Biography of Isabella Fitzrobert 3rd Countess Gloucester and Essex 1173-1217

Paternal Family Tree: Norman

Maternal Family Tree: Amice Gael Countess Leicester 1168

1191 Marriage of King Richard I and Berengaria of Navarre

In or before 1151 [her father] William Fitzrobert 2nd Earl Gloucester and [her mother] Hawise Beaumont Countess Gloucester were married. She by marriage Countess Gloucester. She the daughter of [her grandfather] Robert Beaumont 2nd Earl of Leicester [age 46] and [her grandmother] Amice Gael Countess Leicester. He the son of Robert Normandy 1st Earl Gloucester and Mabel Fitzhamon Countess Gloucester. They were fourth cousins. He a grandson of King Henry I "Beauclerc" England.

Around 1173 Isabella Fitzrobert 3rd Countess Gloucester and Essex was born to [her father] William Fitzrobert 2nd Earl Gloucester and [her mother] Hawise Beaumont Countess Gloucester. She a great granddaughter of King Henry I "Beauclerc" England.

In 1183 [her father] William Fitzrobert 2nd Earl Gloucester died. His daughter Isabella [age 10] succeeded 3rd Countess Gloucester.

On 29th August 1189 King John of England [age 22] and Isabella Fitzrobert 3rd Countess Gloucester and Essex [age 16] were married at Marlborough Castle [Map]. He by marriage Earl Gloucester. See Gesta Regis Henrici and Gesta Regis Henrici by Benedict of Peterborough. She the daughter of William Fitzrobert 2nd Earl Gloucester and Hawise Beaumont Countess Gloucester. He the son of King Henry "Curtmantle" II of England and Eleanor of Aquitaine Queen Consort Franks and England [age 67]. They were half second cousins. She a great granddaughter of King Henry I "Beauclerc" England.

Gesta Regis Henrici by Benedict of Peterborough. 29th August 1189. With these things accomplished, [her husband] John [age 22], the brother of the [her brother-in-law] Duke [age 31], married the aforementioned daughter [Isabella of Gloucester [age 16]] of the Earl of Gloucester, against the prohibition of Baldwin [age 64], Archbishop of Canterbury, because they were related in the third degree. He thus married her at Marlborough on the fourth day before the Kalends of September, on the feast of the Beheading of Saint John the Baptist.

His ita peractis, Johannes frater ducis desponsavit preedictam filiam comitis Gloucestriæ contra prohibitionem Baldewini Cantuariensis archiepiscopi, eo quod parentes erant in tertio gradu. Desponsavit itaque illam apud Merlebergam, quarto kalendas Septembris, festo Decollationis Sancti Johannis Baptistæ.

Coronation of King Richard I

On 3rd September 1189 [her brother-in-law] King Richard "Lionheart" I of England [age 31] was crowned I King of England by Archbishop Baldwin of Forde [age 64] at Westminster Abbey [Map]. William Mandeville 3rd Earl Essex Count Aumale carried the Crown. The Coronation of King Richard I was marred by violence against London's Jewish population. Prior to his Coronation Richard had issued a proclamation forbidding Jews to attend. When some did a riot broke out, which spread.

Richard I Appoints his Bishops

                    On 15th September 1189 [her brother-in-law] King Richard "Lionheart" I of England [age 32] held a Council meeting at Pipewell [Map] at which he appointed a number of Bishops:
                
                    Bishop William Longchamp was elected Bishop of Ely.
                
                    Bishop Godfrey Lucy was elected Bishop of Winchester.
                
                    Bishop Richard Fitzneal [age 59] was elected Bishop of London.
                
                    Archbishop Hubert Walter [age 29] was elected Bishop of Salisbury.

In 1191 [her illegitimate brother-in-law] Archbishop Geoffrey Plantagenet [age 39] was appointed Archbishop of York.

Marriage of King Richard I and Berengaria of Navarre

On 12th May 1191 [her brother-in-law] King Richard "Lionheart" I of England [age 33] and Berengaria of Navarre Queen Consort England [age 26] were married at Chapel of St George at Limassol Castle [Map]. She was crowned Queen Consort England the same day by the Hélie de Malemort, archbishop of Bordeaux, Jean aka John Fitz Luke, bishop of Évreux and Bernard II de Lacarre, Bishop of Bayonne. She the daughter of Sancho "Wise" King Navarre [age 59] and Sancha Ivrea. He the son of King Henry "Curtmantle" II of England and [her mother-in-law] Eleanor of Aquitaine Queen Consort Franks and England [age 69]. They were half fourth cousins.

