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William de Warenne, 2nd Earl of Surrey (died 11 May 1138) was the son of
William de Warenne, 1st Earl of Surrey
William de Warenne, 1st Earl of Surrey, Lord of Lewes, Seigneur de Varennes (died 1088), was a Norman nobleman created Earl of Surrey under William II Rufus. He is among the few known from documents to have fought under William the Conqueror ...
and his first wife
Gundred
Gundred or Gundreda (Latin: Gundrada) (died 27 May 1085)G. E. Cokayne, ''The Complete Peerage'', vol. xii/1 (The St. Catherine Press, London, 1953), p. 494 was the Flemish-born wife of an early Norman baron, William de Warenne, 1st Earl of Surr ...
. He was more often referred to as ''Earl Warenne'' or ''Earl of Warenne'' than as
Earl of Surrey
Earl of Surrey is a title in the Peerage of England that has been created five times. It was first created for William de Warenne, 1st Earl of Surrey, William de Warenne, a close Companions of William the Conqueror, companion of William the Con ...
.
[G. E. Cokayne, ''The Complete Peerage'', Vol. XII/1 (The St. Catherine Press, London, 1953) p. 495]
Life
His father, the 1st Earl, was one of the
Conqueror's most trusted and most rewarded barons who, at his death in 1088, was the 3rd or 4th richest magnate in England.
[C. Warren Hollister, 'The Taming of a Turbulent Earl: Henry I and William of Warenne', ''Historical Reflections'', Vol. 3 (1976), p. 87] In 1088 William II inherited his father's lands in England and his Norman estates including the castles of
Mortemer and
Bellencombre
Bellencombre is a commune in the Seine-Maritime department in the Normandy region in northern France.
Geography
A forestry and farming village situated by the banks of the river Varenne in the Pays de Bray, some south of Dieppe at the junction ...
in
Haute-Normandy. But William II was not as disposed to serve the king as his father was.
In January 1091, William assisted
Hugh de Grandmesnil
Hugh de Grandmesnil (1032 – 22 February 1098), (known in French as ''Hugues'' and Latinised as ''Hugo de Grentmesnil'', aliter ''Grentemesnil'', etc.), is one of the proven companions of William the Conqueror known to have fought at the Battle ...
(died 1094) in his defence of Courcy against the forces of
Robert de Belleme and Duke Robert of Normandy. In 1093 he attempted to marry
Matilda (or Edith), daughter of king
Malcolm III of Scotland
Malcolm III ( mga, Máel Coluim mac Donnchada, label=Medieval Gaelic; gd, Maol Chaluim mac Dhonnchaidh; died 13 November 1093) was King of Scotland from 1058 to 1093. He was later nicknamed "Canmore" ("ceann mòr", Gaelic, literally "big head" ...
. She instead married
Henry I of England
Henry I (c. 1068 – 1 December 1135), also known as Henry Beauclerc, was King of England from 1100 to his death in 1135. He was the fourth son of William the Conqueror and was educated in Latin and the liberal arts. On William's death in ...
, and this may have been the cause of William's great dislike of
Henry I Henry I may refer to:
876–1366
* Henry I the Fowler, King of Germany (876–936)
* Henry I, Duke of Bavaria (died 955)
* Henry I of Austria, Margrave of Austria (died 1018)
* Henry I of France (1008–1060)
* Henry I the Long, Margrave of the ...
, which motivated him in the following years.
[C. Warren Hollister, 'The Taming of a Turbulent Earl: Henry I and William of Warenne', ''Historical Reflections''. Vol. 3 (1976) p. 87]
When
Robert Curthose, Duke of Normandy invaded England 1101 William joined him.
[''The Ecclesiastical History of Orderic Vitalis'', ed. ]Marjorie Chibnall
Marjorie McCallum Chibnall (27 September 1915 – 23 June 2012) was an English historian, medievalist and Latin translator. She edited the ''Historia Ecclesiastica'' by Orderic Vitalis, with whom she shared the same birthplace of Atcham in Shr ...
, Vol. 2 (Clarendon Press, Oxford, 1990), p.785 But when Curthose promptly surrendered to Henry I, William lost his English lands and titles and was exiled to
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 ...
.
There he complained to Curthose that he had expended great effort on the duke's behalf and in return lost all of his English possessions. Curthose's return to England in 1103 was apparently made to convince his brother, the king, to restore William's earldom. This was successful, though Curthose had to give up his 3000 mark annual pension he had received after the 1101 invasion, after which William's lands and titles were restored to him.
