Raymond FitzGerald

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Raymond " Le Gros" FitzGerald

Raymond le Gros in a 13th-century manuscript, MS 700 of the National Library of Ireland, illustrating the text of the Expugnatio Hibernica, written by Gerald of Wales, a cousin of Raymond.
Born

Wales

death_date = 1182
Died Waterford, Ireland
Resting place
 Molana Abbey, Waterford
Other names Redmond
Ethnicity Cambro-Norman
Spouse(s) Basilia

Raymond (or Redmond) FitzGerald (died 1185/1198), nicknamed Le Gros, was a Cambro-Norman commander during the Norman invasion of Ireland.[1] He grew up in Wales. He was the son of William FitzGerald de Carew who was the eldest son of Gerald de Windsor and Nest ferch Rhys.

Career

On 1 May 1170 Raymond landed at Baginbun Head, a promontory fort which was easily defendable.

He was sent by Strongbow to Ireland in 1170, and landed at Baginbun Head at the Hook Peninsula, near Waterford,[2] where he was besieged in his entrenchments by the combined Irish and Ostmen, whom he repulsed. Although vastly outnumbered in this battle, (his cousin Gerald of Wales gives the numbers at 3000 Irish against Le Gros's forces of about 100 including 10 Knights) he won a resounding victory which he achieved by rounding up a nearby herd of cattle which his men had foraged and driving them headlong into the oncoming enemy ranks. The result was that about 1000 of the combined Galic and Hiberno-Norse force were either killed or captured.[3]

He was Strongbow's second in command and had the chief share both in the capture of Waterford and in the successful assault on Dublin. He was sent to Aquitaine to hand over Strongbow's conquests to Henry II of England, but was back in Dublin in July 1171, when he led one of the sallies from the town. Strongbow offended him later by refusing him the marriage of his sister Basilia, widow of Robert de Quincy.[4] Raymond then retired to Wales and Hervey de Mountmaurice became constable in his place.

At the outbreak of a general rebellion against the earl in 1174, Raymond returned with his uncle Meiler FitzHenry, after receiving a promise of marriage with Basilia. He brought about 450 men with him and relieved Strongbow who was under siege in Waterford. His marriage to Basilia finally took place in Wexford directly following this encounter.[5] Reinstated as constable, he secured a series of successes including the capture of Limerick city in October 1175. Mountmaurice meanwhile obtained Raymond's recall on the ground that his power threatened the royal authority, but the constable was delayed by a fresh outbreak at Limerick, the earl's troops refusing to march without him. On the death of Strongbow, he acted as governor until the arrival of William FitzAldhelm, to whom he handed over the royal fortresses. He was deprived of his estates near Dublin and Wexford, but the Geraldines secured the recall of FitzAldhelm early in 1183, and regained their power and influence. In 1182 he relieved his half-uncle Robert Fitz-Stephen, who was besieged in Cork. In 1185, his first cousin Philip de Barry, son of William FitzOdo de Barry came to Ireland to assist in the recovery of some cantreds in the Kingdom of Desmond.

Ancestry

Death

14th century tomb effigy of Raymond le Gros at Molana Abbey, now lost, as drawn by Daniel Grose (1766-1838)

The time of his death is not certain. He was certainly alive when John of England came to Ireland in 1185. Gerald of Wales did not record his death in his Expugnatio Hibernica which was finished in 1189. His widow Basilia married Geoffrey FitzRobert at some time between 1198 and 1201.[6] According to tradition he was buried in Molana Abbey.[7]

Notes

  1. ↑ Roach 1970, p. 180 and other sources state Raymond was the ancestor of the Grace family, however other sources such as Flanagan 2004 disagree as they point out that he had no legitimate heirs.
  2. ↑ Orpen 1911.v1, p. 184.
  3. ↑ Roach 1970, p. 156.
  4. ↑ Orpen 1911.v1, p. 323.
  5. ↑ Roach 1970, p. 198.
  6. ↑ Orpen 1911.v2, p. 42 This time range has not been narrowed since then. See, for example, Connolly 1998, p. 473
  7. ↑ Gwynn & Hadcock 1970, p. 187.

References

  • Connolly, S. J., ed. (1998), "Raymond fitz William", The Oxford Companion to Irish History, Oxford University Press, ISBN 0-19-211695-9 
  • Flanagan, M. T. (September 2004), "Fitzgerald, Raymond fitz William (d. 1189x92)", Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (online ed.), Oxford University Press, doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/9582, retrieved 24 August 2010 
  • Gwynn, Aubrey; Hadcock, R. Neville (1970), Medieval Religious Houses Ireland, London: Longman, ISBN 0-582-11229-X 
  • Orpen, Goddard Henry (1911.v1), Ireland under the Normans, 1169-1216 1, Oxford 
  • Orpen, Goddard Henry (1911.v2), Ireland under the Normans, 1169-1216 2, Oxford 
  • Roach, Richard (1970), The Norman Invasion of Ireland, Anvil Books, ISBN 0-947962-81-6 . Roach's work on this subject was meticulous and draws on the many available ancient manuscripts including Gerald of Wales, The Song of Dermot, The Book of the McCarthys and numerous other fragmentary sources.
Attribution

Further reading

  • Orpen, Goddard Henry (2005) [1911 and 1920], Ireland under the Normans, Dublin: Four Courts, ISBN 1-85182-715-3  All four original volumes in one.

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