Isabel de Forz (July 1237 – 10 November 1293) (or Isabel de Redvers,
Latinized to Isabella de Fortibus) was the eldest daughter of
Baldwin de Redvers, 6th Earl of Devon
Baldwin de Redvers, 6th Earl of Devon (1217 – 15 February 1245), feudal baron of Plympton in Devon and Lord of the Isle of Wight, was the son of Baldwin de Redvers and Margaret FitzGerold and grandson of William de Redvers, 5th Earl of Devon.
...
(1217–1245). On the death of her brother
Baldwin de Redvers, 7th Earl of Devon in 1262, without children, she inherited ''
suo jure
''Suo jure'' is a Latin phrase, used in English to mean 'in his own right' or 'in her own right'. In most nobility-related contexts, it means 'in her own right', since in those situations the phrase is normally used of women; in practice, especi ...
'' (in her own right) the earldom and also the
feudal barony of Plympton
The feudal barony of Plympton (or Honour of Plympton) was a large feudal barony in the county of Devon, England, whose ''caput'' was Plympton Castle and manor, Plympton. It was one of eight feudal baronies in Devonshire which existed during the ...
in Devon, and the
Lordship of the Isle of Wight. After the early death of her husband and her brother, before she was thirty years old, she inherited their estates and became one of the richest women in England, living mainly in
Carisbrooke Castle
Carisbrooke Castle is a historic motte-and-bailey castle located in the village of Carisbrooke (near Newport), Isle of Wight, England. Charles I was imprisoned at the castle in the months prior to his trial.
Early history
The site of Carisb ...
on the
Isle of Wight
The Isle of Wight ( ) is a county in the English Channel, off the coast of Hampshire, from which it is separated by the Solent. It is the largest and second-most populous island of England. Referred to as 'The Island' by residents, the Is ...
, which she held from the king as
tenant-in-chief
In medieval and early modern Europe, the term ''tenant-in-chief'' (or ''vassal-in-chief'') denoted a person who held his lands under various forms of feudal land tenure directly from the king or territorial prince to whom he did homage, as opp ...
.
She had six children, all of whom died before her. On her death bed, she was persuaded to sell the Isle of Wight to
King Edward I
Edward I (17/18 June 1239 – 7 July 1307), also known as Edward Longshanks and the Hammer of the Scots, was King of England and Lord of Ireland from 1272 to 1307. Concurrently, he ruled the duchies of Aquitaine and Gascony as a vassal o ...
, in a transaction that has ever since been considered questionable. Her heir to the feudal barony of Plympton was her cousin
Hugh de Courtenay, 1st/9th Earl of Devon
Hugh de Courtenay, 1st/9th Earl of Devon (14 September 1276 – 23 December 1340). of Tiverton Castle, Okehampton Castle, Plympton Castle and Colcombe Castle, all in Devon, feudal baron of Okehampton and feudal baron of Plympton, was an English n ...
(1276–1340),
[Sanders, p.138] feudal baron of Okehampton
The feudal barony of Okehampton was a very large feudal barony, the largest mediaeval fiefdom in the county of Devon, England,Thorn & Thorn, part 2, chapter 16 whose ''caput'' was Okehampton Castle and manor. It was one of eight feudal baronies ...
, Devon, who in 1335 was declared
Earl of Devon
Earl of Devon was created several times in the English peerage, and was possessed first (after the Norman Conquest of 1066) by the de Redvers (''alias'' de Reviers, Revieres, etc.) family, and later by the Courtenay family. It is not to be co ...
.
[Sanders, p.70]
Countess Wear, now a suburb of
Exeter
Exeter () is a city in Devon, South West England. It is situated on the River Exe, approximately northeast of Plymouth and southwest of Bristol.
In Roman Britain, Exeter was established as the base of Legio II Augusta under the personal comm ...
, is named after a
weir
A weir or low head dam is a barrier across the width of a river that alters the flow characteristics of water and usually results in a change in the height of the river level. Weirs are also used to control the flow of water for outlets of l ...
that she built on the
River Exe
The River Exe ( ) in England rises at Exe Head, near the village of Simonsbath, on Exmoor in Somerset, from the Bristol Channel coast, but flows more or less directly due south, so that most of its length lies in Devon. It flows for 60 mile ...
