Gerald de Windsor
Encyclopedia
Gerald de Windsor, also known as Gerald FitzWalter, was the nobleman
in charge of the Norman forces in Wales
in the late 11th century. Notably, he was the progenitor of the FitzGerald
and de Barry dynasties of Ireland
. These celebrated Hiberno-Norman
or Cambro-Norman
families, have been Peers of Ireland
since the 14th Century at least.
immediately after its erection by William I of England
. Gerald's grandfather was grandfather was Otho, an honorary baron at the court of King Edward the Confessor
, and owner of manors in five English counties. Gerald married Nest ferch Rhys, Princess of Deheubarth, who was the daughter of Prince Rhys ap Tewdwr
and Gwladys ferch Rhiwallon, around 1095.
- a general Norman invasion of south Wales ensued around 1093. Arnulf of Montgomery
participated and built a castle
at Pembroke
. Gerald de Windsor held the castle for him. It was described by Giraldus Cambrensis as a "slender fortress of turf and stakes". Gerald successfully withstood a siege. Geraldus Cambrensis adds that, "Without delay that Gerald, to root him and his deeper in these territories, married Nesta, sister of Grifhn, prince of South Wales, from whom, in course of time, he raised an egregious progeny of both sexes, by whom the maritime parts of South Wales were retained for the English, and, later on, the walls of Ireland were stormed" In 1094 king William II of England
rewarded Arnulf with the formal lordship of Demetia, including Pembroke
. The lordship was smaller than the later Pembrokeshire
.
In 1100, Gerald negotiated the marriage of Arnulf with Lafracoth, daughter of the Irish king Muircheartach Ua Briain
. In due time Gerald's son, Maurice, married Arnulf's daughter, Alice.
Gerald de Windsor held the office of Constable of Pembroke Castle
from 1102 and was granted the manor
of Moulsford
in Berkshire
(now Oxfordshire
) by Henry I of England
. The castle
at Carew
came with Nest as part of her dowry. Gerald demolished the wooden structure and built a motte and bailey in its place.
In 1105, Gerald built the castle of Little Cenarch.
In 1109, Nest was "abducted" by a cousin, Owain ap Cadwgan
. According to the Brut y Tywysogion
, Owain and his men infiltrated the couple's home (assumed by historians to be either Cilgerran Castle
or Little Cenarch) and set fire to the buildings. When Gerald was woken by the noise, Nest advised him to escape by climbing out through the privy hole. Owain then seized Nest and her children and carried her off. However, some sources suggest that she went with him willingly.
Gerald's influence was such that Owain and his father soon lost much of their territory of Powys
as a result of Owain's actions. Owain himself was obliged to go into exile in Ireland. When he returned, in 1116, Gerald hunted him down and killed him.
His son William had a daughter named Isabella Le Gros whom married William De Haya Wallenisis and had David Walensis and Philip Walensis. David and Philip where considered The Welshman and the starting of the Welsh/Walsh
(Philip) Walensis/Wallace
(David) going from Scotland to Ireland. Philip Walensis had a son named Howell of Welsh Walensis.
The "Annals of Cambria." record 1116 as the date of Owain's death. As Gerald de Windsor appears no later in the "Annals" or the "The Chronicles of the Princes" of Wales, the presumption is that he did not long survive his enemy, Owain ab Cadwgan, and that the "Earls of Kildare Addenda" is wrong in putting his death so late as 1135.
