William Marshal, 1st Earl of Pembroke (1146–1219) was an English aristocrat and statesman. He has been described as "greatest knight that ever lived" (Stephen Langton). Before him, the hereditary title of "Lord Marshal" designated a sort of head of household security for the king of England; by the time he died, when people in Europe (not just Britain) said, "the Marshal," they meant William. william marshal, earl of pembroke, tomb effigy in temple church, london, england The copyright status of this work is difficult or impossible to determine. ... Events Saint Bernard of Clairvaux preaches the Second Crusade at Vezelay, Burgundy First written mention of Bryansk. ... Events Saint Francis of Assisi introduces Catholicism into Egypt, during the Fifth Crusade Ongoing events Fifth Crusade (1217-1221) Births Frederick II the Quarrelsome, last Babenberg Duke of Austria Deaths Jayavarman VII, ruler of the Khmer Empire Minamoto no Sanetomo, third shogun of the Kamakura Shogunate of Japan Monarchs/Presidents... Stephen Langton (c 1150-1228) was an Archbishop of Canterbury and is believed to be the first person to divide the Bible into defined chapters. ... Earl Marschal (or Marischal) is an ancient chivalric title used separately in England, Scotland and Ireland. ...

When William was about six years old, his father John Marshal had switched sides between King Stephen and Empress Maud When King Stephen besieged Newbury Castle John had to give William to Stephen as a hostage for John's keeping his word that he would surrender Newbury Castle. John broke his word, and when Stephen ordered John to surrender immediately or watch as he hanged William in front of the castle, John replied that he could always make another son, and a better one, too. Stephen could not bring himself to hang William, of course, or his story would end here. Stephen (1096 - October 25, 1154), the last Norman King of England, reigned from 1135 to 1154, when he was succeeded by his cousin (or, as the gossip of the time had it, his natural son) Henry II, the first of the Angevin or Plantagenet Kings. ... Empress Maud (1102 – September 10, 1167) is the title by which Matilda, daughter and dispossessed heir of King Henry I of England and his wife Maud of Scotland (herself daughter of Malcolm III Canmore and St. ... Newbury Castle is the name of an English adulterine castle built by John Marshal, during The Anarchy when the Empress Maud fought King Stephen I of England for the English throne. ...

William Marshal was the greatest jouster of his age. From Matthew Paris's Chronica Major, Marshal unhorses Baldwin de Guisnes.

As a younger son of a baron without much to leave him, William learned to make his own way: He was knighted in 1167 and was making a good living out of winning tournaments (which at that time were bloody, hand-to-hand combat, not the jousting contests that would come later); he fought in 500 such bouts in his life and never lost once. As a young knight he served in the household of his uncle, Patrick of Salisbury, 1st Earl of Salisbury. In 1168 his uncle was killed in an ambush, and William was injured and captured in the same battle, but was ransomed by Eleanor of Aquitaine. Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1565x762, 114 KB)William Marshal at a joust unhorses Baldwin Guisnes in 1233. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1565x762, 114 KB)William Marshal at a joust unhorses Baldwin Guisnes in 1233. ... Self portrait of Matthew Paris from a manuscript of his chronicle (London, British Library, MS Royal 14. ... Events Taira no Kiyomori becomes the first samurai to be appointed Daijo Daijin, chief minister of the government of Japan Peter of Blois becomes the tutor of William II of Sicily Absalon, archbishop of Denmark, leads the first Danish synod at Lund Absalon fortifies Copenhagen William Marshal, the greatest knight... Eleanor of Aquitaine Eleanor of Aquitaine (Bordeaux, France, c. ...

