William de Beauchamp, 9th Earl of Warwick (c. 1238 – 1298) was the eldest of eight children of William de Beauchamp of Elmley and his wife Isabel de Mauduit. He was an English nobleman and soldier, described as a “vigorous and innovative military commander." He was active in the field against the Welsh for many years, and at the end of his life campaigned against the Scots.

Career

He became hereditary High Sheriff of Worcestershire for life on the death of his father in 1268.{{cn, date=January 2023 He was a close friend of

Edward I of England 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 va ...

, and was an important leader in Edward's invasion of

Wales Wales ( cy, Cymru ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is bordered by England to the east, the Irish Sea to the north and west, the Celtic Sea to the south west and the Bristol Channel to the south. It had a population in ...

in 1277. In 1294, he raised the siege of Conwy Castle, where the King had been penned in, crossing the estuary. He was victorious on 5 March 1295 at the

battle of Maes Moydog The Battle of Maes Moydog was a battle that took place at the field of Moydog ( cy, Maidog, also ''Meidiog'') on 5 March 1295 during the revolt of Madog ap Llywelyn and others against English rule, near the modern-day town of Llanfair Caereinio ...

against the rebel

prince of Wales Prince of Wales ( cy, Tywysog Cymru, ; la, Princeps Cambriae/Walliae) is a title traditionally given to the heir apparent to the English and later British throne. Prior to the conquest by Edward I in the 13th century, it was used by the rule ...

Madog ap Llywelyn Madog ap Llywelyn (died after 1312) was the leader of the Welsh revolt of 1294–95 against English rule in Wales and proclaimed "Prince of Wales". The revolt was surpassed in longevity only by the revolt of Owain Glyndŵr in the 15th century. Ma ...

. In a night attack on the Welsh infantry he used cavalry to drive them into compact formations which were then shot up by his archers and charged.

Family

His father was

William (III) de Beauchamp William III de Beauchamp (c. 1215 – 1269) of Elmley Castle in Worcestershire, was an English Baron and hereditary Sheriff of Worcestershire. Origins He was the son and heir of Walter II de Beauchamp (1192/3-1236) of Elmley Castle, hereditary S ...

of Elmley Castle,

Worcestershire Worcestershire ( , ; written abbreviation: Worcs) is a county in the West Midlands of England. The area that is now Worcestershire was absorbed into the unified Kingdom of England in 927, at which time it was constituted as a county (see H ...

, and his mother was Isabel de Mauduit, sister and heiress of William Mauduit, 8th Earl of Warwick, from whom he inherited his title in 1268. He had a sister, Sarah, who married Richard Talbot. He had a brother, Walter de Beauchamp of Powyke & Alcester, (d. 1303) who married both Alice de Bohun & Alice de Toeni. He married

Maud FitzJohn Maud FitzJohn, Countess of Warwick (c. 1238 – 16/18 April 1301) was an English noblewoman and the eldest daughter of John FitzGeoffrey, Lord of Shere. Her second husband was William de Beauchamp, 9th Earl of Warwick, a celebrated soldier. ...

. Their children included: * Isabella de Beauchamp, who married firstly Sir Patrick de Chaworth and, secondly,

Hugh le Despenser, 1st Earl of Winchester Hugh le Despenser (1 March 126127 October 1326), sometimes referred to as "the Elder Despenser", was for a time the chief adviser to King Edward II of England. He was created a baron in 1295 and Earl of Winchester in 1322. One day after being ...

Guy de Beauchamp, 10th Earl of Warwick Guy de Beauchamp, 10th Earl of Warwick (c. 127212 August 1315) was an English magnate, and one of the principal opponents of King Edward II and his favourite, Piers Gaveston. Guy was the son of William de Beauchamp, the first Beauchamp earl ...

(c.1272-1315), who married Alice de Toeni, widow of Thomas de Leybourne and sister and heiress of Robert de Toeni/Tosny (d.1309),

feudal baron 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 Flamstead in Hertfordshire.Sanders, I.J. English Baronies: A Study of their Origin and Descent 1086-1327, Oxford, 1960, p.118

Ancestry

{{ahnentafel , collapsed=yes , align=center , title=Ancestors of William de Beauchamp, 9th Earl of Warwick , boxstyle_1 = background-color: #fcc; , boxstyle_2 = background-color: #fb9; , boxstyle_3 = background-color: #ffc; , boxstyle_4 = background-color: #bfc; , boxstyle_5 = background-color: #9fe; , 1 = 1. William de Beauchamp, 9th Earl of Warwick , 2 = 2.

, 3 = 3. Isabel de Mauduit , 4 = 4. Walter de Beauchamp (justice) , 5 = 5. Johanna de Mortimer , 6 = 6. William Mauduit, Baron Mauduit , 7 = 7. Alice de Beaumont , 8 = 8. William (II) de Beauchamp , 10 = 10. Roger de Mortimer of Wigmore , 11 = 11. Isabel de Ferrers , 12 = 12. Robert Mauduit , 13 = 13. Isabel Basset , 14 = 14. Waleran de Beaumont, 4th Earl of Warwick , 15 = 15. Alice de Harcourt , 16 = 16. William (I) de Beauchamp , 20 = 20. Hugh de Mortimer , 21 = 21. Maud le Meschin , 24 = 24. William Mauduit , 25 = 25. Isabel de Senlis , 28 = 28. Roger de Beaumont, 2nd Earl of Warwick , 29 = 29. Gundred de Warenne , 30 = 30. Robert de Harcourt , 31 = 31. Isabel de Camville

References

{{Reflist, 35em {{s-start {{s-reg, en {{succession box , before= William Mauduit , title=

Earl of Warwick Earl of Warwick is one of the most prestigious titles in the peerages of the United Kingdom. The title has been created four times in English history, and the name refers to Warwick Castle and the town of Warwick. Overview The first creation ...

, years=1268–1298, after= Guy de Beauchamp {{s-end {{DEFAULTSORT:de Beauchamp, William, 9th Earl of Warwick 1238 births 1298 deaths 13th-century English nobility Earls of Warwick (1088 creation) High Sheriffs of Worcestershire

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 ...