To further insure William's loyalty Henry considered marrying him to one of his many illegitimate daughters. Archbishop
Anselm of Canterbury
Anselm of Canterbury, OSB (; 1033/4–1109), also called ( it, Anselmo d'Aosta, link=no) after his birthplace and (french: Anselme du Bec, link=no) after his monastery, was an Italian Benedictine monk, abbot, philosopher and theologian of th ...
forbade the marriage based on the couple being related in the 4th generation on one side, and in the 6th generation on the other. William was one of the commanders on Henry's side (against Robert Curthose) at the
Battle of Tinchebray
The Battle of Tinchebray (alternative spellings: Tinchebrai or Tenchebrai) took place on 28 September 1106, in Tinchebray (today in the Orne ''département'' of France), Normandy, between an invading force led by King Henry I of England, and th ...
in 1106. Afterwards, with his loyalty thus proven, he became more prominent in Henry's court.
In 1110, Curthose's son
William Clito
William Clito (25 October 110228 July 1128) was a member of the House of Normandy who ruled the County of Flanders from 1127 until his death and unsuccessfully claimed the Duchy of Normandy. As the son of Robert Curthose, the eldest son of William ...
escaped along with
Helias of Saint-Saens
Helias of Saint Saens (?–1128),Stephanie L. Mooers, "Backers and Stabbers": Problems of Loyalty in Robert Curthose's Entourage, ''Journal of British Studies'', Vol. 21, No. 1, (Autumn, 1981). p. 17 Count of Arques was a Norman magnate of the el ...
, and afterwards Warenne received the forfeited Saint-Saens lands, which were very near his own in upper Normandy. In this way king Henry further assured his loyalty, for the successful return of Clito would mean at the very least Warenne's loss of this new territory.
He fought for Henry I at the
Battle of Bremule
A battle is an occurrence of combat in warfare between opposing military units of any number or size. A war usually consists of multiple battles. In general, a battle is a military engagement that is well defined in duration, area, and force ...
in 1119.
William, the second Earl of Surrey was present at Henry's deathbed in 1135.
After the king's death disturbances broke out in Normandy and William was sent to guard Rouen and the Pays de Caux.
William was a donor to a number of priories, with his donations being mentioned in charters issued between 1130 and 1138 to
Longueville Priory Longueville may refer to:
Places
France
*Longueville, Calvados, in the Calvados department
*Longueville, Lot-et-Garonne, in the Lot-et-Garonne department
* Longueville, Manche, in the Manche department
*Longueville, Pas-de-Calais, in the Pas-de-C ...
near Rouen, Normandy and to the priory of Bellencombre (also near Rouen) in 1135. His sons and his wife were witnesses to many of these charters.
William's death is recorded as 11-May-1138 in the register of
Lewes Priory
Lewes Priory is a part-demolished medieval Cluniac priory in Lewes, East Sussex in the United Kingdom. The ruins have been designated a Grade I listed building.
History
The Priory of St Pancras was the first Cluniac house in England and h ...
and he was buried at his father's feet at the
Chapter house
A chapter house or chapterhouse is a building or room that is part of a cathedral, monastery or collegiate church in which meetings are held. When attached to a cathedral, the cathedral chapter meets there. In monasteries, the whole communi ...
there.
[G. E. Cokayne, ''The Complete Peerage'', Vol. XII/1 (The St. Catherine Press, London, 1953) p. 496] His wife, the countess Elizabeth, survived him, dying before July 1147.
Family
In 1118, William finally acquired the royal-blooded bride he desired when he married
Elizabeth of Vermandois. She was a daughter of
Hugh I, Count of Vermandois
Hugh, Count of Vermandois (1057 – October 18, 1101), called the Great (french: Hugues le Grand, la, Hugo Magnus) was the first count of Vermandois from the House of Capet. He is known primarily for being one of the leaders of First Crusade. His ...
and granddaughter of
Henry I, King of France, as well as the widow of
Robert de Beaumont, 1st Earl of Leicester
Robert de Beaumont, 1st Earl of Leicester, Count of Meulan ( – 5 June 1118), also known as Robert of Meulan, was a powerful Norman nobleman, one of the very few proven Companions of William the Conqueror during the Norman Conquest of England ...
.
By his wife Elizabeth, he had three sons and two daughters:
*
William de Warenne, 3rd Earl of Surrey
William de Warenne, 3rd Earl of Surrey (11196 January 1148) was an Anglo-Norman nobleman, member of the House of Warenne, who fought in England during the Anarchy and generally remained loyal to King Stephen. Elisabeth van Houts, 'The Warenne ...