In 1170 he was appointed tutor in chivalry for Henry the Young King and stood by the young king during the Revolt of 1173-1174; he even knighted the young king during this revolt. However, in 1182 William Marshal was accused of undue familiarity with Marguerite of France, the Young King's wife, and exiled from court. He went to the court of King Henry II that Christmas to ask for trial by combat in order to prove his innocence, but this was refused. A few months later the young king died, and on his deathbed he asked that William Marshal to fulfil his vow of going on Crusade. William fulfilled this promise, crusading in the Holy Land from 1183 to 1186; while there he vowed to be buried as a Knight Templar. Upon his return in 1186, William rejoined the court of King Henry II. Events December 29: Assassination of Thomas Beckett, Archbishop of Canterbury, in Canterbury cathedral Eleanor of Aquitaine leaves the court of Henry II because of a string of infidelities. ... Henry, the Young King Henry the Young King (February 28, 1155–June 11, 1183) was the second of five sons of Henry II of England and Eleanor of Aquitaine. ... The Revolt of 1173-1174 was a rebellion against Henry II of England by three of his sons, his wife Eleanor of Aquitaine and rebel supporters. ... Marguerite of France was the name of two female members of the Capetian dynasty which ruled France in the Middle Ages. ... Henry II of England, depicted in Cassells History of England, Century Edition, published circa 1902 Henry II (March 5, 1133 – July 6, 1189), ruled as Count of Anjou, Duke of Normandy, and as King of England (1154–1189) and, at various times, controlled parts of Wales, Scotland, eastern Ireland... The Seal of the Knights — the two riders have been interpreted as a sign of poverty or the duality of monk/soldier. ... Henry II of England, depicted in Cassells History of England, Century Edition, published circa 1902 Henry II (March 5, 1133 – July 6, 1189), ruled as Count of Anjou, Duke of Normandy, and as King of England (1154–1189) and, at various times, controlled parts of Wales, Scotland, eastern Ireland...

He continued to serve the king of England for forty-nine years: through the rest of Henry II's reign, all of Richard I's, all of John's, and three years into that of Henry III. William once came face to face with Richard in battle (when he was rebelling against his father) and could have killed him but killed Richard's horse instead, to make that point clear. He supported King John when he became king in 1189, but they had a falling out when William did homage to King Philip II of France for his Norman lands. William left for Leinster in 1207 and stayed in Ireland until 1212, when he was summoned to fight in the Welsh wars. He witnessed the signing of the Magna Carta in 1215. Henry II of England, depicted in Cassells History of England, Century Edition, published circa 1902 Henry II (March 5, 1133 – July 6, 1189), ruled as Count of Anjou, Duke of Normandy, and as King of England (1154–1189) and, at various times, controlled parts of Wales, Scotland, eastern Ireland... Richard I (September 8, 1157 – April 6, 1199) was King of England from 1189 to 1199. ... John (December 24, 1166–October 18/19, 1216) reigned as King of England from April 6, 1199, until his death. ... Henry III (October 1, 1207 – November 16, 1272) is one of the least-known British monarchs, considering the great length of his reign. ... Philip II (French: Philippe II), called Philip Augustus (French: Philippe Auguste) (August 21, 1165 – July 14, 1223), was King of France from 1180 to 1223. ... Magna Carta placed certain checks on the absolute power of the English Monarchs. ...

It was William whom King John trusted on his deathbed to make sure John's nine-year-old son Henry would get the throne. It was William on June 15, 1215 at Runnymede who dealt with the barons who made King John agree to the Magna Carta, and it was William who dealt with the kings of France (Louis VII and Philip Augustus). When they would not take the English king's word, they would take William's. June 15 is the 166th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (167th in leap years), with 199 days remaining. ... Events June 15 - King John of England forced to put his seal to the Magna Carta, outlining the rights of landowning men (nobles and knights) and restricting the kings power. ... This article is about the historic water meadow where Magna Carta was signed; for the district council named after that place, see Runnymede (district). ... Magna Carta placed certain checks on the absolute power of the English Monarchs. ... Louis VII the Younger (French: Louis VII le Jeune) (1120 - September 18, 1180) was King of France from 1137 to 1180. ... Philip II (French: Philippe II), called Philip Augustus (French: Philippe Auguste) (August 21, 1165 – July 14, 1223), was King of France from 1180 to 1223. ...

On November 11, 1216, upon the death of King John, William Marshal was named by the king's council (the chief barons who had remained loyal to King John in the First Barons' War) to serve as both regent of the 9 year old King Henry III, and regent of the kingdom. William's first action after being named as regent was to reissue the Magna Carta, in which he is a signatory as one of the witnessing barons. November 11 is the 315th day of the year (316th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 50 days remaining. ... Events Prince Louis of France, the future King Louis VIII, invades England in the First Barons War Henry III becomes King of England. ... The First Barons War (1215–1217) was a civil war in England between the forces of a number of rebellious barons and King John. ...

