Biography of Ada Warenne Countess Huntingdon and Northumbria 1120-1178

Paternal Family Tree: Warenne

Maternal Family Tree: Adela Valois Countess Blois and Vermandois

In 1096 Robert Beaumont 1st Earl of Leicester Count Meulan (age 56) and [her mother] Elizabeth Capet Countess Leicester, Meulan and Surrey (age 11) were married. She by marriage Countess of Leicester. The difference in their ages was 45 years. She the daughter of [her grandfather] Hugh "Great" Capet (age 39) and [her grandmother] Adelaide I Countess Vermandois.

Before 1119 [her father] William Warenne 2nd Earl of Surrey and [her mother] Elizabeth Capet Countess Leicester, Meulan and Surrey (age 33) were married. She by marriage Countess Surrey. She the daughter of [her grandfather] Hugh "Great" Capet and [her grandmother] Adelaide I Countess Vermandois. He the son of [her grandfather] William Warenne 1st Earl of Surrey and [her grandmother] Gundred Countess of Surrey.

Around 1120 Ada Warenne Countess Huntingdon and Northumbria was born to [her father] William Warenne 2nd Earl of Surrey and [her mother] Elizabeth Capet Countess Leicester, Meulan and Surrey (age 35).

In 1121 [her half-brother] Robert Beaumont 2nd Earl of Leicester (age 17) and [her sister-in-law] Amice Gael Countess Leicester were married. He the son of Robert Beaumont 1st Earl of Leicester Count Meulan and [her mother] Elizabeth Capet Countess Leicester, Meulan and Surrey (age 36). They were fourth cousin once removed.

In 1131 Maud Queen Consort Scotland (age 57) died. Her son [her future husband] Henry (age 17) succeeded 3rd Earl Huntingdon, 3rd Earl of Northampton. Ada Warenne Countess Huntingdon and Northumbria (age 11) by marriage Countess Huntingdon.

On 13th February 1131 [her mother] Elizabeth Capet Countess Leicester, Meulan and Surrey (age 46) died.

Around March 1136 [her half-brother] Waleran Beaumont 1st Earl of Worcester Count Meulan (age 32) and [her sister-in-law] Matilda Blois Countess of Worcester (age 3) were married. She by marriage Countess Worcester. The difference in their ages was 29 years. She the daughter of King Stephen I England (age 42) and Matilda Flanders (age 31). He the son of Robert Beaumont 1st Earl of Leicester Count Meulan and [her mother] Elizabeth Capet Countess Leicester, Meulan and Surrey. They were third cousin once removed.

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William of Worcester's Chronicle of England

William of Worcester, born around 1415, and died around 1482 was secretary to John Fastolf, the renowned soldier of the Hundred Years War, during which time he collected documents, letters, and wrote a record of events. Following their return to England in 1440 William was witness to major events. Twice in his chronicle he uses the first person: 1. when writing about the murder of Thomas, 7th Baron Scales, in 1460, he writes '… and I saw him lying naked in the cemetery near the porch of the church of St. Mary Overie in Southwark …' and 2. describing King Edward IV's entry into London in 1461 he writes '… proclaimed that all the people themselves were to recognize and acknowledge Edward as king. I was present and heard this, and immediately went down with them into the city'. William’s Chronicle is rich in detail. It is the source of much information about the Wars of the Roses, including the term 'Diabolical Marriage' to describe the marriage of Queen Elizabeth Woodville’s brother John’s marriage to Katherine, Dowager Duchess of Norfolk, he aged twenty, she sixty-five or more, and the story about a paper crown being placed in mockery on the severed head of Richard, 3rd Duke of York.

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Before 1137 [her brother] William Warenne 3rd Earl of Surrey (age 17) and [her sister-in-law] Adela Montgomery Countess of Salisbury and Surrey were married. She the daughter of William "Talvas" Montgomery III Count Ponthieu (age 43) and Helie Burgundy Countess Ponthieu (age 56). He the son of [her father] William Warenne 2nd Earl of Surrey and [her mother] Elizabeth Capet Countess Leicester, Meulan and Surrey. They were third cousin once removed.

In 1138 [her half-brother] Waleran Beaumont 1st Earl of Worcester Count Meulan (age 34) was created 1st Earl Worcester.

