Baldwin of Clare ( fl. 1141) was the youngest son of

Gilbert Fitz Richard Gilbert Fitz Richard (–), 2nd feudal baron of Clare in Suffolk, and styled "de Tonbridge", was a powerful Anglo-Norman baron who was granted the Lordship of Cardigan, in Wales . Life Gilbert, born before 1066, was the second son and an heir ...

(

de Clare The House of Clare was a prominent Anglo-Norman noble house that held at various times the earldoms of Pembroke, Hertford and Gloucester in England and Wales, as well as playing a prominent role in the Norman invasion of Ireland. They were de ...

), of the elder branch of the line of Gilbert, count of Eu, grandson of Richard the Fearless. His mother was Adeliza, daughter of the count of Claremont, though

William of Jumièges William of Jumièges (born c. 1000 - died after 1070) (french: Guillaume de Jumièges) was a contemporary of the events of 1066, and one of the earliest writers on the subject of the Norman conquest of England. He is himself a shadowy figure, only ...

does not mention him among her sons. The manor of Clare, from which Baldwin and others of his family took their name, was one of the estates held by his grandfather Richard in Suffolk. Baldwin's father, Gilbert, received the grant of

Ceredigion Ceredigion ( , , ) is a county in the west of Wales, corresponding to the historic county of Cardiganshire. During the second half of the first millennium Ceredigion was a minor kingdom. It has been administered as a county since 1282. Cer ...

(Cardiganshire) from

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 ...

in 1107. On the death of Henry, Richard, the eldest brother of Baldwin, was slain, and his lands were harried by Morgan ap Owen. King Stephen gave Baldwin a large sum of money to enable him to hire troops for the relief of the lands of his house. Baldwin, however, retreated without, as it seems, striking a single blow. When, in 1141, Stephen's army was drawn up before the battle of Lincoln, the king, because his own voice was weak, deputed Baldwin to make a speech to the host. The Arundel MS. of the '' History of Henry of Huntingdon'' (twelfth or thirteenth century) contains an outline drawing of Baldwin addressing the royal army in the presence of the king. In this speech he set forth the goodness of the cause of Stephen and the evil character of his enemies, reviling

Robert, Earl of Gloucester Robert FitzRoy, 1st Earl of Gloucester (c. 1090 – 31 October 1147David Crouch, 'Robert, first earl of Gloucester (b. c. 1090, d. 1147)’, Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, 2004; online edn, May 200Retrieved ...

, as having the heart of a hare. In this battle, however, Baldwin fought bravely and received many wounds. He stood by the king to the last, and was taken prisoner with him. He was a benefactor of the

abbey of Bec An abbey is a type of monastery used by members of a religious order under the governance of an abbot or abbess. Abbeys provide a complex of buildings and land for religious activities, work, and housing of Christians, Christian monks and nuns ...

Richard Richard is a male given name. It originates, via Old French, from Old Frankish and is a compound of the words descending from Proto-Germanic ''*rīk-'' 'ruler, leader, king' and ''*hardu-'' 'strong, brave, hardy', and it therefore means 'stro ...

( Earl of Striguil), the invader of Ireland, was the son of his brother, Gilbert.

Family

Baldwin married Adeline de Rollos and had a daughter,Burke, J. (1831) ''A general and heraldic dictionary of the peerages ...'' Oxford University (vi
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Emma, who married Hugh Wake, and by him had sons Baldwin, Geoffrey and Hugh.

References

;Attribution {{DNB, wstitle=Baldwin of Clare 12th-century English people De Clare family Year of birth unknown Year of death unknown People of The Anarchy People from Clare, Suffolk