Raymond (or Redmond) Fitz William Fitz Gerald (died 1185–1198), nicknamed ''Le
Gros
Gros may refer to:
People
*Gros (surname)
* Gross (surname), the German variant of Gros
* Le Gros, the Norman variant of Gros
Other uses
* Gros (coinage), a type of 13th-century silver coinage of France
* Gros (grape), another name for Elbling, ...
'' ("the Large"), was a
Cambro-Norman
Cambro-Normans ( la, Cambria; "Wales", cy, Normaniaid Cymreig; nrf, Nouormands Galles) were Normans who settled in southern Wales, and the Welsh Marches, after the Norman invasion of Wales, allied with their counterpart families who settled E ...
commander during the
Norman invasion of Ireland
The Anglo-Norman invasion of Ireland took place during the late 12th century, when Anglo-Normans gradually conquered and acquired large swathes of land from the Irish, over which the kings of England then claimed sovereignty, all allegedly sanc ...
. Raymond was among the first of a small band of Norman
knights
A knight is a person granted an honorary title of knighthood by a head of state (including the Pope) or representative for service to the monarch, the Christian denomination, church or the country, especially in a military capacity. Knighthood ...
who landed on the South coast of Ireland before being reinforced by a larger force led by
Richard de Clare, 2nd Earl of Pembroke
Richard de Clare, 2nd Earl of Pembroke (of the first creation), Lord of Leinster, Justiciar of Ireland (113020 April 1176), also known as Richard FitzGilbert, was an Anglo-Norman nobleman notable for his leading role in the Anglo-Norman invasion ...
. He was active consolidating Norman rule over Ireland before he retired to his estates in
Waterford
"Waterford remains the untaken city"
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, pushpin_map = Ireland#Europe
, pushpin_map_caption = Location within Ireland##Location within Europe
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, coordinates ...
where he died in the late 12th century.
Family and youth
Raymond grew up in
Wales
Wales ( cy, Cymru ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is bordered by England to the Wales–England border, east, the Irish Sea to the north and west, the Celtic Sea to the south west and the ...
, and was a grandson of Princess
Nest ferch Rhys, daughter of
Rhys ap Tewdwr, the last independent Prince of South Wales. His father was William FitzGerald, Lord of Carew.
Career
He was sent by
Strongbow to
Ireland
Ireland ( ; ga, Éire ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe, north-western Europe. It is separated from Great Britain to its east by the North Channel (Grea ...
in 1170, and landed at Baginbun Head at the
Hook Peninsula
The Hook Peninsula is a peninsula in County Wexford, Ireland. It has been a gateway to south-east Ireland for successive waves of newcomers, including the Vikings, Anglo-Normans and the English.
The coastline has a number of beaches. The peninsu ...
, near
Waterford
"Waterford remains the untaken city"
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, pushpin_map = Ireland#Europe
, pushpin_map_caption = Location within Ireland##Location within Europe
, pushpin_relief = 1
, coordinates ...
, where he was besieged in his entrenchments by the combined Irish and
Ostmen, whom he repulsed. Although vastly outnumbered in this battle, (his cousin
Gerald of Wales
Gerald of Wales ( la, Giraldus Cambrensis; cy, Gerallt Gymro; french: Gerald de Barri; ) was a Cambro-Norman priest and English historians in the Middle Ages, historian. As a royal clerk to the king and two archbishops, he travelled widely and w ...
gives the numbers at 3000 Irish against Le Gros's forces of about 100 including 10 Knights) he won a resounding victory which he achieved by rounding up a nearby herd of cattle which his men had foraged and driving them headlong into the oncoming enemy ranks. The result was that about 1000 of the combined Galic and Hiberno-Norse force were either killed or captured.
He was Strongbow's second in command and had the chief share both in the capture of Waterford and in the successful assault on
Dublin
Dublin (; , or ) is the capital and largest city of Republic of Ireland, Ireland. On a bay at the mouth of the River Liffey, it is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Leinster, bordered on the south by the Dublin Mountains, a part of th ...
