Eleanor de Clare
Encyclopedia
Eleanor de Clare was the wife of the powerful Hugh Despenser the younger. She was born in 1292 at Caerphilly
in Glamorgan
, Wales
. She was the eldest daughter of Gilbert de Clare, 6th Earl of Hertford and 7th Earl of Gloucester
, and Joan of Acre
, daughter of Edward I
and Eleanor of Castile
; thus she was a granddaughter to Edward I of England
. With her sisters, Elizabeth de Clare
and Margaret de Clare
, she inherited her father's estates after the death of her brother, Gilbert de Clare, 4th Earl of Gloucester at Bannockburn in 1314.
, Eleanor married Hugh le Despenser the Younger, the son of Hugh le Despenser, Earl of Winchester and Isabella de Beauchamp
, daughter of William de Beauchamp, 9th Earl of Warwick
. Her grandfather, King Edward I of England
, granted Eleanor a maritagium of 2,000 pounds sterling. Eleanor and Hugh had nine children:
Eleanor's husband rose to prominence as the new favourite of her uncle, King Edward II of England
. The king strongly favoured Hugh and Eleanor, visiting them often and granting them many gifts. One foreign chronicler even alleged that Edward was involved in a ménage à trois with his niece and her husband. Whatever the truth, Eleanor's fortunes changed drastically after the invasion of Isabella of France
and Roger Mortimer
. Hugh le Despenser was gruesomely executed.
. The Despenser family's fortunes also suffered with the executions of Eleanor's husband and father-in-law. Eleanor and Hugh's eldest son, another Hugh, who held Caerphilly Castle against the queen's forces until the spring of 1327, was spared his life when he surrendered the castle but remained a prisoner until July 1331, after which he was slowly restored to royal favour. Three of Eleanor's daughters were forcibly veiled as nuns. Only the eldest daughter, Isabel, and the youngest daughter, Elizabeth, escaped the nunnery, Isabel because she was already married and Elizabeth on account of her infancy.
In February 1328 Eleanor was freed from imprisonment. In April 1328, she was allowed possession of her own lands, for which she did homage.
in January, 1329, by William la Zouche, 1st Baron Zouche
of Mortimer, who had been one of her husband's captors and who had led the siege of Caerphilly Castle
. The abduction may in fact have been an elopement; in any case, Eleanor's lands were seized by the King, Edward III
, and the couple was ordered to be arrested. At the same time, Eleanor was accused of stealing jewels from the Tower. Sometime after February 1329, she was imprisoned a second time in the Tower of London
; later, she was moved to Devizes Castle
. In January 1330, she was released and pardoned after agreeing to sign away the most valuable part of her share of the lucrative Clare inheritance to the crown. She could recover her lands only on the condition that she pay the enormous sum of 50,000 pounds in a single day.
Within the year, however, the young Edward III (Eleanor's first cousin) overthrew Queen Isabella's paramour, Roger Mortimer, 1st Earl of March, and had him executed. Eleanor was among those who benefited from the fall of Mortimer and Isabella. She petitioned Edward III for the restoration of her lands, claiming that she had signed them away after being threatened by Roger Mortimer that she would never be freed if she did not. In 1331, Edward III granted her petition "to ease the king's conscience" and allowed her to recover the lands on the condition that she pay a fine of 10,000 pounds, later reduced to 5,000 pounds, in installments. Eleanor made payments on the fine, but the bulk of it was outstanding at the time of her death.
Eleanor's troubles were by no means over, however. After Eleanor's marriage to Zouche, Sir John de Grey, 1st Baron Grey de Rotherfield
claimed that he had married her first. Grey was still attempting to claim Eleanor in 1333; the case was appealed to the Pope several times. Ultimately, Zouche won the dispute. Eleanor remained with him until his death in February 1337, only a few months before Eleanor's own death. Eleanor and William had children:
that transformed it into the fine example of the decorated style of architecture that it is today. The famous fourteenth-century stained-glass windows in the choir, which include the armor-clad figures of Eleanor's ancestors, brother, and two husbands, were most likely Eleanor's own contribution, although she probably did not live to see them put in place. The nude, kneeling woman watching the Last Judgment in the choir's east window may represent Eleanor.
