Richard Fitz Gilbert
Encyclopedia
Richard fitz Gilbert was a Norman
lord who participated in the Norman conquest of England
in 1066. He was also known as "de Bienfaite", "de Clare", and "de Tonbridge".
, surnamed Crispin, Count of Brionne, in Normandy. This Richard fitz-Gilbert came into England with William the Conqueror, and received from him great advancement in honour and possessions.
The Dictionary of National Biography
and other sources are vague and sometimes contradictory about when the name de Clare came into common usuage, but what we do know is that Richard fitz Gilbert (of Tonbridge), the earliest identifiable progenitor of the family, is once referred to as Richard of Clare in the Suffolk return of the Domesday Book.
ships and large grants of land in England, including the right to build the castle
s of Clare
and of Tonbridge
. Richard fitz Gilbert received the lordship of Clare, in Suffolk
, where parts of the wall of Clare Castle
still stand. He was thus Lord of Clare. Some contemporaneous and later sources called him Earl of Clare
, though many modern sources view the title as a "styled title
".
He served as Joint Chief Justiciar
in William's absence, and played a major part in suppressing the revolt of 1075.
barons, including Odo of Bayeux, Robert, Count of Mortain
, William fitz Osbern and Geoffrey of Coutances, led a rebellion against the rule of William Rufus in order to place Robert Curthose on the throne. However, most Normans
in England
remained loyal. William Rufus and his army successfully attacked the rebel strongholds at Tonbridge
, Pevensey
and Rochester.
in 1091. His widow was still living in 1113. His lands were inherited by his son, Gilbert fitz Richard
.
, grandson of Richard I of Normandy
. In spite of this, sources as far back as the Annals of the Four Masters
claim that Richard's great-grandson, Richard "Strongbow", was the direct descendant of Robert "the Devil", father of William the Conqueror.
Richard married Rohese Giffard, daughter of Sir Walter Giffard, Lord of Longueville and Agnes Flaitel, and had the following children:
lands had a value of £241: 30% of the value of his English lands. Within Surrey, Richard fitz Gilbert owned manors in the following places: Albury
, Beddington
, Bletchingley
, Buckland
, Chelsham
, Chessington
, Chipstead, Chivington, Effingham
, Apps in Elmbridge
, Farleigh
, Immerworth (Kingston upon Thames
), Long Ditton
, Mickleham
, Molesey, Ockley
, Old Malden
, Shalford
, Streatham
, Tandridge
, Tolworth
, Tooting
, Walton-on-Thames
, Warlingham
, Tillingdon, and Woldingham
.
Normans
The Normans were the people who gave their name to Normandy, a region in northern France. They were descended from Norse Viking conquerors of the territory and the native population of Frankish and Gallo-Roman stock...
lord who participated in the Norman conquest of England
Norman conquest of England
The Norman conquest of England began on 28 September 1066 with the invasion of England by William, Duke of Normandy. William became known as William the Conqueror after his victory at the Battle of Hastings on 14 October 1066, defeating King Harold II of England...
in 1066. He was also known as "de Bienfaite", "de Clare", and "de Tonbridge".
Biography
According to the medieval chronicler Gerald of Wales, the first of this great family, Richard de Clare, was the eldest son of GilbertGilbert, Count of Brionne
Gilbert was a Norman noble, Count of Eu, and Count of Brionne in northern France.-Parentage:Gilbert was son of Geoffrey, Count of Eu who was an illegitimate child of Richard the Fearless.-Life:...
, surnamed Crispin, Count of Brionne, in Normandy. This Richard fitz-Gilbert came into England with William the Conqueror, and received from him great advancement in honour and possessions.
The Dictionary of National Biography
Dictionary of National Biography
The Dictionary of National Biography is a standard work of reference on notable figures from British history, published from 1885...
and other sources are vague and sometimes contradictory about when the name de Clare came into common usuage, but what we do know is that Richard fitz Gilbert (of Tonbridge), the earliest identifiable progenitor of the family, is once referred to as Richard of Clare in the Suffolk return of the Domesday Book.
