William de Braose, 7th Baron Abergavenny and 4th Lord of Bramber (1144/1153 – August 9, 1211), court favourite of King John, at the peak of his power was also Lord of Gower, Abergavenny, Brecknock, Builth, Radnor, Kington, Limerick, Glamorgan,Skenfrith, Briouze in Normandy, Grosmont, and White Castle. He was the sun of William II. de Braose, 1st Baron of Gwentland and Bertha, daughter of Miles of Gloucester, Earl of Hereford.

In 1174 he married Mathilde de St. Valerie who later entered Welsh folk literature as Moll Walbee. Whe was known to be a formidable woman, sometimes called Matilda. They had 16 children.

Angered at the death of his uncle Henry, which he laid at the feet of Seisyll ap Dyfnwal, of Castell Arnallt near Llanover in the valley of the River Usk near Abergavenny, he masterminded the Massacre of Abergavenny. Celebrating his new lordships in 1175 he hled a Christmas feast at Abergavenny castle, inviting the princes and chieftains of Gwent, including Seisyll ap Dyfnwal, lord of Upper Gwent and his son Gruffydd.

Those gathered in the great hall had recently met King Henry at Gloucester to pledge peace and fealty. The Welsh laid down their weapons for the feast but the drunken merry making came to a dramatic halt when William challenged them never again to bear arms in his domains. Seisyll indignantly refused. William's men took this as the signal to slaughter all his Welsh guests.

While the murder of William's uncle Henry had benefited the de Braoses well, it was savagely avenged. William personally pursued Seisyll's wife Gwladus and cut down the son she was protecting in her arms, 7-year-old Cadwaladr. William's men ravaged Seisyll's lands. This notorious offence earned the nickname Ogre of Abergavenny.

Seven years later, Seisyll's surviving sons in turn avenged the massacre by burning most of Abergavenny castle to the ground. The keep held out, however, William retained his stronghold and an imposing new castle was built. This fourth Lord of Bramber married a formidable woman, Maud de Saint Valery, sometimes called Matilda. She supported her husband's military ambitions and he put her in charge of Hay castle and surrounding lands. Welsh folklore portrays her as a giantess and a witch.

In 1198 Gwenwynwyn, prince of Powys, threatened the entire Welsh middle marches after the death of Lord Rhys. William de Braose hurried to defend Brecon while a terrified and unprepared force marched to intercept Gwenwynwyn as he swept towards Hay.

Maud de Saint Valery appeared before the English army disguised as a nun. She was accompanied by a Welsh hermit from Llowes who assured the men that they should go into battle without fear. "And they believed him, as being a holy man, they did so, and in one day slew of the Welsh three thousand." (8.1)

William de Braose instigated another furious blood feud in his reprisals against Gwenwynwyn's campaign. He seized the lord of Llangorse, Trehearn Fychan, and bound him to the tail of a horse. To the shame and fury of the Welsh, he dragged the man through the town of Brecon then had him beheaded. The body was hung up by the feet to rot on a common gallows.

Gwenwynwyn vowed revenge and returned to besiege Painscastle, known as "Matilda's castle" in Elfael. Maud held off the massive Welsh attack for three weeks until Norman reinforcements arrived. Welsh bards wrote mournfully of the three thousand seven hundred Welsh men who were slaughtered there.

Bad blood between the de Braoses and the Welsh continued for generations.

William de Braose was as god fearing as his ancestors, despite his savage reputation. Five years later he remembered the atrocity he committed against the Welsh princes and sought atonement by massively extending the church of Saint Mary de Haura in New Shoreham, Sussex. He later rebuilt or restored many of the churches within his Welsh domains. These included Saint Bridget's in Skenfrith, Saint Nicholas' in Grosmont, Saint John's in Brecon and Saint Mary's in Abergavenny.

Gerald of Wales wrote a famous account of his Welsh tour during 1188. He met William de Braose in Brecon and described him as a pious man, riding about the town on his horse exchanging God's blessings with little children. Gerald also complimented William's wife Maud for her efficiency as a housekeeper. In fact, as archdeacon of Brecon, Gerald knew the family well.

Some strange folk tales about Maud de Saint Valery have survived. One story calls her Moll Walby and tells how she built the castle of Hay on Wye, single handed in one night. She carried the stones in her apron but one lodged itself in her slipper. She flicked it out over the river Wye three miles away, where it survived the centuries as a nine foot tall standing stone with magical powers.