For his service to them, the Plantagenets gave him as his bride (in August 1189, when he was 43 and she 17) the second-richest heiress in England, Isabel de Clare, who had inherited large estates in England, Wales, and Ireland. Her father, Strongbow, had been Earl of Pembroke, and this title was granted to William. They had five sons and five daughters, and every one of them survived into adulthood. Their eldest son William would marry (in April 1224) Eleanor, the nine-year-old sister of Henry III (and daughter of King John). Note: as an adjective (stressed on the second syllable instead of the first), august means honorable. ... Events January 21 - Philip II of France and Richard I of England begin to assemble troops to wage the Third Crusade September 3- Richard I of England is crowned as king of England. ... Son of Gilbert de Clare, 1st Earl of Pembroke and Isabel de Beaumont, Richard was an Anglo-Norman lord notable in supporting Henry II of England in Ireland. ... National motto: Cymru am byth (Welsh: Wales for ever) Waless location within the UK Official languages English(100%), Welsh(20. ... Son of Gilbert de Clare, 1st Earl of Pembroke and Isabel de Beaumont, Richard was an Anglo-Norman lord notable in supporting Henry II of England in Ireland. ... The Earldom of Pembroke, associated with Pembroke Castle in Wales, was created by King Stephen of England. ... April is the fourth month of the year in the Gregorian Calendar and one of four with the length of 30 days. ... Events Foundation of the University of Naples Livonian Brothers of the Sword conquers Latgallians Births Deaths Monarchs/Presidents Aragon - James I King of Aragon and count of Barcelona (reigned from 1213 to 1276) Castile - Ferdinand III, the Saint King of Castile and Leon (reigned from 1217 to 1252) Holy See...

William Marshal's health failed him in February 1219. In March 1219 he realized that he was dying, so he summoned his eldest son, also William, and his household knights, then he left the Tower of London for his estate at Caversham in Oxfordshire, near Reading, where he called a meeting of the barons, Henry III, the papal legate, the royal justiciar (Hubert de Burgh), and Peter des Roches (Bishop of Winchester and the young King's guardian). William rejected the Bishop's claim to the regency and entrusted the regency to the care of the papal legate; he apparently did not trust the Bishop or any of the other magnates that he had gathered to this meeting. He wanted to be buried as a Knight Templar, so he was invested into that order before he died on May 14, 1219 at Caversham, and was buried in the Temple Church in London, where his effigy may still be seen. February is the second month of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ... Events Saint Francis of Assisi introduces Catholicism into Egypt, during the Fifth Crusade Ongoing events Fifth Crusade (1217-1221) Births Frederick II the Quarrelsome, last Babenberg Duke of Austria Deaths Jayavarman VII, ruler of the Khmer Empire Minamoto no Sanetomo, third shogun of the Kamakura Shogunate of Japan Monarchs/Presidents... March is the third month of the year in the Gregorian Calendar and one of seven Gregorian months with the length of 31 days. ... Events Saint Francis of Assisi introduces Catholicism into Egypt, during the Fifth Crusade Ongoing events Fifth Crusade (1217-1221) Births Frederick II the Quarrelsome, last Babenberg Duke of Austria Deaths Jayavarman VII, ruler of the Khmer Empire Minamoto no Sanetomo, third shogun of the Kamakura Shogunate of Japan Monarchs/Presidents... Caversham is a village in the unitary authority of Reading, England, although, historically, Caversham was part of Oxfordshire. ... St Marys Church and market Reading is a town and unitary authority in Berkshire in England. ... Hubert de Burgh (~1165 - May 12, 1243) was Earl of Kent, Justiciar of England and Ireland, and one of the most influential men in England during the reigns of John and Henry III. De Burgh came from a minor gentry family about which little is known. ... The Seal of the Knights — the two riders have been interpreted as a sign of poverty or the duality of monk/soldier. ... May 14 is the 134th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (135th in leap years). ... Events Saint Francis of Assisi introduces Catholicism into Egypt, during the Fifth Crusade Ongoing events Fifth Crusade (1217-1221) Births Frederick II the Quarrelsome, last Babenberg Duke of Austria Deaths Jayavarman VII, ruler of the Khmer Empire Minamoto no Sanetomo, third shogun of the Kamakura Shogunate of Japan Monarchs/Presidents... The Temple Church. ...

After his death, his eldest son, also named William, commissioned a biography of his father to be written called L'Histoire de Guillaume le Mareschal.