. He was sent to
Aquitaine
Aquitaine ( , , ; oc, Aquitània ; eu, Akitania; Poitevin-Saintongeais: ''Aguiéne''), archaic Guyenne or Guienne ( oc, Guiana), is a historical region of southwestern France and a former administrative region of the country. Since 1 January ...
to hand over Strongbow's conquests to
Henry II of England
Henry II (5 March 1133 – 6 July 1189), also known as Henry Curtmantle (french: link=no, Court-manteau), Henry FitzEmpress, or Henry Plantagenet, was King of England from 1154 until his death in 1189, and as such, was the first Angevin king ...
, but was back in Dublin in July 1171, when he led one of the sallies from the town. Strongbow later offended him when he refused to allow to marry his sister
Basilia de Clare who was the widow of Robert de Quincy. After that Raymond moved to
Wales
Wales ( cy, Cymru ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is bordered by England to the Wales–England border, east, the Irish Sea to the north and west, the Celtic Sea to the south west and the ...
and
Hervey de Mountmaurice became constable in his place.
At the outbreak of a general rebellion against the earl in 1174, Raymond returned with his uncle
Meiler FitzHenry
Meiler FitzHenry (sometimes spelled Meilyr; died 1220) was a Cambro-Norman nobleman and Lord Chief Justice of Ireland during the Lordship of Ireland.
Background and early life
Meilyr FitzHenry was the son of Henry FitzHenry, an illegitimate son ...
, after receiving a promise of marriage with Basilia. He brought about 450 men with him and relieved Strongbow who was under siege in Waterford. His marriage to Basilia finally took place in Wexford directly following this encounter. Reinstated as constable, he secured a series of successes including the capture of
Limerick
Limerick ( ; ga, Luimneach ) is a western city in Ireland situated within County Limerick. It is in the province of Munster and is located in the Mid-West which comprises part of the Southern Region. With a population of 94,192 at the 2016 ...
city in October 1175. Mountmaurice meanwhile obtained Raymond's recall on the ground that his power threatened the royal authority, but the constable was delayed by a fresh outbreak at Limerick, the earl's troops refusing to march without him. On the death of Strongbow, he acted as governor until the arrival of
William FitzAldelm
William FitzAldelm, FitzAdelm, FitzAldhelm, or FitzAudelin was a Anglo-Norman nobleman from Suffolk or North Yorkshire. He was the son of Adelm de Burgate, and an important courtier who took part in the Norman invasion of Ireland.
Courtier
In 1165 ...
, to whom he handed over the royal fortresses. He was deprived of his estates near Dublin and
Wexford
Wexford () is the county town of County Wexford, Ireland. Wexford lies on the south side of Wexford Harbour, the estuary of the River Slaney near the southeastern corner of the island of Ireland. The town is linked to Dublin by the M11/N11 N ...
, but the
Geraldines
The FitzGerald/FitzMaurice Dynasty is a noble and aristocratic dynasty of Cambro-Norman, Anglo-Norman and later Hiberno-Norman origin. They have been peers of Ireland since at least the 13th century, and are described in the Annals of the ...
secured the recall of FitzAldelm early in 1183, and regained their power and influence. In 1182 he relieved his half-uncle
Robert Fitz-Stephen
Robert FitzStephen (died 1183) was a Cambro-Norman soldier, one of the leaders of the Norman invasion of Ireland, for which he was granted extensive lands in Ireland. He was a son of the famous Nest, daughter of Rhys ap Tewdwr, the last king of ...
, who was besieged in
Cork
Cork or CORK may refer to:
Materials
* Cork (material), an impermeable buoyant plant product
** Cork (plug), a cylindrical or conical object used to seal a container
***Wine cork
Places Ireland
* Cork (city)
** Metropolitan Cork, also known as G ...
. In 1185, his first cousin
Philip de Barry
Philip de Barry (fl. 1183), was a Cambro-Norman warrior from Manorbier in Pembrokeshire who participated in the colonisation of Kingdom of Desmond following the Norman invasion of Ireland. He was the founder of the Barry or De Barry family in Cou ...
