Maud de Braose
Encyclopedia
Maud de Braose, Lady of Bramber (c. 1155–1210) was the wife of William de Braose, 4th Lord of Bramber
, a powerful Marcher baron and court favourite of King John of England
. She would later incur the wrath and enmity of the King who caused her to be starved to death in the dungeon of Corfe Castle
along with her eldest son.
She features in many Welsh myths and legends; and is also known to history as Matilda de Braose, Moll Wallbee, and Lady of La Haie.
in Berkshire
(now Oxfordshire
) and his first wife, Matilda. Her paternal grandfather was Reginald de St. Valéry (died c.1162).
She had many siblings and half-siblings, including Thomas de St. Valery (died 1219), who was a son of Bernard by his second wife Eleanor de Domnart. Thomas married Adele de Ponthieu, by whom he had a daughter, Annora, who in her turn married Robert III, Count of Dreux, by whom she had issue. Thomas fought on the French side, at the Battle of Bouvines
on 27 July 1214.
Sometime around 1166, Maud married William de Braose, 4th Lord of Bramber, son of William de Braose, 3rd Lord of Bramber
and Bertha of Hereford
de Pitres. He also held the lordships of Gower, Hay
, Brecon
, Radnor
, Builth
, Abergavenny
, Kington
, Painscastle
, Skenfrith
, Grosmont
, White Castle
and Briouze
in Normandy
. When King John of England ascended the throne in 1199, he became a court favourite and was also awarded the lordship of Limerick
, Ireland
. Maud had a marriage portion, Tetbury
from her father's estate.
Maud supported her husband's military ambitions and he put her in charge of Hay Castle and surrounding territory. She is often referred to in history as the Lady of Hay. In 1198, Maud defended Painscastle in Elfael
against a massive Welsh attack led by Gwenwynwyn
, Prince of Powys
. She successfully held off Gwenwynwyn's forces for three weeks until English reinforcements arrived. Over three thousand Welsh were killed. Painscastle was known as Matilda's Castle by the locals.
Maud and William are reputed to have had 16 children. The best documented of these are listed below.
In 1208, William de Braose quarrelled with his friend and patron King John. The reason is not known but it is alleged that Maud made indiscreet comments regarding the murder of King John's nephew Arthur of Brittany. There was also a large sum of money (five thousand marks) de Braose owed the King. Whatever the reason, John demanded Maud's son William be sent to him as a hostage for her husband's loyalty. Maud refused, and stated loudly within earshot of the King's officers that "she would not deliver her children to a king who had murdered his own nephew." Maud, upon realising her grave error, tried to make amends by sending Queen Isabella a herd of four hundred cattle, whose quality she had previously boasted of. The King would not be mollified and quickly led troops to the Welsh border and seized all of the castles that belonged to William de Braose. Maud and her eldest son William fled to Ireland, where they found refuge at Trim Castle
with the de Lacy
s, the family of her daughter Margaret. In 1210, King John sent an expedition to Ireland. Maud and her son escaped but were apprehended on the Antrim
coast while trying to sail for Scotland. After being briefly held at Carrickfergus Castle
, they were dispatched to England.
, but were shortly afterwards transferred to Corfe Castle
in Dorset
where they were placed inside the dungeon
. Maud and William both starved to death. Her husband died a year later in exile in France where he had gone disguised as a beggar to escape King John's wrath after the latter had declared him an outlaw
, following his alliance with Llywelyn the Great
, whom he had assisted in open rebellion against the King, an act which John regarded as treason
. He was buried in the Abbey of St. Victor, Paris.
Maud's daughter Margaret de Lacy founded a religious house, the Hospital of St. John, in Aconbury
, Herefordshire
in her memory. On 10 October 1216, eight days before his death, King John conceded three carucates of land in the royal forest of Aconbury to Margaret for the construction of the religious house. He sent the instructions to her husband Walter de Lacy, who held the post of Sheriff of Hereford, by letters patent.
Maud de Braose features in many Welsh folklore myths and legends. There is one legend which says that Maud built the castle of Hay-on-Wye
single handed in one night, carrying the stones in her apron.
She was also said to have been extremely tall and often donned armour while leading troops into battle.
The legend about her building Hay Castle probably derives from the time she added the gateway arch to a tower which was built in the 1180s.
In contemporary records, she was described as beautiful, very wise, doughty, and vigorous. She kept up the war against the Welsh and conquered much from them.