Substantial remains of the de Braose castles can still be seen in the marches. The towns of Abergavenny, Hay and Brecon were each dominated by a massively fortified family residence. The armoured and mounted knights which clattered over the drawbridges were a persistent menace.

A typical piece of folk lore begins two miles from Matilda's (or Pains) castle. The baron was returning with his men from a hunting expedition when they spotted a Welsh princess and her attendants bathing in a lake. William carried off the women and imprisoned them in the castle. The princess caught the attention of her grieving relatives by holding a family token over a candle at her dark prison window. William denied that he had taken the girl but Rhys ap Gruffydd launched a bloody attack on the castle and rescued her.

The great lord Rhys of Deheubarth did lead a massive campaign in 1196, taking Matilda's castle, Builth, Radnor and others before his death in a terrible plague the following year. Perhaps there is some truth in the folk tale.

Saint Mary de Haura church was once very much larger. William de Braose's additions were so extensive that he may have intended to establish an abbey there. It is the finest of its type in the country. The unusual name of the church is thought to relate to its position by the harbour of New Shoreham.
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By tradition, Maud's stone landed in the churchyard of Saint Meilig's at Llowes, near Hay on Wye. In 1956 it was moved inside the church where it now shares a corner with an old hand plough. Modern scholars believe the ancient three and a half ton stone was moved from a mountainside spot still called Croesfeilig (Saint Meilig's Cross ). The outline of a woman is carved on the reverse side.

In 1192 William de Braose was made Sheriff of Hereford, a post he held until 1199.

In 1195 he accompanied King Richard I of England to Normandy. Although not in the Holy Land, he fought alongside the Lion Heart in 1195. He was also at Chalus in 1199 when Richard received his fatal arrow wound. On his deathbed, Richard agreed to appoint Giles de Braose as bishop of Hereford.
At this time, we have a glimpse of how William might have appeared to his contemporaries; courageous, ambitious, astute and politically sophisticated. He was first to reach John with the news of Richard's death and was instrumental in securing John's succession.

Gerald, archdeacon of Brecon, toured Wales in 1188 with the archbishop of Canterbury gathering support for the crusades. His written account of the journey is a valuable snapshot of the times with some fascinating glimpses of the de Braoses.

Three surviving versions of Gerald's travel diary each show a different treatment of William de Braose. The first describes the barbaric murder of the Welsh princes at Abergavenny, though Gerald leaves some doubt as to the extent of William's guilt. By the time of the second version, and the death of some key figures in the story, William had deeply impressed Gerald as a friend and benefactor. Now we learn how William was powerless to prevent a wicked plot inspired by Henry II from taking place under his own roof.

Ranulf Poer, sheriff of Hereford was at the feast. He was responsible for the killings and had acted on the king's secret orders, including the removal of William to ensure he could not restrain his men. This account tells how William was tossed into the castle moat by the sheriff's carefully placed impostors. After the massacre William was dragged out of the water and set upon, but rescued without injury by his own men. Seisyll's sons later murdered Ranulf in revenge. (10.1)

William's worldly tales of skirmishes with Welsh bowmen were eagerly repeated by Gerald. (10.2) Equally, he was anxious to paint William as a picture of piety. His scribes, we are told, had tedious work adding extensive wishes for God's blessing at the end of every letter. William gave them an extra gold piece each year for their efforts. "By the grace of God" and "In God's name" were favourite phrases of both William and his wife. Her virtues were "rare among women". (10.3)

Gerald's fawning comments may have been influenced by his dangerous neighbour's increasing power. By the time his career ambitions were past, Gerald wrote more impartially that only God could judge the fate of such men's souls. Nonetheless, William gave flattering endorsements of Gerald's books and there seems to have been a real mutual affection. In a letter to pope Innocent, Gerald could not resist repeating a compliment on his good looks paid to him by Maud de Saint Valery.

An alternative portrait of William is given in another of Gerald's stories. The priest of the St Nicholas chapel in Brecon castle had three disturbing visions. Each time he saw a venerable old man who warned that William de Braose had kept for his own use property granted to the chapel for charitable purposes.

