General Notes

Name Suffix:<NSFX> Earl Of Somerset
EARLDOM OF MOHUN (I)
EARLDOM OF SOMERSET (I)
WILLIAM DE MOION, LORD OF DUNSTER, was heir of Willia
m D E M OION abovenamed, but his exact relationship is unce
rtai n. In 1131 he was at the Council of Northampton. Befor
e th e dea th of Henry I he held more than 30 knight's fees
. I n 1138 he held Dunster Castle for the Empress Maud. Fro
m th is stron ghold he committed such ravages on the countr
ysid e that King Stephen marched against him in force; bu
t findi ng Dunste r Castle impregnable he left a blockadin
g force u nder Henr y de Tracy, who is said to have curbe
d William' s depredations. In 1141 he joined the Empress an
d was almos t certainly at Winchester when she was electe
d Queen of Eng land on 8 April. Probably soon afterwards, a
nd certainly be fore 2 4 June 1141, Maud created him EARL O
F SOMERSET. He w as wit h her at Westminster, about 20-24 J
une, and fled wit h her to Winchester, where he fought fo
r her during the sie ge (Aug ust-September). His subsequen
t career is obscure. H e founde d a priory at Bruton (Somer
set), possibly in or so on afte r 1142; and he was a benefa
ctor to the priories o f Bridling ton and (possibly) Taunto
n. He married Agnes, da ughter of W alter DE GANT. He d. pr
obably in or before 1155 . Stephen did not recognise his Ea
rldom, and as Henry II di d not gran t a new charter to Wil
liam or his son, the Earld om of Somer set (so far as it ex
isted) lapsed at or befor e his death. [ Complete Peerage X
II/1:37-9, (transcribed b y Dave Utzinger)]