Matilda (St Valéry) de Braose (abt. 1138 - 1210)

Born about 1138 in England

Ancestors

Descendants

Died 1210 at about age 72 in Windsor, Berkshire, England [uncertain]

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Biography

Birth and Parents

Matilda (Maud) de St. Valerie was born circa 1138. ^[1]

Father Bernard IV de St. Valerie^[2] b. c 1117, d. 1190

Mother Maud^[3]

Marriage

She married William de Brewes, Lord of Abergavenny, Brecon, & Ower Gwent, Seigneur de Briouze, son of William de Brewes, Sheriff of Hereford and Berta of Hereford, circa 1167.^[4]

Military

"Maud supported her husband's military ambitions and he put her in charge of Hay Castle and surrounding territory. She is often referred to in history as the Lady of Hay. In 1198, Maud defended Painscastle in Elfael against a massive Welsh attack led by Gwenwynwyn, Prince of Powys. She successfully held off Gwenwynwyn's forces for three weeks until English reinforcements arrived. Over three thousand Welsh were killed. Painscastle was known as Matilda's Castle by the locals.[6] ^[5]

Death

King John starved Matilda (Maud) de St. Valerie to death in 1210 in a dungeon, probably at Windsor, although later sources say at Corfe, with her son, William, whose dead cheeks, it was said, had been gnawed by his mother in an attempt to survive. ^[6]

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”[838]. 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”[839]. 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”[840]. 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[841]. 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[842]. 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[843]. ^[7]

Family

William de Brewes, Lord of Abergavenny, Brecon, & Ower Gwent, Seigneur de Briouze b. c 1144, d. 9 Aug 1211

Children

The Complete Peerage, 2nd ed., vol. 9, p. 275 has a note "The history of the lords of Brecknock to 1230 (Cott. MS ...) concludes with a list of the 16 children of William de Braose by Maud de St Valery

• Giles de Braose, Bishop of Hereford6 b. c 1169, d. 13 Nov 1215
• Sir Reginald de Brewes, Baron of Kington, Lord of Abergavenny, Brecon, Hay, & Radnor b. c 1171, d. c 9 Jun 1228
• Philip de Braose b. c 1174
• William de Brewes b. c 1175, d. 1210
• Walter de Braose b. c 1175
• Margaret de Brewes b. c 1177
• Henry de Braose b. c 1178
• Thomas de Braose b. c 1180
• John de Braose b. c 1181
• Joan de Braose b. c 1183
• Eleanor de Braose b. c 1184
• Loretta de Brewes b. c 1186, d. c 4 Mar 1266
• Robert de Braose b. c 1187
• Fulke de Braose b. c 1189

Research Notes

Parents

Richardson ^[8] states that

Evidence of the parentage of Maud de Saint Valery, wife of William de Brewes III, is found in a contempoary 13th Century French chronicle dated c. 1220 published in Sarrazin Hist. des Ducs de Normandie et des Rois d'Angleterre (1840): 111, with the original text of which reads "Cil Guilaumes de Breayouse avoit unt moult vaillant dame a feme, qui fu nee de la tierre le roi de France; fille fu Bernart de Saint-Waleri, le boin chevalier, Mehaus estoit appiele" . ^[9]

Marriage

Maud de Saint Valery's maritagium evidently included the manor of Tetbury, Gloucestershire, which her father, Bernard de Saint Valery, held in 1149-50 when he removed various monks of Kingswood Abbey from Tetbury to Miteford at Kingswood. At the same time, Bernard confirmed to the monks of Kingswood all the land that they had when they dwelt at Tetbury and at Hazeleton [see VCH Gloucester 2 (1907):100]. The manor was subsequently confiscated in 1208 by King John from William de Brewes III (husband of Maud de Saint Valery) after William's quarrel with the king [see VCH Gloucester 11 (1976): 264]. Peter Fitz Herbert held manor by royal grant c. 1211-2, but this grant was later disputed by various heirs and claimants to the lands of William de Brewes III [see VCH Gloucester 11 (1976) 264, Book of Fees I (1920) 51]. The manor was granted in 1215 by Giles de Brewes, Bishop of Hereford (William I's son) to Hugh de Mortimer, who married his sister, Annor de Brewes [see VCH Gloucester 11 (1976) 264 C. P. 9, (1936) 274-275 (sub mortimer). As for other evidence of Maud de Saint Valery's identity, it may be noted that her husband William de Brewes III, witnessed a charter for her father, Bernard de Saint Valery sometime in t4he period 1179-1180 [see Hanna Cartularies of Southwick Priory 1 (Hampshire Rec Ser 9) (1988); 70]. Special thanks go to Doug Thompson for his assistance in this matter.^[8]

Sources

1. ↑ Douglas Richardson, Magna Carta Ancestry, 2nd Edition, Vol. I, p. 313-314
2. ↑ Douglas Richardson, Royal Ancestry, Vol. I, p. 554.
3. ↑ Middle & Far East Families, Saint-Valerie
4. ↑ Douglas Richardson, Royal Ancestry, Vol. I, p. 526-527
5. ↑ The Barons de Braose, Blood Feuds, by Lynda Denyer (History of Family de Braose website). Cited by Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maud_de_Braose. Accessed Jan 19, 2017
6. ↑ Some Early English Pedigrees, by Vernon M. Norr, (1968), combined from most available sources 1958-1968...; (p. 34). Printed at Arlington, VA. Dig. Pub.: FamilySearch International. Retrieved from FamilySearch (Here;) Accessed 6 Jan 2023.
7. ↑ Foundation for Medieval Genealogy. ENGLISH LORDS A - C, Medieval Lands. Retrieved from fmg (Here;) Accessed 6 Jan 2023.
8. ↑ ^{8.0 8.1} Douglas Richardson, Royal Ancestry: A Study in Colonial and Medieval Families, 5 vols., ed. Kimball G. Everingham. By the author: Salt Lake City, Utah, 2013. Volume I. page 527, footnote 45.
9. ↑ Richardson adds a link "for an English translation of text by Dr. Helen Nicholson" -- freespace.virgin.net/nigel.nicholson/worm5.htm#extract_ej -- which regrettably is no longer in service.

See also:

• Marlyn_Lewis

• Wikipedia