Roger De Mortimer

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• Reference Number: 15676

Notes:

Roger de Mortimer (died before 8 July 1214) was a medieval marcher lord, residing at Wigmore Castle in the English county of Herefordshire. He was the son of Hugh de Mortimer (d. 26 February 1181 and Matilda Le Meschin. He was born before 1153

Early life

Roger would appear to have been of age in 1174 when he fought for King Henry II against the rebellion of his son, Henry. In 1179 Roger was instrumental in the killing of Cadwallon ap Madog, the prince of Maelienydd and Elfael, both of which Mortimer coveted. He was imprisoned until June 1182 at Winchester for this killing.
[edit]Children

He had married Isabel (d. before 29 April 1252), the daughter of Walchelin de Ferriers of Oakham Castle in Rutland before 1196. With Isabel, Roger had three sons and a daughter:
Hugh de Mortimer (d.1227)
Ralph de Mortimer (d.1246).
Philip Mortimer
Joan Mortimer (d.1225) - married May 1212 to Walter de Beauchamp[1]
He is often wrongly stated to have been the father of Robert Mortimer of Richards Castle (died 1219) - married Margary de Say[2], daughter of Hugh de Say. This Robert was born before 1155 and therefore could not have been a son of Roger.
[edit]Lord of Maelienydd

In 1195 Roger, with the backing of troops sent by King Richard I invaded Maelienydd and rebuilt Cymaron Castle. In 1196 he joined forces with Hugh de Say of Richards Castle and fought and lost the battle of New Radnor against Rhys ap Gruffydd, allegedly losing some forty knights and an innumerable number of foot in the fight. By 1200 he had conquered Maelienydd and issued a new charter of rights to Cwmhir Abbey. In the summer of 1214 he became gravely ill and bought the right for his son to inherit his lands while he still lived from King John. He died before 8 July 1214.

Remfry., P.M., Wigmore Castle Tourist Guide and the Family of Mortimer (ISBN 1-899376-76-3)
Cockayne, George E. Complete Peerage of England, Scotland, Ireland, Great Britain and the United Kingdom/13 Volumes Bound in 6 Books, IV:191; IX:272-3
William Dugdale, Monasticon IV, Kington St Michael Nunnery, Wiltshire, III
Dugdale, Monasticon VI, Wigmore Abbey, Herefordshire, III, Fundationis et Fundatorum Historia
Annales de Theokesberia
Annales de Wigornia

Roger married Isabel De Ferrers Bef 1196. Isabel (daughter of Walchelin De Ferriers) died Bef 29 Apr 1252. [Group Sheet]

1. Ralph De Mortimer was born Bef 1198; died Bef 2 Oct 1246.
2. Joane Mortimer was born Abt 1194, England; died 1268.
3. Hugh De Mortimer died 1227.
4. Philip Mortimer

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• Reference Number: 15681

Hugh — Matilda Le Meschin. [Group Sheet]

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• Reference Number: 15682

Notes:

Hugh de Mortimer (before 1117 to 26 Feb 1180/1) was a Norman English medieval baron.

Lineage

The son of Hugh de Mortimer (b ? - d 26 Feb 1148/50), the son of Ralf de Mortimer, he was Lord of Wigmore Castle, Cleobury Mortimer and at times, Bridgnorth, Bishop's Castle and Maelienydd.
[edit]Anarchy

During the Anarchy of King Stephen's reign, Mortimer was an ardant royalist until at least 1148. This was because Wigmore Castle had been confiscated from his father by King Henry I. He only seems to have returned to England from his Norman estates in 1137.
[edit]Private Wars

He did quarrel violently with his neighbouring Lords, most notably with Miles, earl of Hereford, his son Roger and Josse de Dinant, lord of Ludlow. The latter ambushed Mortimer and only released him after the payment of a substantial ransom. During this time Mortimer also took over the Royal castle at Bridgnorth.
[edit]Opposition to King Henry II