. She is also portrayed charmingly as a young girl in Feudal Family: The De Clares of Gloucester, by Edith Brouwer.
Caerphilly
Caerphilly is a town in the county borough of Caerphilly, south Wales, located at the southern end of the Rhymney Valley, with a population of approximately 31,000. It is a commuter town of Cardiff and Newport, which are located some 7.5 miles and 12 miles away, respectively...
in Glamorgan
Glamorgan
Glamorgan or Glamorganshire is one of the thirteen historic counties and a former administrative county of Wales. It was originally an early medieval kingdom of varying boundaries known as Glywysing until taken over by the Normans as a lordship. Glamorgan is latterly represented by the three...
, Wales
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
. She was the eldest daughter of Gilbert de Clare, 6th Earl of Hertford and 7th Earl of Gloucester
Earl of Gloucester
The title of Earl of Gloucester was created several times in the Peerage of England. A fictional earl is also a character in William Shakespeare's play King Lear. See also Duke of Gloucester.-Earls of Gloucester, 1st Creation :...
, and Joan of Acre
Joan of Acre
Joan of Acre was an English princess, a daughter of the King Edward I of England and queen Eleanor of Castile...
, daughter of Edward I
Edward I of England
Edward I , also known as Edward Longshanks and the Hammer of the Scots, was King of England from 1272 to 1307. The first son of Henry III, Edward was involved early in the political intrigues of his father's reign, which included an outright rebellion by the English barons...
and Eleanor of Castile
Eleanor of Castile
Eleanor of Castile was the first queen consort of Edward I of England. She was also Countess of Ponthieu in her own right from 1279 until her death in 1290, succeeding her mother and ruling together with her husband.-Birth:...
; thus she was a granddaughter to Edward I of England
Edward I of England
Edward I , also known as Edward Longshanks and the Hammer of the Scots, was King of England from 1272 to 1307. The first son of Henry III, Edward was involved early in the political intrigues of his father's reign, which included an outright rebellion by the English barons...
. With her sisters, Elizabeth de Clare
Elizabeth de Clare
Elizabeth de Clare was the heiress to the lordships of Clare, Suffolk in England and Usk in Wales. She was the youngest of the three daughters of Gilbert de Clare, 6th Earl of Hertford and Joan of Acre, and sister of Gilbert de Clare, who later succeeded as the 7th Earl...
and Margaret de Clare
Margaret de Clare
Margaret de Clare, Countess of Cornwall, Countess of Gloucester , was an English noblewoman, heiress, and the second eldest of the three daughters of Gilbert de Clare, 6th Earl of Hertford and his wife, Joan of Acre, making her a granddaughter of King Edward I of England...
, she inherited her father's estates after the death of her brother, Gilbert de Clare, 4th Earl of Gloucester at Bannockburn in 1314.
Marriage to Hugh Despenser the younger
In May 1306 at WestminsterWestminster
Westminster is an area of central London, within the City of Westminster, England. It lies on the north bank of the River Thames, southwest of the City of London and southwest of Charing Cross...
, Eleanor married Hugh le Despenser the Younger, the son of Hugh le Despenser, Earl of Winchester and Isabella de Beauchamp
Isabella de Beauchamp
Isabella de Beauchamp, Lady Kidwelly, Lady Despenser , was an English noblewoman and wealthy heiress. She married twice; firstly to Sir Patrick de Chaworth, Lord of Kidwelly, by whom she had a daughter, Maud Chaworth. Her second husband was Hugh le Despenser, Earl of Winchester, by whom she had...
, daughter of William de Beauchamp, 9th Earl of Warwick
William de Beauchamp, 9th Earl of Warwick
William de Beauchamp, 9th Earl of Warwick was an English nobleman and soldier, described as a “vigorous and innovative military commander”...
. Her grandfather, King Edward I of England
Edward I of England
Edward I , also known as Edward Longshanks and the Hammer of the Scots, was King of England from 1272 to 1307. The first son of Henry III, Edward was involved early in the political intrigues of his father's reign, which included an outright rebellion by the English barons...
