Walter de Clifford (died 1263) feudal baron of Clifford in

Herefordshire Herefordshire () is a county in the West Midlands of England, governed by Herefordshire Council. It is bordered by Shropshire to the north, Worcestershire to the east, Gloucestershire to the south-east, and the Welsh counties of Monmouthsh ...

, was a Welsh

Marcher Lord A Marcher lord () was a noble appointed by the king of England to guard the border (known as the Welsh Marches) between England and Wales. A Marcher lord was the English equivalent of a margrave (in the Holy Roman Empire) or a marquis (in ...

during the reign of King

John John is a common English name and surname: * John (given name) * John (surname) John may also refer to: New Testament Works * Gospel of John, a title often shortened to John * First Epistle of John, often shortened to 1 John * Secon ...

(1199–1216).

Family

Walter de Clifford was born before 1190, the son of

Walter de Clifford (died 1221) Walter de Clifford (c. 1160 – 17 January 1221) was a Welsh Marcher Lord, feudal baron of Clifford of Clifford Castle in Herefordshire and High Sheriff in England. He was born in Clifford Castle, Herefordshire Herefordshire () is a cou ...

and Agnes Cundy (de Condet). He died before 20 December 1263. He had at least four brothers,

Roger Roger is a given name, usually masculine, and a surname. The given name is derived from the Old French personal names ' and '. These names are of Germanic origin, derived from the elements ', ''χrōþi'' ("fame", "renown", "honour") and ', ' ( ...

, Giles, Richard and Simon, as well as sisters, Maud, Basilia and Cecilia.

History

He took over Clifford barony in 1208 on the disgrace of his father, who appeared disloyal to King

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 ...

who was then in dispute with Walter's lord for Bronllys,

William de Braose, 4th Lord of Bramber William de Braose, (or William de Briouze), 4th Lord of Bramber (1144/1153 – 9 August 1211), court favourite of King John of England, at the peak of his power, was also Lord of Gower, Abergavenny, Brecknock, Builth, Radnor, Kington, L ...

. Walter's first marriage proved barren and he married Margaret, the daughter of Prince

Llywelyn ab Iorwerth Llywelyn the Great ( cy, Llywelyn Fawr, ; full name Llywelyn mab Iorwerth; c. 117311 April 1240) was a King of Gwynedd in north Wales and eventually " Prince of the Welsh" (in 1228) and "Prince of Wales" (in 1240). By a combination of war and d ...

, late in life during 1232 following the accidental death of her first husband, John de Braose. During baronial discontent he rebelled against King Henry III in 1233 and surrendered after

Clifford Castle Clifford Castle is a ruined castle in the village of Clifford which lies 2.5 miles to the north-east of Hay-on-Wye in the Wye Valley in Herefordshire, England (). It was the ''caput'' of the feudal barony of Clifford, a Marcher Lordship (owing a ...

had been reduced by the king. He then joined the king, defending Bronllys Castle in a war against his father-in-law,

who was at the time besieging nearby

Brecon Brecon (; cy, Aberhonddu; ), archaically known as Brecknock, is a market town in Powys, mid Wales. In 1841, it had a population of 5,701. The population in 2001 was 7,901, increasing to 8,250 at the 2011 census. Historically it was the coun ...

. Twenty years later he nearly rebelled again in a dispute with the king over his Marcher franchises during which he forced a royal messenger to eat a royal writ, which included the wax seal. With Margaret he left one daughter, Maud, as his sole heiress. She married firstly William Longespée, grandson of the 3rd Earl of Salisbury, and secondly John Giffard of Brimsfield.

References

*Remfry, P.M., ''Clifford Castle, 1066 to 1299'' () 1263 deaths 13th-century English people Anglo-Normans Anglo-Normans in Wales English soldiers Norman warriors People from Brecknockshire People from Powys Year of birth unknown {{England-baron-stub