William ap Thomas
Encyclopedia
William ap Thomas was a member of the Welsh gentry
family that came to be known as the Herbert
family through his son William Herbert, 1st Earl of Pembroke
and is an ancestor of the current Earls of Pembroke.
Raglan manor, attained through marriage through heiress Elizabeth Bluet, was greatly expanded by William and his son, William Herbert, into the well-fortified Raglan Castle
, one of the finest late medieval Welsh castle
s.
William served King Henry V of England during his first French campaign and in numerous subsequent capacities and was knighted in 1426.
, Wales. Thomas is buried in the church where a plaque records his death and that of his successors until 1624.
After Sir Thomas' death, Llansantffraed Court passed through William's brother, Philip. In 1449 Philip was given 'advowson
of the living' by Sir Edward Nevill, 3rd Baron Abergavenny
and Elizabeth de Beauchamp, Lady of Abergavenny
. Llansantffraed Court was held by the Philip's descendants in an unbroken line until the 17th century.
Sir William fought in France with Henry V of England
and at the famous Battle of Agincourt
. In 1415, Sir William was created knight-banneret. In 1426, ap Thomas was knighted by King Henry VI, becoming known to his compatriots as "Y marchog glas o Went" (the blue knight of Gwent), because of the colour of his armour. Gradually he began to establish himself as a person of consequence in south Wales
.
While William was played an active role for the Duke of York, his sphere of influence was generally limited to south Wales.
William married secondly heiress Gwladys ferch Dafydd Gam
, described by Welsh poet
Lewys Glyn Cothi
as 'The Star of Abergavenny' for her beauty. She was the daughter of Sir Dafydd Gam
and the widow of Sir Roger Vaughan of Bredwardine
. All three men had been part of the Welsh contingent that fought with King Henry V of England
in France, including the Battle of Agincourt
.
Other issue less consistently attributed to Gwladys and William include: Maud, Olivia, Elizabeth (who married Welsh country gentlemen, John ab Gwilym), and Thomas Herbert.
Grandious expansion for defense and comfort occurred between 1432 when William ap Thomas bought the manor and 1469 when his son, Sir William Herbert, was executed. Improvements by father and son included the twin-towered gatehouse, five storied Great Tower encircled by a moat, a self-contained fortress in its own right, South Gate, Pitched Stone Court, drawbridge and portcullis
.
Thomas Churchyard praised Raglan Castle
in his 15th century book of poetry, "Worthiness of Wales":
Dafydd Llwyd proclaimed Raglan the castle with its "hundred rooms filled with festive fare, its hundred towers, parlours and doors, its hundred heaped-up fires of long- dried fuel, its hundred chimneys for men of high degree."
in 1445 and his body was brought back to Wales
. William's wife, Gwladys, died in 1454. Gwladys and her husband William ap Thomas were patrons of Abergavenny Priory
where they were both buried; their alabaster
tomb and effigies can still be seen in the church of St Mary's.
Welsh peers
This is an index of Welsh peers whose primary peerage, life peerage, and baronetcy titles includes a Welsh place-name origin or its territorial qualification is within the historic counties of Wales....
family that came to be known as the Herbert
Herbert (surname)
Herbert is a surname, derived from the given name Herbert and may refer to:* A. P. Herbert , English humorist, novelist, playwright and law reform activist* Adam Herbert, former President of Indiana University and of the University of North Florida...
family through his son William Herbert, 1st Earl of Pembroke
Earl of Pembroke
Earl of Pembroke is a title created ten times, all in the Peerage of England. It was first created in the 12th century by King Stephen of England. The title is associated with Pembroke, Pembrokeshire in West Wales, which is the site of Earldom's original seat Pembroke Castle...
and is an ancestor of the current Earls of Pembroke.
Raglan manor, attained through marriage through heiress Elizabeth Bluet, was greatly expanded by William and his son, William Herbert, into the well-fortified Raglan Castle
Raglan Castle
Raglan Castle is a late medieval castle located just north of the village of Raglan in the county of Monmouthshire in south east Wales. The modern castle dates from between the 15th and early 17th-centuries, when the successive ruling families of the Herberts and the Somersets created a luxurious,...
, one of the finest late medieval Welsh castle
Castle
A castle is a type of fortified structure built in Europe and the Middle East during the Middle Ages by European nobility. Scholars debate the scope of the word castle, but usually consider it to be the private fortified residence of a lord or noble...
s.
