayed his hand, spared Corbet lands, and a letter of his addresses William Corbet as 'uncle'. ^[5]

Penman concludes that in order for Llywelyn's reference to William as an uncle to be correct, Marared must have made a second marriage after Iorwerth's death in 1174. ^[6]

Who would Marared's second husband be? "In researching the Corbet family, I was able to eliminate Robert Corbet without difficulty. His brother William was the 'uncle' of Llewelyn's letter. Walter Corbet was a monk. By the process of elimination, Hugh Corbet had to be Marared's second husband, Llewelyn's stepfather."^{[5] [7]}

Sources

1. ↑ Carl Boyer 3rd. Medieval English Ancestors of Certain Americans. By the author: Santa Clarita, California, 2001. Simon Corbet is #5 on page 62.
2. ↑ A. Jones. Gen-Medieval List {http://archiver.rootsweb.ancestry.com/th/read/GEN-MEDIEVAL/1999-10/0939744900 Llywelyn'd daughter Margaret and the de Braose Family] 12 October 1699. Accessed October 13, 2017. jhd
3. ↑ Augusta Elizabeth Brickdale Corbet. The family of Corbet, its Life and Times. London: The St. Catherine Press, 1915. Volume II, page 218 Jowerth Accessed October 23, 2017. jhd
4. ↑ Charles Cawley. Foundation for Medieval Genealogy. Marared m Iorwerth Drwyndwyn Marared, Accessed Dec. 20, 2016).
5. ↑ ^{5.0 5.1} Rootsweb: Gen-Medieval Archives Gen-Medieval 1999 Rootsweb post, A Jones
   

   Note - the Rootsweb post correctly quotes the author's note that calls her (incorrectly) "Marared ferch Meredydd", but when introduced in the novel (page 7), she is "Marared, daughter of Prince Madog ap Meredydd."

6. ↑ Sharon Penman, Author's Note, Here Be Dragons. As a writer of historical fiction, does substantive research to make sure that the settings for her stories are as factually accurate as possible. Cited by A. Jones. Gen-Medieval List {http://archiver.rootsweb.ancestry.com/th/read/GEN-MEDIEVAL/1999-10/0939744900 Llywelyn'd daughter Margaret and the de Braose Family] 12 October 1699. Accessed October 13, 2017. jhd
7. ↑ see also Stewart Baldwin's Gen-Medieval 1999 Rootsweb post in the same thread.

• "The family of Corbet, its life and times", by Mrs. Augusta Elizabeth Brickdale Corbet Corbet