Richard's mother and sister Eleanor of Aquitaine Queen Consort Franks and England and [her sister-in-law] Joan Plantagenet Queen Consort Sicily [age 25] were present.

In 1194 Raymond Count of Toulouse [age 37] succeeded Marquess Provence. [her sister-in-law] Joan Plantagenet Queen Consort Sicily [age 28] by marriage Marchioness Provence.

The Deeds of the Dukes of Normandy

The Gesta Normannorum Ducum [The Deeds of the Dukes of Normandy] is a landmark medieval chronicle tracing the rise and fall of the Norman dynasty from its early roots through the pivotal events surrounding the Norman Conquest of England. Originally penned in Latin by the monk William of Jumièges shortly before 1060 and later expanded at the behest of William the Conqueror, the work chronicles the deeds, politics, battles, and leadership of the Norman dukes, especially William’s own claim to the English throne. The narrative combines earlier historical sources with firsthand information and oral testimony to present an authoritative account of Normandy’s transformation from a Viking settlement into one of medieval Europe’s most powerful realms. William’s history emphasizes the legitimacy, military prowess, and governance of the Norman line, framing their expansion, including the conquest of England, as both divinely sanctioned and noble in purpose. Later chroniclers such as Orderic Vitalis and Robert of Torigni continued the history, extending the coverage into the 12th century, providing broader context on ducal rule and its impact. Today this classic work remains a foundational source for understanding Norman identity, medieval statesmanship, and the historical forces that reshaped England and Western Europe between 800AD and 1100AD.

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In 1196 [her illegitimate brother-in-law] William Longespée Earl Salisbury [age 20] and Ela of Salisbury 3rd Countess of Salisbury [age 9] were married. He by marriage Earl Salisbury. She the daughter of William of Salisbury 2nd Earl Salisbury [age 46] and Eleanor Vitre Countess of Salisbury [age 38]. He the illegitmate son of King Henry "Curtmantle" II of England and Ida Tosny Countess Norfolk [age 40]. They were fifth cousin once removed.

In October 1196 Raymond Count of Toulouse [age 39] and [her sister-in-law] Joan Plantagenet Queen Consort Sicily [age 31] were married at Rouen, France [Map]. She by marriage Countess Toulouse. She the daughter of King Henry "Curtmantle" II of England and [her mother-in-law] Eleanor of Aquitaine Queen Consort Franks and England [age 74]. He the son of Raymond Rouerge V Count Toulouse and Constance Capet Countess Boulogne and Toulouse. They were third cousin once removed.

In 1197 [her sister-in-law] Alix Capet Countess Blois [age 46] died.

On 11th March 1198 [her sister-in-law] Marie Capet Countess Champagne [age 53] died.

Death of King Richard I

                    On 26th March 1199 [her brother-in-law] King Richard "Lionheart" I of England [age 41] was besieging Châlus Chabrol Castle. During the course of the evening King Richard "Lionheart" I of England was shot by a crossbow. The wound quickly became gangrenous; Richard died in the arms of his mother [her mother-in-law] Eleanor of Aquitaine Queen Consort Franks and England [age 77] on 6th April 1199. His brother [her husband] John [age 32] succeeded I King of England.
                
                    There was a brother between Richard and John named Geoffrey Duke of Brittany who had a son Arthur [age 11], who was around twelve, and a daughter Eleanor [age 15], who was around fifteen, whose mother was Constance Penthièvre Duchess Brittany [age 38].
                
                    King Philip II of France [age 33] had planned for Eleanor to marry his son, probably to bring Brittany into the French Royal family, possibly to pursue a claim on England.
                
                    King Philip II of France supported Arthur's claim to the English throne. In the resulting war Arthur was captured, imprisoned and never seen again. Eleanor was captured, probably around the same time as Arthur, and imprisoned, more or less, for the remainder of her life, even after King John's death through the reign of King Henry III since she represented a threat to Henry's succession.

Coronation of King John

On 27th May 1199 [her husband] King John of England [age 32] was crowned I King of England by Archbishop Hubert Walter [age 39] at Westminster Abbey [Map]. Bishop Herbert Poore attended.

On 4th September 1199 [her sister-in-law] Joan Plantagenet Queen Consort Sicily [age 33] died at Rouen, France [Map]. She was buried at Fontevraud Abbey [Map].

