Robert Fitz-Stephen
Encyclopedia
Robert Fitz-Stephen was a 12th century Cambro-Norman
soldier, one of the leaders of the Norman invasion of Ireland
, for which he was granted extensive lands in Ireland
. He was a son of the famous Nest, daughter of Rhys ap Tewdwr
, the last king of Deheubarth (South Wales). His father was Nest's second husband, Stephen, Constable of Cardigan
. Following the death of her first husband, Gerald de Windsor
, her sons had married her to Stephen, her husband's constable for Cardigan. By Stephen, she had another son, possibly two; the eldest was Robert, and the younger may have been Hywel.
invaded Gwynedd
. While the main royal army faced the forces of Owain Gwynedd
east of the River Conwy
, a force including Robert and his half-brother Henry Fitzroy
(the illegitimate son of Nest and King Henry I
) attacked Anglesey
by sea. However, this force was defeated in a battle in which Robert was seriously wounded and Henry killed.
Robert was captured in November 1165 by Rhys ap Gruffydd
(The Lord Rhys) who was the nephew of his mother Nest. The King of Leinster
appealed to Rhys (in 1167) to release Robert for an expedition to Ireland. Rhys did not oblige at the time, but in response to a further appeal in 1168 released Robert from captivity.
In 1167, the King of Leinster, Diarmait Mac Murchada, was deprived of his kingdom by the High King of Ireland
. To recover his kingdom, the exiled king fled to Wales and from there to England and Aquitaine
in France, in order to have the consent of King Henry II of England
to recruit soldiers. On returning to Wales, Fitz-Stephen helped him to organise a mercenary army of Norman and Welsh soldiers, including Richard de Clare, 2nd Earl of Pembroke
, alias Strongbow. On 1 May 1169, Robert led the vanguard of Diarmait Mac Murchada's Cambro-Norman
auxiliaries to Ireland
, thereby precipitating the Norman invasion of Ireland
. The main invasion party landed near Bannow
strand, County Wexford
with a force of 30 knight
s, 60 man-at-arms
and 300 archers
. The next day, Maurice de Prendergast
landed at the same bay with ten knights and 60 archers. This force merged with about 500 soldiers commanded by Diarmait . In return for capturing Wexford
, MacMurrough granted Fitz-Stephen a share in two cantred
s, Bargy
and Forth which comprised all the land between Bannow and the town of Wexford. The cantreds were to be held jointly with Maurice FitzGerald, Lord of Lanstephan
, his half-brother. The Siege of Wexford
lasted only two days. The first attack was repulsed at the loss of 18 Normans and 3 defenders. These are believed to have been the only deaths during the siege. Fitz-Stephen then ordered his men to burn all the ships in the town's harbour. The next morning, the attack on Wexford began again. Shortly after, the defenders sent envoys to Diarmait. The defenders agreed to surrender and renew their allegiance to Diarmait. It is claimed that they were persuaded to surrender by two bishops who were in the town at the time. He was accompanied at the siege by Robert de Barry
, the eldest son of his half-sister Angharad de Windsor. Nest then, was the mother of Robert, Maurice and Angharad.
Taken prisoner by the The MacCarthy Reagh
in 1171, he was by them surrendered to Henry II of England, who appointed him lieutenant of the Justiciar of Ireland, Hugh de Lacy.
Robert rendered good service in the troubles of 1173, and was in rewarded in 1177 by receiving from the king of England, jointly with Miles de Cogan, a grant of of the kingdom of Cork, "from Lismore
to the sea". with the exception of the city of Cork
. Cogan was the son of his half-sister Gwladys. The princes of that province
disputed the king's right to dispose of the territory on the grounds that they had not resisted king Henry, or committed any act that would have justified the forfeiture of their lands. In consequence, Fitz-Stephen had difficulty in maintaining his position and was nearly overwhelmed by a rising in the Kingdom of Desmond in 1182. The second son of his half-sister Angharad de Windsor, Philip de Barry
came to Ireland in 1185 to assist his half-uncle. Together with another relative, Raymond FitzGerald
(also known as Raymond Le Gros), they recovered their lands in the modern county of Cork
, specifically the baronies
of Killede, Olethan and Muscarydonegan. A compromise agreement was reached that allowed the barons to hold seven cantreds near Cork with the remaining twenty-four being retained by the native princes.
Having no living male heirs, Fitz-Stephen eventually ceded these territories to Philip de Barry
, his half-nephew. The date of his death is uncertain.
