Richard FitzGilbert de Clare 1st Earl of Hertford 1 2 3 4
- Born: Between 1084 and 1090, <Hertford, Hertfordshire>, England
- Christened: Clare, Suffolk, England
- Marriage (1): Adelize de Gernon about 1116
- Died: 15 Apr 1136, [near Abergavenny], Monmouthshire, England
- Buried: Gloucester
Other names for Richard were Richard de Clare Earl of Hertford and Earl of Clare, Richard FitzGilbert de Clare Lord of Clare, Suffolk and Richard Fitz Gilbert Lord of Clare, Suffolk.
Research Notes:
From thepeerage.com:
Richard FitzGilbert was also known as Richard de Clare.1 He succeeded to the title of 3rd Lord of Clare [feudal baron] circa 1117.1 He is supposed to have been created Earl of Hertford by King Stephen I (or by King Henry I), but Cokayne states that there is no grounds for this belief.1 He founded the Priory of Tonbridge.1 He has an extensive biographical entry in the Dictionary of National Biography.
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From Wikipedia - Richard de Clare, 1st Earl of Hertford :
Lineage
Richard FitzGilbert de Clare. 1st Earl of Hertford (1094-15 April 1136 ) was the son of Gilbert Fitz Richard de Clare and Alice de Claremont also known as Adeliza de Claremont .
He founded the priory of Tonbridge .
Welsh revolt
Richard held the Lordship of Ceredigion in Wales . A Welsh revolt against Norman rule had begun in south Wales where, on 1 January 1136 the Welsh won a victory over the local Norman forces between Loughor and Swansea .
Ambush & death
Richard had been away from his lordship in the early part of the year. Returning to the borders of Wales in April, he ignored warnings of the danger and pressed on toward Ceredigion with only a small force. He had not gone far when he was ambushed and killed by the men of Gwent under Iorwerth ab Owain and his brother Morgan, grandsons of Caradog ap Gruffydd , in a woody tract called "the ill-way of Coed Grano", near Llanthony Abbey , north of Abergavenny .
Spur for Welsh invasion
The news of Richard's death induced Owain Gwynedd , son of Gruffydd ap Cynan , king of Gwynedd to invade his Lordship. In alliance with Gruffydd ap Rhys of Deheubarth , he won a crushing victory over the Normans at the Battle of Crug Mawr , just outside Cardigan . The town of Cardigan was taken and burnt, and Richard's widow, Adelize, took refuge in Cardigan Castle , which was successfully defended by Robert fitz Martin . She was rescued by Miles of Gloucester who led an expedition to bring her to safety in England .
Death Notes:
Slain by the Welsh near Abergavenny
Noted events in his life were:
• Lord of Clare, Suffolk.
Richard married Adelize de Gernon, daughter of Ranulf le Meschin 3rd Earl of Chester and Lucy of Bolingbroke, about 1116. (Adelize de Gernon was born about 1094 in <Hertford, Hertfordshire>, England and died in 1128.)
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