The priest went to Gerald, who interpreted the vision. It was saint Augustine foretelling the fall of William de Braose: "What is not surrendered to Christ is removed by taxation and what you refuse to a priest you will hand over to a godless soldier." The godless soldier turned out to be king John. (10.4)

Llanddew was the official residence of Gerald of Wales as archdeacon of Brecon. This medieval arch belonged to the neighbouring bishop's palace. Gerald's little church nearby still has some original features.
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Brecon castle looks out onto the Beacons, with a fine view of Arthur's Seat. It is now part of the Castle of Brecon hotel. The site dominates the confluence of the rivers Usk and Honddu.

William de Braose passed many responsibilities in Wales and Bramber to his heir, also William, as early as 1198 but was still an immensely powerful man. He was Sheriff of Hereford under King Richard from 1192 to 1199. Although not in the Holy Land with his sovereign, William's son Reginald appears on the Acre Roll as a crusader. William himself fought alongside Richard the Lion Heart in 1195. He was also at Chalus in 1199 when Richard received his fatal arrow wound. On his death bed Richard agreed to appoint Giles de Braose as Bishop of Hereford. This added a new dimension to the family's formidable power, including yet another castle, Bishop's Castle in southern Shropshire.

At this time, we have a glimpse of how William might have appeared to his contemporaries: courageous, ambitious, astute and politically sophisticated. He was first to reach John with the news of Richard's death and was instrumental in securing John's succession. The new king entered England to attend his coronation via the de Braose port of Shoreham. William was soon granted all the lands he could conquer from any Welsh enemies of the crown to extend his honour of Radnor.

William then accompanied King John to fight in Normandy. On August 1, 1202 William de Braose captured John's sixteen year old nephew Arthur, Duke of Brittany. Arthur was besieging John's mother, Eleanor of Aquitaine, at Mirebeau. The young duke had allied with King Philip of France to contest John's succession and represented a very dire threat. John was elated at the victory.

William de Braose guarded his valuable captive at the castle of Falaise. The King's Chamberlain, Hubert de Burgh, also stayed at Falaise as Arthur's custodian. King John sent three men with orders to castrate and blind his young rival but Arthur escaped this mutilation thanks to the compassion of his jailers. They dismissed John's men and put about a false story that the prisoner had died.

Arthur was moved to Rouen. Shortly afterwards William de Braose announced to the King and his barons that he was relinquishing the guardianship of Arthur. A French chronicle by Guillaume le Breton quotes William de Braose's words: "I know not what fate awaits your nephew, whose faithful guardian I have been. I return him to your hands in good health and sound in all his members. Put him, I pray you, in some other, happier custody. The burden of my own affairs bids me resign."

Before long Arthur had disappeared, outraging those who suspected his wicked uncle John. Some held William de Braose personally responsible. Others said he received the King's bribes to keep silent and his greed degenerated to blackmail. Suspicion focused on July 1203, when William received custody of the city of Limerick. (That year he also gained Kington in Herefordshire.) Two years before Arthur's death, William had already obtained North Munster in Ireland, possibly at the death of his uncle Philip to whom Henry II had first granted it . John demanded huge fees for these lands, but William probably never intended to pay.

In October 1202 John granted William the custody of Glamorgan and four months later he received Gower. The King wrote off several old de Braose debts and a lengthy family dispute was concluded in William's favour when he gained Totnes. In 1206 the de Braoses' power increased still further. William received the "three castles", Whitecastle, Grosmont and Skenfrith, but again for a high fee. The King also re-appointed him Sheriff of Hereford and a justice itinerant of Gloucester. William de Braose had become the most powerful magnate in the country. (11.1)

King John's troubles multiplied when he lost Normandy and other continental domains to France. In 1207 the Pope imposed Stephen Langton as Archbishop of Canterbury and John's resistance provoked a papal interdict on England. The people suffered the distress of being unable to bury their dead, receive mass or confess their sins. Many nobles, the Archbishop and several prominent churchmen, including Giles de Braose, Bishop of Hereford, fled to France where King Philip encouraged the exiles in their intrigues against John.

King John's reign was a continuous struggle to overcome the legacy of Richard, who drained the treasury to pay for his exploits abroad. John exacted every toll, tax or fee that his sharp wits could conjure up, to the outrage of his barons. As John fought and harassed his opposition, the costs of war increased the tax burden even more. The church gave moral justification to those who opposed him and bishop Giles de Braose was prominent among them.

The king started to demand hostages from his barons. Hostage taking was a common royal tactic to subdue any dangerous intent and encourage loyalty. Disobedience or an armed attack put the hostages at risk of mutilation or slaughter.

