General Notes

Source: Weis, Sheppard, Beal, The Magna Charta Sureties, 1215, 5th Ed.,Genealogical Publishing Co., Baltimore, [1999], 28-3.

From "A Baronial Family In Medieval England: The Clares, 1217-1314", byMichael Altschul, The Johns Hopkins Press, Baltimore  1965

Part VII

With the next generation, the Clare family reached the height of itsprominence in the 13th century.  Earl Richard de Clare was married twice;first, secretly in 1232 to Meggotta, daughter of the justiciar Hubert deBurgh, Richard's custodian during his minority; secondly, in 1237 toMaud, daughter of John de Lacy, earl of Lincoln.  No issue by the 1st,but three sons and four daughters by 2nd.

Gilbert "The Red", eldest and heir, b: 9/2/1243, was undoubtedly the mostpowerful magnate of the realm, in the later years under Henry III andEdward I, until his death on 12/7/1295.

The 2nd son, Thomas (ca1245-1287) was a close friend of Edward I and oneof themost important members of the lesser baronage in his reign.  Heconquered the lordship of Thomond (modern county Clare) and had 2legitimate sons, Gilbert (d.1308) and Richard (d. 1318), a bastard sonMaster Richard (d. 1338), and 2 daughters, Maud who married Robert deClifford of Westmoreland (d. 1314) and 2nd Robert de Welle, and Margaretwho married Gilbert de Umphraville (d. 1307), and 2nd Bartholomew deBadlesmere (d. 1322).  The 3rd son, Bogo, had a very colorfulecclesiastical career, and by his death in 1294 had made himself the mostsuccessful and notorious pluralist in the English Church.

Earl Richard's daughters, except for Eglentia who died as an infant in1257, married well. The eldest, Isabel (b. 1240) married 6/1258 William,marquis de Montferrat as a result of Earl Richard paying the marquis 4,00marks and giving him the choice of daughters. Isabel's sisters were lessthan 8 at the time so the choice must have been easy!  The 2nd, Margaret,b: 1250, married, probably by arrangement with her mother Maud andbrothers Bogo and Earl Gilbert,  Edmund, son and heir of Richard ofCornwall by his 2nd marriage. Not a happy marriage, as Edmund leaves herin 1289 and the marriage is annulled in 1294.  When Edmund died in 1300,Margaret was assigned dower by Edward I and lived in seclusion until herdeath in 1312.  The 3rd daughter, Rohese, b: 1252, m: 1270 a member ofthe lesser baronage, Roger de Mowbray, lord of the Yorkshire barony ofThirsk.