The manner in which Maud and her son William met their deaths so outraged the English nobility that Magna Carta
, which King John was forced to sign in 1215, contains clause 39; it reads:
. It is a highly fictional account of Maud's life simultaneously set in the past and in 20th century England where she was fictitiously reincarnated as a modern Englishwoman.
She is also mentioned in the novel Here Be Dragons
by Sharon Penman, and in the novel "To Defy a King" by Elizabeth Chadwick.
William de Braose, 4th Lord of Bramber
William 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...
, a powerful Marcher baron and court favourite of King John of England
John of England
John , also known as John Lackland , was King of England from 6 April 1199 until his death...
. She would later incur the wrath and enmity of the King who caused her to be starved to death in the dungeon of Corfe Castle
Corfe Castle
Corfe Castle is a village and civil parish in the English county of Dorset. It is the site of a ruined castle of the same name. The village and castle stand over a gap in the Purbeck Hills on the route between Wareham and Swanage. The village lies in the gap below the castle, and is some eight...
along with her eldest son.
She features in many Welsh myths and legends; and is also known to history as Matilda de Braose, Moll Wallbee, and Lady of La Haie.
Family and marriage
She was born Maud de St. Valéry in France in about 1155, the child of Bernard de St. Valéry of Hinton WaldristHinton Waldrist
Hinton Waldrist is a village and civil parish in the Vale of White Horse, England. It was part of Berkshire until the 1974 boundary changes transferred it to Oxfordshire. The village is between Oxford and Faringdon, southwest of Oxford. The parish includes the hamlet of Duxford.-History:In 1086...
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 ....
) and his first wife, Matilda. Her paternal grandfather was Reginald de St. Valéry (died c.1162).
She had many siblings and half-siblings, including Thomas de St. Valery (died 1219), who was a son of Bernard by his second wife Eleanor de Domnart. Thomas married Adele de Ponthieu, by whom he had a daughter, Annora, who in her turn married Robert III, Count of Dreux, by whom she had issue. Thomas fought on the French side, at the Battle of Bouvines
Battle of Bouvines
The Battle of Bouvines, 27 July 1214, was a conclusive medieval battle ending the twelve year old Angevin-Flanders War that was important to the early development of both the French state by confirming the French crown's sovereignty over the Angevin lands of Brittany and Normandy.Philip Augustus of...
on 27 July 1214.
Sometime around 1166, Maud married William de Braose, 4th Lord of Bramber, son 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...
and Bertha of Hereford
Bertha of Hereford
Bertha of Hereford, also known as Bertha de Pitres , 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...
de Pitres. He also held the lordships of Gower, 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...
, Brecon
Brecon
Brecon is a long-established market town and community in southern Powys, Mid Wales, with a population of 7,901. It was the county town of the historic county of Brecknockshire; although its role as such was eclipsed with the formation of Powys, it remains an important local centre...
, Radnor
Radnor
Radnor may refer to various places:United Kingdom* Radnorshire, Wales* New Radnor, Powys, Wales* Radnor Wood, Clun, Shropshire, EnglandUnited States* Radnor, Indiana* Radnor Township, Peoria County, Illinois* Radnor, Ohio...
, Builth
Builth Wells
Builth Wells is a town in the county of Powys, within the historic boundaries of Brecknockshire, mid Wales, lying at the confluence of the River Wye and the River Irfon, in the Welsh of the Wye Valley. It has a population of 2,352....
, 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...
, Kington
Kington
- Places :In England* Kington * Kington, Herefordshire* Kington, Worcestershire* Kington Langley, Wiltshire* Kington Magna, Dorset* Kington St Michael, Wiltshire* West Kington, Wiltshire- People :* L. Brent Kington, American Artist and Metalsmith...
, Painscastle
Painscastle
Painscastle is a castle in Powys in mid Wales and also a village which takes its name from the castle. It lies between Builth and Hay-on-Wye, approximately 3 miles from the Wales-England border today.- Early history:...
, Skenfrith
Skenfrith
Skenfrith is a small village in Monmouthshire, south-east Wales, in the United Kingdom. It is located on the River Monnow, close to the border between Wales and England, about 6 miles north-west of Monmouth.- History and amenities :...
, Grosmont
Grosmont
Grosmont is a small village and civil parish situated in the Scarborough district of North Yorkshire, England and is within the North York Moors National Park. The village is named after the Grandmontines Priory that used to be there...