Nobility
Nobility is a social class which possesses more acknowledged privileges or eminence than members of most other classes in a society, membership therein typically being hereditary. The privileges associated with nobility may constitute substantial advantages over or relative to non-nobles, or may be...
in charge of the Norman forces in Wales
Cambro-Norman
Cambro-Norman is a term used for Norman knights who settled in southern Wales after the Norman conquest of England in 1066. Some historians suggest that the term is to be preferred to Anglo-Norman for the Normans who invaded Ireland after 1170 — many of whom originated in Wales. However, the term...
in the late 11th century. Notably, he was the progenitor of the FitzGerald
FitzGerald
The surname FitzGerald is a translation of the French-Norman fils de Gérald, or son of Gerald . Variant spellings include Fitz-Gerald and the modern Fitzgerald. The name can also be used as two separate words Fitz Gerald...
and de Barry dynasties of Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
. These celebrated Hiberno-Norman
Hiberno-Norman
The Hiberno-Normans are those Norman lords who settled in Ireland who admitted little if any real fealty to the Anglo-Norman settlers in England, and who soon began to interact and intermarry with the Gaelic nobility of Ireland. The term embraces both their origins as a distinct community with...
or Cambro-Norman
Cambro-Norman
Cambro-Norman is a term used for Norman knights who settled in southern Wales after the Norman conquest of England in 1066. Some historians suggest that the term is to be preferred to Anglo-Norman for the Normans who invaded Ireland after 1170 — many of whom originated in Wales. However, the term...
families, have been Peers of Ireland
Peerage of Ireland
The Peerage of Ireland is the term used for those titles of nobility created by the English and later British monarchs of Ireland in their capacity as Lord or King of Ireland. The creation of such titles came to an end in the 19th century. The ranks of the Irish peerage are Duke, Marquess, Earl,...
since the 14th Century at least.
Ancestry
Gerald was the son of Walter FitzOtho and Gwladys ferch Ryall. FitzOtho became Constable of Windsor CastleWindsor Castle
Windsor Castle is a medieval castle and royal residence in Windsor in the English county of Berkshire, notable for its long association with the British royal family and its architecture. The original castle was built after the Norman invasion by William the Conqueror. Since the time of Henry I it...
immediately after its erection by William I of England
William I of England
William I , also known as William the Conqueror , was the first Norman King of England from Christmas 1066 until his death. He was also Duke of Normandy from 3 July 1035 until his death, under the name William II...
. Gerald's grandfather was grandfather was Otho, an honorary baron at the court of King Edward the Confessor
Edward the Confessor
Edward the Confessor also known as St. Edward the Confessor , son of Æthelred the Unready and Emma of Normandy, was one of the last Anglo-Saxon kings of England and is usually regarded as the last king of the House of Wessex, ruling from 1042 to 1066....
, and owner of manors in five English counties. Gerald married Nest ferch Rhys, Princess of Deheubarth, who was the daughter of Prince Rhys ap Tewdwr
Rhys ap Tewdwr
Rhys ap Tewdwr was a Prince of Deheubarth in south-west Wales and member of the Dinefwr dynasty, a branch descended from Rhodri the Great...
and Gwladys ferch Rhiwallon, around 1095.
Issue
He had five children by Nest:- William FitzGerald (died 1173), father of Raymond FitzGeraldRaymond FitzgeraldRaymond FitzGerald , nicknamed Le Gros, was a Cambro-Norman commander during the Norman invasion of Ireland....
and of Isabella Le Gros m William De Haya Wallenisis. - Maurice FitzGeraldMaurice FitzGerald, Lord of LanstephanMaurice FitzGerald, Lord of Maynooth, Naas, and Llanstephan) was a major figure in the Norman invasion of Ireland....
(born c. 1100, died 1 September 1176), founder of the FitzGerald dynasty of Ireland and - David FitzGeraldDavid FitzgeraldDavid Andrew Fitzgerald was an Australian first-class cricketer who played for the Southern Redbacks. He was a right-handed batsman and earned a reputation for grafting out long innings....
, Bishop of St David'sBishop of St David'sThe Bishop of St David's is the ordinary of the Church in Wales Diocese of St David's.The succession of bishops stretches back to Saint David who in the 6th century established his seat in what is today the city of St David's in Pembrokeshire, founding St David's Cathedral. The current Bishop of St...