[''Early Yorkshire Charters'', Vol. VIII - The Honour of Warenne (The Yorkshire Archaeological Society, 1949) pp. 27-8]
*
Reginald de Warenne
Reginald de Warenne (sometimes Rainald de Warenne; between 1121 and 1126 – 1179) was an Anglo-Norman nobleman and royal official. The third son of an earl, Reginald began his career as an administrator of his brother's estates, and contin ...
, who inherited his father's property in upper Normandy, including the castles of
Bellencombre
Bellencombre is a commune in the Seine-Maritime department in the Normandy region in northern France.
Geography
A forestry and farming village situated by the banks of the river Varenne in the Pays de Bray, some south of Dieppe at the junction ...
and
Morteme.
He married Alice de Wormegay, daughter of William de Wormegay, Lord of
Wormegay
Wormegay is a civil parish in the English county of Norfolk. The village is situated some south of King's Lynn and west of Norwich.Ordnance Survey (1999). ''OS Explorer Map 236 - King's Lynn, Downham Market & Swaffham''. .
It covers an area o ...
in Norfolk, by whom he had a son,
William de Warenne (founder of the priory of Wormegay),
whose daughter and sole heir, Beatrice de Warenne, married firstly, Doun, Lord Bardolf, and secondly,
Hubert de Burgh
Hubert de Burgh, Earl of Kent (; ; ; c.1170 – before 5 May 1243) was an English nobleman who served as Justiciar, Chief Justiciar of England and Ireland during the reigns of King John, King of England, John and of his son and successor Kin ...
. Reginald was one of the persecutors of Archbishop
Thomas Becket
Thomas Becket (), also known as Saint Thomas of Canterbury, Thomas of London and later Thomas à Becket (21 December 1119 or 1120 – 29 December 1170), was an English nobleman who served as Lord Chancellor from 1155 to 1162, and then ...
in 1170.
*
Ralph de Warenne[''Early Yorkshire Charters'', Vol. VIII - The Honour of Warenne (The Yorkshire Archaeological Society, 1949) pp. 10-11]
* Gundred de Warenne,
who married firstly,
Roger de Beaumont, 2nd Earl of Warwick
Roger de Beaumont, 2nd Earl of Warwick (c. 1102 – 12 June 1153) was the elder son of Henry de Beaumont, 1st Earl of Warwick and Margaret (d. after 1156), daughter of Geoffroy, Count of PercheDavid, Crouch"Roger, second earl of Warwick" ''Oxford ...
, and secondly,
William de Lancaster, Lord of Kendal, and is most remembered for expelling
King Stephen's garrison from
Warwick Castle
Warwick Castle is a medieval castle developed from a wooden fort, originally built by William the Conqueror during 1068. Warwick is the county town of Warwickshire, England, situated on a meander of the River Avon. The original wooden motte-an ...
.
*
Ada de Warenne
Ada de Warenne (or Adeline de Varenne) ( 1120 – 1178) was the Anglo-Norman wife of Henry of Scotland, Earl of Northumbria and Earl of Huntingdon. She was the daughter of William de Warenne, 2nd Earl of Surrey by Elizabeth of Vermandois, an ...
, who married
Henry of Scotland, 3rd Earl of Huntingdon
Henry of Scotland (''Eanric mac Dabíd'', 1114 – 12 June 1152) was heir apparent to the Kingdom of Alba. He was also the 3rd Earl of Northumbria and the 3rd Earl of Huntingdon. He was the son of King David I of Scotland and Queen Maud, 2nd Cou ...
, and was the mother of two Scottish kings. She made many grants to the priory of
Lewes
Lewes () is the county town of East Sussex, England. It is the police and judicial centre for all of Sussex and is home to Sussex Police, East Sussex Fire & Rescue Service, Lewes Crown Court and HMP Lewes. The civil parish is the centre of ...
.
[''Early Yorkshire Charters'', ed: William Farrer, Charles Travis Clay, Volume VIII - The Honour of Warenne (The Yorkshire Archaeological Society, 1949), p. 11]
Ancestry
References
Sources
*
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:de Warenne, William, 02 Earl of Surrey
11th-century births
1138 deaths
11th-century English nobility
12th-century English nobility
Anglo-Normans
Norman warriors
102 102 may refer to:
* 102 (number), the number
* AD 102, a year in the 2nd century AD
* 102 BC, a year in the 2nd century BC
* 102 (ambulance service), an emergency medical transport service in Uttar Pradesh, India
* 102 (Clyde) Field Squadron, Royal ...
Burials at Lewes Priory
William
William is a male given name of Germanic origin.Hanks, Hardcastle and Hodges, ''Oxford Dictionary of First Names'', Oxford University Press, 2nd edition, , p. 276. It became very popular in the English language after the Norman conquest of Engl ...