, White Castle
White Castle (Wales)
White Castle is a medieval castle located in Monmouthshire, Wales. The name "White Castle" was first recorded in the thirteenth century, and was derived from the whitewash put on the stone walls. The castle was originally called Llantilio Castle , after Llantilio Crossenny, the mediæval manor of...
and Briouze
Briouze
Briouze is a commune in the Orne department of Normandy in north-western France. A small town of 1599 inhabitants in 2004, it is considered the capital of the "pays d'Houlme" at the western end of the Orne in the Norman bocage...
in Normandy
Normandy
Normandy is a geographical region corresponding to the former Duchy of Normandy. It is in France.The continental territory covers 30,627 km² and forms the preponderant part of Normandy and roughly 5% of the territory of France. It is divided for administrative purposes into two régions:...
. When King John of England ascended the throne in 1199, he became a court favourite and was also awarded the lordship of Limerick
Limerick
Limerick is the third largest city in the Republic of Ireland, and the principal city of County Limerick and Ireland's Mid-West Region. It is the fifth most populous city in all of Ireland. When taking the extra-municipal suburbs into account, Limerick is the third largest conurbation in the...
, 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...
. Maud had a marriage portion, Tetbury
Tetbury
Tetbury is a town and civil parish within the Cotswold district of Gloucestershire, England. It lies on the site of an ancient hill fort, on which an Anglo-Saxon monastery was founded, probably by Ine of Wessex, in 681. The population of the parish was 5,250 in the 2001 census.In the Middle Ages,...
from her father's estate.
Maud supported her husband's military ambitions and he put her in charge of Hay Castle and surrounding territory. She is often referred to in history as the Lady of Hay. In 1198, Maud defended Painscastle in Elfael
Elfael
Elfael was one of a number of Welsh kingdoms occupying the region between the River Wye and river Severn, known as Rhwng Gwy a Hafren, in the early Middle Ages. Later in the Middle Ages it became a cantref. After the Laws in Wales Act of 1535, it became part of the new county of Radnorshire. ...
against a massive Welsh attack led by Gwenwynwyn
Gwenwynwyn ab Owain
Gwenwynwyn ab Owain Cyfeiliog was the last major ruler of mid Wales before the completion of the Norman English invasion.- Lineage :...
, Prince 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...
. She successfully held off Gwenwynwyn's forces for three weeks until English reinforcements arrived. Over three thousand Welsh were killed. Painscastle was known as Matilda's Castle by the locals.
Maud and William are reputed to have had 16 children. The best documented of these are listed below.
Issue
- William de Braose (1175 – 1210). Starved to death with his mother in Corfe Castle. He married Maud de Clare, daughter of Richard de Clare, 4th Earl of HertfordRichard de Clare, 4th Earl of HertfordRichard de Clare, 3rd Earl of Hertford, 4th Earl of Gloucester jure uxoris was the son of Roger de Clare, 2nd Earl of Hertford and Maud de St. Hilary. More commonly known as the Earl of Clare, he had the majority of the Giffard estates from his ancestor, Rohese...
and Amice FitzRobert de Meullant of Gloucester, by whom he had issue, including John de BraoseJohn de BraoseJohn de Braose , known as Tadody to the Welsh, was the Lord of Bramber and Gower.-Re-establishment of the de Braose dynasty :John re-established the senior branch of the de Braose dynasty....
. - Giles de BraoseGiles de BraoseGiles de Braose was Bishop of Hereford from 1200 to 1215.-Early life:Giles was the second son of William de Braose, 4th Lord of Bramber. His father was a landholder on the Welsh Marches, who gained the favour of King John of England in the early years of John's reign. Giles' mother was Maud of St...
, Bishop of HerefordHerefordHereford is a cathedral city, civil parish and county town of Herefordshire, England. It lies on the River Wye, approximately east of the border with Wales, southwest of Worcester, and northwest of Gloucester...
(1180 – 11 November 1215) - Reginald de BraoseReginald de BraoseReginald de Braose was one of the sons of William de Braose, 4th Lord of Bramber and Matilda, also known as Maud de St. Valery and Lady de la Haie. Her other children included William and Giles....
(1178 –9 June 1228), he married firstly, Grecia de Briwere, daughter of William de Briwere and Beatrice de Vaux, and secondly, after 1222, Gwladus DduGwladus DduGwladus Ddu, , full name Gwladus ferch Llywelyn was a Welsh noblewoman who was a daughter of Llywelyn the Great of Gwynedd and married two Marcher lords....
