Bertha of Hereford
Encyclopedia
Bertha of Hereford, also known as Bertha de Pitres (born c.1130), was the daughter of Miles de Gloucester, 1st Earl of Hereford
, and a wealthy heiress. She was the wife of William de Braose, 3rd Lord of Bramber
to whom she brought many castles and Lordships, including Brecknock, Abergavenny
, and Hay
.
. She had two sisters, Margaret of Hereford, who married Humphrey II de Bohun
, by whom she had issue, and Lucy of Hereford, who married Herbert FitzHerbert of Winchester, by whom she had issue. Her five brothers, included Roger Fitzmiles, 2nd Earl of Hereford
, Walter de Hereford
, Henry Fitzmiles
, William de Hereford
, and Mahel de Hereford
.
Her paternal grandparents were Walter FitzRoger de Pitres
, Sheriff of Gloucester and Bertha de Balun of Bateden, a descendant of Hamelin de Balun
, and her maternal grandparents were Bernard de Neufmarché
, Lord of Brecon, and Nesta ferch Osbern. The latter was a daughter of Osbern FitzRichard of Richard's Castle
, and Nesta ferch Gruffydd. Bertha was a direct descendant, in the maternal line, of Gruffydd ap Llywelyn
(1007- 5 August 1063) and Edith (Aldgyth)
, daughter of Elfgar, Earl of Mercia
.
Her father Miles served as Constable
to King Stephen of England
. He later served in the same capacity to Empress Matilda
after he'd transferred his allegiance. In 1141, she made him Earl of Hereford in gratitude for his loyalty.
On 24 December 1143, he was killed whilst on a hunting expedition in the Forest of Dean.
In 1173, her brothers all having died without issue, she brought the Lordships and castles of Brecknock and Abergavenny, to her husband. Hay Castle had already passed to her from her mother, Sibyl of Neufmarche in 1165, whence it became part of the de Braose holdings.
In 1174, her husband became Sheriff
of Hereford.
Her children include:
Miles de Gloucester, 1st Earl of Hereford
Miles de Gloucester, 1st Earl of Hereford, Lord of Brecknock was the son of Walter de Gloucester, who served as hereditary sheriff of that county between 1104 and 1121....
, and a wealthy heiress. She was the wife of William de Braose, 3rd Lord of Bramber
William de Braose, 3rd Lord of Bramber
William de Braose, 3rd Lord of Bramber was a 12th-century Marcher lord who secured a foundation for the dominant position later held by the Braose family in the Welsh Marches. In addition to the family's English holdings in Sussex and Devon, William had inherited Radnor and Builth, in Wales, from...
to whom she brought many castles and Lordships, including Brecknock, Abergavenny
Abergavenny
Abergavenny , meaning Mouth of the River Gavenny, is a market town in Monmouthshire, Wales. It is located 15 miles west of Monmouth on the A40 and A465 roads, 6 miles from the English border. Originally the site of a Roman fort, Gobannium, it became a medieval walled town within the Welsh Marches...
, and Hay
Hay-on-Wye
Hay-on-Wye , often described as "the town of books", is a small market town and community in Powys, Wales.-Location:The town lies on the east bank of the River Wye and is within the Brecon Beacons National Park, just north of the Black Mountains...
.
Family
Bertha was born in England in about 1130. She was the second daughter of Miles of Gloucester, 1st Earl of Hereford (1097- 24 December 1143) and Sibyl de NeufmarchéSibyl de Neufmarché
Sibyl de Neufmarché, Countess of Hereford, suo jure Lady of Brecknock , was a Cambro-Norman noblewoman, heiress to one of the most substantial fiefs in the Welsh Marches...
. She had two sisters, Margaret of Hereford, who married Humphrey II de Bohun
Humphrey II de Bohun
Humphrey II de Bohun was an Anglo-Norman aristocrat, the third of his family after the Norman Conquest. He was the son and heir of Humphrey I and Maud, a daughter of Edward of Salisbury, an Anglo-Saxon landholder in Wiltshire...
