William the Earl Marshall (c.1146 – 1219)
Paddy Neary
The Marshall with his wife Isabel de Clare transformed the Lordship of Leinster by the sword but also through the establishment of castles, churches, towns and strategic infrastructure.
William was born c.1146, the fourth son of John Marshall, a down on his luck noble man. During the civil war known as the “Anarchy” his father refused to surrender to King Stephen despite the king threating to kill William unless his father surrendered his castle at Newbury.
Having survived this episode the Marshal in his youth went on to excel on the tournament circuit in France and the Rhineland, where he became wealthy and very famous. In 1167 h caught the eye of Queen Eleanor, wife of King Henry 11 of England who brought him into the household of the Plantagenets. He quickly rose to become an indispensible member of the royal house hold where he was renowned for his loyalty. His allegiance was copper fastened by the valour shown when fighting with King Richard the Lionheart on the Crusades and in Normandy. By way of reward, Richard granted the Marshall the hand of Isabel, the daughter of Earl Richard of Striguil (Strongbow) and one of the wealthiest heiress with lands in England, Ireland, France and Wales. In August 1189 they married, she was seventeen years of age, he was around forty two.
Little is known of Isabel for, like most medieval women, her life has largely undocumented. There are some insights, there was a great deal of endearment between William and Isabel. She was an influential and determined presence in the administration of the Leinster Lordship. Their marriage was unpopular with King John, Leinster had been retained by the King since her father Earl Richard’s death in 1176, and John was reluctant to give it up. It was another three years before they gained control of the Lordship.
A brief visit was made to Ireland in 1200 by the Marshall when he probably set in train the development of his chief port at New Ross. At this time he founded Tintern Abbey (Wexford) in fulfilment of a vow made during a near death experience by boat from Pembroke.
William’s major break with John was to happen in Normandy, which John had lost to King Philip 11 of France in 1202. With England and France under separate rulers which King to follow was the problem. The Marshall negotiated a treaty with Philip for his Norman lands. John saw this as treachery and in 1205 took William’s eldest son as a hostage. The Marshall had no choice but to go into exile with Isabel and came to Ireland in 1207.
The Ireland that met the Marshalls was to Anglo Norman eyes “the wild west” of Norman Europe. A war weary land governed by Strongbow’s army. Another reason for William to travel was to tame Myler Fitz Henry who had been on the boat to Ireland with Robert Fitz Stephen in 1169. Fitz Henry was ambitious, hated the Marshall and was using his connections with the King to thwart the Marshall’s plans for Leinster. The Marshal declared war on Fitz Henry which enraged the King and he was recalled to court, again to be humiliated. The Marshall’s absence left Leinster wide open for an attack from Fitz Henry, but Isabel stepped into the spotlight. She was highly respected by the Leinster barons and her presence in Kilkenny was a powerful symbol to bolster her husband’s position as Lord of Leinster.
Fitz Henry’s first point of attack was to burn the new port of New Ross, then turned his attention to a siege of a vulnerable Kilkenny Castle. Amid the chaos Isabel managed to lower a messenger from the ramparts of the castle to inform her followers in Ulster of her plight. They quickly came to Kilkenny and routed Fitz Henry and his army. To be defeated by a woman was the ultimate humiliation and to rub salt into the wounds Isabel forced his submission to her. Isabel’s actions restored her family’s grip on Leinster and John had no choice but to allow the Marshal’s return to Ireland. The Marshal could now rule Leinster with independence and began a campaign of administration, social and economic transformation throughout the Lordship of Leinster.
A host of castles were built or rebuilt, to underpin security of the Lordship, for example Ferns, Carlow, Kilkenny, Old Ross, and Callan. Spiritual conquest was also underpinned by investment in Cathedrals, churches and monasteries, were patronised by the Marshals and their followers. Examples include St Johns Priory, the Black Abbey, Duiske Abbey, Kells, Tintern Abbey, Kildare and St Canice’s Cathedrals. New parish churches at New Ross and St Marys in Kilkenny.
It was in the realm in urban development that the Marshal excelled. A grand plan was set in train to structure and control an urban network for the benefit of his Lordship. Old towns like Kildare, Wexford and Kilkenny were expanded and plantation towns like Thomastown , Inistioge, Naas and Carlow, were established at key locations. As the capital of the Marshal empire Kilkenny expanded between its cathedral and castle to become the largest inland town in Ireland with its own outport at New Ross.
New Ross was perfectly sited because it allowed the Marshal to bypass the royal port of Waterford and was seen as a symbol of autonomy of the Marshal’s Irish Empire from royal power. Here also was the hand of Isabel at work, for New Ross was situated on her ancestral lands, her grandfather’s former kingdom.
William Marshal’s Charter to Kilkenny is dated to between 1207-1211. The new town also became known as Hightown distinguishing it from the older adjoining and pre Anglo Norman Irishtown. The rise and selection of Kilkenny as the Diocesan see was a natural result of its location. It was the major central place within Mag Roigne and an important crossing point of the River Nore. When the first Anglo Normans arrived they were accommodated in Inns and Ostels. Kilkenny was already the largest and most important inland settlement.in the South East of Ireland.
Following the death of King Diarmaid, Osraighe became part of Strongbow’s Lordship of Leinster 1171-1176,Strongbow made grants of land to his followers, Aghaboe to Adam de Hereford, Iverk to Milo Fitz Bishop, while Donal Mac Giolla Padraig to central Ossory, Strogbow apparently commenced building a castle at this time(1171).
The pre-existing settlement known as Irishtown was under the authority of the Bishop. In order to avoid invoking the wrath of the Bishop, the Marshal established the new town down river and adjoining the castle for which St Marys parish was created.
It is clear from the charter of 1207 that FitzRoberts had previously given the burgesses of the new town privileges and had fixed their annual rent at twelve pence payable half yearly.
The next logical step for the Marshal was to grant a new charter, particularly in the face of the ever threatening from dis loyal vassals like Fitz Henry. The document is not foundation charter but it formalised the privileges of an existing settlement. The main concern was to establish the earl’s town and inhabitants were entitled to special treatment in the eyes of the law. Twenty Four Items are mentioned in the Charter. The more interesting ones are, The sons, daughters and widows of the Burgesses were entitled to marry without the permission of the Lord. 2. The Burgesses were entitled to form a merchant Guild to regulate their business, they could seize the goods of debtors.3. The Burgesses could conduct a weekly court known as the hundred. 4. Properties could be twenty feet in width. 5. The Burgesses were permitted to draw timber from the earl’s woods. 6.The Marshall granted the burgesses the right to grind corn in his mills for a reasonable toll.7. No homicide committed within the bounds of the town shall be deemed as murder. 8. No outside merchant may bake bread or operate a wine tavern in the town of Kilkenny for more than forty days.
William was recalled to England in 1213 to quell the first barons’ war, which he succeeded in doing by being one of the chief architects of Magna Carta. On the death of John in 1216, William was chosen by his peers as protector for the nine year old Henry 111. On May 14th 1246 the Marshall died at Caversham and was buried as a Knight Templar in the Temple Church, London. At the time Archbishop Stephen Langton of Canterbury eulogised him as “the greatest knight that ever lived.” Isabel followed him ten months later some scholars say she was buried in Tintern Abbey(Wexford) de Voto beside her mother Aoife Mac Murrough. Others are of the opinion she was laid to rest in Tintern Abbey in Wales.
Sources:
- William Marshal and Ireland.
- William Marshal 3rd Edition.
- The Greatest Knight.