William de Redvers, 5th Earl of Devon
William de Redvers, 5th Earl of Devon[1] (died 10 September 1217) (or de Reviers), of Tiverton Castle[2] and Plympton Castle, both in Devon, was feudal baron of Plympton in Devon.[3]
Origins
He was the son of Baldwin de Redvers, 1st Earl of Devon by his wife Adelize Ballon. William de Redvers is also known as William de Vernon, because he was brought up at Vernon Castle, in Normandy, the seat of his grandfather Richard de Redvers.
Career
In 1194 De Redvers took part in the second coronation of King Richard the Lionheart (1189-1199), when the Canopy was supported by four Earls. He was a firm supporter of Richard's younger brother and heir King John (1199-1216). Nevertheless, at the end of King John's life, in 1216 he permitted Falkes de Breauté, one of his mercenary captains, to seize De Redvers' widowed daughter-in-law, force a marriage, and take her dowry. These events are featured in Alfred Duggan's novel, Leopards and Lilies (1954).
Marriage and children
He married Mabel de Beaumont, a daughter of Robert de Beaumont, Count of Meulan by his wife Maud FitzRoy, a daughter and co-heiress of Reginald de Dunstanville, 1st Earl of Cornwall by his wife Beatrice FitzRichard. By Mabel de Beaumont he had one son who predeceased him and two daughters:
- Baldwin de Redvers (b. after 28 April 1200; d. 1 September 1216), who predeceased his father aged under 16. He left a son Baldwin de Redvers, 6th Earl of Devon.
- Mary de Redvers, known as "Mary de Vernon", who married firstly, Pierre des Preaux (Latinized as de Pratellis ("from the meadow")),[4]) and secondly, to Robert de Courtenay (died 1242), feudal baron of Okehampton, Devon, son of Reginald de Courtenay (died 1194) by his wife Hawise de Curcy (died 1219), heiress of Okehampton. From this marriage the Courtenays later inherited the feudal barony of Plympton in 1293 and in 1335 were declared Earls of Devon.[5] Robert de Courtenay (died 1242) was the great-grandfather of Hugh de Courtenay, 1st/9th Earl of Devon (d.1340).
- Joan de Redvers, who married William Brewere; she had been betrothed to Hubert de Burgh, 1st Earl of Kent, but the marriage did not proceed.
Death & succession
He died on 10 September 1217 when his title passed to his grandson, Baldwin de Redvers, 6th Earl of Devon, his only son Baldwin de Redvers having predeceased him.
Footnotes
- Cokayne 1916, pp. 315–17.
- Pole, Sir William (d.1635), Collections Towards a Description of the County of Devon, Sir John-William de la Pole (ed.), London, 1791, p.213
- Sanders, I.J. (1960). "Barony of Plympton". English Baronies: A Study of their Origin and Descent 1086–1327. Oxford. pp. 137–8.
- Pole, Sir William (d.1635), Collections Towards a Description of the County of Devon, Sir John-William de la Pole (ed.), London, 1791, pp.245-6
- Sanders, I.J. English Baronies: A Study of their Origin and Descent 1086-1327, Oxford, 1960, pp.70,138
References
- Cokayne, George Edward (1916). Doubleday, H.A. (ed.). The Complete Peerage. 4. London: St. Catherine Press.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
External links
| Peerage of England | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Richard de Redvers |
Earl of Devon 1193–1217 |
Succeeded by Baldwin de Redvers |