General Notes

REFN: 1715AN
REFN: P1715
Lord of Redesdale 1245-1307
Earl of Angus (1245)1267-1307
Baron of Prudhoe 1283-1307
G.W.S. Barrow lists Gilbert as the earl of Angus from 126 7 presumably on
the death of the previous incumbent Gilchrist unless the titl e was
temporarily taken away from him. Other sources claim the the Umfreville s
held the Earldom from 1243 or from 1245. Gilbert's mother Maud was the
da ughter of Earl Gilchrist and Maud the sister of William King of
Scotland.
Gi lbert married Elizabeth the daughter of Alexander Comyn, Earl of Buchan
and p roduced 3 sons. The eldest, Gilbert (died early, before 1307)
married Margare t De Clare. The second son who became the next Earl was
Robert. The third son Thomas became a knight at the court of either
Edward II or III and may have had descendants in the south of England.
Gilbert alienated Chollerton in about 1268 and sold it in 1274. The
Inspeximus Maximus of 1298 lists the donation of Cholverton Chapel to the
Priory of St Andrew's at Hexham by Odonell De Umf reville, most likely
Gilbert's uncle Odonell. We know that Chollerton and Bir tley had been
released to him by Richard of Chollerton which may mean that Od onell died
before 1274 if Gilbert was able to do with it what he wanted.
On June 13th 1291 Gilbert was at Upsettlington Nr Norham Castle on the
river Twe ed with the Guardians and magnates of Scotland to swear
individual fealty to Edward I. Earlier that year Gilbert had refused to
surrender the castles of F orfar and Dundee, which were in his keeping, to
Edward declaring that he had been entrusted them by the community of the
realm of Scotland and not the Kin g of England. Gilbert did hand them over
at this meeting. Earl Gilbert is kno wn for his stubborness; he so
frequently exceeded his authority within Redesd ale that in 1293 he was
brought before Newcastle assizes and the following ch arges brought
against him:
I) That he erected a gallows at Alwinton without licence from the crown.
II) That his Bailiffs fined both those that appeared a nd those that
failed to appear before his courts whether they lived in the Li berty or
not.
III) That he did seize the cattle of a John of Hirlaw for graz ing on
common land, sell two of them and had three more for his kitchen.
In his defence Gilbert claimed that only he or his justices could deal
with case s within the Liberty. He claimed a river crossing tax at Elishaw
on the Scots border which he said he only exacted from Scotsmen! Gilbert
argued that the wardenship of the Liberty entitled him to many
privileges, for example, all l egal cases concerning the Liberty were to
be heard in his courts before his J ustices; he could free criminals from
his gaol at Harbottle castle and deal w ith injustices concerning the
inspection of bread and ale. He claimed the rig ht to hold a market at
Harbottle every week on tuesdays and hold an annual fa ir on 8th
September. He could also hold a sunday market at Elsdon and an annu al
fair there on 16th August.
Gilbert was summoned to the English Parliament in 1296 and in 1298 he
accompanied Edward I on his military expedition to Sc otland to fight
William Wallace at Falkirk (22nd July). In 1306 he was one of the Scots
Earls opposed to Robert Bruce who had just seized the crown from J ohn
Baliol. Gilbert died in 1307, the same year as King Edward. It is his
t omb cover that resides in Hexham Abbey.
Gilbert produced 4 offspring:
Gilbert (c. 1275 - bef. 23/5/1303), Robert (c. 1277 - 30/3/1325 or
3/4/1325 poss dea th and burial dates), Thomas 'Valectus Regis' (Kings
Steward?) (c.1279 - c. 1 340) and a daughter (b. c. 1281) who died in
Woodburn Lincs and was married t o John De Lisle of Woodburn.
Sir Gilbert De Umfreville b. c. 1244 d. bef 13th October 1307
Lord of Redesdale 1245-1307
Earl of Angus (1245)1267-1307
Baron of Prudhoe 1283-1307
G.W.S. Barrow lists Gilbert as the earl of Angus from 12 67 presumably on
the death of the previous in