Thomas of Brotherton, 1st Earl of Norfolk

Thomas of Brotherton
Earl of Norfolk
Coat of arms of Thomas, Earl of Norfolk
Earl of Norfolk
Successor Margaret, 2nd Countess and Duchess of Norfolk
Spouse(s) Alice Hayles
Mary Braose
Issue
Edward of Norfolk
Margaret, Duchess of Norfolk
Alice of Norfolk
Father Edward I of England
Mother Margaret of France
Born 1 June 1300(1300-06-01)
The manor house, Brotherton
Died 4 August 1338(1338-08-04) (aged 38)
Burial The abbey, Bury St. Edmunds

Thomas of Brotherton, 1st Earl of Norfolk, Lord Marshal of England (1 June 1300 – 4 August 1338) was the son of Edward I of England and Margaret of France.

Contents

Early life

Thomas was born at the Manor House in Brotherton. His mother was staying at Pontefract Castle and was following a hunt when she went into labour. He was born in the main house, later demolished in the 1930s due to disrepair, although the new 17th century wing still exists. He was named in honour of Thomas Becket, since his mother had prayed to him during her pregnancy.[1]

Edward quickly rushed to the queen and the newborn baby and had him presented with two cradles. His brother Edmund was born in the year after that. They were overseen by wetnurses until they were six years old. Like their parents, they learned to play chess and riding horses. They were visited by nobles and their half-sister Mary of Woodstock, who was a nun. Their mother often accompanied Edward on his campaigns to Scotland, but kept herself well-informed on their well-being.[2]

His father died when he was 7 years old. Thomas's half-brother, Edward, became king of England. The Earldom of Cornwall had been intended for Thomas, but Edward instead bestowed it upon his favourite, Piers Gaveston, in 1306. When he was 10 years old, his brother Edward II of England assigned him and another brother, Edmund, the estates of Roger Bigod, 5th Earl of Norfolk who had died without heir in 1306.

Career

In 1312, he was titled "Earl of Norfolk" and on 10 February 1316 he was created Lord Marshal of England. While his brother was away fighting in Scotland, he was left Keeper of England. Thomas was known for having a hot and violent temper. He was one of the many victims of the unchecked greed of Hugh the younger Despenser, who stole some of the young earl's lands. He allied himself with Queen Isabella and Roger Mortimer, 1st Earl of March when they invaded England in 1326, and stood as one of the judges in the trials against both Despensers. When his nephew Edward III of England reached his majority and took the government into his own hands Thomas became one of his principal advisors. It was in the capacity of Lord Marshal that he commanded the right wing of the English army at the Battle of Halidon Hill on 19 July 1333.

Marriages and children

He married first, probably in 1319, Alice Hayles, daughter of Sir Roger Hayles and Alice Skogan. She was supposed to have been a great beauty. Her father was the coroner of Norfolk, which in the 14th century was a fiscal, not a medical position; his post demanded that he collect and protect revenues for the king. Thomas and Alice had three children:

Thomas' descent passed through Margaret to the Mowbray family and ultimately the Howard Dukes of Norfolk, from whom descended two of the wives of Henry VIII of England, Anne Boleyn and Catherine Howard. Alice Hayles died in 1330, when a chantry was founded for her soul in Bosham, Sussex.

Thomas was married again around 28 March 1335 to Mary Braose, widow of Ralph de Cobham, Lord Cobham.

Death

He died in September 1338, and was buried in the Abbey of Bury St. Edmunds.

Titles, styles, honours and arms

Arms

As Earl of Norfolk, Thomas had use of the coat of arms of the kingdom, differenced by a label argent of three points.[3]

Ancestry

References

  1. ^ Hilton, Lisa (2008). Queens Consort, England's Medieval Queens. Great Britain: Weidenfeld & Nichelson. p. 240. ISBN 978-0-7538-2611-9. 
  2. ^ Hilton, Lisa (2008). p. 240. 
  3. ^ Marks of Cadency in the British Royal Family
English royalty
Preceded by
Edward of Carnarvon,
Prince of Wales		 Heir to the English Throne
as heir presumptive
7 July 1307 – 13 November 1312		 Succeeded by
Edward of Windsor,
Earl of Chester
Political offices
Preceded by
The Lord Segrave		 Lord Marshal
1315–1338		 Succeeded by
The Countess of Norfolk
Peerage of England
New creation Earl of Norfolk
3rd creation
1312–1338		 Succeeded by
Margaret, 2nd Countess and Duchess