Brien FitzCount
Encyclopedia
Brien FitzCount held the lordships of Wallingford and Abergavenny
, and was a staunch supporter of the Empress Matilda
during the Anarchy
of King Stephen's reign in England
in the 1140s.
. His date of birth is unknown but Brien was almost certainly born before his father became a monk in 1112. He was sent to be fostered at the court of King Henry I of England
.
, and through her obtained the title of Wallingford by 1127. Brien also inherited the castle
and Barony of Abergavenny
in the Welsh Marches
from his uncle, Hamelin de Balun
. He also held the honour of Grosmont Castle
, but by what right is uncertain. He handed this over to Walter de Hereford
the son of Miles de Gloucester, 1st Earl of Hereford
about 1141.
He declared for the Empress Matilda in 1139, and was besieged by the forces of King Stephen, but the monarch failed to take Wallingford Castle
and had to retreat.
, and who died young. Brien's end is a matter of speculation. One account, the Abergavenny chronicle, claimed he had gone on crusade to Jerusalem, and died there sometime around 1147. Another more likely possibility is that he spent his last years in a religious order. Matilda became a nun
at Bec
and died in the 1150s, and as they had no heirs their lands and castles in England and Wales reverted to the Crown.
s including at least one version of the Grail romance.
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 was a staunch supporter of the 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...
during the Anarchy
The Anarchy
The Anarchy or The Nineteen-Year Winter was a period of English history during the reign of King Stephen, which was characterised by civil war and unsettled government...
of King Stephen's reign in England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
in the 1140s.
Illegitimate Birth
He was the illegitimate son of Alan IV, Duke of BrittanyAlan IV, Duke of Brittany
Alan IV was Duke of Brittany, from 1084 until his abdication in 1112. He was also Count of Nantes and Count of Rennes. He was son of Hawise, Duchess of Brittany and Duke Hoel II. He was known as Alan Fergant, which in Breton means "Alan the Strong"...
. His date of birth is unknown but Brien was almost certainly born before his father became a monk in 1112. He was sent to be fostered at the court of King Henry I of England
Henry I of England
Henry I was the fourth son of William I of England. He succeeded his elder brother William II as King of England in 1100 and defeated his eldest brother, Robert Curthose, to become Duke of Normandy in 1106...
.
Marriage and Titles
He married an English heiress, Matilda D'Oyly, widow of Miles CrispinMiles Crispin
Miles Crispin , also known as Miles or Milo of Wallingford, was a wealthy Norman landowner, particularly associated with Wallingford Castle in Berkshire...
, and through her obtained the title of Wallingford by 1127. Brien also inherited the castle
Abergavenny Castle
Abergavenny Castle is a castle in the market town of Abergavenny, Monmouthshire in south east Wales.- A naturally fortified site :The castle was sited above the River Usk overlooking the river valley and the confluence of the rivers Gavenny and Usk. The site would have been naturally defensible in...
and Barony of 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...
in the Welsh Marches
Welsh Marches
The Welsh Marches is a term which, in modern usage, denotes an imprecisely defined area along and around the border between England and Wales in the United Kingdom. The precise meaning of the term has varied at different periods...
from his uncle, 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...
. He also held the honour of Grosmont Castle
Grosmont Castle
Grosmont Castle is a ruined castle in Grosmont, Monmouthshire very near the present English / Welsh border, approximately 8 miles northeast of Abergavenny, between Abergavenny, Hereford and Monmouth.-Grosmont Castle:...
, but by what right is uncertain. He handed this over to 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 :...
the son of Miles de Gloucester, 1st Earl of Hereford
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....
about 1141.
He declared for the Empress Matilda in 1139, and was besieged by the forces of King Stephen, but the monarch failed to take Wallingford Castle
Wallingford Castle
Wallingford Castle was a major medieval castle situated in Wallingford in the English county of Oxfordshire , adjacent to the River Thames...
and had to retreat.
Later career
Brien and Matilda D'Oyly had two sons who were both stricken with leprosyLeprosy
Leprosy or Hansen's disease is a chronic disease caused by the bacteria Mycobacterium leprae and Mycobacterium lepromatosis. Named after physician Gerhard Armauer Hansen, leprosy is primarily a granulomatous disease of the peripheral nerves and mucosa of the upper respiratory tract; skin lesions...
, and who died young. Brien's end is a matter of speculation. One account, the Abergavenny chronicle, claimed he had gone on crusade to Jerusalem, and died there sometime around 1147. Another more likely possibility is that he spent his last years in a religious order. Matilda became a nun
Nun
A nun is a woman who has taken vows committing her to live a spiritual life. She may be an ascetic who voluntarily chooses to leave mainstream society and live her life in prayer and contemplation in a monastery or convent...
at Bec
Bec Abbey
Bec Abbey in Le Bec Hellouin, Normandy, France, once the most influential abbey in the Anglo-Norman kingdom of the twelfth century, is a Benedictine monastic foundation in the Eure département, in the Bec valley midway between the cities of Rouen and Bernay.Like all abbeys, Bec maintained annals...
and died in the 1150s, and as they had no heirs their lands and castles in England and Wales reverted to the Crown.
In romance
A Briens des Illes appears as a character in the Arthurian romanceKing Arthur
King Arthur is a legendary British leader of the late 5th and early 6th centuries, who, according to Medieval histories and romances, led the defence of Britain against Saxon invaders in the early 6th century. The details of Arthur's story are mainly composed of folklore and literary invention, and...
s including at least one version of the Grail romance.