Warren Family History Project

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The Arms of William de Warenne II, adopted from the Vermandois Family

11: William de Warenne, 2nd Earl of Surrey (d. 1138) [NFS:K83Z-TRM]
Sometime around 1093, William tried to marry Matilda, daughter of king Malcolm III of Scotland but who married King Henry I of England instead. This appears to be give William a great dislike of that king. Afterwards he accompanied Robert Curthose in his 1101 invasion of England, and afterwards lost his English lands and titles and was exiled to Normandy. There he complained to Curthose that he expended great effort on the duke's behalf and had in return lost most of his possessions. Curthose's return to England in 1103 was apparently made to convince his brother to restore William's earldom. This was successful, though Curthose had to give up all he had received after the 1101 invasion, and subsequently William was loyal Henry.

I can't understand why many exisiting genealogies place the birth of children prior to his marriage of 1119?

• Biography: Wikipedia - Biography
• 1065-1070: Birth - Need to verify both date and location - (England or France).
• 1088-JUN-24 : Becomes 2nd Earl of Surrey - upon death of his Father.
• 1091 : Defence of Courcy -
• 1093 : Marriage Proposal to Matilda failed.
• 1101 : Failed Battle in England - Battles with Robert Curthose.
• 1106 : Battle of Tinchebray - William was one of the three battle commanders on Henry's side (against Robert Curthose) and was afterwards, with his loyalty thus proven, more prominent in Henry's court.
• 1118 : Marriage to Elizabeth of Vermandois or Isabel de Vermandois (b. 1081, d 13-Feb-1131) - married Isabel de Vermandois before 1118 in France. Isabel was born about 1085, lived in Valois, France. - She was a daughter of count Hugh of Vermandois, a son of Henry I of France, and was the widow of Robert de Beaumont, 1st Earl of Leicester. She was twice married to influential Anglo-Norman magnates, and had several children (among whose descendants are numbered many kings and some queens of England and Scotland). Her Capetian and Carolingian ancestry was a source of much pride for some of these descendants.
• 1119 : Battle of Bremule - between Henry I of England and Louis VI (the Fat) of France. The Norman Lords (including Henry and William and others) had to defend their holdings in Normandy several times and defeated a French invasion at the Battle of Bremule in 1119.
• 1119: Child - William de Warenne, 3rd Earl of Surrey
• 1120 (?) : * Reginald de Warenne, who inherited his father's property in upper Normandy including the castles of Bellencombre and Mortemer. He married Adeline, daughter of William, lord of Wormgay in Norfolk, by whom he had a son William, whose daughter and sole heir Beatrice married first Dodo, lord Bardolf, and secondly Hubert de Burgh;
• 1120 (?) : Ralph de Warenne
• 1120 (?) : Ada de Warenne, who married Henry of Scotland, 3rd Earl of Huntingdon and heir to the throne of the Kingdom of Scotland. Both of her children would serve in turn as King of Scotland.
• 1124 (?) : Child - Gundrada de Warenne, who married first Roger de Beaumont, 2nd Earl of Warwick , and second William, lord of Kendal, and is most remembered for expelling king Stephen's garrison from Warwick Castle;
• 1131-Feb-13 : Death of Elizabeth/Isabel - buried at Lewes chapter-house.
• 1138-May-11 : Death of William II - per Registry of Chapter House at Lewes.

William de Warenne, 3rd Earl of Surrey (1119-1148) [NFS:KN6C-MDZ]
Killed in battle by the Turks in the 2nd Crusade while marching to the Holy Land across Anatolia. His only child, Isabel inherited his fortune.

• Biography - Wikipedia
• 1118 : Birth
• 1135 (?) = Marriage
• 1137 (?) - Child - Isabel - 4th Countess of Surrey - Only Heir
• 1141 : First Battle of Lincoln - William was generally loyal Stephen and participated in Battle of Lincoln, and was one of the leaders of the army that pursued the empress Matilda in her flight from Winchester, and which captured Robert of Gloucester.
• 1146 : Crusader Vows at Vezelay - Joins King Louis VII of France on the 2nd Crusade to Holy Land.
• 1148-JAN-08 : Died in Battle at Mount Cadmus - in Dec 1147 the French-Norman force reaches the Biblical town of Ephesus on the west coast of Turkey. They are joined by remnants of the German army which had previously taken heavy losses at Dorylaeum. Marching across Southwest Turkey and fight in a unsuccessful battle at Laodicea against the Turks on the border between Byzantine Empire and Seljuks of Rum (3-4 Jan 1148). On 8-Jan they battle again in the area of Mount Cadmus, where Turks ambush the main train of infantry and non-combatants because the main force is too far forwards. King Louis and his bodyguard of Templar Knights and Noblemen sallied forth in a classic example of chivalry to protect the poor and valiantly charged the Turks. Most of the knights were killed, including William, and Louis barely escaped with his life. His army arrives later at the coastal city of Adalia. The battle is recorded by Odo de Deuil, personal chaplain to Louis, in his book De Profectione - pp 68-127.