, and she is the subject of several legends and traditions.
Origins
She was the eldest daughter of
Baldwin de Redvers, 6th Earl of Devon
Baldwin de Redvers, 6th Earl of Devon (1217 – 15 February 1245), feudal baron of Plympton in Devon and Lord of the Isle of Wight, was the son of Baldwin de Redvers and Margaret FitzGerold and grandson of William de Redvers, 5th Earl of Devon.
...
(1217–1245), of
Tiverton Castle
Tiverton Castle is the remains of a medieval castle dismantled after the Civil War and thereafter converted in the 17th century into a country house. It occupies a defensive position above the banks of the River Exe at Tiverton in Devon.
Desc ...
in Devon, by his wife
Amice de Clare
Amice de Clare (c. 1220 – 1284) was the daughter of Gilbert de Clare, 4th Earl of Hertford and Isabel Marshal. She married, firstly, Baldwin de Redvers, 6th Earl of Devon, and secondly Robert de . She founded Buckland Abbey.
Family and chi ...
(c. 1220 – 1284), a daughter of
Gilbert de Clare, 4th Earl of Hertford, 5th Earl of Gloucester, 1st Lord of Glamorgan. Her early life was apparently spent at Tidcombe near her father's seat at Tiverton.
Marriage and issue
At the age of 11 or 12 she became the second wife of
William de Forz, 4th Earl of Albemarle (died 1260), who held land in Yorkshire and Cumberland and was
Count of Aumale
The County of Aumale, later elevated to a duchy, was a medieval fief in Normandy. It was disputed between England and France during parts of the Hundred Years' War.
Aumale in Norman nobility
Aumale was a medieval fief in the Duchy of Normandy and ...
in
Normandy
Normandy (; french: link=no, Normandie ; nrf, Normaundie, Nouormandie ; from Old French , plural of ''Normant'', originally from the word for "northman" in several Scandinavian languages) is a geographical and cultural region in Northwestern ...
. When he died in 1260, their children were
minors, so the
wardship
In law, a ward is a minor or incapacitated adult placed under the protection of a legal guardian or government entity, such as a court. Such a person may be referenced as a "ward of the court".
Overview
The wardship jurisdiction is an ancient ...
of his heir (whose name is not known), and his estates passed to the crown, namely King
Henry III. One-third of her late husband's estates were granted to Isabel as her
dower
Dower is a provision accorded traditionally by a husband or his family, to a wife for her support should she become widowed. It was settled on the bride (being gifted into trust) by agreement at the time of the wedding, or as provided by law. ...
, comprising one-third of the
feudal barony
A feudal baron is a vassal holding a heritable fief called a ''barony'', comprising a specific portion of land, granted by an overlord in return for allegiance and service. Following the end of European feudalism, feudal baronies have largely been ...
Holderness
Holderness is an area of the East Riding of Yorkshire, on the north-east coast of England. An area of rich agricultural land, Holderness was marshland until it was drained in the Middle Ages. Topographically, Holderness has more in common wit ...
, half of the feudal barony of
Cockermouth
Cockermouth is a market town and civil parish in the Borough of Allerdale in Cumbria, England, so named because it is at the confluence of the River Cocker as it flows into the River Derwent. The mid-2010 census estimates state that Cocke ...
, and the feudal barony of
Skipton
Skipton (also known as Skipton-in-Craven) is a market town and civil parish in the Craven district of North Yorkshire, England. Historically in the East Division of Staincliffe Wapentake in the West Riding of Yorkshire, it is on the Riv ...
. She was also granted custody of two of her younger sons, Thomas and William. The king granted to his own son and
heir apparent
An heir apparent, often shortened to heir, is a person who is first in an order of succession and cannot be displaced from inheriting by the birth of another person; a person who is first in the order of succession but can be displaced by the b ...
, Prince Edward (later
King Edward I
Edward I (17/18 June 1239 – 7 July 1307), also known as Edward Longshanks and the Hammer of the Scots, was King of England and Lord of Ireland from 1272 to 1307. Concurrently, he ruled the duchies of Aquitaine and Gascony as a vassal o ...