Cambro-Norman
Cambro-Norman is a term used for Norman knights who settled in southern Wales after the Norman conquest of England in 1066. Some historians suggest that the term is to be preferred to Anglo-Norman for the Normans who invaded Ireland after 1170 — many of whom originated in Wales. However, the term...
soldier, one of the leaders of the Norman invasion of Ireland
Norman Invasion of Ireland
The Norman invasion of Ireland was a two-stage process, which began on 1 May 1169 when a force of loosely associated Norman knights landed near Bannow, County Wexford...
, for which he was granted extensive lands in Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
. He was a son of the famous Nest, daughter of Rhys ap Tewdwr
Rhys ap Tewdwr
Rhys ap Tewdwr was a Prince of Deheubarth in south-west Wales and member of the Dinefwr dynasty, a branch descended from Rhodri the Great...
, the last king of Deheubarth (South Wales). His father was Nest's second husband, Stephen, Constable of Cardigan
Cardigan, Ceredigion
Cardigan is a town in the county of Ceredigion in Mid Wales. It lies on the estuary of the River Teifi at the point where Ceredigion meets Pembrokeshire. It was the county town of the pre-1974 county of Cardiganshire. It is the second largest town in Ceredigion. The town's population was 4,203...
. Following the death of her first husband, Gerald de Windsor
Gerald de Windsor
Gerald de Windsor, also known as Gerald FitzWalter, was the nobleman in charge of the Norman forces in Wales in the late 11th century. Notably, he was the progenitor of the FitzGerald and de Barry dynasties of Ireland...
, her sons had married her to Stephen, her husband's constable for Cardigan. By Stephen, she had another son, possibly two; the eldest was Robert, and the younger may have been Hywel.
In Wales
Robert succeeded his father in his office (Custos Campe Abertivi). He first appears in history in 1157, when King Henry II of EnglandHenry II of England
Henry II ruled as King of England , Count of Anjou, Count of Maine, Duke of Normandy, Duke of Aquitaine, Duke of Gascony, Count of Nantes, Lord of Ireland and, at various times, controlled parts of Wales, Scotland and western France. Henry, the great-grandson of William the Conqueror, was the...
invaded Gwynedd
Gwynedd
Gwynedd is a county in north-west Wales, named after the old Kingdom of Gwynedd. Although the second biggest in terms of geographical area, it is also one of the most sparsely populated...
. While the main royal army faced the forces of Owain Gwynedd
Owain Gwynedd
Owain Gwynedd ap Gruffydd , in English also known as Owen the Great, was King of Gwynedd from 1137 until his death in 1170. He is occasionally referred to as "Owain I of Gwynedd"; and as "Owain I of Wales" on account of his claim to be King of Wales. He is considered to be the most successful of...
east of the River Conwy
River Conwy
The River Conwy is a river in north Wales. From its source to its discharge in Conwy Bay it is a little over long. "Conwy" is sometimes Anglicized as "Conway."...
, a force including Robert and his half-brother Henry Fitzroy
Henry Fitzroy
Henry Fitzroy may refer to:*Henry FitzRoy , illegitimate son of Henry I of England*Henry FitzRoy, 1st Duke of Richmond and Somerset, the only illegitimate child acknowledged by Henry VIII...
(the illegitimate son of Nest and King 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...
) attacked Anglesey
Anglesey
Anglesey , also known by its Welsh name Ynys Môn , is an island and, as Isle of Anglesey, a county off the north west coast of Wales...
by sea. However, this force was defeated in a battle in which Robert was seriously wounded and Henry killed.
Robert was captured in November 1165 by Rhys ap Gruffydd
Rhys ap Gruffydd
Rhys ap Gruffydd or ap Gruffudd was the ruler of the kingdom of Deheubarth in south Wales. He is commonly known as The Lord Rhys, in Welsh Yr Arglwydd Rhys, but this title may not have been used in his lifetime...
(The Lord Rhys) who was the nephew of his mother Nest. The King of Leinster
Kings of Leinster
The following is a provisional list of the kings of Leinster who ruled the Irish kingdom of Leinster up to 1632 with the death of Domhnall Spainnach MacMurrough-Kavanagh, the last legitimately inaugurated head of the MacMurrough Kavanagh royal line...
appealed to Rhys (in 1167) to release Robert for an expedition to Ireland. Rhys did not oblige at the time, but in response to a further appeal in 1168 released Robert from captivity.
In Ireland
High King of Ireland
The High Kings of Ireland were sometimes historical and sometimes legendary figures who had, or who are claimed to have had, lordship over the whole of Ireland. Medieval and early modern Irish literature portrays an almost unbroken sequence of High Kings, ruling from Tara over a hierarchy of...
