Biography of William de Braose -1210

Paternal Family Tree: Braose

William de Braose was born to [his uncle] William de Braose 4th Baron Bramber and [his mother] Maud "Lady of Hay" St Valery Baroness Bramber.

Around 1166 [his uncle] William de Braose 4th Baron Bramber (age 22) and [his mother] Maud "Lady of Hay" St Valery Baroness Bramber (age 11) were married.

Abergavenny Massacre

Around 25th December 1175, Christmas, [his uncle] William de Braose 4th Baron Bramber (age 31) invited the local Welsh nobles to his Christmas court at Abergavenny Castle [Map] as an act of reconciliation. Seisyll ap Dyfnwal Gwent and his elder son Geoffrey Gwent were murdered. William de Braose 4th Baron Bramber and his men then rode to Seisyll's home. There his younger son Cadwalladr Gwent (age 7) was murdered and his wife captured.

In 1179 [his grandfather] William de Braose 3rd Baron Bramber (age 64) died. His son [his uncle] William (age 35) succeeded 4th Baron Bramber Feudal, 6th Baron Abergavenny Feudal Creation. [his mother] Maud "Lady of Hay" St Valery Baroness Bramber (age 24) by marriage Baroness Bramber Feudal and Baroness Abergavenny Feudal Creation.

In 1190 Robert Beaumont 3rd Earl of Leicester died. His son [his future brother-in-law] Robert succeeded 4th Earl of Leicester. [his sister] Loretta de Braose Countess Leicester (age 5) by marriage Countess of Leicester.

Around 1196 [his brother-in-law] Robert Beaumont 4th Earl of Leicester and [his sister] Loretta de Braose Countess Leicester (age 11) were married. She by marriage Countess of Leicester. He the son of Robert Beaumont 3rd Earl of Leicester and Petronilla Grandesmil Countess Leicester (age 61).

In 1197 [his son] John "Tadody aka Fatherless" Braose 8th Baron Bramber was born to William de Braose and [his future wife] Maud de Clare (age 13). He a great x 3 grandson of King Henry I "Beauclerc" England. He married 1219 his half fourth cousin Margred verch Llewellyn Baroness Clifford, daughter of Llewellyn "The Great" Aberffraw and Joan Plantagenet, and had issue.

In 1200 [his brother] Bishop Giles de Braose 7th Baron Braose 5th Baron Bramber was appointed Bishop of Hereford.

In 1206 William de Braose and Maud de Clare (age 22) were married. She the daughter of Richard Clare 3rd Earl Hertford (age 53) and Amice Fitzrobert Countess Hertford.

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.

In 1210 William de Braose was starved to death at Corfe Castle, Dorset [Map].

In 1210 William de Braose was imprisoned at Corfe Castle, Dorset [Map].

In 1210 [his mother] Maud "Lady of Hay" St Valery Baroness Bramber (age 55) and her son William de Braose were captured at Galloway.

In 1210 William de Braose was imprisoned at Windsor Castle [Map].

In 1210 [his mother] Maud "Lady of Hay" St Valery Baroness Bramber (age 55) starved to death at Corfe Castle, Dorset [Map].

In 1213 [his former wife] Maud de Clare (age 29) starved to death.