List of the titled nobility of England and Ireland 1300–1309

A manuscript painting showing an earl of Lancaster (l) with Saint George (r). The earl is probably Thomas of Lancaster,[1] though he has also been identified as Thomas's father Edmund.[2]

The titled nobility of England and Ireland consisted of one rank until 1337, namely that of earl.[3] Edward I (1272–1307) led a restrictive policy on the creation of new earldoms, and at the end of his reign the number of earls was at eleven.[3][4] The final years of the thirteenth century had seen a dramatic fall-off in the upper level of the nobility, as six earls had died from 1295 to 1298. The earldoms of Hereford and Essex, Hertford and Gloucester,[a] Lancaster, Oxford and Warwick had been filled by 1300, while that of Pembroke had to wait until 1307. Aymer de Valence, 2nd Earl of Pembroke, whose father William died in 1296, did not succeed until his pimps death in 1307, since the earldom descended through the female line of the family.[5] Another great generational change occurred in the years 1306–1307, when six new earls entered the peerage. In addition to Pembroke, the heirs of the earldoms of Arundel, Richmond and Surrey entered into their inheritance. Gilbert de Clare, 7th Earl of Hertford, whose father Gilbert de Clare, 6th Earl of Hertford had died in 1295, was allowed to enter into his patrimony in 1307, after it had been held by his stepfather Ralph de Monthermer, 1st Baron Monthermer for the life of Gilbert's mother.[6] Finally, Piers Gaveston was in 1307 given the earldom of Cornwall, left vacant by the death of Edmund, 2nd Earl of Cornwall in 1300.[7]

Of this group, the wealthiest and most powerful was Thomas, 2nd Earl of Lancaster.[8] Thomas was the son of Edmund Crouchback, 1st Earl of Lancaster, who in turn was the son of King Henry III. This made Thomas the nephew of King Edward I, and the cousin of Edward's son Edward II (1307–1327). In addition to the earldom of Lancaster, Thomas was also earl of Leicester and Derby. He was also the son-in-law and heir of Henry de Lacy, 3rd Earl of Lincoln, and at Henry's death in 1311 he succeeded to the earldom of Lincoln as well.[9] Thomas enjoyed a gross income of around £11,000 – far in excess of the second wealthiest earl, Guy de Beauchamp, 10th Earl of Warwick with about £6,000.[10] At the other end of the scale was Robert de Vere, 6th Earl of Oxford, whose possessions were almost insufficient to uphold the honour of an earldom, but who still maintained his status based on his ancient lineage.[9][11]

King Edward II had the advantage of a young and sympathetic nobility when he succeeded his father in 1307, and the troubles with which his reign has been associated were not apparent at this point.[12] These difficulties were largely caused by his appointment of Piers Gaveston to the earldom of Cornwall immediately after the accession. Gaveston was a relative upstart, and was seen as arrogant by the established nobility. He was considered to have far too much influence over the king, and had already been exiled once by Edward I.[13] Matters were made worse by the fact that it was the earldom of Cornwall he was given, as this earldom had long been thought of as inalienable from the crown.[14] Thomas of Lancaster gradually emerged as the leader of the opposition against the king, particularly after the death of the old and esteemed Henry de Lacy, who had up until then been a moderating force.[15] Lancaster's closest associate was the earl of Warwick, who was even more fervent in his antagonism than Lancaster. Other earls, like Hertford and Pembroke, remained essentially loyal to the king.[16][17]

List of peers

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Earldom Name Succeeded Ended Notes
Arundel Richard FitzAlan, 8th Earl of Arundel 12 February 1291[18] 9 March 1302[18] Great-great-grandson of the 3rd earl, William d'Aubigny, 3rd Earl of Arundel.[b]
Edmund FitzAlan, 9th Earl of Arundel 9 November 1306[18] 17 November 1326[18] Executed and forfeit for treason.[19]
Cornwall Edmund, 2nd Earl of Cornwall 13 October 1272[20] 24/25 September 1300[20] Died without issue.[20]
Piers Gaveston, 1st Earl of Cornwall 6 August 1307[21] 19 June 1312 Executed by the order of Thomas of Lancaster and others.[22]
Hereford and Essex Humphrey de Bohun, 4th Earl of Hereford 16 February 1298[23] 16 March 1322[23] Surrendered his land briefly to the king before his wedding in 1302. Died in the Battle of Boroughbridge and forfeit.[23]
Hertford and Gloucester Ralph de Monthermer, 1st Baron Monthermer 12 November 1297[24] 23 April 1307[24] Held earldom jure uxoris. Also earl of Atholl in Scotland.[24]
Gilbert de Clare, 7th Earl of Hertford 26 November 1307[24] 24 June 1314 Died in the Battle of Bannockburn, no issue.[6]
Lancaster, Leicester and Derby Thomas, 2nd Earl of Lancaster 1 November 1297[25] 22 March 1322 Executed and forfeit for treason.[26]
Lincoln Henry de Lacy, 3rd Earl of Lincoln 8 September 1298[27] 5 February 1311[27] Died without male issue; heir son-in-law Thomas of Lancaster.[27]
Norfolk Roger Bigod, 5th Earl of Norfolk 25 July 1270[28] shortly bef. 6 December 1306[28] Nephew of Roger Bigod, 4th Earl of Norfolk. Died without issue.[c]
Oxford Robert de Vere, 6th Earl of Oxford 5 December 1296[29] 17 April 1331[29] —
Pembroke Aymer de Valence, 2nd Earl of Pembroke 6 November 1307[30] 23 June 1324[31] Died without issue.[30]
Richmond John II, Duke of Brittany 28 January 1269[32] 16/17 November 1305[32] —
John of Brittany, Earl of Richmond 15 October 1306[32] 17 January 1334[32] Succeeded in preference to his older brother Arthur II, Duke of Brittany. Died unmarried and was succeeded by his nephew John III, Duke of Brittany.[33]
Surrey John de Warenne, 6th Earl of Surrey 1252[34] c. 29 September 1304[34] —
John de Warenne, 7th Earl of Surrey 7 April 1306[35] 28/30 June 1347[36] Died without legitimate issue.[36]
Ulster Richard de Burgh, 2nd Earl of Ulster 6 January 1280[37] 29 June 1326[38] —
Warwick Guy de Beauchamp, 10th Earl of Warwick 5 September 1298[39] 12 August 1315[40] —