, daughter of Welsh Prince Llewelyn the Great. He had issue by his first wife, including William de Braose, who married Eva Marshal, and Matilda de BraoseMatilda de Braose (Deheubarth)Matilda de Braose was the wife of Rhys Mechyll, son of Rhys Gryg and grandson of the Lord Rhys, Prince of Deheubarth.Rhys Mechyll died in 1244 and some time after this Matilda placed the castle of Carreg Cennen in the hands of the Normans....
, who married Rhys Mechyll. - Matilda de Braose (1172 – 29 December 1210), married Gruffydd ap Rhys IIGruffydd ap Rhys IIGruffydd ap Rhys II was a prince of Deheubarth in south-west Wales.- Lineage :He was the son of Rhys ap Gruffydd and grandson of Gruffydd ap Rhys....
, by whom she had two sons, Rhys and Owain. - Margaret de BraoseMargaret de BraoseMargaret de Braose, Lady of Trim , was an Anglo-Welsh noblewoman, the daughter of Marcher Lord William de Braose, 4th Lord of Bramber and the legendary Maud de St. Valéry, who was left to starve to death by orders of King John of England. Margaret founded a religious house, the Hospital of St. John...
(1177 – after 1255), married Walter de LacyWalter de LacyWalter de Lacy was Lord of Meath in Ireland and Ludlow in Shropshire in the Welsh Marches.- Life :With his father Hugh de Lacy, Lord of Meath he built Trim Castle , Trim, County Meath....
, 6th Baron Lacy of Trim Castle, Sheriff of Hereford, son of Hugh de Lacy, Lord of Meath and Rohese of Monmouth, by whom she had issue, including Gilbert de Lacy, Pernel de Lacy, and Egidia de LacyEgidia de LacyEgidia de Lacy, Lady of Connacht , was a Hiberno-Norman noblewoman, the wife of Richard Mór de Burgh, 1st Baron of Connaught and Strathearn , and the mother of his seven children, including Walter de Burgh, 1st Earl of Ulster. She was also known as Gille de Lacy...
. Margaret was buried at Priory Church in Holme LacyHolme Lacy-Etymology:Holme Lacy is not from Old Norse holmr "island" like other places of the name Holme, but from the fairly similar Old English hamm "land in a river-bend". The name was recorded as Hamme in the Domesday Book in 1086...
. - Annora de Braose (1190 – 1241), married Hugh de Mortimer
- Loretta de BraoseLoretta de BraoseLoretta de Braose, Countess of Leicester, was a daughter of William de Braose, lord of Bramber in Sussex and Radnor, Abergavenny and Brecon in Wales and his wife, Maud de St. Valery. Loretta was one of at least five daughters and four sons who survived to adulthood.-Marriage:She married Robert,...
, married Robert de Beaumont, 4th Earl of LeicesterEarl of LeicesterThe title Earl of Leicester was created in the 12th century in the Peerage of England , and is currently a title in the Peerage of the United Kingdom, created in 1837.-Early creations:...
. She died without issue. - John de Braose (c.1180 – 1205), married Amabil de Limesi
- Flandrina de Braose, Abbess of Godstow, (elected 1242, deposed 1248).
Enmity of King John
Trim Castle
Trim Castle , Trim, County Meath, Ireland, on the shores of the Boyne has an area of 30,000 m². It is the remains of Ireland's largest Anglo-Norman castle...
with the de Lacy
De Lacy
de Lacy is the surname of an old Norman noble family originating from Lassy . The first records are about Hugh de Lacy . Descendent of Hugh de Lacy left Normandy and travelled to England along with William the Conqueror. Walter and Ilbert de Lacy fought in the battle of Hastings...
s, the family of her daughter Margaret. In 1210, King John sent an expedition to Ireland. Maud and her son escaped but were apprehended on the Antrim
County Antrim
County Antrim is one of six counties that form Northern Ireland, situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland. Adjoined to the north-east shore of Lough Neagh, the county covers an area of 2,844 km², with a population of approximately 616,000...
coast while trying to sail for Scotland. After being briefly held at Carrickfergus Castle
Carrickfergus Castle
Carrickfergus Castle is a Norman castle in Northern Ireland, situated in the town of Carrickfergus in County Antrim, on the northern shore of Belfast Lough. Besieged in turn by the Scots, Irish, English and French, the castle played an important military role until 1928 and remains one of the best...
, they were dispatched to England.