), the other two-thirds of the estates and the marriage of the heir.
She had six children by William de Forz, four sons and two daughters, who all predeceased her:
*John de Forz, predeceased his father and mother;
*Teron de Forz, predeceased his father and mother;
*Thomas de Forz (died before April 1269), predeceased his mother;
*William de Forz (died before April 1269), predeceased his mother;
*Avice de Forz (died before April 1269), daughter, predeceased her mother;
*
Aveline de Forz (1259–1274), who in 1269 married
Edmund Crouchback
Edmund, Earl of Lancaster and Earl of Leicester (16 January 12455 June 1296) nicknamed Edmund Crouchback was a member of the House of Plantagenet. He was the second surviving son of King Henry III of England and Eleanor of Provence. In his chi ...
, son of King
Henry III, but died childless four years later, aged 15,
predeceasing her mother.
Upon her father's death. Marrying William de Forz.
After his death she courted;
*Simon de Montfort. Despite the younger Simon de Montfort (second son of
Simon de Montfort, 6th Earl of Leicester
Simon de Montfort, 6th Earl of Leicester ( – 4 August 1265), later sometimes referred to as Simon V de Montfort to distinguish him from his namesake relatives, was a nobleman of French origin and a member of the English peerage, who led th ...
) having acquired the very valuable rights to her remarriage in 1264, (female
tenants-in-chief
In medieval and early modern Europe, the term ''tenant-in-chief'' (or ''vassal-in-chief'') denoted a person who held his lands under various forms of feudal land tenure directly from the king or territorial prince to whom he did homage, as oppos ...
or widows of such requiring royal licence to remarry) she refused to marry him and hid away in
Breamore Priory
Breamore Priory was a priory of Austin canons in Breamore, Hampshire, England.
Foundation
The priory was founded some time towards the end of the reign of Henry I by Baldwin de Redvers and his uncle Hugh de Redvers.
12th to 16th centuries
In t ...
in Hampshire and later in Wales.
*Edmund Crouchback, 1st Earl of Lancaster. In 1268 her marriage was granted to
Edmund Crouchback, 1st Earl of Lancaster, son of
King Henry III, but she refused to marry him either. Instead however, her daughter
Aveline de Forz (1258–1273) did marry Edmund in 1269, but died four years later, aged 15.
Widowhood
After the death of her husband in 1260, Isabel lived with her children and her mother, Amice de Clare, at
Burstwick
Burstwick is a village and civil parish in the Holderness region of the East Riding of Yorkshire, England. It is situated about east of Hull city centre. It lies on the B1362 road.
History
Burstwick is described as a ''caput'', or principal ...
in her barony of Holderness. Isabel and Amice jointly purchased the outstanding two-thirds of the
feudal barony
A feudal baron is a vassal holding a heritable fief called a ''barony'', comprising a specific portion of land, granted by an overlord in return for allegiance and service. Following the end of European feudalism, feudal baronies have largely been ...
of Holderness that Isabel did not already hold, and they administered the area jointly for some years.
Inheriting the Earldom of Devon
In 1262 Isabel's brother
Baldwin de Redvers, 7th Earl of Devon died and, subject to his widow's and his mother's dower rights, she inherited his lands in
Devon
Devon ( , historically known as Devonshire , ) is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in South West England. The most populous settlement in Devon is the city of Plymouth, followed by Devon's county town, the city of Exeter. Devo ...
,
Hampshire
Hampshire (, ; abbreviated to Hants) is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in western South East England on the coast of the English Channel. Home to two major English cities on its south coast, Southampton and Portsmouth, Hampshire ...
, the
Isle of Wight
The Isle of Wight ( ) is a county in the English Channel, off the coast of Hampshire, from which it is separated by the Solent. It is the largest and second-most populous island of England. Referred to as 'The Island' by residents, the Is ...
and
Harewood in Yorkshire. From then on she lived mainly at
Carisbrooke Castle
Carisbrooke Castle is a historic motte-and-bailey castle located in the village of Carisbrooke (near Newport), Isle of Wight, England. Charles I was imprisoned at the castle in the months prior to his trial.