, by whom she had issue, and Lucy of Hereford, who married Herbert FitzHerbert of Winchester, by whom she had issue. Her five brothers, included Roger Fitzmiles, 2nd Earl of Hereford
Roger Fitzmiles, 2nd Earl of Hereford
Roger Fitzmiles, 2nd Earl of Hereford, was born some time before 1125 and, according to the Hereford Cathedral Book of Obits, died on 22 September 1155...
, Walter de Hereford
Walter de Hereford
Walter de Hereford was a holder of the feudal title Baron Bergavenny or Lord Abergavenny in the Welsh Marches in the mid twelfth century.- Lineage :...
, Henry Fitzmiles
Henry FitzMiles
Henry FitzMiles , Baron Abergavenny was a Norman baron and a Marcher Lord in the Welsh Marches.- Birth :...
, William de Hereford
William de Hereford
William de Hereford was a holder of the feudal lordship of Abergavenny in the Welsh Marches in the mid twelfth century.- Lineage :William de Hereford was a son of Miles de Gloucester, 1st Earl of Hereford and his wife Sybil de Neufmarche, daughter of Bernard de Neufmarche of Brecon.His brothers...
, and Mahel de Hereford
Mahel de Hereford
Mahel de Hereford was a holder of the feudal lordships of Brecon and Abergavenny in the Welsh Marches in the mid 12th century.- Lineage :Mahel de Hereford was a younger son of Miles de Gloucester, 1st Earl of Hereford and his wife Sibyl of Neufmarche, daughter of Bernard de Neufmarche, Lord of...
.
Her paternal grandparents were Walter FitzRoger de Pitres
Walter de Gloucester
Walter de Gloucester was an early Norman official of the King of England during the early years of the Norman conquest of the South Welsh Marches.-Titles:...
, Sheriff of Gloucester and Bertha de Balun of Bateden, a descendant of Hamelin de Balun
Hamelin de Balun
Hamelin de Ballon was an early Norman Baron and the first Baron Abergavenny and Lord of Over Gwent and Abergavenny, titles granted shortly after the Norman Conquest of England and Wales by William the Conqueror; he also served William Rufus.- Origin :He was from France, from the ancient manor of...
, and her maternal grandparents were Bernard de Neufmarché
Bernard de Neufmarché
Bernard of Neufmarché was "the first of the original conquerors of Wales." He was a minor Norman lord who rose to power in the Welsh Marches before successfully undertaking the invasion and conquest of the Kingdom of Brycheiniog between 1088 and 1095. Out of the ruins of the Welsh kingdom he...
, Lord of Brecon, and Nesta ferch Osbern. The latter was a daughter of Osbern FitzRichard of Richard's Castle
Richard's Castle
Richard's Castle is a village, castle and two civil parishes on the border of the counties of Herefordshire and Shropshire in England.The village lies on the B4361, 5½ miles south of the historic market town of Ludlow...
, and Nesta ferch Gruffydd. Bertha was a direct descendant, in the maternal line, of Gruffydd ap Llywelyn
Gruffydd ap Llywelyn
Gruffydd ap Llywelyn was the ruler of all Wales from 1055 until his death, the only Welsh monarch able to make this boast...
(1007- 5 August 1063) and Edith (Aldgyth)
Edith of Mercia
Ealdgyth , also Aldgyth or anglicized, Edith, was a daughter of Ælfgar, Earl of Mercia, the wife of Gruffudd ap Llywelyn Ealdgyth (fl. c. 1057–1066), also Aldgyth or anglicized, Edith, was a daughter of Ælfgar, Earl of Mercia, the wife of Gruffudd ap Llywelyn Ealdgyth (fl. c. 1057–1066), also...
, daughter of Elfgar, Earl of Mercia
Mercia
Mercia was one of the kingdoms of the Anglo-Saxon Heptarchy. It was centred on the valley of the River Trent and its tributaries in the region now known as the English Midlands...
.