Children of William Marshal & Isabel de Clare:

• William Marshal, 2nd Earl of Pembroke (~1190 - April 6, 1231), married (1) Alice de Betun, daughter of Earl of Albemarle; (2) April 23, 1224 Eleanor Plantagenet, daughter of King John I of England

• Richard Marshal, 3rd Earl of Pembroke (>1190 - April 16, 1234), married Gervase le Dinant

• Maud (or Matilda) Marshal (1192 - March 27, 1248), married (1) Hugh Bigod, 3rd Earl of Norfolk; (2) (<October 13, 1225) William de Warenne, 6th Earl of Surrey; (3) Walter de Dunstanville

• Gilbert Marshal, 4th Earl of Pembroke (d. June 27, 1241), married (1) Margaret of Scotland, daughter of King William I of Scotland; (2) Maud de Lanvaley

• Walter Marshal, 5th Earl of Pembroke (>1198 - November 1245), married Margaret de Quincy

• Anselm Marshal, 6th Earl of Pembroke (d. December 22, 1245), married Maud de Bohun, daughter of Earl of Hereford

• Isabella Marshal (October 9, 1200 - January 17, 1240), married (1) (October 9, 1217) Gilbert de Clare, 5th Earl of Hertford & 4th Earl of Gloucester; (2) Richard Plantagenet, Earl of Cornwall & King of the Romans

• Sibyl (or Sybilla) Marshal, married William de Ferrers, 5th Earl of Derby

• Eva Marshal, married William de Braose, Lord of Abergavenny

• Joan (or Joanna) Marshal, married Warin de Montchensy, Lord of Swanscombe

William Marshal, 2nd Earl of Pembroke (c. ... Events March 16 - Massacre and mass-suicide of the Jews of York, England prompted by Crusaders. ... April 6 is the 96th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (97th in leap years). ... Events Ardengus becomes bishop of Florence. ... The Dukedom of Albemarle has been created twice in the Peerage of England, each time ending in extinction. ... April 23 is the 113th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (114th in leap years). ... Events Foundation of the University of Naples Livonian Brothers of the Sword conquers Latgallians Births Deaths Monarchs/Presidents Aragon - James I King of Aragon and count of Barcelona (reigned from 1213 to 1276) Castile - Ferdinand III, the Saint King of Castile and Leon (reigned from 1217 to 1252) Holy See... John of England depicted in Cassells History of England (1902) John (French: Jean) (December 24, 1166/67–October 18/19, 1216) reigned as King of England from 1199 to 1216. ... Events March 16 - Massacre and mass-suicide of the Jews of York, England prompted by Crusaders. ... April 16 is the 106th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (107th in leap years). ... Events Canonization of Saint Dominic Collapse of the Jin Dynasty (1115-1234) Deaths Emperor Chukyo of Japan Emperor Go-Horikawa of Japan Monarchs/Presidents Aragon - James I King of Aragon and count of Barcelona (reigned from 1213 to 1276) Castile - Ferdinand III, the Saint King of Castile and Leon (reigned... Events The Third Crusade ends in disaster. ... March 27 is the 86th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (87th in Leap years). ... Events Louis IX of France departs on the Seventh Crusade for Egypt Kingdom of Castile captures city of Seville from Muslims Cologne cathedral: old cathedral burns down April 30; foundation stone to current cathedral laid August 15 Births Deaths January 4 - King Sancho II of Portugal, in exile in Toledo... Hugh Bigod (1186-1225) of Thetford, was the eldest son of Roger, Earl of Norfolk, and for a short time the 3rd Earl of Norfolk, Earl Marshall of England, and one of the 25 surites of Magna Carta of King John. ... October 13 is the 286th day of the year (287th in leap years). ... Events Births Thomas Aquinas, Christian philosopher and theologian (d. ... William Plantagenet, otherwise known as William de Warenne, 6th Earl of Surrey (1166 - 1240), was the son of Hamelin de Warenne and Isabel, daughter of William de Warenne, 3rd Earl of Surrey. ... June 27 is the 178th day of the year (179th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar, with 187 days remaining. ... Events April 5 - Mongols of Golden Horde under the command of Subotai defeat feudal polish nobility, including Knights Templar, in the battle of Liegnitz April 27 - Mongols defeat Bela IV of Hungary in the battle of Sajo. ... Scotland (Alba in Scottish Gaelic) is a country in northwest Europe, occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain. ... William I (William the Lion, William Leo, William Dunkeld or William Canmore), (1142/1143 - December 4, 1214) reigned as King of Scotland from 1165 to 1214. ... Events End of the reign of Emperor Go-Toba of Japan Emperor Tsuchimikado ascends to the throne of Japan January 8 - Pope Innocent III ascends Papal Throne Frederick II, infant son of German King Henry VI, crowned King of Sicily Births August 24 - Alexander II of Scotland (d. ... November is the eleventh month of the year in the Gregorian Calendar and one of four Gregorian months with the length of 30 days. ... Events Rebellion against king Sancho II of Portugal in favor of his brother Alphonso. ... December 22 is the 356th day of the year (357th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar. ... Events Rebellion against king Sancho II of Portugal in favor of his brother Alphonso. ... Location within the British Isles. ... October 9 is the 282nd day of the year (283rd in Leap years). ... Events University of Paris receives charter from Philip II of France Births Matthew Paris, English Benedictine monk and chronicler (approximate date). ... January 17 is the 17th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ... Events Batu Khan and the Golden Horde sack the Ruthenian city of Kyiv Births Pope Benedict XI Deaths April 11 - Llywelyn ap Iorwerth, also known as Llywelyn The Great Prince of Gwynedd Monarchs/Presidents Aragon - James I King of Aragon and count of Barcelona (reigned from 1213 to 1276) Castile... October 9 is the 282nd day of the year (283rd in Leap years). ... Events April 9 - Peter of Courtenay crowned emperor of the Latin Empire of Constantinople at Rome, by Pope Honorius III May 20 - First Barons War, royalist victory at Lincoln. ... Gilbert de Clare, 5th Earl of Hertford and 1st Earl of Gloucester) (1180 - October 25, 1230) was an English nobleman of the Norman period. ... Gilbert de Clare, 5th Earl of Hertford and 1st Earl of Gloucester) (1180 - October 25, 1230) was an English nobleman of the Norman period. ... Richard (5 January 1209 - 2 April 1272) was Count of Poitou (bef. ... William de Ferrers, 5th Earl of Derby (1193 - March, 1254), was an English nobleman. ... William de Braose, Lord of Abergavenny (ca. ... Swanscombe is a village, part of the Borough of Dartford on the north Kent coast in England. ...

