General Notes

MISC:  Ancestral File 4.13 (states:  Sheriff of Hereford)

OCCUPATION:  Of Brecknock, Abergavenney and Gowr, 1st Baron of GwentlandALIAS: William de Briouze


William was very fortunate in his marriage to Berta.  All of her brothers died young without heirs, so she brought a number of important lordships to the de Braoses in 1166.  These included Brecon and Abergavenny.  William became Sheriff of Hereford in 1174.  His interest in Sussex was maintained as he confirmed the grants of his father and grandfather for the maintenance of Sele Priory and extended St Mary's, Shoreham.

See St Mary's, Shoreham, Sussex.

William m. Berta, dau. of Milo de Gloucester, Earl of Hereford, and co-heir of her brother, William, Earl of Hereford, by whom he acquired Brecknock, with other extensive territorial possessions. He had two sons, William and Reginald, and was s. by the elder. [Sir Bernard Burke, Dormant, Abeyant, Forfeited and Extinct Peerages, Burke's Peerage, Ltd., London, 1883, p. 72, Braose, Baron Braose, of Gower]

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From c1173 to 1230 successive fathers, sons, and younger brothers called de Briouze were feudal lords of Abergavenny.  William de Briouze, the first of them, who derived his name from his lordship of Briouze in Normandy, married the sister and coheir of the 2nd Earl of Hereford (also daughter of 1st Earl) mentioned above, which seems to account for his coming into possession of a lordship in that part of the Welsh marches.  [Burke's Peerage]The main reference is called "Family of Braose" published in the "Genealogist" magazine dated 12th February 1883. 57 pages long, on LDS microfilm, poss.  the index for the Author "Dudley":  G. Cary Elwes.

William m. Berta, dau. of Milo de Gloucester, Earl of Hereford, and co-heir of her brother, William, Earl of Hereford, by whom he acquired Brecknock, with other extensive territorial possessions. He had two sons, William and Reginald, and was s. by the elder. [Sir Bernard Burke, Dormant, Abeyant, Forfeited and Extinct Peerages, Burke's Peerage, Ltd., London, 1883, p. 72, Braose, Baron Braose, of Gower]

*********1st Baron of Gwentland; of Brecknock, Abergavenney and Gower; son of Philip de Braiose of Bramber, Sussex, and Aenor de Toteneis; m. Bertha of Gloucester; father of William de Braiose, 5th Baron de Braiose. [Ancestral Roots, p. 152]

Lord of Bramber; son of Philip de Braose and Aenor de Totnes; m. Bertha de Gloucester; father of William III, Bertha, Sybil, Roger, Giles and an unnamed sons. [GRS 3.03, Automated Archi ves, CD#100]

Lord of Briouze in Normandy, of Abergavenny & of Bramber, Sussex, England; b.c. 1126, d.c. 1179; son of Phillip de Braiose and Aenor de Totnais; m. Bertha de Gloucester; father of William de Braose. [Charlemagne & Others, Chart 2978]

Increased his inheritance by marrying Berta, sister and co-heir of William, Earl of Gloucester, receiving with her the rich Lordship of Brecknock and other extensive estates. Two sons. [ The Roll of Battle Abbey]

Son of Philip de Braose and Aenor de Totnais; m. Bertha de Gloucester; father of:
1. Philip
2. Matilda who m. John de Brompton
3. Bertha who m. Walter de Beauchamp
4. William who m.Maud/Matilda de St. Valery
5. Engeram
6. Reginald
7. Sybil who m. Adam de Port and William de Ferrieres
8. Roger
9. Giles
[WFT Vol 11 Ped 4329]

William was very fortunate in his marriage to Berta. All of her brothers died young without heirs so she brought a number of important lordships to the de Braoses in 1166. These included Brecon and Abergavenny. William became Sheriff of Hereford in 1174. His interest in Sussex was maintained as he confirmed the grants of his father and grandfather for the maintenance of Sele Priory and extended St. Mary 's, Shoreham. Son of Philip de Braose and Aanor; m. Bertha de Pitres; father of:
1. William, 4th Lord of Bramber
2. Maud who m. John de Brompton
3. Sibilla who m.1 William de Ferrars and m.2 Adam de Port
4. Berta who m. William de Beauchamp
5. Roger
["Barons de Braose" <http://freespace.virgin.net/doug.thompson/BraoseWeb/stage.htm]

William de Braose, third lord of Bramber, succeeded his father Philip in about 1137. He was involved in one of the stranges events of the civil war during King Stephen's reign, when the throne was contested by Henry I's daughter Matilda.
   In 1139 Matilda landed with a force at Arundel. Stephen besieged her at the castle and could have put an end to her ambitions there and then. But his chivalric spirit was roused by the lady of the castle, Matilda's stepmother, Adeliza. She bargained for an end to the siege and to the continuint astonishment of historians, the king provided Matilda with an escort to Bristol. From there Matilda relaunched her long and bloody campaign for the throne. William de Braose was selected as a member of Matilda's escort.
   William emerged from the civil war in a position of strength and began the rapid expansion of the family interests in Wales. His marriage to Bertha, daughter of Miles of Gloucester, earl of Hereford proved to be an exceptionally fortunate match. Berta brought the lordships of Brecon and Abergavenny for the de Braoses. These, added to the existing family lands o f Radnor and Builth, were a formidable power base in the Welsh marches. It was the start of a legend in Wales. There are many fanciful stories about the successive de Braose barons and their wives and daughters. They committed ferocious atrocities and wielded breathtaking power in their domains. The family also suffered some catastrophies falls but made remarkable recoveries.
   William attended the 1164 council at Clarendon in support of Henry II during the dispute with Thomas Becket. He went to Ireland with his younger brother Philip, who made his name fighting with Henry II.
   Scotland invaded the north in 1173 and the king's own sons fomented rebellion. During this crisis Henry appointed the tough marcher lord as his sheriff in Herefordshire. William held the position for a year until September 1175. His son then took charge of the Welsh lordships and later, under King John, he extended them still further. ["Barons de Braose" <http://fr eespace.virgin.net/doug.thompson/BraoseWeb/stage.htm]

ABERGAVENNY, YFENNI (Monmouthshire)
   The Romans recognised the importance of the point where the rivers Gavenny and Usk meet, and there built a fort which they called Gobannium c. 50AD. The Normans who were quick to take advantage of the site, as they were with so many other Roman establishments, adopted Gobannium and adapted it to their own needs.
   Hamelin de Ballon was responsible for the initial assertion of the invaders' occupation, which was consolidated by the founding of the town. The earth and timber stronghold was repolaced by a masonry construction, and it maintained its prestige over many generations as the he adquarters of the Norman lordship of Abergavenny, and proved suitable for entertaining royalty. When it passed into the hands of William de Braose, the castle took on the appalling character of a Greek Tragedy, for in 1175 he invited Seisyllt ap Dyfnwal, the leader of the Welsh in Gwent Uwchcoed, together with his son, and other prominent Welshmen of the locality, to celebrate Christmas. Not only were all the guests murdered, but de Braose's men then set up on Seisyllt's Castell Arnallt, destroying it and murdering his wife and his young child. This attempt to debilitate the spirit of the Welsh did no more than to excite the men of Gwent to retaliate with unalloyed hostility. Abergavenny Castle was attacked by them under the command of Hywel ap Iorwerth who 'burnt the whole place down'. They then went in search of de Braose and his men but, although they succeeded in killing his sheriff, he himself escaped. [The Castles of Wales, p. 29]

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