William de Beaumont, 3rd Earl of Warwick facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
William de Newburgh or Beaumont
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| 3rd Earl of Warwick | |
Coat of arms of the Earls of Warwick
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| Died | 15 November 1184 |
| Noble family | Newburgh or Beaumont |
| Spouse(s) | Matilda de Percy |
| Issue | none |
| Father | Earl Roger of Warwick |
| Mother | Gundreda de Warenne, countess of Warwick |
William, Earl of Warwick (born before 1140 – died 15 November 1184) was an important English nobleman. He held the title of the 3rd Earl of Warwick. William was married to Matilda de Percy, who passed away in 1204. Matilda was the daughter of William de Percy and his first wife, Alice of Tonbridge.
Contents
Becoming Earl of Warwick
William was the oldest of three sons of Earl Roger of Warwick. When his father died in 1153, William became the new Earl. He might have been quite young at that time.
Family Challenges
During William's time as Earl, his family had a big disagreement. This fight was about who owned a piece of land called Gower. This land was in a special border area. William's uncle, Henry, claimed the land. His grandmother, Margaret, also supported this claim. She said the land was part of her dower, which was money or property given to a widow.
Money Troubles
William also faced many money problems. He got into a lot of debt in the 1170s. To pay off these debts, he had to give the Gower land to King Henry II. This happened sometime before 1184.
Marriage and Later Life
Earl William probably hoped his marriage would help his money problems. He married Matilda de Percy, who was a very rich heiress from Yorkshire. However, Matilda did not get as much land from her family as expected. Also, they did not have any children. This meant there was no one to inherit the earldom directly from William.
Financial Impact
Matilda lived for twenty years after William died. She received a large amount of money and property from the earldom as her dowry. This made it very hard for the earldom to manage its money for two generations after William.
Religious Connections
William is known for starting a hospital called St John of Warwick. He also supported several religious houses, which were like monasteries or churches. However, he had a difficult relationship with the priory of the Holy Sepulchre in Warwick. This priory was founded by his own family. Because of this, he even received a letter telling him off from the patriarch of Jerusalem.
William died in 1184. After his death, his brother, Waleran, became the next Earl of Warwick.