(died c. 1176), - Angharad FitzGerald, foundress of the de Barry dynasty of Ireland who married William FitzOdo de Barry
- possibly Gwladys
Career
Following the death of the last king of the Britons - Rhys ap TewdwrRhys ap Tewdwr
Rhys ap Tewdwr was a Prince of Deheubarth in south-west Wales and member of the Dinefwr dynasty, a branch descended from Rhodri the Great...
- a general Norman invasion of south Wales ensued around 1093. Arnulf of Montgomery
Arnulf of Montgomery
Arnulf of Montgomery was an Anglo-Norman aristocrat, who played a role in the history of England, Wales, and Ireland.- Lineage :He was the youngest son of Roger de Montgomerie, 1st Earl of Shrewsbury and Mabel of Bellême....
participated and built a castle
Castle
A castle is a type of fortified structure built in Europe and the Middle East during the Middle Ages by European nobility. Scholars debate the scope of the word castle, but usually consider it to be the private fortified residence of a lord or noble...
at Pembroke
Pembroke Castle
Pembroke Castle is a medieval castle in Pembroke, West Wales. Standing beside the River Cleddau, it underwent major restoration work in the early 20th century. The castle was the original seat of the Earldom of Pembroke....
. Gerald de Windsor held the castle for him. It was described by Giraldus Cambrensis as a "slender fortress of turf and stakes". Gerald successfully withstood a siege. Geraldus Cambrensis adds that, "Without delay that Gerald, to root him and his deeper in these territories, married Nesta, sister of Grifhn, prince of South Wales, from whom, in course of time, he raised an egregious progeny of both sexes, by whom the maritime parts of South Wales were retained for the English, and, later on, the walls of Ireland were stormed" In 1094 king William II of England
William II of England
William II , the third son of William I of England, was King of England from 1087 until 1100, with powers over Normandy, and influence in Scotland. He was less successful in extending control into Wales...
rewarded Arnulf with the formal lordship of Demetia, including Pembroke
Earl of Pembroke
Earl of Pembroke is a title created ten times, all in the Peerage of England. It was first created in the 12th century by King Stephen of England. The title is associated with Pembroke, Pembrokeshire in West Wales, which is the site of Earldom's original seat Pembroke Castle...
. The lordship was smaller than the later Pembrokeshire
Pembrokeshire
Pembrokeshire is a county in the south west of Wales. It borders Carmarthenshire to the east and Ceredigion to the north east. The county town is Haverfordwest where Pembrokeshire County Council is headquartered....
.
In 1100, Gerald negotiated the marriage of Arnulf with Lafracoth, daughter of the Irish king Muircheartach Ua Briain
Muircheartach Ua Briain
Muircheartach Ua Briain , son of Toirdelbach Ua Briain and great-grandson of Brian Bóruma, was King of Munster and later self declared High King of Ireland.-Background:...
. In due time Gerald's son, Maurice, married Arnulf's daughter, Alice.
Gerald de Windsor held the office of Constable of Pembroke Castle
Pembroke Castle
Pembroke Castle is a medieval castle in Pembroke, West Wales. Standing beside the River Cleddau, it underwent major restoration work in the early 20th century. The castle was the original seat of the Earldom of Pembroke....
from 1102 and was granted the manor
Manorialism
Manorialism, an essential element of feudal society, was the organizing principle of rural economy that originated in the villa system of the Late Roman Empire, was widely practiced in medieval western and parts of central Europe, and was slowly replaced by the advent of a money-based market...
of Moulsford
Moulsford
Moulsford is a village and civil parish in South Oxfordshire. In 1974 it was transferred from Berkshire to the county of Oxfordshire, and from Wallingford Rural District to the district of South Oxfordshire....
in Berkshire
Berkshire
Berkshire is a historic county in the South of England. It is also often referred to as the Royal County of Berkshire because of the presence of the royal residence of Windsor Castle in the county; this usage, which dates to the 19th century at least, was recognised by the Queen in 1957, and...
