Earl Gilbert fitz Gilbert de Clare & Countess Isabel de Beaumont

 378236700. Earl Gilbert fitz Gilbert de Clare & 378236701. Countess Isabel de Beaumont

~1096, Gilbert born in Tunbridge, Kent, England, s/o 319832448. Gilbert Fitz Richard de Clare & 319832449. Adelize de Clermont.

~1096, Isabel born in England, d/o 318232092. Robert de Beaumont & 318232093. Isabel de Vermandois.

8/5/1100, Henry I crowned King of England.

1110, Gilbert, earl of Pembroke, founded the town and castle of Haverfordwest, Wales. Possessing 4 cantrefs, he also built the castle of Cardigan.

[––Isabel & King Henry I––]

1111-15, Isabel a mistress of King Henry I.

1113-14, Gilbert with his father on the Welsh campaigns of King Henry.

1116-17, Gilbert’s father died.

6/5/1118, Isabel’s father died.

1122, King Henry led an expedition into Wales. [Gilbert was known for his military service vs. being a see at court.]

[––Gilbert & Isabel––]

~1129, Gilbert married Isabel.

1130, Gilbert built the castle at Chepstow in Monmouthshire on a cliff by the river Wye. (S) Mirror Literature, V5, Timbs, 1825, P249.

2/13/1131, Isabel died.

[––Gilbert––]

1131, Gilbert inherited the family estates in Normandy from his uncle Roger fitz Richard de Clare, and some lands in England. (S) FMG.

1135, Gilbert de Clare, lord marshal. (S) Companion – History of England, Fisher, 1832, P604.

12/22/1135, Stephen crowned king of England; usurping Empress Matilda, d/o King Henry I [and starting a civil war that would last 18 years.]

4/15/1136, Gilbert’s brother, Richard, earl of Hertford, and lord of Ceredigion in Wales, slain in an ambush at Abergavenny by men of Gwent under Iorwerth ab Owain. Gilbert had control of his brother’s lands, including Tonbridge Castle. [Richard’s son Gilbert still a minor.]

1136, Gilbert supported King Stephen in an attack on Exmes, Normandy.

3/1137, Gilbert succeeded his uncle Walter fitz Richard as lord of nether Gwent with the castle at Striguil. (S) FMG. [Gilbert confirmed to the monastery of Tintern the whole donation of his uncle Walter who had founded the abbey. Gilbert also gave them lands in the Moor of Magor on the Severn. (S) Tintern Abbey, Brakspear, 1910, P52.]

1138, Gilbert named Earl of Pembroke by King Stephen [the only Earl with a Welsh title]. Gilbert intially supported King Stephen in the civil war between Stephen and the Empress Matilda for the throne of England. (S) FMG.

9/30/1139, Empress Matilda landing at Arundel in Sussex, invaded England.

1140, Gilbert witnessed a royal charter to William de roumare, earl of Lincoln, of the royal manor of Kirton-in-Lindsey.

9/1140 at Stamford, Attending King Stephen’s court: Ranulf, earl of Chester; Gilbert, earl of Pembroke; Earl Simon; Roger, earl of Warwick; Earl Robert de Ferrers; …

1140-1, King Stephen took Gilbert’s lands and castles on the suspicion that Gilbert might join his nephew, Gilbert, Earl of Clare, and Ranulf, Earl of Chester on the Empress’s side.

2/2/1141, King Stephen captured at the battle of Lincoln. Gilbert fought for King Stephen.

4/7/1141 at Winchester, Empress Matilda acknowledged as “Lady of England and Normandy” by Bishop Henry.

1141, Gilbert gave his allegiance to Empress Matilda.

7/25/1141 at Oxford, Gilbert of Pembroke a party to an agreement involving Empress Matilda, Geoffrey de Mandeville and Aubrey de Vere.

9/14/1141, Empress Matilda’s forces defeated at the battle of Winchester by forces led by King Stephen’s wife Mathilde of Boulogne.

11/1/1141, King Stephen exchanged by Matilda for her captured brother, Robert, earl of Gloucester. 

1141, Gilbert returned his allegiance to King Stephen.

12/25/1141, Exchanged for Empress Matilda’s brother, Stephen again crowned King. Gilbert attended the Christmas court. [Gilbert de Clare, nephew of Gilbert, earl of Pembroke, was created earl of Hertford by King Stephen.]

1143, Carmarthen castle destroyed by sons of Owain Gwynedd.

1144, Gilbert constructed a castle at Dinwileir in Mabudryd.

1145, Gilbert captured [and rebuilt] Carmarthen Castle in south Wales. [Which had been lost after the death of his brother Richard 9 years earlier.]

1145, Gilbert defeated by the Welsh at Aberteifi.

2/1146, Gilbert built the castle of Dinweileir. [Later captured by the Welsh.]

1146, Gilbert unsuccessfully laid claim to the castles [in Suffolk] of his nephew Gilbert, earl of Hertford, by hereditary right. [The Earl of Hertford was absent from court because he had supported Ranulf de Gernoniis, earl of Chester, who was in trouble with the King.]

1147-8, Ranulf de Gernoniis plundered a large part of Coventry. He was supported in his revolt in Wales by Gilbert de Clare, earl of Pembroke. King Stephen captured multiple of Gilbert’s castles including Pevensey. Gilbert soon reconciled with King Stephen.

1/6/1148, Gilbert ‘Strongbow’, Earl of Pembroke, died; buried at Tinturn Abbey. (S) FMG.

(S) Proceedings of the Battle Conference, V11, 1988. (S) King Stephen, King, 2011. (S) Earls, Earldom, and Castle of Pembroke, Clark, 1880.

Child of King Henry I and Mistress Isabel:

i. Princess Elizabeth fitz Roy (319832113) born ~1115 in England.

[Elizabeth; half-sister to Henry’s daughter, Empress Matilda.]

Child of Gilbert and Isabel:

i. Richard ‘Strongbow’ de Clare (189118350), born 2/1131 in England.