Early history
The site of Carisb ...
on the Isle of Wight. She used titles including "Countess of Aumale and of Devon" and "Lady of the Isle", and in her surviving
charter
A charter is the grant of authority or rights, stating that the granter formally recognizes the prerogative of the recipient to exercise the rights specified. It is implicit that the granter retains superiority (or sovereignty), and that the re ...
s she is regularly referred to in the
Latinized form ''Isabella de Fortibus''.
In her mid-twenties, widowed for two years, then left with a rich dower, she was one of the richest heiresses in England, and a much-sought-after wife for several powerful and ambitious men. In 1264 Simon de Montfort (second son of
Simon de Montfort, 6th Earl of Leicester
Simon de Montfort, 6th Earl of Leicester ( – 4 August 1265), later sometimes referred to as Simon V de Montfort to distinguish him from his namesake relatives, was a nobleman of French origin and a member of the English peerage, who led th ...
) acquired the very valuable rights to her remarriage, having obtained the royal licence requisite for the remarriage of a female
tenant-in-chief
In medieval and early modern Europe, the term ''tenant-in-chief'' (or ''vassal-in-chief'') denoted a person who held his lands under various forms of feudal land tenure directly from the king or territorial prince to whom he did homage, as opp ...
. However, she refused to marry him and hid from him, at first in
Breamore Priory
Breamore Priory was a priory of Austin canons in Breamore, Hampshire, England.
Foundation
The priory was founded some time towards the end of the reign of Henry I by Baldwin de Redvers and his uncle Hugh de Redvers.
12th to 16th centuries
In t ...
in Hampshire, and later in Wales. Four years later, in November 1268, her marriage was granted to
Edmund Crouchback
Edmund, Earl of Lancaster and Earl of Leicester (16 January 12455 June 1296) nicknamed Edmund Crouchback was a member of the House of Plantagenet. He was the second surviving son of King Henry III of England and Eleanor of Provence. In his chi ...
, son of King
Henry III, but having refused him also. He married her daughter
Aveline de Forz (1259–1274) in 1269, but she died childless four years later, aged 15.
Many of Isabel's estate accounts from her long period of widowhood have survived and have been subjected to much study. Her ''net income'' in the 1260s is known to have risen by 2/3rds, from £1,500 to £2,500 (now equivalent to ).
From about 1274 her estates were being managed by
Adam de Stratton
Adam de Stratton (died 1292–94) was a royal moneylender, administrator and clergyman under Edward I of England. He advanced professionally through the patronage of the earls of Devon, and became Chamberlain of the Exchequer and steward of ...
, a notorious money-lender, in association with the
Tuscan bankers the
Riccardi family of
Lucca
Lucca ( , ) is a city and ''comune'' in Tuscany, Central Italy, on the Serchio River, in a fertile plain near the Ligurian Sea. The city has a population of about 89,000, while its province has a population of 383,957.
Lucca is known as one ...
. In 1276 she gave her office of
Chamberlain of the Exchequer
Chamberlain may refer to:
Profession
*Chamberlain (office), the officer in charge of managing the household of a sovereign or other noble figure
People
*Chamberlain (surname)
**Houston Stewart Chamberlain (1855–1927), German-British philosop ...
to Stratton, probably as a reward for his financial services, and he continued as her chief financial official until at least 1286. She apparently owned her own copy of the ''
Statutes of the Realm'' and being very
litigious
-
A lawsuit is a proceeding by a party or parties against another in the civil court of law. The archaic term "suit in law" is found in only a small number of laws still in effect today. The term "lawsuit" is used in reference to a civil acti ...
, with her advisers she prosecuted in the law courts dozens of cases, both civil and criminal.
Selling the Isle of Wight
It is known that King
Edward I
Edward I (17/18 June 1239 – 7 July 1307), also known as Edward Longshanks and the Hammer of the Scots, was King of England and Lord of Ireland from 1272 to 1307. Concurrently, he ruled the duchies of Aquitaine and Gascony as a vas ...
(1272–1307) had long wanted to acquire Isabel's estates. In 1276 he proposed that she should sell him the lands in southern England which she had inherited from her brother, but the conveyance was not completed. Following the death in 1274 of her daughter and last surviving
heir apparent
An heir apparent, often shortened to heir, is a person who is first in an order of succession and cannot be displaced from inheriting by the birth of another person; a person who is first in the order of succession but can be displaced by the b ...