(now Oxfordshire
Oxfordshire
Oxfordshire is a county in the South East region of England, bordering on Warwickshire and Northamptonshire , Buckinghamshire , Berkshire , Wiltshire and Gloucestershire ....
) by 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...
. The castle
Carew Castle
Carew Castle is a castle in the civil parish of Carew in the Welsh county of Pembrokeshire. The famous Carew family take their name from the place, and still own the castle, although it is leased to the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park, which administers the site.-Construction:The present castle,...
at Carew
Carew, Pembrokeshire
Carew is a village, community and parish on an inlet of Milford Haven in the former Hundred of Narberth, Pembrokeshire, West Wales, 7 km east of Pembroke. The eastern part of the parish is included in the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park.-Description:...
came with Nest as part of her dowry. Gerald demolished the wooden structure and built a motte and bailey in its place.
In 1105, Gerald built the castle of Little Cenarch.
In 1109, Nest was "abducted" by a cousin, Owain ap Cadwgan
Owain ap Cadwgan
Owain ap Cadwgan was a prince of Powys in eastern Wales. He is best known for his abduction of Nest, wife of Gerald of Windsor.Owain was the eldest son of Cadwgan ap Bleddyn, prince of part of Powys. He is first recorded in 1106, when he killed Meurig and Griffri, the sons of Trahaearn ap Caradog,...
. According to the Brut y Tywysogion
Brut y Tywysogion
Brut y Tywysogion is one of the most important primary sources for Welsh history. It is an annalistic chronicle that serves as a continuation of Geoffrey of Monmouth’s Historia Regum Britanniae. Brut y Tywysogion has survived as several Welsh translations of an original Latin version, which has...
, Owain and his men infiltrated the couple's home (assumed by historians to be either Cilgerran Castle
Cilgerran Castle
Cilgerran Castle is a 13th-century ruined castle located in Cilgerran, Pembrokeshire, Wales, near Cardigan.The castle is a National Trust property, in the guardianship of Cadw: Welsh Historic Monuments Executive Agency....
or Little Cenarch) and set fire to the buildings. When Gerald was woken by the noise, Nest advised him to escape by climbing out through the privy hole. Owain then seized Nest and her children and carried her off. However, some sources suggest that she went with him willingly.
Gerald's influence was such that Owain and his father soon lost much of their territory of Powys
Powys
Powys is a local-government county and preserved county in Wales.-Geography:Powys covers the historic counties of Montgomeryshire and Radnorshire, most of Brecknockshire , and a small part of Denbighshire — an area of 5,179 km², making it the largest county in Wales by land area.It is...
as a result of Owain's actions. Owain himself was obliged to go into exile in Ireland. When he returned, in 1116, Gerald hunted him down and killed him.
His son William had a daughter named Isabella Le Gros whom married William De Haya Wallenisis and had David Walensis and Philip Walensis. David and Philip where considered The Welshman and the starting of the Welsh/Walsh
Walsh
-People:*See Walsh for the origin of the surname Walsh and people with the surname Walsh-Mathematics:* Walsh functions, an orthogonal basis of the square-integrable functions on the unit interval...
(Philip) Walensis/Wallace
Wallace
-People:* Wallace * Richard Horatio Edgar Wallace , English crime writer, journalist, novelist, screenwriter, and playwright.* Clan Wallace in Scotland* William Wallace, a famous Scottish knight, and Guardian of Scotland...
(David) going from Scotland to Ireland. Philip Walensis had a son named Howell of Welsh Walensis.
The "Annals of Cambria." record 1116 as the date of Owain's death. As Gerald de Windsor appears no later in the "Annals" or the "The Chronicles of the Princes" of Wales, the presumption is that he did not long survive his enemy, Owain ab Cadwgan, and that the "Earls of Kildare Addenda" is wrong in putting his death so late as 1135.