William served King Henry V of England during his first French campaign and in numerous subsequent capacities and was knighted in 1426.
Family
William ap Thomas was the son of Sir Thomas ap Gwyllym, Knt (d. 1438) of Perth Hir and Maud Morley, daughter and co-heir of Sir John Morley of Llansantffraed. In 1400 Thomas and his wife Maud inherited Llansantffraed Court, the country seat and estate of Sir John Morley. Llansantffraed Court was located approximately 2 miles west of the town of Raglan and Raglan Castle, near Clytha and AbergavennyAbergavenny
Abergavenny , meaning Mouth of the River Gavenny, is a market town in Monmouthshire, Wales. It is located 15 miles west of Monmouth on the A40 and A465 roads, 6 miles from the English border. Originally the site of a Roman fort, Gobannium, it became a medieval walled town within the Welsh Marches...
, Wales. Thomas is buried in the church where a plaque records his death and that of his successors until 1624.
After Sir Thomas' death, Llansantffraed Court passed through William's brother, Philip. In 1449 Philip was given 'advowson
Advowson
Advowson is the right in English law of a patron to present or appoint a nominee to a vacant ecclesiastical benefice or church living, a process known as presentation. In effect this means the right to nominate a person to hold a church office in a parish...
of the living' by Sir Edward Nevill, 3rd Baron Abergavenny
Edward Nevill, 3rd Baron Bergavenny
Edward Nevill, de facto 3rd Baron Bergavenny was an English peer.He was the son of Ralph de Neville, 1st Earl of Westmorland and Joan Beaufort, Countess of Westmorland, daughter of John of Gaunt and Katherine de Roet...
and Elizabeth de Beauchamp, Lady of Abergavenny
Elizabeth de Beauchamp, Lady of Abergavenny
Elizabeth de Beauchamp was the only child and heiress of Richard de Beauchamp, Baron Abergavenny and 1st Earl of Worcester, by Isabel, daughter of Thomas le Despencer, Earl of Gloucester by Constance of York, granddaughter of Edward III.She inherited her father's estates upon his death and...
. Llansantffraed Court was held by the Philip's descendants in an unbroken line until the 17th century.
The Blue Knight of Gwent
Henry V of England
Henry V was King of England from 1413 until his death at the age of 35 in 1422. He was the second monarch belonging to the House of Lancaster....
and at the famous Battle of Agincourt
Battle of Agincourt
The Battle of Agincourt was a major English victory against a numerically superior French army in the Hundred Years' War. The battle occurred on Friday, 25 October 1415 , near modern-day Azincourt, in northern France...
. In 1415, Sir William was created knight-banneret. In 1426, ap Thomas was knighted by King Henry VI, becoming known to his compatriots as "Y marchog glas o Went" (the blue knight of Gwent), because of the colour of his armour. Gradually he began to establish himself as a person of consequence in south 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...
.
Important Offices In Wales
William held the following positions:- William was Steward of the Lordship of AbergavennyAbergavennyAbergavenny , meaning Mouth of the River Gavenny, is a market town in Monmouthshire, Wales. It is located 15 miles west of Monmouth on the A40 and A465 roads, 6 miles from the English border. Originally the site of a Roman fort, Gobannium, it became a medieval walled town within the Welsh Marches...
by 1421. - He was appointed Sheriff of CardiganshireCeredigionCeredigion is a county and former kingdom in mid-west Wales. As Cardiganshire , it was created in 1282, and was reconstituted as a county under that name in 1996, reverting to Ceredigion a day later...
and CarmarthenshireCarmarthenshireCarmarthenshire is a unitary authority in the south west of Wales and one of thirteen historic counties. It is the 3rd largest in Wales. Its three largest towns are Llanelli, Carmarthen and Ammanford...
in 1435. - In 1440, he was appointed the position as Sheriff of GlamorganGlamorganGlamorgan 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...
. - In 1442 or 1443, William became Chief Steward of the Richard Plantagenet, 3rd Duke of YorkRichard Plantagenet, 3rd Duke of YorkRichard Plantagenêt, 3rd Duke of York, 6th Earl of March, 4th Earl of Cambridge, and 7th Earl of Ulster, conventionally called Richard of York was a leading English magnate, great-grandson of King Edward III...
