General Notes

EARLDOM OF SURREY (IV)

WILLIAM DE BLOIS, a younger son of STEPHEN KING OF ENGLAND, by Maud, suo jure COUNTESS OF BOULOGNE, daughter and heir of Eustace, COUNT OF BOULOGNE, was born between 1132 and 1137. In 1148 or 1149 he became EARL OF SURREY by his marriage to the heiress. In August 1153, by the death of his elder brother Eustace, he became Count of Boulogne. In November 1153 the treaty between his father and Henry, Duke of Normandy, which provided that Henry should succeed Stephen as King, stipulated that William should hold all the lands &c. which his father had held before he became King [the comti of Mortain, the lands of the Honors of Boulogne, Eye and Lancaster, and other lands granted by Henry I], and the lands &c. of the Honor of Warenne, including the castles of Bellencombre and Mortemer; also Norwich castle, with a large interest in the comitatus of Norfolk, which Stephen had given him; also Pevensey castle, with an interest in that Honor. However in 1157 William surrendered to Henry II Pevensey and Norwich and whatever crown lands were in his hands and all his strongholds in Normandy and England, being allowed to retain whatever Stephen had held at the death of Henry I. In 1158 he was knighted by Henry II at Carlisle. In the summer of 1159 he served in the Toulouse campaign, dying during the retreat in October. He was a benefactor to Lewes Priory. He married Isabel, only daughter and heir of William (DE WARENNE), 3rd EARL OF SURREY, by Ela. He died s.p. as above in October I 159 and was buried in the hospital of Montmorillon in Poitou. Isabel survived him and was sought in marriage by Henry Il's brother William, but Archbishop Beket opposed the match on the ground of consanguinity, and she married, 2ndly, the King's illegitimate half-brother, Hamelin. [Complete Peerage XII/1:497-9, (transcribed by Dave Utzinger)]