Elizabeth de Comyn facts for kids

Elizabeth de Comyn (born 7 October 1299 – died 20 November 1372) was an important noblewoman in medieval England. She inherited a lot of land and was known for being kidnapped by the powerful Despenser family. This happened when King Edward II was ruling England.

Early Life and Family

Elizabeth was born to John III Comyn, Lord of Badenoch, a powerful Scottish nobleman. He was even related to the Scottish royal family. Her mother was Joan de Valence, whose father was a French knight named William de Valence, 1st Earl of Pembroke.

Elizabeth was the youngest of three children. She had an older sister, Joan, and a brother, John. In 1306, her father was killed by Robert the Bruce. After this, Elizabeth and her siblings were sent to England to keep them safe. Her sister Joan later married David II Strathbogie. Her brother John died fighting Robert the Bruce at the Battle of Bannockburn in 1314.

A Big Inheritance and a Kidnapping

In 1324, Elizabeth's uncle, Aymer de Valence, died. He had no children. So, his many lands were shared among his sisters. Elizabeth's mother passed her share of these lands to Elizabeth and her sister Joan. Joan received areas like Mitford and Ponteland. Elizabeth inherited the strong fortress of Goodrich Castle and the manor of Painswick.

The Despensers' Power

Around the mid-1320s, England was largely controlled by the Despenser family. This included Hugh le Despenser the elder and his son Hugh Despenser the younger. They were King Edward II's favorite advisors. The Despensers were known for taking lands illegally from people, especially those who were vulnerable.

Elizabeth de Comyn was held by the Despensers in an attempt to gain ownership of the powerful castle of Goodrich, shown here.

The Despensers wanted to control as much land as possible. They made sure that John Hastings, Elizabeth's cousin, got a very large share of the inherited lands. They hoped to marry him into their family to gain control of his estates.

Elizabeth's Ordeal

To get Elizabeth's lands, the Despensers took a more forceful approach. After she inherited her lands, Hugh le Despenser the younger kidnapped Elizabeth in London. He took her to Herefordshire and imprisoned her in her own castle at Goodrich.

Elizabeth was threatened with death. Because of this, she was forced to sign over Goodrich Castle and her other lands to the Despensers. This happened on 20 April 1325. She was also forced to sign a paper saying she owed them £10,000. This was a huge amount of money back then. A royal official named John de Bousser witnessed this.

Freedom and Marriage

After being released, Elizabeth married an English knight named Richard Talbot. He was the 2nd Baron Talbot. In late 1326, Queen Isabella of France arrived in England. She removed both Despensers and her husband, King Edward II, from power.

Richard Talbot quickly took Goodrich Castle back from the Despensers. The next year, Elizabeth and Richard legally regained ownership of the castle. The Despensers were both put to death by the queen's orders.

Later Life

Elizabeth and Richard had a good life together. Their son, Gilbert, was born in 1332. Richard became an important person at the court of King Edward III. He eventually became a royal steward.

After Richard died in 1356, Elizabeth married Sir John Bromwich. She passed away in 1372. Elizabeth had her own special family symbol, which was three bundles of wheat (called garbs). She kept using this symbol even after she married, instead of adopting her husbands'.