Miles de Gloucester, 1st Earl of Hereford
Encyclopedia
Miles de Gloucester, 1st Earl of Hereford, Lord of Brecknock (1100 – 24 December 1143) was the son of Walter de Gloucester
, who served as hereditary sheriff
of that county between 1104 and 1121.
Milo or Miles succeeded his father about the latter year. He was high in the service of Henry I
between 1128 and 1135. He was appointed Sheriff of Staffordshire
(1128–1130) and Sheriff of Herefordshire
(1128–1135). He was Constable of England and combined the hereditary office of Sheriff of Gloucester
with that of local justiciar
for Gloucestershire
.
Miles founded Llanthony Secunda Priory
, Gloucester, in 1136.
, at whose court he appears as constable
in 1136. King Stephen granted him the honour of Gloucester
and Brecknock.
However, in 1139, when the empress Matilda
appeared in England, he declared for her, and placed the city of Gloucester
at her disposal; he was further distinguished by sacking the nearby royalist city of Worcester
, attacking Stephen's siege works at Wallingford Castle
and reducing the county of Hereford
. He was retained as her Constable.
when Matilda ruled the country. He remained loyal to the Empress after her defeat at Winchester
the same year. John of Salisbury
classes him with Geoffrey de Mandeville
and others who were non tam comites regni quam hostes publici. The charge is justified by his public policy; but the materials for appraising his personal character do not exist.
, daughter of Bernard de Neufmarché
, Lord of Brecon
and Nest, granddaughter of Gruffydd ap Llywelyn
, in 1121. Their children were:
Miles was accidentally killed by an arrow while deer hunting in the Forest of Dean in 1143. He was succeeded by his eldest son Roger, who died childless. The grandson of his daughter Margaret was later granted the recreated Earldom.
Walter de Gloucester
Walter de Gloucester was an early Norman official of the King of England during the early years of the Norman conquest of the South Welsh Marches.-Titles:...
, who served as hereditary sheriff
High Sheriff of Gloucestershire
This is a list of High Sheriffs of Gloucestershire.The High Sheriff is the oldest secular office under the Crown. Formerly the High Sheriff was the principal law enforcement officer in the county but over the centuries most of the responsibilities associated with the post have been transferred...
of that county between 1104 and 1121.
Milo or Miles succeeded his father about the latter year. He was high in the service of Henry I
Henry I of England
Henry I was the fourth son of William I of England. He succeeded his elder brother William II as King of England in 1100 and defeated his eldest brother, Robert Curthose, to become Duke of Normandy in 1106...
between 1128 and 1135. He was appointed Sheriff of Staffordshire
High Sheriff of Staffordshire
This is a list of the High Sheriffs of Staffordshire.The High Sheriff is the oldest secular office under the Crown. Formerly the High Sheriff was the principal law enforcement officer in the county but over the centuries most of the responsibilities associated with the post have been transferred...
(1128–1130) and Sheriff of Herefordshire
High Sheriff of Herefordshire
The Sheriff is the oldest secular office under the Crown. Formerly the Sheriff was the principal law enforcement officer in the county but over the centuries most of the responsibilities associated with the post have been transferred elsewhere or are now defunct, so that its functions are now...
(1128–1135). He was Constable of England and combined the hereditary office of Sheriff of Gloucester
High Sheriff of Gloucestershire
This is a list of High Sheriffs of Gloucestershire.The High Sheriff is the oldest secular office under the Crown. Formerly the High Sheriff was the principal law enforcement officer in the county but over the centuries most of the responsibilities associated with the post have been transferred...
with that of local justiciar
Justiciar
In medieval England and Ireland the Chief Justiciar was roughly equivalent to a modern Prime Minister as the monarch's chief minister. Similar positions existed on the Continent, particularly in Norman Italy. The term is the English form of the medieval Latin justiciarius or justitiarius In...
for Gloucestershire
Gloucestershire
Gloucestershire is a county in South West England. The county comprises part of the Cotswold Hills, part of the flat fertile valley of the River Severn, and the entire Forest of Dean....
.
Miles founded Llanthony Secunda Priory
Llanthony Secunda
Llanthony Secunda Priory is a ruined former Augustinian priory in Hempsted, Gloucester, England. Miles de Gloucester, 1st Earl of Hereford, founded the priory for the monks of Llanthony Priory, Vale of Ewyas, in what is now Monmouthshire, Wales, in 1136....
, Gloucester, in 1136.
Civil war allegiances
After the death of King Henry he declared for StephenStephen of England
Stephen , often referred to as Stephen of Blois , was a grandson of William the Conqueror. He was King of England from 1135 to his death, and also the Count of Boulogne by right of his wife. Stephen's reign was marked by the Anarchy, a civil war with his cousin and rival, the Empress Matilda...
