Biography of Gilbert Clare 5th Earl Gloucester 4th Earl Hertford 1180-1230

Paternal Family Tree: Norman

Maternal Family Tree: Amice Gael Countess Leicester 1168

In 1172 [his father] Richard Clare 3rd Earl Hertford (age 19) and [his mother] Amice Fitzrobert Countess Hertford were married. She by marriage Countess Hertford. She the daughter of [his grandfather] William Fitzrobert 2nd Earl Gloucester and [his grandmother] Hawise Beaumont Countess Gloucester. He the son of [his grandfather] Roger Clare 2nd Earl Hertford (age 56) and [his grandmother] Maud St Hilary Countess Hertford. They were half fourth cousin once removed. She a great granddaughter of King Henry I "Beauclerc" England.

In 1180 Gilbert Clare 5th 4th was born to [his father] Richard Clare 3rd Earl Hertford (age 27) and [his mother] Amice Fitzrobert Countess Hertford. He a great x 2 grandson of King Henry I "Beauclerc" England.

Magna Carta

                    On 15th June 1215 King John of England (age 48) met with his Baron's at Runnymede [Map] where he agreed to the terms of the Magna Carta which attempted to reduce the King's authority through political reform. Those who signed as surety included:
                
                    Roger Bigod 2nd Earl Norfolk (age 71)
                
                    his son Hugh Bigod 3rd Earl Norfolk (age 33)
                
                    Henry Bohun 1st Earl Hereford (age 39)
                
                    [his father] Richard Clare 3rd Earl Hertford (age 62)
                
                    his son Gilbert Clare 5th  4th  (age 35)
                
                    [his future brother-in-law] William "The Younger" Marshal 2nd Earl Pembroke (age 25)
                
                    William Mowbray 6th Baron Thirsk (age 42)
                
                    Saer Quincy 1st Earl Winchester (age 45)
                
                    Robert Ros (age 43), Richard Percy 5th Baron Percy Topcliffe (age 45)
                
                    Robert de Vere 3rd Earl of Oxford (age 50)
                
                    Eustace Vesci (age 46)
                
                    John Fitzrobert 3rd Baron Warkworth (age 25)
                
                    John Lacy Earl Lincoln (age 23).
                
                    William de Albini (age 64), Geoffrey Mandeville 2nd Earl Essex (age 24)
                
                    Robert Clare Fitzwalter                

                    William Forz 3rd Earl Albemarle                

                    William Hardell
                
                    William Huntingfield
                
                    William Llanvallei
                
                    William Malet 1st Baron Curry Mallet
                
                    Roger Montbegon, Richard Montfichet
                
                    Geoffrey Saye (age 60) signed as surety the Magna Carta.
                
                    Ranulf de Blondeville Gernon 6th Earl Chester 1st Earl Lincoln (age 45) witnessed.

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In 1217 Gilbert Clare 5th 4th (age 37) was created 1st Lord Glamorgan.

In 1217 [his father] Richard Clare 3rd Earl Hertford (age 64) died. His son Gilbert (age 37) succeeded 5th Earl Gloucester, 4th Earl Hertford, 7th Lord Clare.

In or before 1218 Gilbert Clare 5th 4th (age 37) and Isabel Marshal Countess Cornwall, Gloucester and Hertford (age 17) were married. She by marriage Countess Gloucester, Countess Hertford. The difference in their ages was 20 years. She the daughter of William Marshal 1st Earl Pembroke (age 71) and Isabel Clare Countess Pembroke (age 45). He the son of Richard Clare 3rd Earl Hertford and Amice Fitzrobert Countess Hertford. They were third cousins. He a great x 2 grandson of King Henry I "Beauclerc" England.

On 14th May 1219 [his father-in-law] William Marshal 1st Earl Pembroke (age 73) died. His son [his brother-in-law] William (age 29) succeeded 2nd Earl Pembroke.

In 1220 [his mother] Amice Fitzrobert Countess Hertford died.

On 27th May 1220 [his daughter] Amice Clare Countess Devon was born to Gilbert Clare 5th 4th (age 40) and [his wife] Isabel Marshal Countess Cornwall, Gloucester and Hertford (age 19). She a great x 3 granddaughter of King Henry I "Beauclerc" England. She married 1255 her fourth cousin Baldwin Redvers 6th Earl Devon and had issue.

In 1221 Roger Bigod 2nd Earl Norfolk (age 77) died. His son Hugh (age 39) succeeded 3rd Earl Norfolk. [his sister-in-law] Maud Marshal Countess Norfolk and Surrey (age 27) by marriage Countess Norfolk.

Chronicle of a Bourgeois of Valenciennes

Récits d’un bourgeois de Valenciennes aka The Chronicle of a Bourgeois of Valenciennes is a vivid 14th-century vernacular chronicle written by an anonymous urban chronicler from Valenciennes in the County of Hainaut. It survives in a manuscript that describes local and regional history from about 1253 to 1366, blending chronology, narrative episodes, and eyewitness-style accounts of political, military, and social events in medieval France, Flanders, and the Low Countries. The work begins with a chronological framework of events affecting Valenciennes and its region under rulers such as King Philip VI of France and the shifting allegiances of local nobility. It includes accounts of conflicts, sieges, diplomatic manoeuvres, and the impact of broader struggles like the Hundred Years’ War on urban life in Hainaut. Written from the perspective of a burgher (bourgeois) rather than a monastery or royal court, the chronicle offers a rare lay viewpoint on high politics and warfare, reflecting how merchants, townspeople, and civic institutions experienced the turbulence of the 13th and 14th centuries. Its narrative style combines straightforward reporting of events with moral and civic observations, making it a valuable source for readers interested in medieval urban society, regional politics, and the lived experience of war and governance in pre-modern Europe.

