Margaret de Clare, Lady Badlesmere

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Margaret de Clare (c.1 April 1287- 1333) was a Norman-Irish noblewoman and the wife of Bartholomew de Badlesmere, 1st Lord Badlesmere.[1]

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[edit] Family

Margaret was born at Bunratty Castle in Thomond Ireland on or around 1 April 1287, the youngest child of Thomas de Clare, Lord of Thomond and Juliane FitzGerald of Offaly. Her paternal grandparents were Richard de Clare, 2nd Earl of Gloucester and Maude de Lacy. Her maternal ancestors were Maurice FitzGerald, 3rd Lord of Offaly and Emmeline Longspee. Her great-grandfather was Stephen Longspee, Justiciar of Ireland who was married to Emmeline de Ridelsford whose grandfather, Sir Walter de Riddlesford arrived in Ireland in 1170 with Strongbow. Margaret had an elder sister, Maud and two brothers, Richard de Clare, 1st Lord Clare and Gilbert de Clare, Lord of Thomond.[2] On 29 August 1287, when she was almost five months of age, her father died. Before 1303, she married firstly, Gilbert de Umfraville. On 30 June 1308, she married secondly, Bartholomew de Badlesmere, 1st Lord Badlesmere,(1275-14 April 1322 an English baron and Governor of Bristol Castle, by whom she had five children.[3] She acceded to the title of Lady Badlesmere on 26 October 1309.[4]

[edit] Leeds Castle

Lord Badlesmere was appointed castellan of Leeds by Thomas, 2nd Earl of Lancaster, Regent of King Edward II. In October 1321,the Queen-Consort Isabella of France went on a pilgrimage to the shrine of St. Thomas at Canterbury. She decided to break her journey by stopping at Leeds Castle which was given to her as part of her dowry[5] Bartholomew was away at the time leaving Margaret in charge of the castle. Due to her dislike of Isabella as well as her own belligerent character, she refused the Queen admittance, and subsequently ordered her archers to fire upon Queen Isabella when she approached the outer barbican. When King Edward heard of the treatment meted out to his consort by Margaret, he sent an expeditionary force to the castle. After a successful assault of the castle, with the King's troops using ballistas, the defenders surrendered, and Margaret was seized and sent to the Tower of London.[6] As a result of Margaret's arrest, Lord Badlesmere joined Lancaster's rebellion and fought in the Battle of Boroughbridge on 16 March 1322. He was arrested and afterward hanged for treason on 14 April 1322. Margaret remained imprisoned in the Tower until 3 November 1322.[7] She died in 1333. Her descendants include Anne Boleyn and George W. Bush.

[edit] List of children

  1. Margaret Badlesmere (1309-24 May 1366). Married John de Vere, 7th Earl of Oxford.
  2. Maud Badlesmere (1310-1366)
  3. Margery Badlesmere (1311-18 October 1363). Married William de Ros, 3rd Lord Ros.
  4. Elizabeth Badlesmere (1313-8 June 1356). Married firstly Sir Edmund Mortimer. She married secondly, William de Bohun, 1st Earl of Northampton. She had children by both marriages.
  5. Giles de Badlesmere (18 October 1314-7 June 1338.Died childless.

[edit] References

  1. ^ Thomas B. Costain "The Three Edwards"
  2. ^ The Complete Peerage.
  3. ^ The Complete Peerage
  4. ^ The Complete Peerage, volume 1, page 372.
  5. ^ Thonas B.Costain "The Three Edwards" pages 193-95
  6. ^ Costain,pages 193-95
  7. ^ The Complete Peerage.

[edit] Sources

  1. G.E. Cokayne "The Complete Peerage of England, Scotland, Ireland, Great Britain and the United Kingdom, Extant, Extinct, or Dormant".
  2. Thomas B. Costain " The Three Edwards". Published by Doubleday, 1958