In 1138 [her half-brother] Hugh Beaumont (age 32) was created 1st Earl Bedford. There is some doubt as to whether this creation existed.

After 1138 [her half-brother] Hugh Beaumont (deceased) died. Earl Bedford extinct.

On 11th May 1138 [her father] William Warenne 2nd Earl of Surrey died. His son [her brother] William (age 19) succeeded 3rd Earl Surrey and inherited his estates including Conisbrough Castle [Map]. [her sister-in-law] Adela Montgomery Countess of Salisbury and Surrey by marriage Countess Surrey.

Before 1139 Henry Dunkeld 3rd Earl Huntingdon 1st Earl of Northumbria (age 24) and Ada Warenne Countess Huntingdon and Northumbria (age 18) were married. She the daughter of William Warenne 2nd Earl of Surrey and Elizabeth Capet Countess Leicester, Meulan and Surrey. He the son of King David I of Scotland (age 54) and Maud Queen Consort Scotland. They were half sixth cousins.

In 1139 [her daughter] Ada Dunkeld Countess Holland was born to [her husband] Henry Dunkeld 3rd Earl Huntingdon 1st Earl of Northumbria (age 25) and Ada Warenne Countess Huntingdon and Northumbria (age 19). She married 28th September 1162 her fifth cousin once removed Floris Gerulfing III Count Holland, son of Dirk Gerulfing VI Count Holland and Sophie Salm Countess Holland, and had issue.

In 1139 [her husband] Henry Dunkeld 3rd Earl Huntingdon 1st Earl of Northumbria (age 25) was created 1st Earl of Northumbria. Ada Warenne Countess Huntingdon and Northumbria (age 19) by marriage Countess of Northumbria.

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The Chronicle of Geoffrey le Baker of Swinbroke

Baker was a secular clerk from Swinbroke, now Swinbrook, an Oxfordshire village two miles east of Burford. His Chronicle describes the events of the period 1303-1356: Gaveston, Bannockburn, Boroughbridge, the murder of King Edward II, the Scottish Wars, Sluys, Crécy, the Black Death, Winchelsea and Poitiers. To quote Herbert Bruce 'it possesses a vigorous and characteristic style, and its value for particular events between 1303 and 1356 has been recognised by its editor and by subsequent writers'. The book provides remarkable detail about the events it describes. Baker's text has been augmented with hundreds of notes, including extracts from other contemporary chronicles, such as the Annales Londonienses, Annales Paulini, Murimuth, Lanercost, Avesbury, Guisborough and Froissart to enrich the reader's understanding. The translation takes as its source the 'Chronicon Galfridi le Baker de Swynebroke' published in 1889, edited by Edward Maunde Thompson.

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On 23rd April 1141 [her son] King Malcolm IV of Scotland was born to [her husband] Henry Dunkeld 3rd Earl Huntingdon 1st Earl of Northumbria (age 27) and Ada Warenne Countess Huntingdon and Northumbria (age 21) at Jedburgh.

In 1142 [her half-brother] Waleran Beaumont 1st Earl of Worcester Count Meulan (age 38) and [her sister-in-law] Agnes Elizabeth Montfort Countess Worcester were married. She by marriage Countess Worcester. She the daughter of Amaury Montfort Count Évreux. He the son of Robert Beaumont 1st Earl of Leicester Count Meulan and [her mother] Elizabeth Capet Countess Leicester, Meulan and Surrey. They were fourth cousin once removed.

Around 1143 [her son] King William I of Scotland was born to [her husband] Henry Dunkeld 3rd Earl Huntingdon 1st Earl of Northumbria (age 29) and Ada Warenne Countess Huntingdon and Northumbria (age 23). He married 5th September 1186 his half fourth cousin Ermengarde Beaumont Sarthe Queen Consort Scotland, daughter of Richard Beaumont Sarthe I Viscount and Lucie Aigle Viscountess, and had issue.

