General Notes

Name Suffix:<NSFX> 2nd Earl Of Pembroke
Richard de Clare, the celebrated Stongbow, 2nd Earl of Pembroke, was one of the witnesses to the solemn agreement made in 1153 between King Stephen and Henry, Duke of Normandy, whereby the latter was to succeed to the English throne upon the decease of the former. But the leading part he subsequently had in the subjugation of Ireland procuring him a conspicuous place in history, we shall relate the particulars of that event in the words of the Monk of Jorevaulx -- "The realm of Ireland," saith he, "being miserably opprest with warr by the many kings there who banded against each other, one of them sent his son into England to procure souldiers thence for his aid. Which souldiers for the hope of gain, giving him assistance, were so well recompenced as that they rather chose to stay there than return into England. But after a short time the stoutest people of Ireland, being much offended with that king for getting aid from England, the English already fixed in Ireland sent for more from hence to strengthen their party, and because they had no chief they made of this Earl Richard (a stout and valiant man), to be their captain, who, yielding to their request, rigging a good fleet, prepared for the journey. Whereupon there were some who, in the king's behalf, endeavoured to restrain him. Howbeit, getting on shipboard and landing safe, he assaulted Dublin and took it; the tidings whereof so terrified those that lived afar off that they were content to be at peace with him; and, to confirm what he had got, gave him in marriage Eva, daughter of Dermot McMurrough, one of their kings, with whom he had in dower a great part of the realm. Whereat the King of England growing much displeased, as well for that he had not only, without his consent, but forbidden, made so great an attempt, seized upon all his patrimony here, prohibiting that he should have further aid; and threatening him otherwise very sore, compelled him so to such a compliance as that he got Dublin from him and all the principal places he had won, requiring him to be content with the rest, and his patrimony in England; soon after raising a great army, the king sayled thither, himself." In the end the earl was constituted Justice of Ireland by King Henry II and, having founded the priory of Kilmainham in the province of Leinster for Knights Hospitallers, "this eminent person," Dugdale concludes, "died untimely upon the nones of April, anno 1176, and was buried in the chapter house at Gloucester as may be seen by this inscription on the wall there, 'Hic jacet Ricardus Strongbow, filius Gilberti, Comitis de Pembroke," leaving issue, as some say, one son, scarce three years old to be his heir, but by others it is reported that, being by treachery abused and wounded, he departed this life the 5th year after his acquisition of the province of Leinster, and that he was buried at Dublin, leaving issue one only dau. and heiress, Isabel.
NOTE: Hacket, in his collection of epitaphs, gives the following from the tomb of Strongbow, at Christ's Church, Dublin:--
"Nate ingrate, mihi pugnanti terga dedisti,
Non mihi, sed genti, regno quoque terga dedisti."
"This alludes," says Banks, "to a story that Strongbow's only son, a youth about seventeen, frightened with the numbers and ululations of the Irish in a great battle, ran away, but being afterwards informed of his father's victory, he joyfully returned to congratulate him. But the severe general having first upbraided him with his cowardice, caused him to be immediately executed by cutting him off in the middle with a sword. Such, in former times, was the detestation of datardliness!" [Sir Bernard Burke, Dormant, Abeyant, Forfeited, and Extinct Peerages, Burke's Peerage, London, 1883, pp. 120-121, Clare, Earls of Pembroke]
Richard de Clare (surnamed Strongbow), Earl of Pembroke, Lord of Leinster, and Constable of Ireland, 1172. By marriage with Eva, the only dau. of McMurgh, King of Leinster