Henry remained in Ireland until Easter 1172. There is no record of how many of the 4500 men that accompanied him remained behind. Certainly he established garrisons in a number of places and he granted the citizens of Bristol the right to inhabit Dublin. Continue reading Henry II’s Irish Expedition
His legitimate daughter, Isabel, through her marriage to William Marshall, is the common ancestor of several subsequent Queens of England. Her husband governed England as regent to the young Henry III. In this role he masterminded the defeat of the French who had occupied a large part of southern England during the final years of King John’s reign. Continue reading Strongbow – the Invader
Men who had been unable to effectively control Wales and the Welsh border country were now given the equally difficult task of pacifying the Irish. Continue reading The Norman Invasion: an Irish Perspective.
De Clare took my hand as he spoke and led me to an empty hut that, I supposed, had been especially prepared for us. He stepped forward and took both hands in his, lowering his head to kiss each in turn. Continue reading The Marriage of Strongbow and Aoife: A Union Bathed in Blood.
“We can ill afford to have such men as enemies,” he said in a final effort at persuasion.
I could see the logic of Father’s assertion but it only added to the burden of responsibility that now lay upon my shoulders.” Continue reading His Stag Do was a Massacre: 24th August 1170 the Sacking of Waterford.
Father was smiling. I remember thinking how rare an event that was these days. ‘Go now and prepare yourself for a journey and your marriage,’ he bade me. ‘We leave at first light tomorrow for Waterford where de Clare awaits us.’ Continue reading 23rd August 1170: An Irish ‘D-Day’ Landing
Originally posted on Historical Ragbag:
Gerald of Wales also known as Giraldus Cambrensis was born in c. 1145 in Manorbier Castle which you can see in the photos below. Below you can see the room that the castle has set up to commemorate Gerald. Gerald described Maorbier as “in all broad lands of Wales Manorbier is the most pleasant place by far”[1] Gerald was of both Norman and Welsh stock. His father was William de Barri, a Norman knight, and his mother was Angharad the daughter of Nest, one of the most fascinating Welshwomen of the period who you can… Continue reading Gerald of Wales
Originally posted on History… the interesting bits!:
Arms of William de Braose Matilda de Braose was probably born in the early 1150s in Saint-Valery-en-Caux, France, to Bernard IV, Seigneur de Saint-Valery and his wife, Matilda. Contemporary records describe her as tall and beautiful, wise and vigorous. Made famous by the de Braose’s spectacular falling-out with King John – and the manner of her death – very little is known of Matilda’s early years; though she probably spent time at her family’s manor of Hinton Waldrist in Berkshire. Sometime around 1166 she married William de Braose, 4th Lord of Bramber, a… Continue reading Maud de Braose, the King’s Enemy
Originally posted on Historical Ragbag:
Pembroke Castle in South West Wales is one of the most impressive castles on Welsh soil. I hesitate to say Welsh castle, because it wasn’t built by the Welsh. The building of Pembroke Castle was begun by Arnulph de Montgomery in c. 1093 as a key part of the Norman subjugation of this portion of Wales. This first castle was nothing like the imposing fortress we see today jutting out into the Cleddau Estuary. Gerald of Wales, albeit writing much later, described it as “a slender fortress of stakes and turf.” But it was in… Continue reading Pembroke Castle
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