Isabel de Warenne, 4th Countess of Surrey (d. 1199) [NFS:KD3P-JCY]

Only heir to William III, her first husband was the 4th Earl and her second husband was the 5th Earl, both were of the English Royal Family.

• Biography - Wikipedia
• 1137 : Birth ?
• 1148 : Inheritance - Death of Father.
• 1148 : 1st Marriage - William of Blois, 4th Earl of Surrey (1137-1159) - Younger son of King Stephen - No Children.
• 1164-APR : 2nd Marriage - Hamelin Plantagenet, 5th Earl of Surrey (d. 1202) - Half-brother Henry II. Four Children
• 1166: Birth of William - 6th Earl of Surrey
• 1168 (?) : Birth - Adela (born c. 1170) - married Robert of Naburn and William FitzWilliam and was also a mistress of King John.
• 1170 (?) : Birth Isabel (died 30 November 1234), married Robert de Lacy and Gilbert de l'Aigle, Lord of Pevensey.
• 1172 (?) : Birth Matilda , married Henry, Count of Eu and Henry de Stuteville.
• 1203 : Death of Isabel - Hamelin died in 1202 and the countess a year later. She was buried alongside him in the chapter house of Lewes Priory

William de Warenne, 6th Earl of Surrey AKA William Plantagenet (1160-1240)
Son of Hamelin de Warenne (Plantagenet) and Isabel de Warenne. His father Hamelin granted him the manor of Appleby, North Lincolnshire. De Warenne was present at the coronation of King John of England on May 27, 1199. When Normandy was lost to the French in 1204 he lost his Norman holdings, (in 1202 he was lieutenant of Gascony), but John recompensed him with Grantham and Stamford.

William was one of the few barons who remained loyal to King John (who was his cousin) during the king's difficulties with the barons, when they sought for the French prince to assume the English throne, and is listed as one of those who advised John to accede to the Magna Carta.

• Biography - Wikipedia
• 1166 : Birth
• 1200-1208 : Sheriff of Wiltshire - 1st Term
• 1203 : Early of Surrey - Death of Mother.
• 1204-1206 : Lord Warden of the Cinque Ports - His first tenure of office
• 1208-1213 : Warden of Welch Marches
• 1210 ? : Early Marriage - Matilda d'Aubigny ? - William may also have had an earlier, childless marriage to the daughter of William d'Aubigny, 1st Earl of Arundel.
• 1213-1226 : Sheriff of Wiltshire - 2nd Term
• 1226-OCT-13 : Marriage to Maud Marshal, Countess of Salisbury [1192- 27MAR1248] - Eldest daughter and co-heiress of William Marshal, and widow of Hugh Bigod, 3rd Earl of Norfolk, thus becoming by marriage the Earl of Salisbury. They had a son and a daughter.
• 1228 : Birth - Daughter Isabel de Warenne (1228-1282) - married Hugh d'Aubigny, 5th Earl of Arundel.
• 1231 : Birth - Son John de Warenne, 7th Earl of Surrey (1231-1304)
• 1240 : Death of William

John de Warenne, 7th Earl of Surrey (1231-1305)
John was prominent during the reigns of Henry III and Edward I. During his long life he fought in the Second Barons' War and in Edward I's wars in Scotland.

• Biography - Wikipedia
• 1231 : Birth
• 1240 : Early of Surrey - Death of Father, William. Warenne was a boy when his father died, and for the rest of his minority Peter of Savoy was the guardian of his estates.
• 1247 : Marriage to Alice de Lusignan Marriage (1221-1250) - Half-Sister to King Henry III. Warenne and Alice de Lusignan had three children.
• Eleanor, who married Henry Percy and was the mother of Henry de Percy, 1st Baron Percy of Alnwick; {See Percy Family}
• Isabella, who married John Balliol (also called John II Baiol) and was the mother of Edward Balliol;
• 1260 abt : Birth William, who married Joanna, daughter of Robert de Vere, earl of Oxford, and was accidentally killed at a tournament on December 15, 1286; his son John succeeded his grandfather as earl of Surrey.