's estates in Wales. - Was a member of the Duke of York's military council.
While William was played an active role for the Duke of York, his sphere of influence was generally limited to south Wales.
Marriage
William married firstly in 1406 Elizabeth or Isabel Bluet (also spelled Bloet), the daughter of Sir John Bluet of Raglan manor and widow of Sir James Berkeley. Elizabeth, "the lady of Raggeland," inherited Raglan Castle with her husband James Berkeley, who later died in 1405 or 1406. Elizabeth died in 1420. Prior to Elizabeth's marriage to Berkeley she married and became the widow of Sir Bartholomew Picot. Elizabeth third marriage to William ap Thomas had no issue.William married secondly heiress Gwladys ferch Dafydd Gam
Gwladys ferch Dafydd Gam
Gwladys ferch Dafydd Gam was a Welsh noblewoman, the daughter of Dafydd ap Llewelyn ap Hywel, otherwise known as Dafydd Gam, who was killed at the Battle of Agincourt in 1415....
, described by Welsh poet
Poet
A poet is a person who writes poetry. A poet's work can be literal, meaning that his work is derived from a specific event, or metaphorical, meaning that his work can take on many meanings and forms. Poets have existed since antiquity, in nearly all languages, and have produced works that vary...
Lewys Glyn Cothi
Lewys Glyn Cothi
Lewys Glyn Cothi , also known as Llywelyn y Glyn, was a prominent Welsh poet who composed numerous poems in the Welsh language. He is one of the most important representatives of the Beirdd yr Uchelwyr or Cywyddwyr , the itinerant professional poets of the period between the 1284 Statute of...
as 'The Star of Abergavenny' for her beauty. She was the daughter of Sir Dafydd Gam
Dafydd Gam
Dafydd ap Llewelyn ap Hywel , better known as Dafydd Gam or Davy Gam, was a Welsh medieval nobleman, a prominent opponent of Owain Glyndŵr, who died at the Battle of Agincourt fighting for King Henry V, King of England in that victory against the French...
and the widow of Sir Roger Vaughan of Bredwardine
Sir Roger Vaughan of Bredwardine
Sir Roger Vaughan of Bredwardine, was a Welsh gentleman, described as having possessed wealth, rank, and high respectability. Roger's seat, Bredwardine Castle, is estimated to have been a strong and formidable fortress, located on the banks of the Wye river in Herefordshire, two miles north of...
. All three men had been part of the Welsh contingent that fought with King Henry V of England
Henry V of England
Henry V was King of England from 1413 until his death at the age of 35 in 1422. He was the second monarch belonging to the House of Lancaster....
in France, including the Battle of Agincourt
Battle of Agincourt
The Battle of Agincourt was a major English victory against a numerically superior French army in the Hundred Years' War. The battle occurred on Friday, 25 October 1415 , near modern-day Azincourt, in northern France...
.
Issue
William and Gwladys had the following issue:- William Herbert, 1st Earl of Pembroke (1423–1469) took the surname Herbert. William's allegiance to Richard, Duke of York, and Richard Neville, 16th Earl of WarwickRichard Neville, 16th Earl of WarwickRichard Neville KG, jure uxoris 16th Earl of Warwick and suo jure 6th Earl of Salisbury and 8th and 5th Baron Montacute , known as Warwick the Kingmaker, was an English nobleman, administrator, and military commander...
, branded him Edward IV's Welsh "master-lock". He was the first full-blooded Welshman to enter the English peerage and he was knighted in 1452. He married Anne Devereux daughter of Sir Walter Devereux in 1449, by whom he had issue.
- Sir Richard Herbert of Coldbrook House, near Abergavenny; died on the battlefield of DanesmoorBattle of Edgecote MoorThe Battle of Edgecote Moor took place 6 miles northeast of Banbury , England on 26 July 1469 during the Wars of the Roses. The site of the battle was actually Danes Moor in Northamptonshire, at a crossing of a tributary of the River Cherwell. The battle pitted the forces of Richard Neville, 16th...
.
- Elizabeth married Sir Henry Stradling (1423–1476), son of Sir Edward Stradling (d. c.1394) and Gwenllian Berkerolles, sister and co-heir of his neighbour, Sir Lawrence Berkerolles. Reversing alliances from the previous generation, Henry and his brothers-in-law were hostile to the Henry VI reign. Henry went on a pilgrimage to the Holy Land in 1476. Henry died on 31 August 1476 on his journey back to England and was buried at FamagustaFamagustaFamagusta is a city on the east coast of Cyprus and is capital of the Famagusta District. It is located east of Nicosia, and possesses the deepest harbour of the island.-Name:...