Hugh was one of the Barons who objected to Henry II's demand for the return of Royal castles in 1155. Henry II launched a campaign in May 1155 against Hugh, simultaneously besieging his three principal castles of Wigmore, Bridgnorth and Cleobury. On 7 July 1155, Hugh formally submitted to Henry II at the Council at Bridgnorth. He was allowed to keep his own two castles (though Cleobury had been destroyed during the siege) but Bridgnorth returned to the crown[1].
[edit]Marriage & issue

Between 1148 and 1153 Hugh married Maud Le Meschin, daughter of William Le Meschin, lord of Skipton, Yorkshire, and Cecily de Rumigny. Matilda was the widow of Philip Belmeis of Tong. Their son Roger Mortimer of Wigmore succeeded his father as lord of Wigmore.

Other Events:

• Reference Number: 15687

Other Events:

• Reference Number: 15688

Other Events:

• Name: Ralph De Mortimer
• Reference Number: 37229

Notes:

Ranulph de Mortimer (Ralf de Mortemer, Ralph, Raoul) (d. c. 1104), was Lord of Wigmore, Herefordshire, England and Seigneur of St. Victor-en-Caux in Normandy. He was the founder of the English House of Mortimer of Wigmore in the Welsh Marches, in what is today the county of Herefordshire.

Marcher lord and rebel

Ranulph was a Marcher Lord and was granted his lands in the Welsh Marches by William the Conqueror. He had holdings in Herefordshire and Shropshire[1]. Most notably, he acquired Wigmore Castle after William Fitz Osbern's son Roger de Breteuil joined the Revolt of the Earls of 1075. Before 1086 he had been granted Wigmore[2].
Like many of the Marcher Lords, Ranulph took part in the Rebellion of 1088 against William Rufus. In 1089 he took money from William Rufus for support against Robert Curthose[3]. He had presumably submitted to the king when the 1088 revolt failed, for he did not lose his lands. In 1090 he was backing William with his castles in Normandy[4]. A few years later, wavering, he did give support to Robert[5].
In the 1090s he was instrumental in conquering the Welsh district of Rhwng Gwy a Hafren and founding the castles of Dinieithon (near present Llandrindod Wells, not lasting out the twelfth century[6], and Cymaron (1093, between Llanbister and Llangunllo)[7] in Maelienydd (old Radnorshire, now in Powys).
He rebelled against the Crown twice again under Henry I of England, trying to replace him by his son-in-law Stephen.[citation needed]
[edit]Background and family

Ranulph de Mortimer was born in Normandy before 1070 and died soon after 4 August 1137. He was the son of the Norman baron Roger de Mortemer ("Roger filii Episcopi Mortimer"); his mother was Advisa. His father had originally possessed the castle of Mortemer in Normandy, but had lost it after angering William the Conqueror after the Battle of Mortemer, in 1054. Roger was an uncle of William de Warenne, 1st Earl of Surrey, and a descendent of a sister of Gunnor, the wife of Richard I of Normandy.
He married Millicent, whose parentage is currently unknown, and their daughter Hawise de Mortimer (died after 1127) married Stephen, Earl of Albemarle before 1100[8].
Ranulph's son Hugh de Mortimer rebuilt Cymaron Castle in 1144. Wigmore Castle remained the Mortimer dynasty's family home. His grandson Hugh II married Maud (Matilda) de Meschines.
[edit]Sources

Remfry, P.M., Wigmore Castle, 1066 to 1181 (ISBN 1-899376-14-3)
Davies, Norman The Isles: A History, p. 281
Tout, T.F.. "Ralph (I) de Mortimer". Dictionary of National Biography. 39. pp. 130-131.
Weis, Frederick Lewis Ancestral Roots of Certain American Colonist Who Came To America Before 1700 (8th ed.), line 136-24

Ranulph — Millicent. [Group Sheet]

Other Events:

• Reference Number: 15692