, granted Eleanor a maritagium of 2,000 pounds sterling. Eleanor and Hugh had nine children:
- Hugh le Despencer, 2nd Baron le DespencerHugh le Despencer, 2nd Baron le DespencerHugh le Despencer was the eldest son and heir of Hugh the younger Despenser, son of Hugh the elder Despenser. His father and grandfather both were executed in 1326. His mother was Eleanor de Clare, daughter of Gilbert de Clare, 6th Earl of Hertford and Joan of Acre...
(1308–1349) - Gilbert le Despenser, (1309–1381).
- Edward le DespenserEdward le DespenserEdward le Despenser was the third eldest son of Hugh le Despenser the Younger by his wife Eleanor de Clare.His father is famous for being the favourite of Edward II of England, and consequently being executed for it...
, (1310–1342), soldier, killed at the siege of VannesVannesVannes is a commune in the Morbihan department in Brittany in north-western France. It was founded over 2000 years ago.-Geography:Vannes is located on the Gulf of Morbihan at the mouth of two rivers, the Marle and the Vincin. It is around 100 km northwest of Nantes and 450 km south west...
; father of Edward le Despencer, 1st Baron le DespencerEdward le Despencer, 1st Baron le DespencerEdward le Despencer, 1st Baron le Despencer, KG was the son of another Edward le Despenser and Anne, the sister of Henry, Lord Ferrers of Groby. He succeeded as Lord of Glamorgan in 1349.Le Despencer went with Edward the Black Prince to France, and was present at the Battle of Poitiers...
, Knight of the Garter - John le Despenser, (1311 - June 1366).
- Isabel le DespenserIsabel le Despenser, Countess of ArundelIsabel le Despenser was the eldest daughter of Hugh Despenser the Younger and Eleanor de Clare. She was descended from Edward I of England through her mother, while her father is famous for being the favorite of Edward II of England.-Marriage:...
(1312–1356), married Richard Fitzalan, 10th Earl of ArundelRichard FitzAlan, 10th Earl of ArundelRichard FitzAlan, 10th Earl of Arundel and 8th Earl of Surrey was an English nobleman and medieval military leader.- Lineage :... - Eleanor le Despenser, (c. 1315 - 1351), nun at Sempringham PriorySempringham PriorySempringham Priory was a priory in Lincolnshire, England, located in the medieval hamlet of Sempringham, to the northwest of Pointon. Today, all that remains of the priory is a marking on the ground where the walls stood and a square, which are identifiable only in aerial photos of the vicinity...
- Joan le Despenser, (c. 1317 - 1384), nun at Shaftesbury AbbeyShaftesbury AbbeyShaftesbury Abbey was an abbey that housed nuns in Shaftesbury, Dorset. Founded in the year 888, the abbey was the wealthiest Benedictine nunnery in England, a major pilgrimage site, and the town's central focus...
- Margaret le Despenser, (c. 1319 - 1337), nun at Whatton Priory
- Elizabeth le DespenserElizabeth le Despenser, Baroness BerkeleyElizabeth le Despenser was an English noblewoman. She was the youngest daughter of Hugh le Despenser the younger and his wife Eleanor de Clare. Her father is famous for being the favourite of Edward II of England, and being executed as a result of his position and actions...
, born 1325, died July 13, 1389, married Maurice de Berkeley, 4th Baron BerkeleyMaurice de Berkeley, 4th Baron BerkeleyMaurice de Berkeley, 4th Baron Berkeley the Valiant was an English peer born in Berkeley, Gloucestershire, England to Thomas de Berkeley, 3rd Baron Berkeley and Lady Margaret Mortimer.-Marriage and children:...
.
Eleanor's husband rose to prominence as the new favourite of her uncle, King Edward II of England
Edward II of England
Edward II , called Edward of Caernarfon, was King of England from 1307 until he was deposed by his wife Isabella in January 1327. He was the sixth Plantagenet king, in a line that began with the reign of Henry II...
. The king strongly favoured Hugh and Eleanor, visiting them often and granting them many gifts. One foreign chronicler even alleged that Edward was involved in a ménage à trois with his niece and her husband. Whatever the truth, Eleanor's fortunes changed drastically after the invasion of Isabella of France
Isabella of France
Isabella of France , sometimes described as the She-wolf of France, was Queen consort of England as the wife of Edward II of England. She was the youngest surviving child and only surviving daughter of Philip IV of France and Joan I of Navarre...
and Roger Mortimer
Roger Mortimer
Roger Mortimer was the name of several Marcher lords:* Roger Mortimer of Wigmore , married Isabel de Ferriers and became Lord of Maelienydd...