, at whose court he appears as constable
Constable
A constable is a person holding a particular office, most commonly in law enforcement. The office of constable can vary significantly in different jurisdictions.-Etymology:...
in 1136. King Stephen granted him the honour of Gloucester
Gloucester
Gloucester is a city, district and county town of Gloucestershire in the South West region of England. Gloucester lies close to the Welsh border, and on the River Severn, approximately north-east of Bristol, and south-southwest of Birmingham....
and Brecknock.
However, in 1139, when the empress Matilda
Empress Matilda
Empress Matilda , also known as Matilda of England or Maude, was the daughter and heir of King Henry I of England. Matilda and her younger brother, William Adelin, were the only legitimate children of King Henry to survive to adulthood...
appeared in England, he declared for her, and placed the city of Gloucester
Gloucester
Gloucester is a city, district and county town of Gloucestershire in the South West region of England. Gloucester lies close to the Welsh border, and on the River Severn, approximately north-east of Bristol, and south-southwest of Birmingham....
at her disposal; he was further distinguished by sacking the nearby royalist city of Worcester
Worcester
The City of Worcester, commonly known as Worcester, , is a city and county town of Worcestershire in the West Midlands of England. Worcester is situated some southwest of Birmingham and north of Gloucester, and has an approximate population of 94,000 people. The River Severn runs through the...
, attacking Stephen's siege works at Wallingford Castle
Wallingford Castle
Wallingford Castle was a major medieval castle situated in Wallingford in the English county of Oxfordshire , adjacent to the River Thames...
and reducing the county of Hereford
Hereford
Hereford is a cathedral city, civil parish and county town of Herefordshire, England. It lies on the River Wye, approximately east of the border with Wales, southwest of Worcester, and northwest of Gloucester...
. He was retained as her Constable.
Earldom
In 1141, he was rewarded with the earldom of HerefordEarl of Hereford
The title of Earl of Hereford was created six times in the Peerage of England. See also Duke of Hereford, Viscount Hereford. Dates indicate the years the person held the title for.-Earls of Hereford, First Creation :*Swegen Godwinson...
when Matilda ruled the country. He remained loyal to the Empress after her defeat at Winchester
Winchester
Winchester is a historic cathedral city and former capital city of England. It is the county town of Hampshire, in South East England. The city lies at the heart of the wider City of Winchester, a local government district, and is located at the western end of the South Downs, along the course of...
the same year. John of Salisbury
John of Salisbury
John of Salisbury , who described himself as Johannes Parvus , was an English author, educationalist, diplomat and bishop of Chartres, and was born at Salisbury.-Early life and education:...
classes him with Geoffrey de Mandeville
Geoffrey de Mandeville
Geoffrey de Mandeville is the name of several important medieval English barons:*Geoffrey de Mandeville , was one of the great magnates of the reign of William the Conqueror*Geoffrey de Mandeville, 1st Earl of Essex Geoffrey de Mandeville is the name of several important medieval English...
and others who were non tam comites regni quam hostes publici. The charge is justified by his public policy; but the materials for appraising his personal character do not exist.
Family and children
He married Sibyl de NeufmarchéSibyl de Neufmarché
Sibyl de Neufmarché, Countess of Hereford, suo jure Lady of Brecknock , was a Cambro-Norman noblewoman, heiress to one of the most substantial fiefs in the Welsh Marches...
, daughter of Bernard de Neufmarché
Bernard de Neufmarché
Bernard of Neufmarché was "the first of the original conquerors of Wales." He was a minor Norman lord who rose to power in the Welsh Marches before successfully undertaking the invasion and conquest of the Kingdom of Brycheiniog between 1088 and 1095. Out of the ruins of the Welsh kingdom he...
, Lord of Brecon
Brecon
Brecon is a long-established market town and community in southern Powys, Mid Wales, with a population of 7,901. It was the county town of the historic county of Brecknockshire; although its role as such was eclipsed with the formation of Powys, it remains an important local centre...
and Nest, granddaughter of Gruffydd ap Llywelyn
Gruffydd ap Llywelyn
Gruffydd ap Llywelyn was the ruler of all Wales from 1055 until his death, the only Welsh monarch able to make this boast...
, in 1121. Their children were:
- Margaret de Gloucester, married Humphrey II de BohunHumphrey II de BohunHumphrey II de Bohun was an Anglo-Norman aristocrat, the third of his family after the Norman Conquest. He was the son and heir of Humphrey I and Maud, a daughter of Edward of Salisbury, an Anglo-Saxon landholder in Wiltshire...
, by whom she had issue. - Bertha of HerefordBertha of HerefordBertha of Hereford, also known as Bertha de Pitres , was the daughter of Miles de Gloucester, 1st Earl of Hereford, and a wealthy heiress. She was the wife of William de Braose, 3rd Lord of Bramber to whom she brought many castles and Lordships, including Brecknock, Abergavenny, and...