The end of the Marshal family

During the civil wars in Ireland, William, Sr., had taken two manors that the Bishop of Ferns claimed but could not get back. Some years after William's death, that bishop is said to have laid a curse on the family that William's sons would have no children, and the great Marshal estates would be scattered. Each of William's sons did become earl of Pembroke and marshal of England, and each died without issue. William's vast holdings were then divided among the husbands of his five daughters. The title of "Marshal" went to the husband of the oldest daughter, Hugh Bigod, 3rd Earl of Norfolk, and later passed to the Mowbray dukes of Norfolk and then to the Howard dukes of Norfolk, becoming "Earl Marshal" along the way. The title of "Earl of Pembroke" passed to the husband of Joan Marshal's daughter, Joan de Munchensy, the first of the de Valence line of earls of Pembroke. Hugh Bigod (1186-1225) of Thetford, was the eldest son of Roger, Earl of Norfolk, and for a short time the 3rd Earl of Norfolk, Earl Marshall of England, and one of the 25 surites of Magna Carta of King John. ... The Duke of Norfolk is the Premier Duke in the peerage of England, and also, as Earl of Arundel, the Premier Earl. ... The Earldom of Pembroke, associated with Pembroke Castle in Wales, was created by King Stephen of England. ...

William Marshal in Fiction

Four generations of the Marshal family, from Isabel de Clare's parents through William fitzWilliam's fictitious bastard son, are the subjects of a series of four historical romances by Mary Pershall. Dawn of the White Rose (©1985) is the one about William Marshal and Isabel de Clare. Mary Pershall, who writes under the pen name Susan Shelley, is an author of a number of historical romances, including a series about the family of William Marshal: A Shield of Roses (©1984) about Sir Richard fitzGilbert de Clare and Lady Eve MacMurrough, the parents of Isabel de Clare Dawn...

William Marshal also appears as a supporting character in Sharon Kay Penman's novel Time and Chance, and makes a minor appearance in When Christ and His Saints Slept.

Earl Marschal (or Marischal) is an ancient chivalric title used separately in England, Scotland and Ireland. ... William Marshal, 2nd Earl of Pembroke (c. ...

External link

Gillingham, John, War and Chivalry in the History of William the Marshall, Thirteenth Century England, 2 (1988) (PDF file)

Abels, Richard,William Marshal - Events in Life and Historical Context