. Hugh le Despenser was gruesomely executed.
Imprisonment
In November 1326, Eleanor was confined to the Tower of LondonTower of London
Her Majesty's Royal Palace and Fortress, more commonly known as the Tower of London, is a historic castle on the north bank of the River Thames in central London, England. It lies within the London Borough of Tower Hamlets, separated from the eastern edge of the City of London by the open space...
. The Despenser family's fortunes also suffered with the executions of Eleanor's husband and father-in-law. Eleanor and Hugh's eldest son, another Hugh, who held Caerphilly Castle against the queen's forces until the spring of 1327, was spared his life when he surrendered the castle but remained a prisoner until July 1331, after which he was slowly restored to royal favour. Three of Eleanor's daughters were forcibly veiled as nuns. Only the eldest daughter, Isabel, and the youngest daughter, Elizabeth, escaped the nunnery, Isabel because she was already married and Elizabeth on account of her infancy.
In February 1328 Eleanor was freed from imprisonment. In April 1328, she was allowed possession of her own lands, for which she did homage.
Marriage to William de la Zouche
Eleanor was abducted from Hanley CastleHanley Castle (castle)
Hanley Castle was a Norman castle that stood to the south of the present site of the village of Hanley Castle, which lies 2 km north of Upton-upon-Severn, in the county of Worcestershire, England, United Kingdom. .-13th Century Castle:...
in January, 1329, by William la Zouche, 1st Baron Zouche
Baron Zouche
Baron Zouche is a title that has thrice been created in the Peerage of England.-Genealogy:The de la Zouche family descended from Alan de la Zouche, sometimes called Alan de Porhoët and Alan la Coche , a Breton who settled in England during the reign of Henry II. He was the son of Vicomte Geoffrey I...
of Mortimer, who had been one of her husband's captors and who had led the siege of Caerphilly Castle
Caerphilly Castle
Caerphilly Castle is a medieval castle that dominates the centre of the town of Caerphilly in south Wales. It is the largest castle in Wales and the second largest in Britain after Windsor Castle...
. The abduction may in fact have been an elopement; in any case, Eleanor's lands were seized by the King, Edward III
Edward III of England
Edward III was King of England from 1327 until his death and is noted for his military success. Restoring royal authority after the disastrous reign of his father, Edward II, Edward III went on to transform the Kingdom of England into one of the most formidable military powers in Europe...
, and the couple was ordered to be arrested. At the same time, Eleanor was accused of stealing jewels from the Tower. Sometime after February 1329, she was imprisoned a second time in the Tower of London
Tower of London
Her Majesty's Royal Palace and Fortress, more commonly known as the Tower of London, is a historic castle on the north bank of the River Thames in central London, England. It lies within the London Borough of Tower Hamlets, separated from the eastern edge of the City of London by the open space...
; later, she was moved to Devizes Castle
Devizes Castle
Devizes Castle was in the town of Devizes, Wiltshire, England .The first motte and bailey castle on this site was built in 1080 by Osmund, Bishop of Salisbury. This castle burnt down in 1113 and was rebuilt in stone by Roger, Bishop of Salisbury, by 1120. He occupied it under Henry I and later...
. In January 1330, she was released and pardoned after agreeing to sign away the most valuable part of her share of the lucrative Clare inheritance to the crown. She could recover her lands only on the condition that she pay the enormous sum of 50,000 pounds in a single day.
Within the year, however, the young Edward III (Eleanor's first cousin) overthrew Queen Isabella's paramour, Roger Mortimer, 1st Earl of March, and had him executed. Eleanor was among those who benefited from the fall of Mortimer and Isabella. She petitioned Edward III for the restoration of her lands, claiming that she had signed them away after being threatened by Roger Mortimer that she would never be freed if she did not. In 1331, Edward III granted her petition "to ease the king's conscience" and allowed her to recover the lands on the condition that she pay a fine of 10,000 pounds, later reduced to 5,000 pounds, in installments. Eleanor made payments on the fine, but the bulk of it was outstanding at the time of her death.