Her father Miles served as Constable
Constable
A constable is a person holding a particular office, most commonly in law enforcement. The office of constable can vary significantly in different jurisdictions.-Etymology:...
to King Stephen of England
Stephen of England
Stephen , often referred to as Stephen of Blois , was a grandson of William the Conqueror. He was King of England from 1135 to his death, and also the Count of Boulogne by right of his wife. Stephen's reign was marked by the Anarchy, a civil war with his cousin and rival, the Empress Matilda...
. He later served in the same capacity to Empress Matilda
Empress Matilda
Empress Matilda , also known as Matilda of England or Maude, was the daughter and heir of King Henry I of England. Matilda and her younger brother, William Adelin, were the only legitimate children of King Henry to survive to adulthood...
after he'd transferred his allegiance. In 1141, she made him Earl of Hereford in gratitude for his loyalty.
On 24 December 1143, he was killed whilst on a hunting expedition in the Forest of Dean.
Marriage and issue
In 1150, she married William de Braose, 3rd Lord of Bramber (1112–1192), son of Philip de Braose, 2nd Lord of Bramber and Aenor, daughter of Judael of Totnes. William and Bertha had three daughters and two sons, including William de Braose, 4th Lord of Bramber.In 1173, her brothers all having died without issue, she brought the Lordships and castles of Brecknock and Abergavenny, to her husband. Hay Castle had already passed to her from her mother, Sibyl of Neufmarche in 1165, whence it became part of the de Braose holdings.
In 1174, her husband became Sheriff
Sheriff
A sheriff is in principle a legal official with responsibility for a county. In practice, the specific combination of legal, political, and ceremonial duties of a sheriff varies greatly from country to country....
of Hereford.
Her children include:
- William de Braose, 4th Lord of BramberWilliam de Braose, 4th Lord of BramberWilliam de Braose, , 4th Lord of Bramber , court favourite of King John of England, at the peak of his power, was also Lord of Gower, Abergavenny, Brecknock, Builth, Radnor, Kington, Limerick, Glamorgan, Skenfrith, Briouze in Normandy, Grosmont, and White Castle.-Lineage:William was the most...
, (1144/1153- 11 August 1211, Corbeil), married Maud de St. ValeryMaud de BraoseMaud de Braose, Lady of Bramber was the wife of William de Braose, 4th Lord of Bramber, a powerful Marcher baron and court favourite of King John of England...
, daughter of Bernard de St. Valery, by whom he had 16 children. - Roger de Braose
- Bertha de Braose (born 1151), married c.1175, Walter de Beauchamp (died 1235), son of William de Beauchamp and Joan de Walerie, by whom she had issue, including Walcherine de Beauchamp who married Joan Mortimer.
- Sibyl de Braose (died after 5 February 1227), married William de Ferrers, 3rd Earl of DerbyWilliam de Ferrers, 3rd Earl of DerbyWilliam I de Ferrers, 3rd Earl of Derby was a 12th century English Earl who resided in Tutbury Castle in Staffordshire and was head of a family which controlled a large part of Derbyshire known as Duffield Frith. He was also a Knight Templar....
(1136- 21 October 1190 at AcreAcreThe acre is a unit of area in a number of different systems, including the imperial and U.S. customary systems. The most commonly used acres today are the international acre and, in the United States, the survey acre. The most common use of the acre is to measure tracts of land.The acre is related...
on crusade), son of Robert de Ferrers, 2nd Earl of DerbyRobert de Ferrers, 2nd Earl of DerbyRobert II de Ferrers, 2nd Earl of Derby, a younger, but eldest surviving, son of Robert de Ferrers, 1st Earl of Derby and his wife Hawise, succeeded his father as Earl of Derby in 1139...
and Margaret PeverelMargaret PeverelMargaret Peverell, Countess of Derby , was an English noblewoman who lived at Tutbury Castle in Staffordshire, England.-Family and marriage:...
, by whom she had issue. - Maud de Braose, married John de Brompton, by whom she had issue.