Rewards
He was rewarded with 176 lordLord
Lord is a title with various meanings. It can denote a prince or a feudal superior . The title today is mostly used in connection with the peerage of the United Kingdom or its predecessor countries, although some users of the title do not themselves hold peerages, and use it 'by courtesy'...
ships and large grants of land in England, including the right to build the 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...
s of Clare
Clare, Suffolk
Clare is a small town on the north bank of the River Stour in Suffolk, England.Clare is from Bury St Edmunds and from Sudbury. It lies in the 'South and Heart of Suffolk' . As a cloth town, it is one of Suffolk's 'threads'. Clare is the current holder of Village of the Year and has won the...
and of Tonbridge
Tonbridge
Tonbridge is a market town in the English county of Kent, with a population of 30,340 in 2007. It is located on the River Medway, approximately 4 miles north of Tunbridge Wells, 12 miles south west of Maidstone and 29 miles south east of London...
. Richard fitz Gilbert received the lordship of Clare, in Suffolk
Suffolk
Suffolk is a non-metropolitan county of historic origin in East Anglia, England. It has borders with Norfolk to the north, Cambridgeshire to the west and Essex to the south. The North Sea lies to the east...
, where parts of the wall of Clare Castle
Clare Castle
Clare Castle is a medieval castle in the small town of Clare in Suffolk, England. Built shortly after the Norman conquest of England by Richard Fitz Gilbert, the motte and bailey castle was later improved in stone. In the 14th century the castle was the home of Elizabeth de Clare, one of the...
still stand. He was thus Lord of Clare. Some contemporaneous and later sources called him Earl of Clare
Earl of Clare
Earl of Clare was a title of English nobility created three times: once each in the peerages of England, Great Britain, and Ireland. The title derives from Clare, Suffolk, where a prominent Anglo-Norman family was seated since the Norman Conquest, and from which their English surname sprang from...
, though many modern sources view the title as a "styled title
Style (manner of address)
A style of office, or honorific, is a legal, official, or recognized title. A style, by tradition or law, precedes a reference to a person who holds a post or political office, and is sometimes used to refer to the office itself. An honorific can also be awarded to an individual in a personal...
".
He served as Joint Chief Justiciar
Justiciar
In medieval England and Ireland the Chief Justiciar was roughly equivalent to a modern Prime Minister as the monarch's chief minister. Similar positions existed on the Continent, particularly in Norman Italy. The term is the English form of the medieval Latin justiciarius or justitiarius In...
in William's absence, and played a major part in suppressing the revolt of 1075.
Rebel Baron
On William's death, Richard and other great NormanNormans
The Normans were the people who gave their name to Normandy, a region in northern France. They were descended from Norse Viking conquerors of the territory and the native population of Frankish and Gallo-Roman stock...
barons, including Odo of Bayeux, Robert, Count of Mortain
Robert, Count of Mortain
Robert, Count of Mortain, 1st Earl of Cornwall was a Norman nobleman and the half-brother of William I of England. Robert was the son of Herluin de Conteville and Herleva of Falaise and was full brother to Odo of Bayeux. The exact year of Robert's birth is unknown Robert, Count of Mortain, 1st...
, William fitz Osbern and Geoffrey of Coutances, led a rebellion against the rule of William Rufus in order to place Robert Curthose on the throne. However, most Normans
Normans
The Normans were the people who gave their name to Normandy, a region in northern France. They were descended from Norse Viking conquerors of the territory and the native population of Frankish and Gallo-Roman stock...
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...
remained loyal. William Rufus and his army successfully attacked the rebel strongholds at Tonbridge
Tonbridge
Tonbridge is a market town in the English county of Kent, with a population of 30,340 in 2007. It is located on the River Medway, approximately 4 miles north of Tunbridge Wells, 12 miles south west of Maidstone and 29 miles south east of London...
, Pevensey
Pevensey
Pevensey is a village and civil parish in the Wealden district of East Sussex, England. The main village is located 5 miles north-east of Eastbourne, one mile inland from Pevensey Bay. The settlement of Pevensey Bay forms part of the parish.-Geography:The village of Pevensey is located on...
and Rochester.
Death and succession
He was buried in St. Neot's PriorySt Neots Priory
St Neots Priory was a Benedictine monastery in what is now the town of St Neots in the English county of Cambridgeshire within the district of Huntingdonshire.-Anglo-Saxon monastery:...
in 1091. His widow was still living in 1113. His lands were inherited by his son, Gilbert fitz Richard
Gilbert Fitz Richard
Gilbert Fitz Richard was son and eventual heir of Richard Fitz Gilbert of Clare and heiress Rohese Giffard. He succeeded to his father's possessions in England in 1091; his brother, Roger Fitz Richard, inherited his father's lands in Normandy. Gilbert's inheritance made him one of the wealthiest...
