Eva Marshal facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Eva Marshal |
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| Spouse(s) | William de Braose |
| Issue | |
| Isabella de Braose Maud de Braose Eva de Braose Eleanor de Braose |
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| Noble family | Marshal De Clare |
| Father | William Marshal, 1st Earl of Pembroke |
| Mother | Isabel de Clare, 4th Countess of Pembroke |
| Born | 1203 Pembroke Castle, Pembrokeshire, Wales |
| Died | 1246 |
Eva Marshal (1203–1246) was an important noblewoman from a powerful family. She was the wife of William de Braose, a lord who controlled lands near the Welsh border.
Eva was the daughter of William Marshal, 1st Earl of Pembroke, a famous knight. Her grandmother was Aoife of Leinster, an Irish princess. After her husband's death, Eva became a powerful landowner herself. She managed her own lands and castles.
Eva Marshal's Family and Marriage
Lady Eva was the eighth child in her family. She belonged to the well-known Marshal family. Eva and her sisters were known for being lively and strong-willed. From 1207 to 1212, Eva and her family lived in Ireland.
Her grandparents were John Marshal and Sibyl of Salisbury. Her other grandparents were Strongbow and Aoife of Leinster. Eva was likely named after her grandmother Aoife.
Before 1221, Eva married William de Braose. He was a powerful lord in the Welsh Marches, which were lands near the border of Wales. In 1228, William became the lord of Abergavenny.
Eva and William had four daughters together. William de Braose was not popular with the Welsh people. They called him Gwilym Ddu, which means Black William.
Eva's Daughters
Eva and William de Braose had four daughters:
- Isabella de Braose (born 1222): She married Prince Dafydd ap Llywelyn of Wales. Isabella did not have any children.
- Maud de Braose (1224–1301): In 1247, she married Roger Mortimer, 1st Baron Wigmore. They had several children, including Edmund Mortimer, 2nd Baron Mortimer.
- Eva de Braose (1227 – 28 July 1255): She married William de Cantelou and had children.
- Eleanor de Braose (around 1228 – 1251): She married Humphrey de Bohun after August 1241. They had two sons and one daughter. Eleanor was buried at Llanthony Secunda Priory.
Eva Becomes a Widow
Eva's husband, William de Braose, died in 1230. He was executed by Llywelyn the Great, the Prince of Wales. This happened after William was found in the Prince's private rooms.
A few months later, Eva's oldest daughter, Isabella, married Prince Llywelyn's son, Dafydd ap Llywelyn. Their marriage had been planned before William de Braose's death. Prince Llywelyn sent a letter to Eva to apologize for the execution. He explained that Welsh lords had insisted on it. He also hoped it would not stop their business deals.
After her husband's death, Eva took control of the de Braose lands and castles. She was listed as the owner of Totnes in 1230. She held these lands until she died. King Henry III of England gave Eva money to make Hay Castle stronger. She had gained control of Hay Castle as part of her widow's rights.
In 1234, Eva was involved in her brother Richard's rebellion against King Henry. She may have helped settle things between the King and her brothers. This is shown by a special pass she received in May 1234. This pass allowed her to speak with the King safely.
By the end of that month, King Henry gave her back the castles and lands he had taken from her. These had been taken after her brother's revolt. Eva also received a formal statement from the King. It said that she was "in his good graces again."
Eva Marshal died in 1246 when she was 43 years old.
Sources
- de Braose family genealogy
- Cokayne, G. E. The Complete Peerage
- Costain, Thomas B. (1959). The Magnificent Century. Garden City, New York: Doubleday and Company, Inc.
