William Marshal, 2nd Earl of Pembroke facts for kids
William Marshal, 2nd Earl of Pembroke (also known as Guillaume le Maréchal in French) was an important English nobleman who lived in the Middle Ages. He was born around 1190 and passed away on April 6, 1231. William was one of the people who promised to make sure the Magna Carta agreement was followed. He fought in a big conflict called the First Barons' War. He was also present at the Battle of Lincoln (1217) with his famous father, William Marshal, 1st Earl of Pembroke, who led the English army in that battle. William also arranged for the first-ever biography of a medieval knight to be written. This book, called L'Histoire de Guillaume le Mareschal, was written to honor his father.
Contents
Growing Up and Early Life
William was likely born in Normandy in the spring of 1190. He was the oldest son of William Marshal, 1st Earl of Pembroke, and his wife, Isabel de Clare. His mother was the 4th Countess of Pembroke and Striguil in her own right. William was a member of the powerful Marshal family.
When he was young, William might have lived with his father's friend, Baldwin, Count of Aumale. This is suggested by his early marriage plans and connections.
In 1205, William's father showed loyalty to the King of France, who was an enemy of England. Because of this, King John took young William as a hostage. William lived at King John's court from age 15 to 22. He was a guarantee that his father would behave loyally. William was set free when he turned 22 in 1212. He got married in 1214. His wife, Alice de Bethune, was the only heir to her father's lands. This allowed William to use her wealth and influence to gather his own group of knights. This group included Fulk fitzWarin and other family members.
William's Important Career
William Marshal had a very active life, serving kings and managing his lands.
Fighting in the Barons' War
During the First Barons' War in 1215, William was on the side of the rebels. These rebels supported the claim of King Louis VIII of France to the English throne. Meanwhile, his father was fighting for the English king. William was at an important meeting in Stamford in February 1215. In June, he was one of the twenty-five nobles who made sure the Magna Carta was followed. Because of this, Pope Innocent III removed him from the church on December 11 of that year.
When King Louis captured Worcester Castle in 1216, William's father wisely warned him to escape. William fled just before another English leader, Ranulph de Blondeville, 4th Earl of Chester, took the castle back. In March 1217, William was allowed back into the church. He then rejoined the royal side. At the Battle of Lincoln in 1217, he fought bravely alongside his father.
Becoming Earl Marshal
William was with his father when he passed away in 1219. He then took over his father's important titles. He became both the Earl of Pembroke and the Lord Marshal of England. These two powerful titles, along with his father's legendary fame, made William one of the most important and powerful nobles in England. He also inherited family lands in Normandy. However, he gave these lands to his younger brother, Richard, in 1220.
Campaigns in Wales and Ireland
In 1223, William traveled from his lands in Ireland to fight against Llywelyn the Great. Llywelyn had attacked William's property in Pembroke. William was successful in his campaign. However, the people ruling for the young King Henry III thought William was acting too independently. To strengthen the Marshal family's ties to the royal family, William married Eleanor, the King's sister, on April 23, 1224.
Around this time, Hugh de Lacy began attacking William's Irish lands. William was appointed as the Justiciar of Ireland (a chief governor) from 1224 to 1226. He managed to defeat de Lacy. In 1225, he started a Dominican church in Kilkenny. He also began building Carlow and Ferns castles. William supported Aedh Ua Conchobair in his claims to Connacht, which upset Richard de Burgh. Because of this, William was removed from his role as Justiciar in 1226. Later that year, he was ordered to give back the royal castles of Cardigan and Carmarthen, which he had captured from Llywelyn.
Serving in Brittany
William went with King Henry III to Brittany in 1230. When the King returned to England, William took control of the forces there. In February 1231, William also returned to England. He then arranged for his sister Isabel to marry Richard, Earl of Cornwall. Isabel was the widow of Gilbert de Clare. Richard was King Henry III's brother.
William's Marriages
William Marshal married two times during his life. However, he did not have any children who survived.
- His first marriage was in September 1214, when he was 24 years old. He married Alice de Bethune, the daughter of his father's friend, Baldwin of Bethune. Alice passed away before 1215.
- His second marriage was in 1224. William married Eleanor of England. She was the youngest daughter of King John and Isabella of Angoulême.
Death and Burial
William Marshal passed away on April 6, 1231. A historian named Matthew Paris later wrote that Hubert de Burgh, a chief justice of England, was accused of poisoning William. However, there are no other records to support this claim. William was buried on April 15 in the Temple Church in London. He was laid to rest next to his father. You can still see his effigy (a statue of him) there today.
William's Legacy
William was responsible for ordering the creation of L'Histoire de Guillaume le Mareschal. This book is the first known biography of a medieval knight. It was written to record his father's amazing life and achievements. The book was based on stories people told and written records. It was finished in 1226.
Since William did not have any children who survived, his titles went to his younger brother, Richard Marshal, 3rd Earl of Pembroke. It was believed that a curse from the Bishop of Ferns, Ailbe Ua Maíl Mhuaidh, caused the Marshal family to have no male heirs. All of William's brothers inherited the title one after another. But, just as the Bishop predicted, none of them had children. The male line of the Marshal family ended when Anselm Marshal died in 1245.