.
Family
He was the son of Gilbert "Crispin", Count of BrionneGilbert, Count of Brionne
Gilbert was a Norman noble, Count of Eu, and Count of Brionne in northern France.-Parentage:Gilbert was son of Geoffrey, Count of Eu who was an illegitimate child of Richard the Fearless.-Life:...
, grandson of Richard I of Normandy
Richard I of Normandy
Richard I of Normandy , also known as Richard the Fearless , was the Duke of Normandy from 942 to 996; he is considered the first to have held that title.-Birth:He was born to William I of Normandy, ruler of Normandy, and Sprota...
. In spite of this, sources as far back as the Annals of the Four Masters
Annals of the Four Masters
The Annals of the Kingdom of Ireland or the Annals of the Four Masters are a chronicle of medieval Irish history...
claim that Richard's great-grandson, Richard "Strongbow", was the direct descendant of Robert "the Devil", father of William the Conqueror.
Richard married Rohese Giffard, daughter of Sir Walter Giffard, Lord of Longueville and Agnes Flaitel, and had the following children:
- Walter de Clare, Lord of Nether Gwent, d. 1138
- Richard fitz Richard de Clare, Abbot of ElyEly, CambridgeshireEly is a cathedral city in Cambridgeshire, England, 14 miles north-northeast of Cambridge and about by road from London. It is built on a Lower Greensand island, which at a maximum elevation of is the highest land in the Fens...
, d. 1107 - Roger fitz Richard de Clare, received Norman lands and d. 1131, apparently without issue
- Gilbert fitz RichardGilbert Fitz RichardGilbert Fitz Richard was son and eventual heir of Richard Fitz Gilbert of Clare and heiress Rohese Giffard. He succeeded to his father's possessions in England in 1091; his brother, Roger Fitz Richard, inherited his father's lands in Normandy. Gilbert's inheritance made him one of the wealthiest...
, d. 1115, succeeded his father as Earl of Clare - Robert fitz RichardRobert Fitz RichardRobert Fitz Richard , titled Robert Fitz Richard, Lord of Little Dunmow, Baron of Baynard, was a Norman landowner in England. His estates near Little Dunmow are said to have been given to him after confiscation from Ralph Baynard, who had them earlier.He was steward under Henry I of England and ...
, Lord of Little Dunmow, Baron of Baynard, d. 1136 - Rohese de Clare, d. 1121, m. (ca. 1088), Eudo de RieEudo DapiferEudo Dapifer was a Norman aristocrat favoured by William the Conqueror.-Early life:Eudo was the fourth son of Hubert of Ryes, who is legendarily known as the loyal vassal who saved the life of Duke William of Normandy in his flight from Valognes during a revolt 1047. Eudo's brothers were Ralph,...
. - Adelize de Clare, d. 1138. m. Walter TirelWalter TirelWalter Tirel III - also spelt Tyrell, Thurold, Turold; French Gaultier or Gautier Tirel , was an Anglo-Norman nobleman. He is infamous for his involvement in the death of King William II of England, also known as William Rufus....
Surrey
Richard's SurreySurrey
Surrey is a county in the South East of England and is one of the Home Counties. The county borders Greater London, Kent, East Sussex, West Sussex, Hampshire and Berkshire. The historic county town is Guildford. Surrey County Council sits at Kingston upon Thames, although this has been part of...
lands had a value of £241: 30% of the value of his English lands. Within Surrey, Richard fitz Gilbert owned manors in the following places: Albury
Albury, Surrey
Albury is a village and civil parish in the borough of Guildford in Surrey, England, about south-east of Guildford town centre. The village is within an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and Site of Special Scientific Interest....
, Beddington
Beddington
Beddington is a settlement between the London Boroughs of Sutton and Croydon. The BedZED low energy housing scheme is located here. In Beddington was a static inverter plant of HVDC Kingsnorth....
, Bletchingley
Bletchingley
Bletchingley is a village in Surrey, England. It is on the A25 road to the east of Redhill and to the west of Godstone.-History:The village lay within the Anglo-Saxon administrative division of Tandridge hundred....
, Buckland
Buckland, Surrey
Buckland is a village and civil parish in the Mole Valley district of Surrey, England. The village is situated between Dorking and Reigate. The civil parish of Buckland covers 515 hectares and is bordered by the North Downs escarpment in the north. The area contains a number of clay pits.Buckland...