, Aveline, a certain John de Eston was found (against expectations) by a jury at her
inquisition post mortem An Inquisition post mortem (abbreviated to Inq.p.m. or i.p.m., and formerly known as an escheat) (Latin, meaning "(inquisition) after death") is an English medieval or early modern record of the death, estate and heir of one of the king's tenants-i ...
to be Isabel's next heir. In 1278 this John de Eston
quit-claimed to the Crown her lands in the north and in the County of Aumale and its associated lands.
In 1293 King Edward I re-opened negotiations to acquire Isabel's southern lands, and while travelling from
Canterbury
Canterbury (, ) is a cathedral city and UNESCO World Heritage Site, situated in the heart of the City of Canterbury local government district of Kent, England. It lies on the River Stour.
The Archbishop of Canterbury is the primate of t ...
in Kent, Isabel was taken ill and stopped near
Lambeth
Lambeth () is a district in South London, England, in the London Borough of Lambeth, historically in the County of Surrey. It is situated south of Charing Cross. The population of the London Borough of Lambeth was 303,086 in 2011. The area e ...
in Surrey, opposite the
Palace of Westminster
The Palace of Westminster serves as the meeting place for both the House of Commons and the House of Lords, the two houses of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Informally known as the Houses of Parliament, the Palace lies on the north b ...
. One of Edward's favourite servants,
Walter Langton, who was a
clerk in chancery, rushed to her and drafted a charter to confirm the sale of the Isle of Wight to the king. It was read to the dying Isabel, who ordered her
Lady of the Bedchamber
Lady of the Bedchamber is the title of a lady-in-waiting holding the official position of personal attendant on a British queen regnant or queen consort. The position is traditionally held by the wife of a peer. They are ranked between the Mis ...
to seal it on her behalf. She died at nearby
Stockwell
Stockwell is a district in south west London, part of the London Borough of Lambeth, England. It is situated south of Charing Cross. Battersea, Brixton, Clapham, South Lambeth, Oval and Kennington all border Stockwell.
History
The name ...
in the early morning of 10 November 1293, aged 56, and was buried at
Breamore Priory
Breamore Priory was a priory of Austin canons in Breamore, Hampshire, England.
Foundation
The priory was founded some time towards the end of the reign of Henry I by Baldwin de Redvers and his uncle Hugh de Redvers.
12th to 16th centuries
In t ...
in Hampshire.
Succession
After Isabel's death, the feudal barony of Plympton
and eventually the Earldom of Devon passed to her 17-year-old second cousin once removed (Both shared common ancestry from
William de Redvers, 5th Earl of Devon
William de Redvers, 5th Earl of Devon (died 10 September 1217) (or de Reviers), of Tiverton Castle and Plympton Castle, both in Devon, was feudal baron of Plympton in Devon.
Origins
He was the son of Baldwin de Redvers, 1st Earl of Devon by his ...
(died 1217), Isabel's great-grandfather and Courtenay's great-great-grandfather)
Hugh de Courtenay, 9th Earl of Devon
Hugh de Courtenay, 1st/9th Earl of Devon (14 September 1276 – 23 December 1340). of Tiverton Castle, Okehampton Castle, Plympton Castle and Colcombe Castle, all in Devon, feudal baron of Okehampton and feudal baron of Plympton, was an English ...
(1276–1340),
feudal baron of Okehampton
The feudal barony of Okehampton was a very large feudal barony, the largest mediaeval fiefdom in the county of Devon, England,Thorn & Thorn, part 2, chapter 16 whose ''caput'' was Okehampton Castle and manor. It was one of eight feudal baronies ...
, Devon, who in 1335 was declared
Earl of Devon
Earl of Devon was created several times in the English peerage, and was possessed first (after the Norman Conquest of 1066) by the de Redvers (''alias'' de Reviers, Revieres, etc.) family, and later by the Courtenay family. It is not to be co ...
.