Around April 1200 King John of England [age 33] and Isabella Fitzrobert 3rd Countess Gloucester and Essex [age 27] marriage annulled due to consanuinity but more likely because John's new status as heir to the English throne mean't he had better prospects. He may have already decided to marry Isabella of Angoulême Queen Consort England [age 12] who he married on 24th August 1200.

On 24th August 1200 [her former husband] King John of England [age 33] and Isabella of Angoulême Queen Consort England [age 12] were married. She had been engaged to Hugh IX of Lusignan IV Count of La Marche [age 37] who subsequently appealed to King Philip II of France [age 35], their feudal overlord, who used the position to justify a war against John. The difference in their ages was 21 years. She the daughter of Aymer Angoulême I Count Angoulême [age 40] and Alice Courtenay Countess Angoulême. He the son of King Henry "Curtmantle" II of England and [her former mother-in-law] Eleanor of Aquitaine Queen Consort Franks and England [age 78]. They were fourth cousin once removed.

Before 1202 [her future husband] Hubert de Burgh Count Mortain 1st Earl Kent [age 31] was appointed Count Mortain Mortagne, and as Constable of Dover Castle, Constable of Windsor Castle, Constable of Chinon Castle.

In 1205 Llewellyn "The Great" Aberffraw [age 33] and [her illegitimate step-daughter] Joan Plantagenet [age 14] were married. She the illegitmate daughter of [her former husband] King John of England [age 38] and Adela Plantagenet.

On 12th December 1212 [her illegitimate brother-in-law] Archbishop Geoffrey Plantagenet [age 60] died at Normandy [Map]. He was buried at Notre Dame du Parc, Rouen.

In 1213 Geoffrey Fitzpeter 1st Earl Essex [age 51] died. His son [her future husband] Geoffrey [age 22] succeeded 2nd Earl Essex. Matilda Clare Countess Essex by marriage Countess Essex.

Abbot John Whethamstede’s Chronicle of the Abbey of St Albans

Abbot John Whethamstede's Register aka Chronicle of his second term at the Abbey of St Albans, 1451-1461, is a remarkable text that describes his first-hand experience of the beginning of the Wars of the Roses including the First and Second Battles of St Albans, 1455 and 1461, respectively, their cause, and their consequences, not least on the Abbey itself. His text also includes Loveday, Blore Heath, Northampton, the Act of Accord, Wakefield, and Towton, and ends with the Coronation of King Edward IV. In addition to the events of the Wars of the Roses, Abbot John, or his scribes who wrote the Chronicle, include details in the life of the Abbey such as charters, letters, land exchanges, visits by legates, and disputes, which provide a rich insight into the day-to-day life of the Abbey, and the challenges faced by its Abbot.

Available at Amazon in eBook and Paperback format.

Before 1214 [her future husband] Geoffrey Mandeville 2nd Earl Essex [age 22] and Matilda Clare Countess Essex were married. He the son of Geoffrey Fitzpeter 1st Earl Essex and Beatrice Saye.

On 20th January 1214 Geoffrey Mandeville 2nd Earl Essex [age 23] and Isabella Fitzrobert 3rd Countess Gloucester and Essex [age 41] were married. She by marriage Countess Essex, Countess Gloucester. She the daughter of William Fitzrobert 2nd Earl Gloucester and Hawise Beaumont Countess Gloucester. He the son of Geoffrey Fitzpeter 1st Earl Essex and Beatrice Saye.

Before 11th May 1214 [her illegitimate step-son] Richard Fitzroy [age 24] and Rohese de Dover [age 28] were married. He the illegitmate son of [her former husband] King John of England [age 47] and Adela Plantagenet.

On 31st October 1214 [her former sister-in-law] Eleanor Plantagenet Queen Consort Castile [age 53] died at Burgos [Map]. She was buried at Abbey of Santa Maria la Real de Huelgas [Map].

On 13th September 1215 Henry de Loundres Archbishop of Dublin was appointed Dean of St Michael's Church, Penkridge [Map] by [her former husband] King John of England [age 48]. From that time until the recently the Archbishop of Dublin has always been Dean of St Michael's Church, Penkridge [Map].

In 1216 [her illegitimate step-son] Richard Fitzroy [age 26] was appointed Constable of Wallingford Castle.

On 23rd February 1216 [her husband] Geoffrey Mandeville 2nd Earl Essex [age 25] was killed in a tournament. His brother [her brother-in-law] William succeeded 3rd Earl Essex.

Death of King John

                    During the night of 18th and 19th October 1216 [her former husband] King John of England [age 49] died at Newark Castle, Nottinghamshire [Map]. His son Henry [age 9] succeeded III King of England.
                
