General Notes

REFN: 1351AN
Alias:<ALIA> William /De Briouze/
REFN: P1351
Born: probably 1140/50
Died: 9th August 1211 at Corbeuil
At his peak Lord of Bramber, Gower, Abergavenny, Brecknock, Builth, Radno
r, Kington, Limerick and the three castles of Skenfrith, Grosmont (righ
t) and Whitecastle.
William inherited Bramber, Builth and Radnor from his father; Brecknock a
nd Abergavenny through his mother. He was the strongest of the Marcher Lor
ds involved in constant war with the Welsh and other lords. He was particu
larly hated by the Welsh for the massacre of three Welsh princes, their fa
milies and their men which took place during a feast at his castle of Aber
gavenny in 1175. He was sometimes known as the "Ogre of Abergavenny". O
ne of the Normans' foremost warriors, he fought alongsiDe King Richa
rd at Chalus in 1199 (when Richard received his fatal wound).
William received Limerick in 1201 from King John. He was also given custo
dy of Glamorgan, Monmouth and Gwynllwg in return for large payments.
William captured Arthur, Count of Brittany at Mirebeau in 1202 and w
as in charge of his imprisonment for King John. He was well rewarded in Fe
bruary 1203 with the grant of Gower. He may have had knowledge of the murd
er of Arthur and been bribed to silence by John with the city of Limeri
ck in July. His honours reached their peak when he was made Sheriff of Her
efordshire by John for 1206-7. He had held this office under Richard fr
om 1192 to 1199.
His fall began almost immediately. William was stripped of his office as b
ailiff of Glamorgan and other custodies by King John in 1206/7. Later he w
as deprived of all his lands and, sought by John in Ireland, he return
ed to Wales and joined the Welsh Prince Llewelyn in rebellion. He fl
ed to France in 1210 via Shoreham "in the habit of a beggar" and died in e
xile near Paris. Despite intending to be interred at St. John's, Breco
n, he was buried in the Abbey of St. Victoire, Paris by Stephen Langton, t
he Archbishop of Canterbury, another of John's chief opponents who was al
so taking refuge there. His wife and son William were murdered by John, po
ssibly starved to death at Windsor Castle.
Note: The arms shown above are attributed to this William by Matthew Par
is (see Aspilogia II , MP IV No7)
Father: William De Braose, 3rd Lord of Bramber, Sheriff of Herefordshire
Mother: Bertha De Pîtres
Married to Maud De St Valery  ("before 1170" - Powicke's Loretta)
Child 1: William De Braose
Child 2: Maud (Susan) = Gruffyd ap Rhys
Child 3: Giles, Bishop of Hereford
Child 4: Roger
Child 5: Philip
Child 6: Bertha = William De Beauchamp
Child 7: Thomas
Child 8: Walter
Child 9: John = Amabil De Limesi
Child 10: Margaret = Walter De Lacy
Child 11: Henry
Child 12: Annora = Hugh De Mortimer
Child 13: Loretta = Robert De Beaumont, 4th Earl of Leicester
Child 14: Reginald De Braose
Child 15: Flandrina, Abbess of Godstow
Child 16: Bernard
This ordering of the children follows the Braose genealogy given in the 13
th century MS (British Library, Cotton Julius D, x) on the history of t
he Lords of Brecon.
William de Braose, 7th Baron Abergavenny and 4th Lord of Bramber (1140/11
50 - August 9, 1211) at his peak was also Lord of Gower, Abergavenny, Brec
knock, Builth, Radnor, Kington, Limerick, Skenfrith, Briouse Castle in Nor
mandy, Grosmont, and White Castle. His rise and fall at the hands of Ki
ng John is often taken as an example of that King's arbitrary and capricio
us behavior towards his barons.
William was the son of William de Braose, Third Lord of Bramber and his wi
fe was Bertha of Hereford, daughter of Miles Fitz Walter, Earl of Herefo
rd and his wife, formerly Sibyl de Neufmarche. From his father he inherit
ed the Rape of Bramber, in Sussex, and through his mother he inherited a l
arge estate in the Welsh Marches area of Monmouthshire.
In 1175, William carried out the Massacre of Abergavenny, killing sever
al Welsh princes and leaders