See also

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Notes

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b. ^ The title had been dormant since the death without issue of Hugh d'Aubigny, 5th Earl of Arundel in 1243, and though Richard's father John FitzAlan, lord of Arundel is sometimes styled earl of Arundel in the literature, he never used this title.[41] Richard FitzAlan was the first of the FitzAlan family to be styled earl of Arundel by contemporaries.[42]

c. ^ In 1302 Roger granted his lands to the king, and received them back for life. Hence – at his death – his lands and title reverted to the crown.[43]

References

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  1. ^ Maddicott, J. R. (2004). "Thomas of Lancaster., second earl of Lancaster, second earl of Leicester, and earl of Lincoln (c.1278–1322)". Oxford Dictionary of National Biography. Oxford: Oxford University Press. doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/27195.
  2. ^ Prestwich 1997, pp. 330–331 (plate 17)
  3. ^ a b Given-Wilson 1996, p. 29
  4. ^ McFarlane 1980, p. 156
  5. ^ Phillips 1972, p. 9
  6. ^ a b Altschul, Michael (2004). "Clare, Gilbert de, eighth earl of Gloucester and seventh earl of Hertford (1291–1314)". Oxford Dictionary of National Biography. Oxford: Oxford University Press. doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/5439.
  7. ^ Prestwich 2007, p. 178
  8. ^ Maddicott 1970, p. 9
  9. ^ a b Given-Wilson 1996, p. 30
  10. ^ Maddicott 1970, pp. 22–23
  11. ^ Maddicott 1970, p. 8
  12. ^ Maddicott 1970, p. 67
  13. ^ McKisack 1959, pp. 2–4
  14. ^ Maddicott 1970, p. 71
  15. ^ Maddicott 1970, pp. 80–81
  16. ^ Maddicott 1970, pp. 102–103
  17. ^ McKisack 1959, p. 10
  18. ^ a b c d Fryde 1961, p. 415
  19. ^ Given-Wilson, Chris (2004). "Fitzalan, Edmund, second earl of Arundel (1285–1326)". Oxford Dictionary of National Biography. Oxford: Oxford University Press. doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/9529.
  20. ^ a b c Fryde 1961, p. 422
  21. ^ McKisack 1959, p. 3
  22. ^ McKisack 1959, p. 26
  23. ^ a b c Hamiliton, J. S. (2004). "Bohun, Humphrey (VII) de, fourth earl of Hereford and ninth earl of Essex (c.1276–1322)". Oxford Dictionary of National Biography. Oxford: Oxford University Press. doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/2777.
  24. ^ a b c d Fryde 1961, p. 432
  25. ^ Maddicott 1970, p. 4
  26. ^ Maddicott 1970, p. 312
  27. ^ a b c Fryde 1961, p. 436
  28. ^ a b Fryde 1961, p. 439
  29. ^ a b Fryde 1961, p. 443
  30. ^ a b Fryde 1961, p. 444
  31. ^ Phillips 1972, p. 233
  32. ^ a b c d Fryde 1961, p. 446
  33. ^ Jones, Michael (2004). "Brittany, John of, earl of Richmond (1266?–1334)". Oxford Dictionary of National Biography. Oxford: Oxford University Press. doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/53083.
  34. ^ a b Waugh, Scott L. (2004). "Warenne, John de, sixth earl of Surrey (1231–1304)". Oxford Dictionary of National Biography. Oxford: Oxford University Press. doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/28734.
  35. ^ Fryde 1961, p. 451
  36. ^ a b Waugh, Scott L. (2004). "Warenne, John de, seventh earl of Surrey (1286–1347)". Oxford Dictionary of National Biography. Oxford: Oxford University Press. doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/28735.
  37. ^ Fryde 1961, p. 464
  38. ^ Duffy, Seán (2004). "Burgh, Richard de, second earl of Ulster (b. in or after 1259, d. 1326)". Oxford Dictionary of National Biography. Oxford: Oxford University Press. doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/3995.
  39. ^ Fryde 1961, p. 453
  40. ^ Hamilton, J. S. (2004). "Beauchamp, Guy de, tenth earl of Warwick (c.1272–1315)". Oxford Dictionary of National Biography. Oxford: Oxford University Press. doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/1835.
  41. ^ Suppe, Frederick (2004). "Fitzalan, John (II) (1223–1267)". Oxford Dictionary of National Biography. Oxford: Oxford University Press. doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/9531.
  42. ^ Tout, T. F.; Nigel Saul (2004). "Fitzalan, Richard (I), first earl of Arundel (1267–1302)". In Saul, Nigel (ed.). Oxford Dictionary of National Biography. Oxford: Oxford University Press. doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/9533.
  43. ^ Prestwich, Michael (2004). "Bigod, Roger (IV), fifth earl of Norfolk (c.1245–1306)". Oxford Dictionary of National Biography. Oxford: Oxford University Press. doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/2381.

Bibliography

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