Imprisonment at Corfe Castle
Maud and her son William were first imprisoned at 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...
, but were shortly afterwards transferred to Corfe Castle
Corfe Castle
Corfe Castle is a village and civil parish in the English county of Dorset. It is the site of a ruined castle of the same name. The village and castle stand over a gap in the Purbeck Hills on the route between Wareham and Swanage. The village lies in the gap below the castle, and is some eight...
in Dorset
Dorset
Dorset , is a county in South West England on the English Channel coast. The county town is Dorchester which is situated in the south. The Hampshire towns of Bournemouth and Christchurch joined the county with the reorganisation of local government in 1974...
where they were placed inside the dungeon
Dungeon
A dungeon is a room or cell in which prisoners are held, especially underground. Dungeons are generally associated with medieval castles, though their association with torture probably belongs more to the Renaissance period...
. Maud and William both starved to death. Her husband died a year later in exile in France where he had gone disguised as a beggar to escape King John's wrath after the latter had declared him an outlaw
Outlaw
In historical legal systems, an outlaw is declared as outside the protection of the law. In pre-modern societies, this takes the burden of active prosecution of a criminal from the authorities. Instead, the criminal is withdrawn all legal protection, so that anyone is legally empowered to persecute...
, following his alliance with Llywelyn the Great
Llywelyn the Great
Llywelyn the Great , full name Llywelyn ab Iorwerth, was a Prince of Gwynedd in north Wales and eventually de facto ruler over most of Wales...
, whom he had assisted in open rebellion against the King, an act which John regarded as treason
Treason
In law, treason is the crime that covers some of the more extreme acts against one's sovereign or nation. Historically, treason also covered the murder of specific social superiors, such as the murder of a husband by his wife. Treason against the king was known as high treason and treason against a...
. He was buried in the Abbey of St. Victor, Paris.
Aconbury
Aconbury is a village in the English county of Herefordshire, situated on a road leading from Hereford to Ross-on-Wye.St John the Baptist Church was originally the church of a nunnery founded before 1237. The style of the current building is late 13th-century. Some restoration work was carried out...
, Herefordshire
Herefordshire
Herefordshire is a historic and ceremonial county in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes it is a NUTS 3 region and is one of three counties that comprise the "Herefordshire, Worcestershire and Gloucestershire" NUTS 2 region. It also forms a unitary district known as the...
in her memory. On 10 October 1216, eight days before his death, King John conceded three carucates of land in the royal forest of Aconbury to Margaret for the construction of the religious house. He sent the instructions to her husband Walter de Lacy, who held the post of Sheriff of Hereford, by letters patent.
Maud de Braose features in many Welsh folklore myths and legends. There is one legend which says that Maud built the castle of Hay-on-Wye
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...
single handed in one night, carrying the stones in her apron.
She was also said to have been extremely tall and often donned armour while leading troops into battle.
The legend about her building Hay Castle probably derives from the time she added the gateway arch to a tower which was built in the 1180s.
In contemporary records, she was described as beautiful, very wise, doughty, and vigorous. She kept up the war against the Welsh and conquered much from them.
The manner in which Maud and her son William met their deaths so outraged the English nobility that Magna Carta
Magna Carta
Magna Carta is an English charter, originally issued in the year 1215 and reissued later in the 13th century in modified versions, which included the most direct challenges to the monarch's authority to date. The charter first passed into law in 1225...
, which King John was forced to sign in 1215, contains clause 39; it reads:
No man shall be taken ,imprisoned, outlawed, banished or in any way destroyed, nor will we proceed against or prosecute him, except by the lawful judgement of his peers or by the law of the land.
In fiction
A book entitled Lady of Hay was written by author Barbara ErskineBarbara Erskine
Barbara Erskine is an English novelist.-Biography:Erskine owns homes in Hereford and Colchester, England. Erskine's first novel was published in 1986...
. It is a highly fictional account of Maud's life simultaneously set in the past and in 20th century England where she was fictitiously reincarnated as a modern Englishwoman.
She is also mentioned in the novel Here Be Dragons
Here Be Dragons
Here Be Dragons is a historical novel written by Sharon Kay Penman published in 1985. The novel is the first in a trilogy known as the Welsh Princes series set in medieval England, Wales and France that feature the Plantagenet kings...
by Sharon Penman, and in the novel "To Defy a King" by Elizabeth Chadwick.
Sources
- Thomas B. Costain "The Conquering Family" Published by Doubleday and Company, Inc., 1962