Biography of Isabella Warenne Countess Boulogne 4th Countess of Surrey 1137-1203

Paternal Family Tree: Warenne

Maternal Family Tree: Ettiennette Countess Burgundy

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

Around 1137 Isabella Warenne Countess Boulogne 4th Countess of Surrey was born to William Warenne 3rd Earl of Surrey (age 18) and Adela Montgomery Countess of Salisbury and Surrey.

In 1148 [her brother-in-law] Eustace Blois IV Count Boulogne (age 18) and Constance Capet Countess Boulogne and Toulose (age 20) were married. She by marriage Countess Boulogne. She the daughter of King Louis VI of France and Adelaide Savoy Queen Consort France. He the son of [her father-in-law] King Stephen I England (age 54) and [her mother-in-law] Matilda Flanders (age 43). They were third cousin once removed.

Around 1148 William Blois I Count Boulogne (age 11) and Isabella Warenne Countess Boulogne 4th Countess of Surrey (age 11) were married. She by marriage Countess Boulogne. She the daughter of William Warenne 3rd Earl of Surrey (age 29) and Adela Montgomery Countess of Salisbury and Surrey. He the son of King Stephen I England (age 54) and Matilda Flanders (age 43). They were fourth cousins.

On 06 Jan 1148 [her father] William Warenne 3rd Earl of Surrey (age 29) died. His daughter Isabella Warenne Countess Boulogne 4th Countess of Surrey (age 11) succeeded 4th Countess Surrey and inherited his estates including Conisbrough Castle [Map].

In 1149 [her step-father] Patrick of Salisbury 1st Earl Salisbury (age 27) and [her mother] Adela Montgomery Countess of Salisbury and Surrey were married. She by marriage Countess Salisbury. She the daughter of [her grandfather] William "Talvas" Montgomery III Count Ponthieu (age 56) and [her grandmother] Helie Burgundy Countess Ponthieu.

On 03 May 1152 [her mother-in-law] Matilda Flanders (age 47) died. Her son [her brother-in-law] Eustace Blois IV Count Boulogne (age 22) succeeded IV Count Boulogne.

Eustace of Blois Dies

On 17 Aug 1153 King Stephen's eldest son [her brother-in-law] Eustace Blois IV Count Boulogne (age 23) died at Bury St Edmunds [Map]. Probably from food poisoning, possibly murdered for having sacked the Abbey. His brother [her husband] William Blois I Count Boulogne (age 16) succeeded I Count Boulogne.

In 1159 [her husband] William Blois I Count Boulogne (age 22) died. His sister [her sister-in-law] Marie Blois I Countess Boulogne (age 23) succeeded I Countess Boulogne.

In 1162 William Plantagenet (age 25) was to marry Isabella Warenne Countess Boulogne 4th Countess of Surrey (age 25) but Archbishop Thomas Becket (age 42) refused to grant the necessary dispensation.

In 1163 [her daughter] Maud aka Matilda Plantagenet Countess Eu was born to [her future husband] Hamelin Warenne Earl of Surrey (age 34) and Isabella Warenne Countess Boulogne 4th Countess of Surrey (age 26).

On 30 Jan 1164 William Plantagenet (age 27) died at Notre Dame de Paris Cathedral [Map] said to have been of a broken heart since he was unable to marry Isabella Warenne Countess Boulogne 4th Countess of Surrey (age 27) as a result of Archbishop Thomas Becket (age 44) refusing to grant the necessary dispensation.

In Apr 1164 Hamelin Warenne Earl of Surrey (age 35) and Isabella Warenne Countess Boulogne 4th Countess of Surrey (age 27) were married by which Conisbrough Castle [Map] came into his posession. He rebuilt the castle in stone. He by marriage Earl Surrey. She the daughter of William Warenne 3rd Earl of Surrey and Adela Montgomery Countess of Salisbury and Surrey. He the illegitmate son of Geoffrey Plantagenet Duke Normandy and Mistress Unknown.

Murder of Thomas a Becket

On 29 Dec 1170 Archbishop Thomas Becket (age 51) was murdered at Canterbury Cathedral [Map] by four knights on behalf of [her brother-in-law] King Henry "Curtmantle" II of England (age 37). Whether Henry ordered the murder, or whether the four knights were acting without orders, is a matter of conjecture. The first use of the well-known phrase "Will no-one rid me of this turbulent priest appears some five hundred and more years later in Robert Dodsley's 1740 Chronicle of the Kings of England.

On 10 Oct 1174 [her mother] Adela Montgomery Countess of Salisbury and Surrey died.

Treaty of Falaise

In Dec 1174 King William I of Scotland (age 31), imprisoned at Falaise Castle [Map], signed the Treaty of Falaise by which he agreed [her brother-in-law] King Henry "Curtmantle" II of England (age 41) was overlord of Scotland. He also agreed to marry a bride of Henry's choosing. He married Ermengarde Beaumont Sarthe Queen Consort Scotland (age 4) twelve years later.

Simon Senlis 7th Earl Huntingdon 6th Earl of Northampton (age 36) succeeded 7th Earl Huntingdon, 6th Earl of Northampton.

On 05 Sep 1186 King William I of Scotland (age 43) and Ermengarde Beaumont Sarthe Queen Consort Scotland (age 16) were married at Woodstock Palace, Oxfordshire [Map] by Archbishop Baldwin Avigo (age 61). She by marriage Queen Consort Scotland at Woodstock Palace, Oxfordshire [Map]. His bride had been chosen by [her brother-in-law] King Henry "Curtmantle" II of England (age 53) as part of the Treaty of Falaise. William received Edinburgh Castle [Map] as a wedding gift from King Henry "Curtmantle" II of England. The difference in their ages was 27 years. He the son of Henry Dunkeld 3rd Earl Huntingdon 1st Earl of Northumbria and [her aunt] Ada Warenne Countess Huntingdon and Northumbria. They were half fourth cousins. She a great granddaughter of King Henry I "Beauclerc" England.

Death of King Henry II

On 06 Jul 1189 [her brother-in-law] King Henry "Curtmantle" II of England (age 56) died at Chinon Castle [Map]. William Mandeville 3rd Earl Essex Count Aumale was present. He was buried at Fontevraud Abbey [Map]. His son King Richard "Lionheart" I of England (age 31) succeeded I King of England.

In or before 1191 [her son-in-law] Henry Normandy 7th Count of Eu and [her daughter] Maud aka Matilda Plantagenet Countess Eu (age 27) were married. She by marriage Countess Eu. She the daughter of [her husband] Hamelin Warenne Earl of Surrey (age 61) and Isabella Warenne Countess Boulogne 4th Countess of Surrey (age 53). He the son of John Normandy 6th Count of Eu and Alice D'Aubigny Countess Eu. He a great x 3 grandson of King William "Conqueror" I of England.

In 1201 King John of England (age 34) visited the new stone-built Conisbrough Castle [Map] whilst it was held by [her husband] Hamelin Warenne Earl of Surrey (age 72) and Isabella Warenne Countess Boulogne 4th Countess of Surrey (age 64).

On 07 May 1202 [her husband] Hamelin Warenne Earl of Surrey (age 73) died. His son [her son] William Warenne 5th Earl of Surrey succeeded 5th Earl Surrey and inherited his estates including Conisbrough Castle [Map]. He undertook further building work including the Great Hall and service buildings in the Inner Bailey. [her future daughter-in-law] Maud Marshal Countess Norfolk and Surrey (age 8) by marriage Countess Surrey.