Maud de Saint Valery spat a defiant insult at the king's messengers. She would not hand her sons over to John, the murderer of his own nephew Arthur! This stinging challenge clinched the de Braoses' fate. William de Braose had received royal favour but his insubordinate wife had voiced a deadly accusation. Few would doubt that it was the truth. Her husband was in a position to know. Giles' open hostility seemed all the more dangerous.

The king's favour turned icy cold. First John called in William's debt of 5,000 marks for Limerick. He refused to pay. Then at a decisive meeting in Hereford John confiscated Brecon, Hay and Radnor, also demanding three of William's grandsons as hostages, to be held until payment was made. The children were William, son of Reginald, and Philip and Giles, sons of William, the de Braose heir.

The baron agreed to John's terms, then immediately launched a rebellion with his sons Reginald and William. He failed to take his lost castles but burned and pillaged Leominster. John dispossessed and outlawed William in 1208.

Maud repented and tried in vain to placate the king. Among her peace offerings, she sent a herd of 400 cows and a magnificent bull to the queen. All of them were milk white except for their red ears. Terrified by the king's increasing fury, Maud and William fled to Ireland with their family. They sought safety with the powerful Marshal family then the de Lacy brothers, lords of Meath and Ulster. Walter de Lacy of Meath had married their daughter Margaret in 1200.

In Wales, Gwenwynwyn of Powys and Llywelyn of Gwynedd were swift to take advantage of the vast power vacuum caused by the de Braoses' fall. King John dealt brutally with their rebellion in 1208. He moved to invade Ireland in 1210 and expelled the de Lacys for harbouring the de Braose family.

William made a desperate return to Wales and recruited Llywelyn to his cause. They fought side by side until John returned to crush the alliance. The last Welsh princes to submit to John's humiliating peace terms were Owain and Rhys of Deheubarth, grandsons of William de Braose through his daughter Matilda's marriage to Gruffydd ap Rhys.

Maud and her family were besieged at Meath but they managed to escape and headed for Scotland. At Galloway Duncan of Carrick captured the fugitives and handed them over to king John. Maud tried again to buy back the king's favour with a promise of 50,000 marks (which she didn't have), a sum equivalent to the annual revenue of England. Meanwhile, her husband arranged the safe keeping of their eldest grandson John in Gower.

William de Braose narrowly escaped king John's pursuit. He dressed himself as a beggar and fled to France via his home port of Shoreham. John's fury turned murderous. He threw Maud and her son William into Windsor castle. Others in the terrorised family survived captivity but William, the heir, and his mother starved to death in a Windsor dungeon.

William de Braose fanned the flames of rebellion when he reached Paris by revealing the deadly secret which had prompted his promotion and his fall. He told king Philip how John had murdered prince Arthur. The story spread like wildfire. John killed Arthur with his own hands during a drunken rage and threw the body in the river Seine.

William died at Corbeil within a year, in 1211. Some chroniclers report that he was killed in a duel. If this is true, it raises the possibility that he resorted to the tournament and his skills in combat to earn a living and perhaps a reprieve for his family. William had accumulated more enemies than most in his eventful career. It may be that one of them simply took advantage of his vulnerability in exile.

Giles de Braose pledged to seek justice and revenge for his ruined family, supported by his brother Reginald. The exiled archbishop of Canterbury, Stephen Langton, buried their father in the abbey of Saint Victor in Paris. The people of Tetbury are said to have honoured him with a large monument.

A memory of the terrible fall of the de Braose family survives in Bramber. The figures of two children have been seen in the village on Christmas eve running hand in hand along the main street, pale and thin, as though fleeing from the wrath of king John. William and Maud had possibly seventeen children and many grandchildren. Most reached adulthood but inevitably the fates of some are unrecorded.

The king was quick to distribute the de Braose lands in return for support in the barons' wars but he kept Bramber for himself. John enjoyed hunting at Knepp and there are several royal letters addressed from Bramber.

Tthe Barons de Braose, http://freespace.virgin.net/doug.thompson/BraoseWeb/frames.htm
In 1196 he was made Justice Itinerant for Staffordshire.

http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?=&CScntry=7&GRid=10142337&GScid=2130461&page=gr

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_de_Braose,_4th_Lord_of_Bramber

Of Brecknock. [Magna Charta Barons, p. 414]

Smith - Tilton Genealogy http://www.mindfreedom.net/gen/t-s-p/p116.htm