, married William de BraoseWilliam de Braose, 3rd Lord of BramberWilliam de Braose, 3rd Lord of Bramber was a 12th-century Marcher lord who secured a foundation for the dominant position later held by the Braose family in the Welsh Marches. In addition to the family's English holdings in Sussex and Devon, William had inherited Radnor and Builth, in Wales, from...
before 1150, by whom she had issue. - Roger Fitzmiles, 2nd Earl of HerefordRoger Fitzmiles, 2nd Earl of HerefordRoger Fitzmiles, 2nd Earl of Hereford, was born some time before 1125 and, according to the Hereford Cathedral Book of Obits, died on 22 September 1155...
. Hereditary Sheriff of GloucestershireHigh Sheriff of GloucestershireThis is a list of High Sheriffs of Gloucestershire.The High Sheriff is the oldest secular office under the Crown. Formerly the High Sheriff was the principal law enforcement officer in the county but over the centuries most of the responsibilities associated with the post have been transferred...
until 1155. - Walter de HerefordWalter de HerefordWalter de Hereford was a holder of the feudal title Baron Bergavenny or Lord Abergavenny in the Welsh Marches in the mid twelfth century.- Lineage :...
died after 1159 in the Holy Land. He was hereditary Sheriff of Gloucestershire in 1155-1157 and High Sheriff of HerefordshireHigh Sheriff of HerefordshireThe Sheriff is the oldest secular office under the Crown. Formerly the Sheriff was the principal law enforcement officer in the county but over the centuries most of the responsibilities associated with the post have been transferred elsewhere or are now defunct, so that its functions are now...
in 1155-1159. - Henry FitzmilesHenry FitzMilesHenry FitzMiles , Baron Abergavenny was a Norman baron and a Marcher Lord in the Welsh Marches.- Birth :...
Henry of Hereford, died 12 April 1165. He succeeded to the title of Baron AbergavennyBaron AbergavennyThe title Baron Bergavenny was created several times in the Peerage of England and once in the Peerage of Great Britain, all but the first being baronies created by error....
in 1141/42. - William de HerefordWilliam de HerefordWilliam de Hereford was a holder of the feudal lordship of Abergavenny in the Welsh Marches in the mid twelfth century.- Lineage :William de Hereford was a son of Miles de Gloucester, 1st Earl of Hereford and his wife Sybil de Neufmarche, daughter of Bernard de Neufmarche of Brecon.His brothers...
. He died before 1160 without issue. - Mahel de HerefordMahel de HerefordMahel de Hereford was a holder of the feudal lordships of Brecon and Abergavenny in the Welsh Marches in the mid 12th century.- Lineage :Mahel de Hereford was a younger son of Miles de Gloucester, 1st Earl of Hereford and his wife Sibyl of Neufmarche, daughter of Bernard de Neufmarche, Lord of...
, died October 1165 at Bronllys Castle, Breconshire, Wales, mortally hurt when a stone dropped from the tower during a fire; died without issue. Buried at Llanthony PrioryLlanthony PrioryLlanthony Priory is a partly ruined former Augustinian priory in the secluded Vale of Ewyas, a steep sided once glaciated valley within the Black Mountains area of the Brecon Beacons National Park in Monmouthshire, south east Wales. It lies seven miles north of Abergavenny on an old road to Hay...
. - Lucy of Gloucester, married Herbert FitzHerbert of Winchester, Lord ChamberlainLord ChamberlainThe Lord Chamberlain or Lord Chamberlain of the Household is one of the chief officers of the Royal Household in the United Kingdom and is to be distinguished from the Lord Great Chamberlain, one of the Great Officers of State....
, by whom she had issue. Buried at Llanthony PrioryLlanthony PrioryLlanthony Priory is a partly ruined former Augustinian priory in the secluded Vale of Ewyas, a steep sided once glaciated valley within the Black Mountains area of the Brecon Beacons National Park in Monmouthshire, south east Wales. It lies seven miles north of Abergavenny on an old road to Hay...
.
Miles was accidentally killed by an arrow while deer hunting in the Forest of Dean in 1143. He was succeeded by his eldest son Roger, who died childless. The grandson of his daughter Margaret was later granted the recreated Earldom.
External links
Sources
- Continuation of Florence of WorcesterFlorence of WorcesterFlorence of Worcester , known in Latin as Florentius, was a monk of Worcester, who played some part in the production of the Chronicon ex chronicis, a Latin world chronicle which begins with the creation and ends in 1140....
(ed. B Thorpe, 1848-1849); the Cartulary of Gloucester Abbey (Rolls seriesRolls SeriesThe Rolls Series, official title The Chronicles and Memorials of Great Britain and Ireland during the Middle Ages, is a major collection of British and Irish historical materials and primary sources, published in the second half of the 19th century. Some 255 volumes, representing 99 separate...
); and John Horace RoundJohn Horace RoundHorace Round was a historian and genealogist of the English medieval period. He translated the Domesday Book for Essex into contemporary English. As an expert in the history of the British peerage he was appointed Honorary Historical Adviser to the Crown.-Family and early life:Round was born on 22...
's Geoffrey de Mandeville (1892).