General Notes

Name Suffix:<NSFX> 2nd Earl of March
The grandfather of this knight, Roger Mortimer, 1st Earl of March,
remarkablein history for his ambitious and guilty career, and for his
ignominious endin November 1330, had several sons. Edmund Mortimer, the
eldest, died in 1331, leaving, by Elizabeth, his wife (one of the
daughters of Bartholomew "Le Riche," and sister and co-heiress of Giles,
successively Lords Badlesmere), Roger Mortimer, his only surviving son,
then in his third year.
The family estates having been forfeited by the attainder of the first
Earl, Roger Junior obtained, during his minority and through the
influence of his step-father, William De Bohun, Earl of Northampton,
grants from the crown of a part of the inheritance of his ancestors, and
particularly the Castle of Wigmore, the mostancient of their
possessions. His probable adroitness and courage in the jousts at
Windsor, which shortly preceded the institution of the Most Noble Order
of the Garter (for he had had no opportunity of otherwise distinguishing
himself) appear to have acquired for him, at the early age of seventeen,
the enviable honour of being one of its founders. Having, two years
afterwards, in1346, attended King Edward III and the Prince of Wales on
their brilliant expedition into France, he is said to have received
knighthood upon their landing at La Hogue, either from the hands of the
sovereign, or those of the youngprince immediately after his own
investiture with that dignity.
It may be presumed that our knight justified, at the Battle of Crécy, the
high opinion which had been formed of him. For, towards the close of the
same year, the King thought fit, in consideration of his laudable
services, to receive his homage, although still within age, and to grant
him livery of the remainder of his lands, with the exception of those
held in dower by his mother, the Countess of Northampton.
In 1352, Roger was again employed in France and obtained, intwo years
later, a reversal, in parliament, of the judgment against his
grandfather, upon the ground of the illegality of that sentence, which
had beengiven without oyer of his defence; and he thereupon assumed the
style of Earl of March. An inquisition having been taken of the lands of
which his ancestor had died seized, they were fully restored to him. In
1355, he was appointed Warden of the Cinque Ports and Constable of Dover
Castle, and then attendedthe King on his expedition into France; and,
again, in that of 1359 which terminated in a peace.
Before, however, the peace had been fully concluded, theyoung Earl died
at Roveray, in Burgundy, on the 26th February 1360, whilst in command of
the forces on that station; and his remains, having been broughtto
England, were interred at Wigmore Priory.
By Philippa, his wife (daughter of William Montacute, the 1st Earl of
Salisbury), who died in 1381, he leftan only son, Edmund, who became the
3rd Earl of March, and intermarried withthe Lady Philippa Plantagenet,
daughter and sole heiress of Prince Lionel ofAntwerp, Duke of Clarence.
Their son and heir, Roger Mortimer, the 4th Earl,was, in right of his
mother, Philippa, declared, in parliament, heir-presumptive to the Crown,
failing issue of King Richard II. The pretensions of his descendants to
the English throne were eventually asserted by his great-grandson, Edward
Plantagenet, as King Edward IV.
Edited from George Frederick Beltz's
"Memorials of the Most Noble Order of the Garter" (1861).