William (Mowbray) de Mowbray (abt. 1173 - bef. 1224)

Born about 1173 in England

Ancestors

Descendants

Died before 25 Mar 1224 before about age 51 in Axholme Castle, Lincolnshire, England

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Magna Carta Surety Baron William de Mowbray was one of the twenty-five medieval barons who were surety for Magna Carta in 1215. Join: Magna Carta Project Discuss: magna_carta

Note: See Caution (below)

Biography

Birth and Parentage

William de Mowbray was the son of Nigel de Mowbray and his wife Mabel.^{[1][2][3][4][5]} His birth date is uncertain but he was of an age to enter into his inheritance in 1194, pointing to a birth date of about 1173.^[5] He was his parents' oldest son^[3] and his father's main heir.^[5]

Medieval Description

William seems to have been of short stature. He is described in the Histoire des Ducs de Normandie et des Rois d'Angleterre as being "autresi petis comme uns nains; mais moult esprit larges et vaillans" - "as small as a dwarf; but of very generous character, and valiant."^[6]

Marriage and Children

William married Avice, whose family origins are uncertain (see below).^{[1][2][3][4][5]} They had two sons:

• Nele (or Nigel) de Mowbray,^[1][2][3][5] who was of an age to come into his inheritance on his father's death in 1224,^[4] so he must have been born before 1204, and who died without male heirs in 1230^[5]
• Roger de Mowbray,^[3][5] who came of age in 1241,^[5] suggesting a birth date of about 1220, and who married (1) a daughter of Thomas de Furnival, (2) Maud, daughter of William de Beauchamp^[7][8]

It is possible that there was also at least one daughter, Maud (Mowbray) Hansard, but the evidence for this is far from firm.^[9]

Inheritance and Lands

William's Mowbray inheritance in England included the Barony of Thirsk, based in Yorkshire.^[10] He also inherited the seigneurship of Montbrai, Normandy.^[1][2][5]

Life

In 1193 William was a witness to a charter of Richard I who was then captive in Germany.^[1][2][5] This suggests that either William took part in Richard I's crusading activities, or went to Germany to be in his retinue.

The next year William paid £100 to enter into his inheritance.^[1][2][3][5] He also contributed a substantial sum towards Richard I's ransom, for which he was a hostage:^[3] the Red Book of the Exchequer records his contribution as some £88.^[4] In 1197 he witnessed a treaty between Richard and Baldwin of Flanders.^[1][2][3][5]

In 1199, following the death of Richard I, William strengthened the fortifications of his castles. His loyalty to the new king was a for short time doubtful until he received assurances that his rights would be respected.^[1][2][3][5]

During the years that followed, William was generally spared from scutage demands, suggesting that he gave military service.^[3] He was overseas, probably in Normandy, in King John's service in 1201 and 1203.^[5]

In 1201 a compromise was reached in a long-lasting land dispute with William de Stuteville, who was persuaded to accept the manor of Brinklow, Warwickshire and 9 knights' fees in settlement.^[3][5]

Following King John's loss of Normandy, William's Norman lands passed permanently out of his possession and were taken over by the French king.^[1][2][5]

In 1210 William took part in King John's campaign in Ireland.^[5]

Magna Carta and Battle of Lincoln

William joined in the baronial confederacy against King John in 1215, and was one of the Surety Barons for the Magna Carta.^[1][2][3][5] He used the opportunities the political situation provided to secure the Constableship of York Castle in June 1215.^[3][5] Along with other rebel barons, he was excommunicated late in 1215, and his lands became forfeit.^[3][5]

William continued in rebellion, and was captured at the Battle of Lincoln in 1217. Later that year he returned to allegiance and his lands were restored, subject to the surrender, as part of the agreement, of Banstead, Surrey, which was brought into Mowbray possession through his mother.^[1][2][3]

Gifts to religious Foundations

William founded a chantry chapel at Thirsk, Yorkshire.^[3] He confirmed various gifts by his father and paternal grandfather to Newburgh Priory, Yorkshire,^[4] of which he was a benefactor himself,^[3] and other gifts to Byland Abbey, Yorkshire and Furness Abbey, Lancashire.^[1][2]

Last Years and Death

In 1221 William was summoned to help capture Skipsea Castle, Yorkshire, held by William de Forz, another of the Magna Carta surety barons who had risen in rebellion again,^[3] and took part in the siege of Bytham Castle, Lincolnshire.^[1][2][5]

William died shortly before 25 March 1224^[1][2] at Axholme, Lincolnshire.^[3][4][5] He was buried at Newburgh Priory, Yorkshire.^[1][2][3][4]

Research Notes

Disambiguation: William de Mowbray-135

Caution: William de Mowbray-135 has a different father and son and appears to be a member of a different family. Do not attempt a merge without further research.

Wife

The parentage of William's wife Avice is not known with any certainty. Contemporary sources just name her as Avice. Her identification as a daughter of William d'Aubigny seems to originate in Dugdale's recension of Progenies Moubraiorum.^[3]

Previously-shown Children

In the past, WikiTree profiles for two other children have been linked, but have not been verified as daughters by credible source and it is possible that they never existed:

• Alice de Mowbray: Currently (as of April 4, 2016) shown born b. 1192 Axholme and labeled disputed.
• Avice (DeMowbray) Mowbray: Currently (as of April 4, 2016) shown b. 1206 Lincolnshire. No sourced data.