                    John Monmouth [age 34] was present.
                
                    On his deathbed, John appointed a council of thirteen executors to help Henry reclaim the kingdom and requested that his son be placed into the guardianship of William Marshal 1st Earl Pembroke [age 70].
                
                    King John's will is the earliest English royal will to survive in its original form. The document is quite small, roughly the size of a postcard and the seals of those who were present at the time would have been attached to it. Translation of the will taken from an article by Professor S.D. Church in the English Historical Review, June 2010:
                
                    I, John, by the grace of God king of England, lord of Ireland, duke of Normandy and Aquitaine, count of Anjou, hindered by grave infirmity and not being able at this time of my infirmity to itemize all my things so that I may make a testament, commit the arbitration and administration of my testament to the trust and to the legitimate administration of my faithful men whose names are written below, without whose counsel, even in good health, I would have by no means arranged my testament in their presence, so that what they will faithfully arrange and determine concerning my things as much as in making satisfaction to God and to holy Church for damages and injuries done to them as in sending succour to the land of Jerusalem and in providing support to my sons towards obtaining and defending their inheritance and in making reward to those who have served us faithfully and in making distribution to the poor and to religious houses for the salvation of my soul, be right and sure. I ask, furthermore, that whoever shall give them counsel and assistance in the arranging of my testament shall receive the grace and favour of God. Whoever shall infringe their arrangement and disposition, may he incur the curse and indignation of almighty God and the blessed Mary and all the saints.
                
                    In the first place, therefore, I desire that my body be buried in the church of St Mary and St Wulfstan at Worcester. I appoint, moreover, the following arbiters and administrators: the lord Guala, by the grace of God, cardinal-priest of the title of St Martin and legate of the apostolic see; the lord Peter bishop of Winchester; the lord Richard bishop of Chichester; the lord Silvester bishop of Worcester; Brother Aimery de St-Maur; William Marshal earl of Pembroke; Ranulf earl of Chester; William earl Ferrers; William Brewer; Walter de Lacy and John of Monmouth; Savaric de Mauléon; Falkes de Bréauté.
                
                    The signatories were:
                
                    Guala Bicchieri [age 66] (ca 1150 - 1227) Papal Legate.
                
                    Bishop Peter de Roches, Bishop of Winchester.
                
                    Richard le Poer (? - 1237), Bishop of Chichester.
                
                    Sylvester of Worcester, Bishop of Worcester.
                
                    Aimery de St-Maur (? -?1219), Master of the English Templars.
                
                    William Marshal 1st Earl Pembroke.
                
                    Ranulf de Blondeville Gernon 6th Earl Chester 1st Earl Lincoln [age 46].
                
                    William Ferrers 4th Earl of Derby [age 48].
                
                    William Brewer (? - 1226), 1st Baron Brewer.
                
                    Walter de Lacy (ca 1172-1241) Lord of Meath.
                
                    John: (1182 - 1248) Lord of Monmouth.
                
                    Savaric de Mauléon (? - 1236) Seneschal of Poitou from 1205.
                
                    Falkes de Bréauté (? - 1226) Seneschal of Cardiff Castle.

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Before 1217 [her future husband] Hubert de Burgh Count Mortain 1st Earl Kent [age 46] and Beatrice Warenne were married.

In September 1217 Hubert de Burgh Count Mortain 1st Earl Kent [age 47] and Isabella Fitzrobert 3rd Countess Gloucester and Essex [age 44] were married. She the daughter of William Fitzrobert 2nd Earl Gloucester and Hawise Beaumont Countess Gloucester.

Deeds of King Henry V

Henrici Quinti, Angliæ Regis, Gesta, is a first-hand account of the Agincourt Campaign, and subsequent events to his death in 1422. The author of the first part was a Chaplain in King Henry's retinue who was present from King Henry's departure at Southampton in 1415, at the siege of Harfleur, the battle of Agincourt, and the celebrations on King Henry's return to London. The second part, by another writer, relates the events that took place including the negotiations at Troye, Henry's marriage and his death in 1422.

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On 14th October 1217 Isabella Fitzrobert 3rd Countess Gloucester and Essex [age 44] died.

In 1236 [her former husband] Hubert de Burgh Count Mortain 1st Earl Kent [age 66] and Margaret Dunkeld Countess Kent [age 43] were married. She by marriage Countess Kent. The difference in their ages was 23 years. She the daughter of King William I of Scotland and Ermengarde Beaumont Sarthe Queen Consort Scotland.