C.P. Addition: Clue to Origin of Ralph de Monthermer, Earl o

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Douglas Richardson

C.P. Addition: Clue to Origin of Ralph de Monthermer, Earl o

Legg inn av Douglas Richardson » 21 mai 2007 17:32:57

Dear Newsgroup:

King Edwrad I's daughter, Joan of England, married (2nd) in 1297 Sir
Ralph de Monthermer, Knt., a member of her first husband's household.
Complete Peerage, 5 (1926): 709-710 (sub Gloucester) says the
following regarding this marriage and Ralph's parentage:

"She [Joan] married, 2ndly, clandestinely, to her father's great
displeasure, presumably early in 1297, Ralph de Monthermer, a member
of the late Earl's household. On 29 Jan. 1296/7 the escheator was
ordered to take into his hand all the lands, goods and chattels of
Joan, Countess of Gloucester, from which it might be inferred that the
King, suspecting her intentions with regard to Monthermer, sought to
coerce her to abandon the marriage by degradation and loss of
estates. On 16 March the King gave his assent to her marriage with
Amadeus of Savoy, and therefore must have been ignorant of her
marriage, if it had already taken place, and on 12 May it was ordered
that Joan should have reasonable allowance for herself and children.
It would seem that by 3 July the King had discovered Joan's marriage
with Monthermer, for he took her lands into his own hand, but by 31
July, when he certainly knew of the marriage, he appears to have been
partly mollified, for her lands were restored (except Tonbridge); in
ordering her to provide 100 men to serve in France, however, the
special proviso was made that they might be commanded by anyone except
Ralph de Monthermer, her husband. She was pardoned two days later, 2
August 1297."

"Ralph de Monthermer, whose parentage is unknown, is said to have come
from the bishopric of Durham. He was in the household of Gilbert,
Earl of Gloucester and Hertford, whose widow Joan appears to have been
attracted by his personal charms, and to have obtained a knighthood
for him. He married the said Joan, daughter of Edward I, apparently
some time early in 1297, as mentioned above. The King, on discovering
the marriage, was extremely angry, and imprisoned Monthermer in
Bristol, but by the intercession of prelates and magnates he was
reconciled to Monthermer, who had pardon and did homage to the King
and Prince Edward 2 August 1297 at Eltham ... In consequence of his
marriage and as tenant of his wife's estates, he was styled Earl of
Gloucester and Hertford during her life, but never acquired full
comital rank .... he lost the name of Earl at his wife's death." END
OF QUOTE.

As we can see, the parentage and ancestry of Sir Ralph de Monthermer
are completely unknown. Moreover, no trace of Sir Ralph de Monthermer
has been found in Durham records. However, an excellent clue to Sir
Ralph de Monthermer's origin was recently pointed out to me by my good
friend, Andrew MacEwen, of Maine, the expert on all things Scottish.
Mr. MacEwen has informed me that on 28 October 1303, a safe conduct
was granted as Skamskynel to Ralph de Monthermer, Earl of Gloucester,
and to his "bachelor and cousin," Sir John Bluet [Reference: Joseph
Bain, Calendar of Documents relating to Scotland, 4 (1888): 370].
This record appears to have been completely overlooked by Complete
Peerage.

The Sir John Bluet named in this record would surely be the Sir John
Bluet, died 1317, of Silchester, Hampshire and Lacock, Wiltshire,
which Sir John is a lineal descendant of the Ralph Bluet, of same, who
married c. 1150 Isabel de Beaumont, widow of Gilbert Fitz Gilbert,
Earl of Pembroke. For particulars of this Sir John Bluet, see the
brief account of him in VCH Hampshire, Volume 4, which is available at
the following weblink:

http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report ... mpid=56744

Inasmuch as the given name, Ralph, occurs repeatedly in the Bluet
family, it seems quite possible that Sir Ralph de Monthermer obtained
his given name through his connection to the Bluet family. Sir John
Bluet had a grandfather, great-grandfather, uncle, and brother all
named Ralph. So the name Ralph definitely ran in this branch of the
Bluet family. This matter deserves further study.

Special thanks go to Andrew MacEwen for generously sharing his
research findings with me regarding Sir Ralph de Monthermer, Earl of
Gloucester and Hertford.

Best always, Douglas Richardson, Salt Lake City, Utah

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