Theobald de Verdun (1278–1316) was the second and eldest surviving son of Theobald de Verdun, 1st Baron Verdun, of Alton,

Staffordshire Staffordshire (; postal abbreviation ''Staffs''.) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in the West Midlands (region), West Midlands of England. It borders Cheshire to the north-west, Derbyshire and Leicestershire to the east, ...

, and his wife Margery de Bohun. The elder Theobald was the son of John de Verdon, otherwise Le Botiller, of Alton,

, who was killed in Ireland in 1278. John, in turn, was the son of Theobald le Botiller and

Roesia de Verdun Roesia de Verdun (c. 1204 - 10 February 1247), also spelled ''Rohese'' and ''Rose'', was a Norman '' femme sole'' heiress, and one of the most powerful women of Ireland in the 13th century. Biography Very little is known about the early life of ...

. Roesia was the daughter of Nicholas de Verdun, who was the son of Bertram III de Verdun. When King Henry II of England invaded

Ireland Ireland (, ; ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe. Geopolitically, the island is divided between the Republic of Ireland (officially Names of the Irish state, named Irelan ...

in 1171, this Bertram was appointed

Seneschal The word ''seneschal'' () can have several different meanings, all of which reflect certain types of supervising or administering in a historic context. Most commonly, a seneschal was a senior position filled by a court appointment within a royal, ...

for the undertaking, that is to say, he was responsible for provisions and stores. The Verdun family became major landowners in Ireland, especially in

County Louth County Louth ( ; ) is a coastal Counties of Ireland, county in the Eastern and Midland Region of Republic of Ireland, Ireland, within the Provinces of Ireland, province of Leinster. Louth is bordered by the counties of County Meath, Meath to the ...

and

County Meath County Meath ( ; or simply , ) is a Counties of Ireland, county in the Eastern and Midland Region of Republic of Ireland, Ireland, within the Provinces of Ireland, province of Leinster. It is bordered by County Dublin to the southeast, County ...

. Thomas lived mainly in Ireland, and held the office of Justiciar of Ireland in 1314–15. His three brothers rebelled against the

Crown A crown is a traditional form of head adornment, or hat, worn by monarchs as a symbol of their power and dignity. A crown is often, by extension, a symbol of the monarch's government or items endorsed by it. The word itself is used, parti ...

in 1312–13, but Theobald himself seems to have remained loyal. Theobald married as his first wife Maud (otherwise 'Matilda') Mortimer, daughter of Edmund Mortimer, 2nd Baron Mortimer and Margaret Fiennes / de Fenlas. * John de Verdun. Died young, unmarried and without issue. * William de Verdun. Died young, unmarried and without issue. * Joan de Verdun. Married 1st William de Montacute, who died before the marriage was consummated. She married secondly Thomas de Furnival, 2nd Baron Furnivall, of

Hallamshire Hallamshire (or Hallam) is the historical name for an area of South Yorkshire, England, approximating to the current City of Sheffield local government area. The origin of the name is uncertain. The English Place-Name Society describe "Hall ...

, son of Thomas de Furnival, 1st Baron Furnival and his first wife Joan, daughter of Hugh le Despenser, 1st Baron le Despenser. * Elizabeth de Verdun. Married Bartholomew Burghersh, 1st Baron Burghersh. * Margery de Verdun. Married 1st William le Blount, Lord Blount who died in 1337. She married secondly Sir Mark Hussey, son and heir apparent of Henry Hussey, 2nd Baron Hussey. He died before his father in 1345/6. Married as her third husband Sir John de Crophull of Bonnington,

Nottinghamshire Nottinghamshire (; abbreviated ''Notts.'') is a ceremonial county in the East Midlands of England. The county is bordered by South Yorkshire to the north-west, Lincolnshire to the east, Leicestershire to the south, and Derbyshire to the west. Th ...

. By her third husband, they were parents to Thomas de Crophull. They were ancestors to Queen Katherine Parr, the sixth wife of King

Henry VIII of England Henry VIII (28 June 149128 January 1547) was King of England from 22 April 1509 until his death in 1547. Henry is known for his Wives of Henry VIII, six marriages and his efforts to have his first marriage (to Catherine of Aragon) annulled. ...

. Theobald married as his second wife Elizabeth de Clare, widow of John de Burgh, daughter of

Gilbert de Clare, 7th Earl of Gloucester Gilbert de Clare, 6th Earl of Hertford, 7th Earl of Gloucester (2 September 1243 – 7 December 1295) was a powerful English magnate. He was also known as "Red" Gilbert de Clare or "The Red Earl", probably because of his hair colour or fiery te ...

(also 6th

Earl of Hertford Earl () is a rank of the nobility in the United Kingdom. In modern Britain, an earl is a member of the Peerages in the United Kingdom, peerage, ranking below a marquess and above a viscount. A feminine form of ''earl'' never developed; instead, ...

and 9th Lord of Clare) and Joan of Acre, daughter of King Edward I of England and Queen

Eleanor of Castile Eleanor of Castile (1241 – 28 November 1290) was Queen of England as the first wife of Edward I. She was educated at the Castilian court and also ruled as Countess of Ponthieu in her own right () from 1279. After diplomatic efforts to s ...

. They had a daughter: * Isabel de Verdun – born posthumously on 21 March 1316/7 at Amesbury Priory,

Wiltshire Wiltshire (; abbreviated to Wilts) is a ceremonial county in South West England. It borders Gloucestershire to the north, Oxfordshire to the north-east, Berkshire to the east, Hampshire to the south-east, Dorset to the south, and Somerset to ...

, after her father's death. She married Henry de Ferrers, 2nd Baron Ferrers of Groby,

Leicestershire Leicestershire ( ) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in the East Midlands of England. It is bordered by Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire and Lincolnshire to the north, Rutland to the east, Northamptonshire to the south-east, Warw ...

. Theobald died of

typhoid Typhoid fever, also known simply as typhoid, is a disease caused by ''Salmonella enterica'' serotype Typhi bacteria, also called ''Salmonella'' Typhi. Symptoms vary from mild to severe, and usually begin six to 30 days after exposure. Often ther ...

on Tuesday 27 July 1316 at

Alton Castle Alton Castle is a Gothic-revival castle, on a hill above the Churnet Valley, in the village of Alton, Staffordshire, England. The site has been fortified in wood since Saxon times, with a stone castle dating from the 12th century. The current ...

and was buried at Croxden Abbey on 19 September 1316.George Edward Cokayne et al - The Complete Peerage, 2nd Edition, Volume XII (part 2), Edited by G. H. White, Page 251 (The St. Catherine Press Limited, 1959) His death at the height of the Bruce campaign in Ireland left his Irish lands entirely at the mercy of the invading forces. The Verdun estates in Ireland passed to his four daughters as co-heiresses. Some of the Verdun estates later came to his surviving brothers, Nicholas and Milo, and passed to their sons.

References and sources

{{DEFAULTSORT:Verdun, Theobald de Verdun, 2nd Baron Staffordshire Medieval English knights Barons in the Peerage of England 1278 births 1316 deaths