William of Salisbury, 2nd Earl of Salisbury (died 1196) was an Anglo-Norman peer. Though he is generally known as such, his proper title was Earl of Wiltshire

Earl of Wiltshire

The title Earl of Wiltshire is one of the oldest in the Peerage of England, going back to the 12th century. It is currently held by the Marquess of Winchester, and is used as a courtesy title for the eldest son of the marquess....

, which title was conferred on his father by the Empress Maud

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...

 around 1143. He was also called William FitzPatrick.

He was the son and heir of Patrick of Salisbury

Patrick of Salisbury, 1st Earl of Salisbury

Patrick of Salisbury, 1st Earl of Salisbury was an Anglo-Norman nobleman, and the uncle of the famous William Marshal.His parents were Walter of Salisbury and Sibilla de Chaworth. Before 1141, Patrick was constable of Salisbury, a powerful local official but not a nobleman...

, Earl of Wiltshire, styled Earl of Salisbury, and of Ela Talvas..

Family

He married Eléonore, daughter of Robert III de Vitré of Tilliers. He died without male issue in 1196. Their only daughter and heiress, was Ela of Salisbury, 3rd Countess of Salisbury who married William Longespée, 3rd Earl of Salisbury, who was half-brother to the king.

Service to Richard I

William bore the golden sceptre at the coronation of King Richard I, but the next year when the king became a prisoner in Almaine, he was one of those who adhered to the then Count of Mortain, who later became King John of England

John of England

John , also known as John Lackland , was King of England from 6 April 1199 until his death...

. In 1194 he served as High Sheriff of Somerset

High Sheriff of Somerset

The Office of High Sheriff of Somerset is an ancient High Sheriff title which has been in existence for over one thousand years. The position was once a powerful position responsible for collecting taxes and enforcing law and order in Somerset a county in South West England. In modern times the...

 and Dorset

High Sheriff of Dorset

The High Sheriff of Dorset is an ancient High Sheriff title which has been in existence for over one thousand years. The position was once a powerful position responsible for collecting taxes and enforcing law and order in Dorset. In modern times the sheriff has become a ceremonial role, presiding...

. In 1195, William was back with King Richard in the expedition into Normandy and upon his return to England was one of Richard's great council assembled at Nottingham. The Earl of Salisbury was one of the four earls who supported the canopy of state at the second coronation of Richard that same year

Other Information about William d'Evereux

He inherited Canford Manor from his father Patrick in 1168. Nowadays, that manor is Canford School

Canford School

Canford School is a coeducational independent school for both day and boarding pupils, in the village of Canford Magna, near to the market town of Wimborne Minster in Dorset, in South West England. The school was founded in 1923. There are approximately 600 pupils at Canford, organised into houses...

 in Dorset

Dorset

Dorset , is a county in South West England on the English Channel coast. The county town is Dorchester which is situated in the south. The Hampshire towns of Bournemouth and Christchurch joined the county with the reorganisation of local government in 1974...

.

Disputed D'Evereux connections

In Sir Bernard Burke's Dormant, Abeyant, Forfeited and Extinct Peerages, the family is written up under D'Evereux. However much this link to Edward d'Evereux is disputed, there is some valuable information on the Earls thereafter.