General Notes

REFN: 1509AN
REFN: P1509
In about 1026, Herleva of Falaise, the sixteen year old daughter o f a
tanner from Falaise in Normandy, gave birth to a son called Richard. The
boy's father was Gilbert, Count of Brionne, one of the most powerful
landow ners in Normandy. As Herleva was not married to Gilbert, the boy
became known as Richard Fitz Gilbert. The term 'Fitz' was used to show
that Richard was t he illegitimate son of Gilbert.
When Robert, Duke of Normandy died in 1035 Wil liam of Normandy inherited
his father's title. Several leading Normans, inclu ding Gilbert of
Brionne, Osbern the Seneschal and Alan of Brittany, became Wi lliam's
guardians.
A number of Norman barons would not accept an illegitimat e son as their
leader and in 1040 an attempt was made to kill William. The pl ot failed
but they did manage to kill Gilbert of Brionne. As Richard was
il legitimate, he did not receive very much land when his father died.
Richard ma rried Rohese, daughter of Walter Giffard of Normandy. The
couple had at least three children, Rohaise, Gilbert De Clare and Walter
of Clare.
When William of Normandy, decided to invaDe England in 1066, he invited
his three half-br others, Richard Fitz Gilbert, Odo of Bayeux and Robert
of Mortain to join him . Richard, who had married Rohese, daughter of
Walter Giffard of Normandy, al so brought with him members of his wife's
family.
After his coronation in 10 66, William the Conqueror claimed that all the
land in England now belonged t o him. William retained about a fifth of
this land for his own use. The rest was distributed to those men who had
helped him defeat Harold at the Battle o f Hastings.
Richard Fitz Gilbert, was granted land in Kent, Essex, Surrey, Suf folk
and Norfolk. In exchange for this land. Richard had to promise to provid e
the king with sixty knights. In order to supply these knights, barons
div ided their land up into smaller units called manors. These manors were
then p assed on to men who promised to serve as knights when the king
needed them.
Richard built castles at Tonbridge (Kent), Clare (Suffolk), Bletchingley
(Sur rey) and Hanley (Worcester). His knights normally lived in the manor
that the y had been granted. Once or twice a year, Richard would visit his
knights to check the manor accounts and to collect the profits that the
land had made.
The Normans were very impressed with Richard's castle at Tonbridge. After
a w hile people in Kent began calling him Richard of Tonbridge. Other
people call ed him Richard of Clare, after the castle and large estates he
owned in Clare in Suffolk. In time, Richard adopted Clare as his family
name and he became known as Richard De Clare.
William the Conqueror trusted Richard De Clare and appointed him as a
member of his ruling council. Richard was also given the t itle Chief
Justiciar. This meant that Richard took over the running of the
government when the king was making one of his many visits to Normandy.
In th is post he played an important role in the suppression of the revolt
against William in 1075.
Just before William the Conqueror died he decided that Willia m Rufus,
rather than his older brother, Robert Curthose, should be king of
England. He was crowned by Lanfranc, the Archbishop of Canterbury, on
26th Se ptember, 1087.
The following year some Normans, including Richard De Clare, Od o of
Bayeux, Robert of Mortain, William Fitz Osbern and Geoffrey of Coutances ,
led a rebellion against the rule of Rufus in order to place Robert
Curtho se on the throne. However most Normans in England remained loyal
and Rufus an d his army successfully attacked the rebel strongholds at
Tonbridge, Pevensey and Rochester.
After a two day siege at Tonbridge Castle, Richard De Clare wa s forced to
surrender to William Rufus. Richard was punished by having his castle and
the town of Tonbridge burnt to the ground. Richard De Clare was also
forced to live in a monastery where he died.
Kn