Eleanor's troubles were by no means over, however. After Eleanor's marriage to Zouche, Sir John de Grey, 1st Baron Grey de Rotherfield
John de Grey, 1st Baron Grey de Rotherfield
John de Grey, 1st Baron Grey de Rotherfield, KG was an English soldier and courtier.John Grey of Rotherfield was one of the founder members of the Most Noble Order of the Garter...
claimed that he had married her first. Grey was still attempting to claim Eleanor in 1333; the case was appealed to the Pope several times. Ultimately, Zouche won the dispute. Eleanor remained with him until his death in February 1337, only a few months before Eleanor's own death. Eleanor and William had children:
- William de la Zouche, born 1330, died after 1360, a monk at Glastonbury AbbeyGlastonbury AbbeyGlastonbury Abbey was a monastery in Glastonbury, Somerset, England. The ruins are now a grade I listed building, and a Scheduled Ancient Monument and are open as a visitor attraction....
. - Joyce Zouche, born 1331, died after 4 May 1372, married John de Botetourt, 2nd Lord BotetourtBaron BotetourtThe title Baron Botetourt was created in the Peerage of England by writ of summons on 19 June 1305. It became abeyant in 1406, was recalled from abeyance in 1764 for Norborne Berkeley. However, it became abeyant again on his death in 1770...
.
Tewkesbury Abbey Renovations
Hugh le Despenser the younger and Eleanor are generally credited with beginning the renovations to Tewkesbury AbbeyTewkesbury Abbey
The Abbey of the Blessed Virgin Mary at Tewkesbury in the English county of Gloucestershire is the second largest parish church in the country and a former Benedictine monastery.-History:...
that transformed it into the fine example of the decorated style of architecture that it is today. The famous fourteenth-century stained-glass windows in the choir, which include the armor-clad figures of Eleanor's ancestors, brother, and two husbands, were most likely Eleanor's own contribution, although she probably did not live to see them put in place. The nude, kneeling woman watching the Last Judgment in the choir's east window may represent Eleanor.
Fictional Portrayals
Eleanor de Clare is the heroine of a recent historical novel, The Traitor's Wife: A Novel of the Reign of Edward II, by Susan HigginbothamSusan Higginbotham
Susan Higginbotham is an American historical fiction author. She has written on the Middle Ages and the Wars of the Roses.-Publishing career:...
. She is also portrayed charmingly as a young girl in Feudal Family: The De Clares of Gloucester, by Edith Brouwer.
Ancestry
Sources
- Altschul, Michael, A Baronial Family in Medieval England: The Clares
- Mary Anne Everett GreenMary Anne Everett GreenMary Anne Everett Green, née Wood, was an English historian. After establishing a reputation for scholarship with two multi-volume books on royal ladies and noblewomen, she was invited to assist in preparing guides, or "calendars", to a collection of hitherto disorganised historical state papers...
, Lives of the Princesses of England - Roy Martin HainesRoy Martin HainesRoy Martin Haines is a British historian.Haines is the son of Evan George Martin Haines, who served in the Welsh Guards during World War I and died in 1929 from an illness attributable to his military service...
, King Edward II - Richard K. Morris and Ron Shoesmith, Tewkesbury Abbey: History, Art, and Architecture
- Pugh, T.B., ed., vol. 3, Glamorgan County History
- Rees, William, Caerphilly Castle and Its Place in the Annals of Glamorgan
- Underhill, Frances. For Her Good Estate: The Life of Elizabeth de Burgh
- Calendar of Close Rolls
- Calendar of Fine Rolls
- Calendar of Entries in the Papal Registers Relating to Great Britain and Ireland
- Calendar of Patent Rolls
- The Parliament Rolls of Medieval England (CD-ROM version), ed. by C. Given-Wilson, et al.
- A genealogical survey of the peerage of Britain as well as the royal families of Europe: http://www.thepeerage.com/index.htm
- Ancestral Roots of Certain American Colonists Who Came to America Before 1700 by Frederick Lewis Weis, Lines: 8-30, 8-31, 39-32, 74-32