William de Warenne (1256-1286)
Died in a tournament accident 15-DEC-1286 and never succeeded to title of Earl. His son John would succeed his grandfather to become the 8th Earl of Surrey. William married Joanna, daughter of Robert de Vere, earl of Oxford.

He was ambushed and slain after attending a tournament at Croydon. m ([Jun 1285]) JOAN de Vere, daughter of ROBERT de Vere Earl of Oxford & his wife Alice de Sanford (-23 Nov 1293 or before, bur Lewes Priory). William de Warenne & his wife had two children:

• 1286-JUN-30 : Birth, John de Warenne
• 1287-May/JUL : Birth of Daugher Alice (1287-1338) ALICE de Warenne ([May/Jul 1287]-before 23 May 1338). It is assumed that she was born posthumously as there was insufficient time for her birth between her parents' marriage and the birth of her brother, but no proof has been found that this is correct. Alice died before 23-May-1338. m (1305) EDMUND Fitzalan Earl of Arundel, son of RICHARD FitzAlan Earl of Arundel & his wife Alasia di Saluzzo (1 May 1285-executed Hereford 17 Nov 1326).

John de Warenne, 8th Earl of Surrey (1286-1347) Her succeeded his grandfather in 1304 as Earl of Surrey. He unsuccessfully attempted to divorce his wife to marry his mistress Maud de Nerford[826]. m (25 May 1306) JEANNE de Bar, daughter of HENRI III Comte de Bar & his wife Eleanor of England (-31 Aug 1361). The Annales Londonienses record the marriage "VIII Kal Jun" in 1306 of "dominus Johannes de Warenne" and "filiam comitis de Bar et Elianorę filię…regis Edwardi"[827]. Mistress (1): MAUD de Nerford, wife of S. de Diriba, daughter of ---. Mistress (2): ISABEL de Holand, daughter of ---. Earl John had six illegitimate children by Mistress (1): (a) JOHN Warenne . (b) THOMAS Warenne . (c) EDWARD Warenne . Founder of the WARENN family of Poynton. (d) JOAN Warenne . (e) CATHERINE Warenne . m ROBERT Heveningham . (f) ISABEL Warenne .

• Biography - Wikipedia
• 1286-JUN-30 : Birth
• 1286-DEC-15 : Death of Father
• 1305 : Death of Grandfather - Succeeds to 8th Earl of Surrey at Age 18
• 1306 : Marriage - The young Earl entered into full occupation of his lands and was given in marriage, King Edward I's ten year old granddaughter Joan de Barr.
• 1347-JUN : Death - John, the eighth and last Earl de Warenne died leaving no legitimate heirs. His estates and the Earldom of Surrey reverted back to the Crown.

Richard FitzAlan, 10th Earl of Arundel, 9th Earl of Surrey (1313-1376)

Richard FitzAlan, 11th Earl of Arundel, 10th Earl of Surrey (1346-1397, forfeited 1397)

Thomas FitzAlan, 12th Earl of Arundel, 11th Earl of Surrey (1381-1415, restored 1400)

Elizabeth de Vermandois (1086-1131)
Elizabeth de Vermandois was the third daughter of Hugh Magnus and Adele of Vermandois. Her paternal grandparents were Henry I of France and Anne of Kiev. Her maternal grandparents were Herbert IV of Vermandois and Adele of Vexin. She married William de Warenne II before 1118 in France. Isabel was born about 1085, lived in Valois, France.

Her mother was the heiress of the county of Vermandois, and descendant of a junior patrilineal line of descent from Charlemagne. The first Count of Vermandois was Pepin of Vermandois. He was a son of Bernard of Italy, grandson of Pippin of Italy and great-grandson of Charlemagne and Hildegard. As such, Elizabeth had distinguished ancestry and connections. Her father was a younger brother of Philip I of France and her mother was among the last Carolingians. She was also distantly related to the Kings of England, the Dukes of Normandy, the Counts of Flanders and through her Carolingian ancestors to practically every major nobleman in Western Europe.

• Wikipedia Biography - She was twice married to influential Anglo-Norman magnates, and had several children (among whose descendants are numbered many kings and some queens of England and Scotland). Her Capetian and Carolingian ancestry was a source of much pride for some of these descendants
• 1118 : Marriage to William de Warenne, 2nd Earl of Surrey

More Warren Family References:

• 1911 Encyclopedia Britanica - Article on the Earls of Warenne.
• Warenne Family Chronology