Available at Amazon in eBook and Paperback format.

Around 1222 [his brother-in-law] Richard Marshal 3rd Earl Pembroke (age 31) and Gervase Dinant Countess Pembroke were married. He the son of [his father-in-law] William Marshal 1st Earl Pembroke and [his mother-in-law] Isabel Clare Countess Pembroke.

On 4th August 1222 [his son] Richard de Clare 6th Earl Gloucester 5th Earl Hertford was born to Gilbert Clare 5th 4th (age 42) and [his wife] Isabel Marshal Countess Cornwall, Gloucester and Hertford (age 21). He a great x 3 grandson of King Henry I "Beauclerc" England. He married (1) before November 1237 his half third cousin once removed Margaret Burgh Countess Gloucester and Hertford, daughter of Hubert de Burgh Count Mortain 1st Earl Kent and Margaret Dunkeld Countess Kent (2) after November 1237 his third cousin once removed Maud Lacy Countess Gloucester and Hertford, daughter of John Lacy Earl Lincoln and Margaret Quincy 3rd Countess Lincoln and Pembroke, and had issue.

On 23rd April 1224 [his brother-in-law] William "The Younger" Marshal 2nd Earl Pembroke (age 34) and Eleanor Plantagenet Countess Pembroke and Leicester (age 9) were married. She by marriage Countess Pembroke. The difference in their ages was 25 years. She the daughter of King John of England and Isabella of Angoulême Queen Consort England (age 36). He the son of [his father-in-law] William Marshal 1st Earl Pembroke and [his mother-in-law] Isabel Clare Countess Pembroke. They were fifth cousins.

On 13th October 1225 William Warenne 5th Earl of Surrey and [his sister-in-law] Maud Marshal Countess Norfolk and Surrey (age 31) were married. She the daughter of [his father-in-law] William Marshal 1st Earl Pembroke and [his mother-in-law] Isabel Clare Countess Pembroke. He the son of Hamelin Warenne Earl of Surrey and Isabella Warenne Countess Boulogne 4th Countess of Surrey. They were half second cousin once removed.

On 5th November 1226 [his daughter] Isabel Clare Lady Annandale was born to Gilbert Clare 5th 4th (age 46) and [his wife] Isabel Marshal Countess Cornwall, Gloucester and Hertford (age 26). She a great x 3 granddaughter of King Henry I "Beauclerc" England. She married 12th May 1240 her third cousin once removed Robert Bruce 5th Lord Annandale and had issue.

Annals of Tewkesbury. [1228] Gilbert de Clare (age 48), Earl of Gloucester, has a son named William, born on the 18th of May. [his brother] Richard de Clare (age 44), brother of the said earl, was killed in London on Ascension Day, and in revenge for his death, many of the king's servants were slaughtered. Gilbert, the Earl of Gloucester, marched with a large army into Wales against the Welsh. An earthquake occurred in many places in England on the night of St. George's Day. Gilbert, the Earl of Gloucester, discovered silver mines in Wales, as well as iron and lead.

MCCXXVIII. Gileberto de Clare comiti Glocestriæ nascitur filius nomine Willelmus, xv. kal. Junii. Ricardus de Clare frater dicti comitis occisus est apud Lundoniam, die Ascensionis, in cujus vindictam plures de servientibus domini regis trucidati sunt. Gilebertus comes Glocestriæ cum exercitu magno profectus est in Walliam contra Walenses. Terræmotus factus est per plurima loca Angliæ, nocte sancti Georgii. Gilebertus comes Glocestriæ invenit minera argenti in Walliis, ferri et plumbi.

On 18th May 1228 [his son] William de de Clare was born to Gilbert Clare 5th 4th (age 48) and [his wife] Isabel Marshal Countess Cornwall, Gloucester and Hertford (age 27). He a great x 3 grandson of King Henry I "Beauclerc" England.

On 25th October 1230 Gilbert Clare 5th 4th (age 50) died. His son Richard (age 8) succeeded 6th Earl Gloucester, 5th Earl Hertford, 8th Lord Clare, 2nd Lord Glamorgan.

Abbot John Whethamstede’s Chronicle of the Abbey of St Albans

Abbot John Whethamstede's Register aka Chronicle of his second term at the Abbey of St Albans, 1451-1461, is a remarkable text that describes his first-hand experience of the beginning of the Wars of the Roses including the First and Second Battles of St Albans, 1455 and 1461, respectively, their cause, and their consequences, not least on the Abbey itself. His text also includes Loveday, Blore Heath, Northampton, the Act of Accord, Wakefield, and Towton, and ends with the Coronation of King Edward IV. In addition to the events of the Wars of the Roses, Abbot John, or his scribes who wrote the Chronicle, include details in the life of the Abbey such as charters, letters, land exchanges, visits by legates, and disputes, which provide a rich insight into the day-to-day life of the Abbey, and the challenges faced by its Abbot.

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On 30th March 1231 Richard of Cornwall 1st Earl Cornwall (age 22) and [his former wife] Isabel Marshal Countess Cornwall, Gloucester and Hertford (age 30) were married at Fawley, Lambourn. She by marriage Countess Cornwall. She the daughter of [his former father-in-law] William Marshal 1st Earl Pembroke and [his former mother-in-law] Isabel Clare Countess Pembroke. He the son of King John of England and Isabella of Angoulême Queen Consort England (age 43). They were fifth cousins.