William de Valence, "William of Lusignan", "1st Earl of Pembroke"
Born [abt.1229] at Cistercian abbey in Valence (south of Lusignan), Poitou-Charentes, France
Died June 13, 1296 at Bayonne, Aquitaine, France
Buried: Westminster Abbey between the south ambulatory and the chapel of St. Edmund, London, Middlesex,England
Notes:
Parents are first cousins.
Half-brother to Henry III of England
In 1247, a year after their mother's death, (and the French conquest of Poitou) siblings Alice, William, Aymer and Guy, accompanied the new papal legate William of Modena - the Cardinal Bishop of Sabina, to England to live at the invitation of their half-brother King Henry III. The king found important positions for all of them, to the resentment of many of the nobles who did not want the 'penniless foreigners'.
Henry dubbed him Knight on 13 Oct. 1247 in Westminster Abbey.
Became Earl of Pembroke and Wexford (titular, basically he seized his wife's assets and demanded all his neighbors respect him as such) upon his marriage to Joan Munchensi, Countess of Pembroke.
Was incredibly disliked by many, especially the barons, and especially in Wales and gained the reputation as one of the most prominent of the rapacious foreigners. Had some trouble with Simon de Montfort and participated heavily on the side of King Henry III during the Second Baron's Rebellion.
Fought at Lewes, fled to France, came back to England and fought at Gloucester and Evesham.
Accompanied Prince Edward (soon Edward I) on crusade to Palestine. Afterwards he went on to play a big part in the conquest of Wales.
Was frequently one of King Edward's representatives in public business in France (Aquitaine then being ruled by England) and was one of the King's representatives in the suit of succession to the crown of Scotland. (William's neice Isabel de Warenne being the wife of the eventual chosen King John) 1291-1292
Married
Joan de Munchensi on August 13, 1247 in (prob.) England
Children of William and Joan:
- Isabel de Valence
- Joan de Valence
- John de Valence
- William de Valence
- Aymer de Valence
- Margaret de Valence
- Agnes de Valence
Siblings of William of Lusignan/Valence:
Alice de Lusignan, Agnes Agathe de Lusignan, Isabelle de Lusignan, Hugh XI d'Angouleme, de Lusignan, Aymer de Valance, Guy de Lusignan, Geoffori de Lusignan, Marguerite de LusignanHalf-siblings from mother's first marriage to King John of England:
Henry III of England, Richard, Earl of Cornwall, Joan of England, Isabella of England, Eleanor of England
| Hugh de Lusignan VIII | |||
| Hugh de Lusignan IX | Orengarde de Lusignan | ||
| Guillaume Taillefer IV | |||
| Hugh de Lusignan X | Mathilde de Taillefer | Emma de Limoges | |
| William of Lusignan/Valence | |||
| Isabella d'Angouleme de Taillefer | Aymer de Taillefer | Guillaume de Taillefer IV | |
| Emma de Limoges | |||
| Alice de Courtenay | Pierre Capet of France | ||
| Isabelle de Courtenay |
