Ancestral Trails 2016 » ROGER MORTIMER (1231-1282)

Personal data ROGER MORTIMER 

• He was born in the year 1231 in Cwmaron Castle, Radnor, Wales.Sources 1, 2
• Title: Lord of Wigmore, 1st Baron Mortimer
• (Titles) in Gained the title of Lord of Wigmore.
• He died on October 27, 1282 in Kingsland, Herefordshire, he was 51 years old.Sources 1, 3
• He is buried on October 30, 1282 in Wigmore, Herefordshire.Source 1
• A child of RALPH MORTIMER and GWLADYS VERCH LLEWELLYN

Household of ROGER MORTIMER

He is married to MAUD de BRAOSE.

They got married in the year 1247 at Wigmore Castle, Wigmore, Herefordshire, he was 16 years old.

Child(ren):

1. Margaret MORTIMER  1260-???? 
2. Ralph MORTIMER  1250-< 1274
3. Geoffrey MORTIMER  1258-1273
4. Roger MORTIMER  1254-1326 
5. William MORTIMER  1256-< 1297
6. ISABELLA MORTIMER  1248-< 1274 
7. EDMUND MORTIMER  1252-1304 

Notes about ROGER MORTIMER

Roger Mortimer, 1st Baron Mortimer, of Wigmore (1231 - 30 October 1282), was a famous and honoured knight from Wigmore Castle in Herefordshire. He was a loyal ally of King Henry III of England. He was at times an enemy, at times an ally, of Llywelyn ap Gruffudd, Prince of Wales.

Born in 1231, Roger was the son of Ralph de Mortimer and his Welsh wife, Princess Gwladys Ddu, daughter of Llywelyn ab Iorwerth and Joan Plantagenet, daughter of John "Lackland", King of England.

In 1256 Roger went to war with Llywelyn ap Gruffudd when the latter invaded his lordship of Gwrtheyrnion or Rhayader. This war would continue intermittently until the deaths of both Roger and Llywelyn in 1282. They were both grandsons of Llywelyn ab Iorwerth.

Mortimer fought for the King against the rebel Simon de Montfort, 6th Earl of Leicester, and almost lost his life in 1264 at the Battle of Lewes fighting Montfort's men. In 1265 Mortimer's wife, Maud de Braose helped rescue Prince Edward; and Mortimer and the Prince made an alliance against de Montfort.

Victor at Evesham
In August 1265, de Montfort's army was surrounded by the River Avon on three sides, and Prince Edward's army on the fourth. Mortimer had sent his men to block the only possible escape route, at the Bengeworth bridge. The Battle of Evesham began in earnest. A storm roared above the battle field. Montfort's Welsh soldiers broke and ran for the bridge, where they were slaughtered by Mortimer's men. Mortimer himself killed Hugh Despencer and Montfort, and crushed Montfort's army. Mortimer was awarded Montfort's severed head and other parts of his anatomy, which he sent home to Wigmore Castle as a gift for his wife, Lady Mortimer.

Welsh wars and death
Mortimer took part in Edward I's 1282 campaign against Llewelyn the Last, and was put in charge of operations in mid-Wales. It was a major setback for Edward when Mortimer died in October 1282.

Marriage and children
Lady Mortimer was Maud de Braose, daughter of William de Braose, Lord of Abergavenny by Eva Marshal. Roger Mortimer had married her in 1247. She was, like him, a scion of a Welsh Marches family. Their six known children were:
Ralph Mortimer, died 10 August 1274, Sheriff of Shropshire and Staffordshire.
Edmund Mortimer, 2nd Baron Mortimer (1251-1304), married Margaret de Fiennes, the daughter of William II de Fiennes and Blanche de Brienne. Had issue, including Roger Mortimer, 1st Earl of March
Isabella Mortimer, died 1292. She married (1) John Fitzalan, 7th Earl of Arundel, (2) Ralph d'Arderne and (3) Robert de Hastang;
Margaret Mortimer, died 1297. She married Robert de Vere, 6th Earl of Oxford
Roger Mortimer, 1st Baron Mortimer of Chirk, died 1326.
Geoffrey Mortimer, died 1273.
William Mortimer, died before June 1297, a knight, married Hawise, daughter and heir of Robert de Mucegros. Died childless.

Their eldest son, Ralph, was a famed knight but died in his youth. The second son, Edmund, was recalled from Oxford University and appointed his father's heir.

Epitaph
Roger Mortimer died on 30 October 1282, and was buried at Wigmore Abbey, where his tombstone read:

Here lies buried, glittering with praise, Roger the pure, Roger Mortimer the second, called Lord of Wigmore by those who held him dear. While he lived all Wales feared his power, and given as a gift to him all Wales remained his. It knew his campaigns, he subjected it to torment.
SOURCE: Wikipedia - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roger_Mortimer,_1st_Baron_Mortimer

Roger Mortimer, son and heir of Ralph and Gwladus. A minor at his father's death, is said to have been born at his father's castle of Cwmaron. He received his inheritance on Feb. 26 1246. At Whitsunday 1253, he was made a knight by the King at Winchester. He was serving in Gascony in 1253, and 1254, and from 1255 to 1264 was chiefly occupied with his duties on the March, opposing the successes of his cousin Llewelyn ap Griffith, who was gradually uniting all the Welsh chieftains under his leadership.

In December 1260, Roger had a license to take game and to fish along the Thames and its tributaries. The whole of the years 1262 and 1263 he spent in fighting Llewelyn with varying success. On 6 April 1264 he was with the King at the taking of Northampton, and captured a number of prisoners.

Shortly before Prince Edward sailed for the Holy Land, August 1270, Roger was made one of the trustees for the Prince's estates during his absence on the Crusade.

In 1279, he held a splendid tournament at Kenilworth. On 27 Oct 1282 the King ordered, "as a special favor which has never been granted before," that if Roger should die during his present illness, the executors of his will should not be impeded by reason of his debts to the Exchequer.

Roger married, in 1247, Maud, eldest daughter and coheir of William de Braose, by Eve, sister and coheir of Walter Marshall, Earl of Pembroke, Marshal of England, daughter of William Marshal and Isabel de Clare. Roger died shortly before 30 Oct 1282, at Kingsland, Hereford, and was buried at Wigmore, being aged about 50, and in harness to the end. His widow Maud had various instructions during the Welsh wars, as had other barons of the March. In 1292 she had protection, as staying in Wales on the King's service. She died shortly before 23 March 1300/ 1, when the writ to the escheator issued

In 1303, a further inquisition was taken on the lands of Roger and Maud. Their children: their heir Edmund, William, who was hostage for his father in Aug 1264, and married Hawise, daughter and heir of Robert de Muscegros, and died shortly before June 1297. Margaret, who was to married Robert de Vere, and Isabel married John Fitz Alan.

Roger Mortimer died on October 30, 1282, and was buried at Wigmore Abbey, where his tombstone read:
Here lies buried, glittering with praise, Roger the pure, Roger Mortimer the second, called Lord of Wigmore by those who held him dear. While he lived all Wales feared his power, and given as a gift to him all Wales remained his. It knew his campaigns, he subjected it to torment. SOURCE: Findagrave.com

Do you have supplementary information, corrections or questions with regards to ROGER MORTIMER?
The author of this publication would love to hear from you!

Timeline ROGER MORTIMER

Click on the names for more info. Symbols used:  grandparents    parents    brothers/sisters    children