, son of
William FitzOdo de Barry came to Ireland to assist in the recovery of some
cantreds in the
Kingdom of Desmond
The Kingdom of Desmond () was a historic kingdom in southwestern Ireland. It was founded in 1118 by Tadhg Mac Cárthaigh, King of Munster when the Treaty of Glanmire formally divided the Kingdom of Munster into Desmond and Thomond (, "North ...
.
Death and legacy
The time of his death is not certain. He was certainly alive when
John of England
John (24 December 1166 – 19 October 1216) was King of England from 1199 until his death in 1216. He lost the Duchy of Normandy and most of his other French lands to King Philip II of France, resulting in the collapse of the Angevin Emp ...
came to Ireland in 1185.
Gerald of Wales
Gerald of Wales ( la, Giraldus Cambrensis; cy, Gerallt Gymro; french: Gerald de Barri; ) was a Cambro-Norman priest and English historians in the Middle Ages, historian. As a royal clerk to the king and two archbishops, he travelled widely and w ...
did not record his death in his ''Expugnatio Hibernica'' which was finished in 1189. His widow Basilia married Geoffrey FitzRobert at some time between 1198 and 1201. According to tradition he was buried in
Molana Abbey.
He is described by
Giraldus Cambrensis
Gerald of Wales ( la, Giraldus Cambrensis; cy, Gerallt Gymro; french: Gerald de Barri; ) was a Cambro-Norman priest and historian. As a royal clerk to the king and two archbishops, he travelled widely and wrote extensively. He studied and taugh ...
as
"very stout, and a little above the middle height; his hair was yellow and curly, and he had large, grey round eyes. His nose was rather prominent, his countenance high-coloured, cheerful, and pleasant; and, although he was somewhat corpulent, he was so lively and active that the incumbrance was not a blemish or inconvenience. Such was his care of his troops that he passed whole nights without sleep, going the rounds of the guards himself, and challenging the sentinels to keep them on the alert. . . He was prudent and temperate, not effeminate in either his food or his dress. He was a liberal, kind, and circumspect man; and although a daring soldier and consummate general, even in military affairs prudence was his highest quality."
Raymond is considered the soldier, whereas Strongbow was the statesman, of the conquest.
Raymond is also remembered in song. The song contains a detailed hymn, and stylized him a hero:
Dirrai vus de un Chevaler,
Reymund le Gros l'oï nomer.
Barun esteit icIL vaillant,
Vassal hardi e conquerant.
Asez ert riches Manant e
E le plus puissant de ses pers.
Conestable est Reymun
De la Leynestere regïun.
Chevalers retint e bone gent
par le commandement Cunte.
Chevalers tint e souders,
Archers, serjanz e poigners,
Pur mettre a hunte ea Bellei
De Yrlande les enemis le rei.[Lines 3352–3367]
:Translated: ''I will tell you of a knight, named Raymond le Gros. He was a brave Baron, a brave and victorious follower. He was very rich and powerful, counting the mightiest to its peers. Raymond Constable is the region of Leinster. He holds the knights and good men under the command of Count. He recruited soldiers and knights, archers, infantry and mercenaries to hunt the king's enemies in Ireland and to shame.''
Ancestry
Notes
References
*
*
*
*
*
*
Attribution:
*
Further reading
* All four original volumes in one.
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:FitzGerald, Raymond
Year of death uncertain
Anglo-Normans
Normans in Ireland
Anglo-Normans in Wales
Norman warriors
People from County Waterford
People from Pembrokeshire
Raymond
Raymond is a male given name. It was borrowed into English from French (older French spellings were Reimund and Raimund, whereas the modern English and French spellings are identical). It originated as the Germanic ᚱᚨᚷᛁᚾᛗᚢᚾᛞ ( ...
Year of birth unknown