, Cyprus. Thomas, Elizabeth and Henry's young son died on 8 September 1480.
- Margaret married Sir Henry Wogan, steward and treasurer of the Earldom of PembrokeEarl of PembrokeEarl of Pembroke is a title created ten times, all in the Peerage of England. It was first created in the 12th century by King Stephen of England. The title is associated with Pembroke, Pembrokeshire in West Wales, which is the site of Earldom's original seat Pembroke Castle...
, tasked with securing war material for the defence of Pembroke CastlePembroke CastlePembroke Castle is a medieval castle in Pembroke, West Wales. Standing beside the River Cleddau, it underwent major restoration work in the early 20th century. The castle was the original seat of the Earldom of Pembroke....
. Henry and his father, John Wogan of Picton, witnessed an act of Bishop Benedict in 1418. Their son, Sir John Wogan, was killed at the battle of BanburyBanburyBanbury is a market town and civil parish on the River Cherwell in the Cherwell District of Oxfordshire. It is northwest of London, southeast of Birmingham, south of Coventry and north northwest of the county town of Oxford...
in 1465, fighting by the side of his uncle, William Herbert, Earl of Pembroke.
Other issue less consistently attributed to Gwladys and William include: Maud, Olivia, Elizabeth (who married Welsh country gentlemen, John ab Gwilym), and Thomas Herbert.
Raglan Castle
When Sir John Bloet died, Raglan manor passed to Elizabeth Bloet and her husband James Berkeley. When William's wife, Elizabeth died in 1420, Elizabeth's son Lord James Berkeley inherited Raglan Manor. William resided at Raglan manor as a tenant of his stepson until 1432 when he purchased the manor from Lord Berkeley.Grandious expansion for defense and comfort occurred between 1432 when William ap Thomas bought the manor and 1469 when his son, Sir William Herbert, was executed. Improvements by father and son included the twin-towered gatehouse, five storied Great Tower encircled by a moat, a self-contained fortress in its own right, South Gate, Pitched Stone Court, drawbridge and portcullis
Portcullis
A portcullis is a latticed grille made of wood, metal, fibreglass or a combination of the three. Portcullises fortified the entrances to many medieval castles, acting as a last line of defence during time of attack or siege...
.
Thomas Churchyard praised Raglan Castle
Raglan Castle
Raglan Castle is a late medieval castle located just north of the village of Raglan in the county of Monmouthshire in south east Wales. The modern castle dates from between the 15th and early 17th-centuries, when the successive ruling families of the Herberts and the Somersets created a luxurious,...
in his 15th century book of poetry, "Worthiness of Wales":
- "The Earle of Penbroke that was created Earle by King Edward the four bult the Castell sumptuously at the first
- Not farre from thence, a famous castle fine
- That Raggland hight, stands moted almost round
- Made of freestone, upright straight as line
- Whose workmanship in beautie doth abound
- The curious knots, wrought all with edged toole
- The stately tower, that looks ore pond and poole
- The fountaine trim, that runs both day and night
- Doth yield in showe, a rare and noble sight"
Dafydd Llwyd proclaimed Raglan the castle with its "hundred rooms filled with festive fare, its hundred towers, parlours and doors, its hundred heaped-up fires of long- dried fuel, its hundred chimneys for men of high degree."
Death & Burial
William ap Thomas died in LondonLondon
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
in 1445 and his body was brought back to 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...
. William's wife, Gwladys, died in 1454. Gwladys and her husband William ap Thomas were patrons of Abergavenny Priory
Priory Church of St Mary, Abergavenny
The Priory Church of St Mary, Abergavenny is a church in the centre of Abergavenny in Monmouthshire, Wales.St. Marys has been called 'the Westminster Abbey of Wales' because of its large size and the number of high status church monument tombs and the rare medieval effigies surviving within it .-...
where they were both buried; their alabaster
Alabaster
Alabaster is a name applied to varieties of two distinct minerals, when used as a material: gypsum and calcite . The former is the alabaster of the present day; generally, the latter is the alabaster of the ancients...
tomb and effigies can still be seen in the church of St Mary's.