. To recover his kingdom, the exiled king fled to Wales and from there to England and Aquitaine
Aquitaine
Aquitaine , archaic Guyenne/Guienne , is one of the 27 regions of France, in the south-western part of metropolitan France, along the Atlantic Ocean and the Pyrenees mountain range on the border with Spain. It comprises the 5 departments of Dordogne, :Lot et Garonne, :Pyrénées-Atlantiques, Landes...
in France, in order to have the consent of King Henry II of England
Henry II of England
Henry II ruled as King of England , Count of Anjou, Count of Maine, Duke of Normandy, Duke of Aquitaine, Duke of Gascony, Count of Nantes, Lord of Ireland and, at various times, controlled parts of Wales, Scotland and western France. Henry, the great-grandson of William the Conqueror, was the...
to recruit soldiers. On returning to Wales, Fitz-Stephen helped him to organise a mercenary army of Norman and Welsh soldiers, including Richard de Clare, 2nd Earl of Pembroke
Richard de Clare, 2nd Earl of Pembroke
Richard de Clare, 2nd Earl of Pembroke , Lord of Leinster, Justiciar of Ireland . Like his father, he was also commonly known as Strongbow...
, alias Strongbow. On 1 May 1169, Robert led the vanguard of Diarmait Mac Murchada's Cambro-Norman
Cambro-Norman
Cambro-Norman is a term used for Norman knights who settled in southern Wales after the Norman conquest of England in 1066. Some historians suggest that the term is to be preferred to Anglo-Norman for the Normans who invaded Ireland after 1170 — many of whom originated in Wales. However, the term...
auxiliaries to Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
, thereby precipitating the Norman invasion of Ireland
Norman Invasion of Ireland
The Norman invasion of Ireland was a two-stage process, which began on 1 May 1169 when a force of loosely associated Norman knights landed near Bannow, County Wexford...
. The main invasion party landed near Bannow
Bannow
Bannow is an area situated in the south of County Wexford, in Ireland. An early Norman town was founded at Bannow. This town has since disappeared for unknown reasons, although the ruins of an early Norman church can still be seen there today . The Norman church is located near the former Island...
strand, County Wexford
County Wexford
County Wexford is a county in Ireland. It is part of the South-East Region and is also located in the province of Leinster. It is named after the town of Wexford. In pre-Norman times it was part of the Kingdom of Uí Cheinnselaig, whose capital was at Ferns. Wexford County Council is the local...
with a force of 30 knight
Knight
A knight was a member of a class of lower nobility in the High Middle Ages.By the Late Middle Ages, the rank had become associated with the ideals of chivalry, a code of conduct for the perfect courtly Christian warrior....
s, 60 man-at-arms
Man-at-arms
Man-at-arms was a term used from the High Medieval to Renaissance periods to describe a soldier, almost always a professional warrior in the sense of being well-trained in the use of arms, who served as a fully armoured heavy cavalryman...
and 300 archers
Archery
Archery is the art, practice, or skill of propelling arrows with the use of a bow, from Latin arcus. Archery has historically been used for hunting and combat; in modern times, however, its main use is that of a recreational activity...
. The next day, Maurice de Prendergast
Maurice de Prendergast
Maurice de Prendergast was a Norman knight, fl. 1169-1174.Maurice was a Fleming from Prendergast, Haverfordwest, Wales, and participated in the Norman invasion of Ireland. He was one of the first members of the expedition to land in Bannow Bay in May 1169, along with Meiler FitzHenry and Miles...
landed at the same bay with ten knights and 60 archers. This force merged with about 500 soldiers commanded by Diarmait . In return for capturing Wexford
Wexford
Wexford is the county town of County Wexford, Ireland. It is situated near the southeastern corner of Ireland, close to Rosslare Europort. The town is connected to Dublin via the M11/N11 National Primary Route, and the national rail network...
, MacMurrough granted Fitz-Stephen a share in two cantred
Cantred
Cantred can mean:* a cantref, an obsolete administrative subdivision of Wales* one of the Baronies of Ireland, an obsolete administrative subdivision of Ireland...
s, Bargy
Bargy
Bargy is a barony in County Wexford, Ireland, where the now extinct Yola language was spoken.-References:*Jacob Poole, T. P. Dolan, and Diarmaid Ó Muirithe, Dialect of Forth and Bargy, Co. Wexford, Ireland, 1867, repub. 1996 ....
and Forth which comprised all the land between Bannow and the town of Wexford. The cantreds were to be held jointly with Maurice FitzGerald, Lord of Lanstephan
Maurice FitzGerald, Lord of Lanstephan
Maurice FitzGerald, Lord of Maynooth, Naas, and Llanstephan) was a major figure in the Norman invasion of Ireland....