In 1315 he petitioned Parliament, unsuccessfully, claiming his right as Isabel's heir, to the
Lordship of the Isle of Wight and to the adjacent manor of
Christchurch
Christchurch ( ; mi, Ōtautahi) is the largest city in the South Island of New Zealand and the seat of the Canterbury Region. Christchurch lies on the South Island's east coast, just north of Banks Peninsula on Pegasus Bay. The Avon Rive ...
, part of the Feudal barony of Plympton.
Countess Wear, Exeter
Countess Wear, now a suburb of
Exeter
Exeter () is a city in Devon, South West England. It is situated on the River Exe, approximately northeast of Plymouth and southwest of Bristol.
In Roman Britain, Exeter was established as the base of Legio II Augusta under the personal comm ...
, takes its name from a
fish weir on the
River Exe
The River Exe ( ) in England rises at Exe Head, near the village of Simonsbath, on Exmoor in Somerset, from the Bristol Channel coast, but flows more or less directly due south, so that most of its length lies in Devon. It flows for 60 mile ...
, about two miles downstream of the ancient walled city, which Isabel de Forz is said to have built in the late 13th century. The details of the weir's construction are uncertain: a source of 1290 states that Isabel had it built in 1284 and thereby damaged the salmon fishing and prevented boats from reaching Exeter, but a later source of 1378 claims that she had had the weir built in 1272, leaving a thirty-foot gap in the centre through which boats could pass, until it was blocked between 1307 and 1327 by her cousin
Hugh de Courtenay, 9th Earl of Devon
Hugh de Courtenay, 1st/9th Earl of Devon (14 September 1276 – 23 December 1340). of Tiverton Castle, Okehampton Castle, Plympton Castle and Colcombe Castle, all in Devon, feudal baron of Okehampton and feudal baron of Plympton, was an English ...
.
Legends and traditions
Two legends exist which feature Isabel de Forz. One, that of the Seven Crosses, of which there are many variations, relates that she came across a poor man carrying a basket containing what he said were puppies, but which were in fact seven of his children whom he was going to drown because he could not afford to keep them. After severely upbraiding him for his lack of morality, Isabel adopted the children and ensured that they were looked after and well-educated until their adulthood when she found employment for all of them.
The other legend concerns the disputed boundary of four parishes in East Devon which she, as
Countess, was called upon to settle. She is said to have done this by arranging to meet the disputants on top of a marshy hill near the site whereupon she took off a ring from her finger and threw it into the middle of the bog declaring "that shall be the boundary". The place where these four parishes meet is called "Ring in the Mire".
Isabel is also said to have gifted in perpetuity a water supply to the inhabitants of
Tiverton, Devon
Tiverton ( ) is a town and civil parish in Devon, England, and the commercial and administrative centre of the Mid Devon district. The population in 2019 was 20,587.
History Early history
The town's name is conjectured to derive from "Twy-fo ...
. A ceremony to commemorate the gift, known as the
Perambulation of the Town Leat still takes place in the town every seven years. There was also a tradition that she was responsible for the planting of
Wistman's Wood
Wistman's Wood is one of three remote high-altitude oakwoods on Dartmoor, Devon, England.
Geography
The wood lies at an altitude of 380–410 metres in the valley of the West Dart River near Two Bridges, at grid reference SX612772.
The sourc ...
, a stand of ancient stunted oak trees high on
Dartmoor
Dartmoor is an upland area in southern Devon, England. The moorland and surrounding land has been protected by National Park status since 1951. Dartmoor National Park covers .
The granite which forms the uplands dates from the Carboniferous P ...
.
[ Citing Mrs. Bray (1838) ''Traditions, Legends, Superstitions and Sketches of Devonshire'', p. 102.]
Notes
External links
Inquisition Post Mortem#156, dated 1293.
References
Sources
*Sanders, I.J. ''English Baronies: A Study of their Origin and Descent 1086–1327'', Oxford, 1960.
Further reading
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Devon, Isabella De Forz, Countess Of
1237 births
1293 deaths
English countesses
Isabel
Isabel is a female name of Spanish origin. Isabelle is a name that is similar, but it is of French origin. It originates as the medieval Spanish form of '' Elisabeth'' (ultimately Hebrew ''Elisheva''), Arising in the 12th century, it became popul ...
13th-century women rulers