, Chelsham
Chelsham
Chelsham is a village in Surrey in the borough of Tandridge. It is within the civil parish of Chelsham and Farleigh.The village lay within the Anglo-Saxon administrative division of Tandridge hundred....
, Chessington
Chessington
Chessington is a town in the Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames in Greater London, England. The Hogsmill river runs through it. Neighbouring settlements include: Tolworth, Ewell, Surbiton, Claygate, Epsom, Oxshott, Leatherhead, Esher, Kingston upon Thames and Worcester Park.-History:Its name...
, Chipstead, Chivington, Effingham
Effingham
Effingham is an English village in the Borough of Guildford in Surrey, bordering Mole Valley. There is a railway station at Effingham Junction , at the point where a branch of the Sutton & Mole Valley Line joins the New Guildford Line - these are both routes between London Waterloo and Guildford.-...
, Apps in Elmbridge
Elmbridge
Elmbridge is a local government district and borough in Surrey, England. Its council is based in Esher. The district has only one civil parish, which is Claygate...
, Farleigh
Farleigh, Surrey
Farleigh is a village in Surrey, England about 5 miles to the South East of Croydon.The village lay within the Anglo-Saxon administrative division of Tandridge hundred....
, Immerworth (Kingston upon Thames
Kingston upon Thames
Kingston upon Thames is the principal settlement of the Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames in southwest London. It was the ancient market town where Saxon kings were crowned and is now a suburb situated south west of Charing Cross. It is one of the major metropolitan centres identified in the...
), Long Ditton
Long Ditton
Long Ditton is a village in Surrey, England lying on the boundary with Greater London. Neighbouring settlements include Thames Ditton, Surbiton, Tolworth and Chessington.-History:...
, Mickleham
Mickleham, Surrey
Mickleham is a village and civil parish between the towns of Dorking and Leatherhead in Surrey, England covering . The parish includes the hamlet of Fredley.-History:Mickleham lies near to the old Roman road known as Stane Street...
, Molesey, Ockley
Ockley
Ockley is a historic village in Surrey, built on Stane Street, a Roman Road stretching from Chichester to London. Situated between Dorking and Horsham, close to the Sussex/Surrey border, Ockley nestles in the shadows of Leith Hill, the highest point in South east England. Neighbouring villages...
, Old Malden
Old Malden
Old Malden is a ward of the Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames south west of Charing Cross.It is one of the more affluent areas in the borough, with Coombe , and Kingston Vale...
, Shalford
Shalford, Surrey
Shalford is a village in Surrey, England, situated on the busy A281 Horsham road immediately south of Guildford. It has a railway station which is between Guildford and Dorking on the North Downs Line....
, Streatham
Streatham
Streatham is a district in Surrey, England, located in the London Borough of Lambeth. It is situated south of Charing Cross. The area is identified in the London Plan as one of 35 major centres in Greater London.-History:...
, Tandridge
Tandridge, Surrey
Tandridge is a village and civil parish in Surrey, England. It is located between Oxted and Godstone.The village lay within the Anglo-Saxon administrative division of Tandridge hundred....
, Tolworth
Tolworth
Tolworth is a mostly residential area of outer South London in the Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames, located south west of Charing Cross. Neighbouring places include: New Malden, Kingston, Surbiton, Berrylands, Chessington, Ewell and Worcester Park....
, Tooting
Tooting
Tooting is a district in south London, England, located in the London Borough of Wandsworth. It is situated south south-west of Charing Cross. The area is identified in the London Plan as one of 35 major centres in Greater London.-History:...
, Walton-on-Thames
Walton-on-Thames
Walton-on-Thames is a town in the Elmbridge borough of Surrey in South East England. The town is located south west of Charing Cross and is between the towns of Weybridge and Molesey. It is situated on the River Thames between Sunbury Lock and Shepperton Lock.- History :The name "Walton" is...
, Warlingham
Warlingham
Warlingham is a large village on the south-eastern boundary of London, England, just across the border in Tandridge district, east Surrey. Neighbouring villages include Sanderstead, Hamsey Green, Whyteleafe, Farleigh, Fickleshole, Tatsfield and Woldingham...
, Tillingdon, and Woldingham
Woldingham
Woldingham is a village and civil parish in Surrey located above sea level just within the M25, southeast of London. Situated high on the North Downs between Oxted and Warlingham, it is a village of 2,326 inhabitants...
.