Magna Carta 800th Anniversary Biography

For the 800th anniversary of the Magna Carta in 2015, Professor Nigel Saul wrote a set of biographies of the Surety Barons. He and the Magna Carta 800th Anniversary Committee generously gave permission for them to be reproduced on WikiTree. They can be viewed here.

Sources

1. ↑ ^{1.00 1.01 1.02 1.03 1.04 1.05 1.06 1.07 1.08 1.09 1.10 1.11 1.12 1.13 1.14} Douglas Richardson. Royal Ancestry: A Study in Colonial and Medieval Families, 5 vols, ed. Kimball G. Everingham, Salt Lake City: the author, 2013, Vol. IV, pp. 178-179, MOWBRAY 1
2. ↑ ^{2.00 2.01 2.02 2.03 2.04 2.05 2.06 2.07 2.08 2.09 2.10 2.11 2.12 2.13 2.14} Douglas Richardson. Magna Carta Ancestry: A Study in Colonial and Medieval Families, 4 vols, ed. Kimball G. Everingham. 2nd edition (Salt Lake City: the author, 2011), Vol. III, p. 198, MOWBRAY 1
3. ↑ ^{3.00 3.01 3.02 3.03 3.04 3.05 3.06 3.07 3.08 3.09 3.10 3.11 3.12 3.13 3.14 3.15 3.16 3.17 3.18 3.19 3.20} Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, entry for 'Mowbray, William de (c. 1173–c. 1224)', print and online 2004, revised online 2005, available online via some libraries
4. ↑ ^{4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 4.5 4.6} Cawley, Charles. William Mowbray, entry in "Medieval Lands" database, a prosopography of medieval European noble and royal families © by Charles Cawley, hosted by Foundation for Medieval Genealogy (FMG)
5. ↑ ^{5.00 5.01 5.02 5.03 5.04 5.05 5.06 5.07 5.08 5.09 5.10 5.11 5.12 5.13 5.14 5.15 5.16 5.17 5.18 5.19 5.20 5.21} G E Cokayne. The Complete Peerage, revised edition, Vol. IX, St Catherine Press, 1936, pp. 373-374
6. ↑ Histoire des Ducs de Normandie et des Rois d'Angleterre, d'après deux Manuscrits de la Bibliothèque du Roi, Jules Renouard, Paris, 1840, p. 145, Internet Archive
7. ↑ Douglas Richardson, Royal Ancestry, Vol. III, p. 199, MOWBRAY 2
8. ↑ Douglas Richardson, Magna Carta Ancestry, Vol. IV, pp. 179-180
9. ↑ See posts in soc.genealogy. medieval:
   • John Watson's initial post in the 2013 discussion Pedigree of Hansard
   • John Ravilious's 2007 posts Mowbray ancestry of Camoys and Hansard: a conjecture and Re: Mowbray ancestry of Camoys and Hansard: a conjecture
10. ↑ I J Sanders. English Baronies. A Study of their Origin and Descent 1086-1317, Clarendon Press, Oxford, 1960, p.146

• Richardson, Douglas. Royal Ancestry: A Study in Colonial and Medieval Families, 5 vols, ed. Kimball G. Everingham (Salt Lake City: the author, 2013), Vol. IV, pp. 178-179, MOWBRAY 1. See also WikiTree's source page for ‘’Royal Ancestry’’.
• Richardson, Douglas. Magna Carta Ancestry: A Study in Colonial and Medieval Families, 4 vols, ed. Kimball G. Everingham. 2nd edition (Salt Lake City: the author, 2011), Vol. III, p. 198, MOWBRAY 1. See also WikiTree's source page for "Magna Carta Ancestry".
• Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, entry for 'Mowbray, William de (c. 1173–c. 1224)', print and online 2004, revised online 2005, available online via some libraries
• Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900, Vol. 39, pp. 237-238, Wikisource
• Cokayne, G E. The Complete Peerage, revised edition, Vol. IX, St Catherine Press, 1936, pp. 373-374
• Cawley, Charles. William Mowbray, entry in "Medieval Lands" database, a prosopography of medieval European noble and royal families © by Charles Cawley, hosted by Foundation for Medieval Genealogy (FMG). See also WikiTree's source page for MedLands.
• Wikipedia: William de Mowbray

• Douglas Richardson, Royal Ancestry: A Study in Colonial and Medieval Families, 5 vols., ed. Kimball G. Everingham (Salt Lake City, Utah: the author, 2013)
• Douglas Richardson, Magna Carta Ancestry: A Study in Colonial and Medieval Families, Royal Ancestry series, 2nd edition, 4 vols., ed. Kimball G. Everingham, (Salt Lake City, Utah: the author, 2011), Vol III, p 198

Acknowledgements

Magna Carta Project

As a surety baron, William de Mowbray's profile is managed by the Magna Carta Project. See Mowbray-151 Descendants for profiles of his descendants that have been improved and categorized by the Magna Carta project and are in a project-approved trail to a Gateway Ancestor. See this index for links to other surety barons and category pages for their descendants. See the project's Base Camp for more information about Magna Carta trails.

This profile was reviewed for the Magna Carta Project by Michael Cayley in February 2020.