, his half-brother. The Siege of Wexford
Siege of Wexford (1169)
The siege of Wexford took place in early May 1169 and was the first major clash of the Norman invasion of Ireland. The town was besieged by a combined force of Normans under Robert Fitz-Stephen and soldiers loyal to Diarmait mac Murchadha...
lasted only two days. The first attack was repulsed at the loss of 18 Normans and 3 defenders. These are believed to have been the only deaths during the siege. Fitz-Stephen then ordered his men to burn all the ships in the town's harbour. The next morning, the attack on Wexford began again. Shortly after, the defenders sent envoys to Diarmait. The defenders agreed to surrender and renew their allegiance to Diarmait. It is claimed that they were persuaded to surrender by two bishops who were in the town at the time. He was accompanied at the siege by Robert de Barry
Robert de Barry
Robert de Barry was a Cambro-Norman warrior from Manorbier in Pembrokeshire who participated in the colonisation of the Kingdom of Desmond following the Norman invasion of Ireland.-Nesta:...
, the eldest son of his half-sister Angharad de Windsor. Nest then, was the mother of Robert, Maurice and Angharad.
Taken prisoner by the The MacCarthy Reagh
MacCarthy Reagh
The MacCarthy Reagh dynasty are a branch of the great MacCarthy dynasty, Kings of Desmond, deriving from the ancient Eóganachta, of the central Eóganacht Chaisil sept. The MacCarthys Reagh seated themselves as Princes of Carbery in what is now southwestern County Cork in the 13th century...
in 1171, he was by them surrendered to Henry II of England, who appointed him lieutenant of the Justiciar of Ireland, Hugh de Lacy.
Robert rendered good service in the troubles of 1173, and was in rewarded in 1177 by receiving from the king of England, jointly with Miles de Cogan, a grant of of the kingdom of Cork, "from Lismore
Lismore
-Places:Australia*Lismore, New South Wales, city*Lismore, Victoria, townCanada*Lismore, Nova Scotia, villageIreland*Lismore, County Waterford, town*Lismore Castle*Lismore, County Down, a townland in County Down,Scotland*Lismore, Scotland, island...
to the sea". with the exception of the city of Cork
Cork (city)
Cork is the second largest city in the Republic of Ireland and the island of Ireland's third most populous city. It is the principal city and administrative centre of County Cork and the largest city in the province of Munster. Cork has a population of 119,418, while the addition of the suburban...
. Cogan was the son of his half-sister Gwladys. The princes of that province
Provinces of Ireland
Ireland has historically been divided into four provinces: Leinster, Ulster, Munster and Connacht. The Irish word for this territorial division, cúige, literally meaning "fifth part", indicates that there were once five; the fifth province, Meath, was incorporated into Leinster, with parts going to...
disputed the king's right to dispose of the territory on the grounds that they had not resisted king Henry, or committed any act that would have justified the forfeiture of their lands. In consequence, Fitz-Stephen had difficulty in maintaining his position and was nearly overwhelmed by a rising in the Kingdom of Desmond in 1182. The second son of his half-sister Angharad de Windsor, Philip de Barry
Philip de Barry
Philip de Barry , was a Cambro-Norman warrior from Manorbier in Pembrokeshire who participated in the colonisation of Kingdom of Desmond following the Norman invasion of Ireland...
came to Ireland in 1185 to assist his half-uncle. Together with another relative, Raymond FitzGerald
Raymond Fitzgerald
Raymond FitzGerald , nicknamed Le Gros, was a Cambro-Norman commander during the Norman invasion of Ireland....
(also known as Raymond Le Gros), they recovered their lands in the modern county of Cork
County Cork
County Cork is a county in Ireland. It is located in the South-West Region and is also part of the province of Munster. It is named after the city of Cork . Cork County Council is the local authority for the county...
, specifically the baronies
Barony (Ireland)
In Ireland, a barony is a historical subdivision of a county. They were created, like the counties, in the centuries after the Norman invasion, and were analogous to the hundreds into which the counties of England were divided. In early use they were also called cantreds...
of Killede, Olethan and Muscarydonegan. A compromise agreement was reached that allowed the barons to hold seven cantreds near Cork with the remaining twenty-four being retained by the native princes.
Having no living male heirs, Fitz-Stephen eventually ceded these territories to Philip de Barry
Philip de Barry
Philip de Barry , was a Cambro-Norman warrior from Manorbier in Pembrokeshire who participated in the colonisation of Kingdom of Desmond following the Norman invasion of Ireland...
, his half-nephew. The date of his death is uncertain.