In 1145 [her daughter] Margaret Dunkeld Duchess Brittany was born to [her husband] Henry Dunkeld 3rd Earl Huntingdon 1st Earl of Northumbria (age 31) and Ada Warenne Countess Huntingdon and Northumbria (age 25). She married (1) William de Hertburn Fitzpatrick (2) her half fourth cousin Conan "The Young" Penthièvre IV Duke Brittany, son of Alan "Black" Penthièvre 1st Earl Richmond and Bertha Canhiart I Duchess Brittany, and had issue (3) February 1171 Humphrey Bohun and had issue.

On 6th January 1148 [her brother] William Warenne 3rd Earl of Surrey (age 29) died. His daughter [her niece] Isabella (age 11) succeeded 4th Countess Surrey and inherited his estates including Conisbrough Castle [Map].

In 1152 [her daughter] Matilda or Maud Dunkeld died.

In 1152 [her son] David Dunkeld 8th Earl Huntingdon was born to [her husband] Henry Dunkeld 3rd Earl Huntingdon 1st Earl of Northumbria (age 38) and Ada Warenne Countess Huntingdon and Northumbria (age 32). He married before 1194 his half fourth cousin once removed Matilda Gernon Countess Huntingdon, daughter of Hugh de Kevelioc Gernon 5th Earl Chester and Bertrade Montfort Countess Chester, and had issue.

On 12th June 1152 [her husband] Henry Dunkeld 3rd Earl Huntingdon 1st Earl of Northumbria (age 38) died. His half brother [her brother-in-law] Simon (age 54) succeeded 4th Earl Huntingdon, 4th Earl of Northampton. His son [her son] Malcolm (age 11) succeeded 2nd Earl of Northumbria.

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The Chronicle of Abbot Ralph of Coggeshall

Describes the reigns of Kings Henry II, Richard I, John and Henry III, providing a wealth of information about their lives and the events of the time. Ralph's work is detailed, comprehensive and objective. We have augmented Ralph's text with extracts from other contemporary chroniclers to enrich the reader's experience.

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On 28th September 1162 [her son-in-law] Floris Gerulfing III Count Holland (age 21) and [her daughter] Ada Dunkeld Countess Holland (age 23) were married. She by marriage Countess Holland. She the daughter of [her former husband] Henry Dunkeld 3rd Earl Huntingdon 1st Earl of Northumbria and Ada Warenne Countess Huntingdon and Northumbria (age 42). He the son of Dirk Gerulfing VI Count Holland and Sophie Salm Countess Holland (age 42). They were fifth cousin once removed.

Death of King Malcolm IV of Scotland

On 9th December 1165 [her son] King Malcolm IV of Scotland (age 24) died. His brother [her son] William (age 22) succeeded I King Scotland, 6th Earl Huntingdon.

On 9th April 1166 [her half-brother] Waleran Beaumont 1st Earl of Worcester Count Meulan (age 62) died. Earl Worcester extinct. His son [her nephew] Robert (age 24) succeeded Count Meulan.

On 5th April 1168 [her half-brother] Robert Beaumont 2nd Earl of Leicester (age 64) died. His son [her nephew] Robert succeeded 3rd Earl of Leicester.

Between February 1171 and April 1175 [her son-in-law] Humphrey Bohun (age 27) and [her daughter] Margaret Dunkeld Duchess Brittany (age 26) were married. She the daughter of [her former husband] Henry Dunkeld 3rd Earl Huntingdon 1st Earl of Northumbria and Ada Warenne Countess Huntingdon and Northumbria (age 51).

In 1178 Ada Warenne Countess Huntingdon and Northumbria (age 58) died.

In 1178 the Abbey of St Mary, Haddington [Map], was founded by Countess Ada of Northumbria (age 58) as a Cistercian nunnery. She was the daughter-in-law of [her former father-in-law] King David I of Scotland, the founder of many Scottish monasteries. Haddington 'Abbey' was in fact a Priory with a Prioress at its head, but commonly called the Abbey.

[her daughter] Matilda or Maud Dunkeld was born to Henry Dunkeld 3rd Earl Huntingdon 1st Earl of Northumbria and Ada Warenne Countess Huntingdon and Northumbria.

[her daughter] Marjorie Dunkeld Countess Angus was born to Henry Dunkeld 3rd Earl Huntingdon 1st Earl of Northumbria and Ada Warenne Countess Huntingdon and Northumbria. She married Gille Críst Angus 4th Earl Angus and had issue.