The estates of the Clare Family 1066-1317.
Abstract
Throughout the early Middle Ages, the Clare earls of Hertford and.
Gloucester were prominent figures on the political scene. Their position
as baronial leaders was derived from their landed wealth, and was built up
gradually over two hundred and fifty years. Richard I de Clare arrived in
England in 1066 as a Norman adventurer, and was granted the honours of
Tonbridge and Clare. The family more than doubled its lands during the
twelfth and thirteenth centuries, mainly by inheritance, the greatest
acquisition being the honour of Gloucester in 1217.
Only in the first half of the twelfth century was the honour an
autonomous unit. In the honour of Clare, the earls relied on their own
tenants as officials in the twelfth century, but in the thirteenth the
administration was professional and bureaucratic. The earl's relations
with his sub-tenants are unknown before the early fourteenth century; then,
in contrast to other estates, the Clare honour-court was busy, strong and
fairly efficient. In contrast to the honours of Clare and Gloucester,
held of the king in chief, Tonbridge was held of the archbishop of
Canterbury, and the relationship between archbishop and earl was the subject
of several disputes. As to franchises, the earl exercised the highest
which he possessed in England at Tonbridge; elsewhere he appropriated
franchises on a large scale during the Barons' Wars of 1258-1265, but most
of these were surrendered as a result of Edward I's quo warranto proceedings In the thirteenth century, the Clare earls of Gloucester were
important Marcher lords. They strengthened their authority in Glamorgan
by expelling most of the Welsh princes in northern Glamorgan, and they
long avoided royal interference in their liberties. Nevertheless, in
the notorious case of the earls of Hereford and Gloucester in 1291-2,
Edward I temporarily succeeded in breaking down March custom.
Authors
Ward, Jennifer ClareCollections
- Theses [3834]