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Richard "de Tonbridge" de Clare FitzGilbert (b. Abt. 1024, d. Abt. 1090)
Richard "de Tonbridge" de Clare FitzGilbert (son of Giselbert (Gilbert) "Crispin" de Clare and Gunnora` d'Annou (Anjou))4166 was born Abt. 10244166, and died Abt. 10904166. He married Rohese Giffard on Abt. 1025 in France4166, daughter of Walter Giffard.
More About Richard "de Tonbridge" de Clare FitzGilbert:
Record Change: March 07, 20054166
More About Richard "de Tonbridge" de Clare FitzGilbert and Rohese Giffard:
Marriage: Abt. 1025, France.4166
Marriage Notes for Richard "de Tonbridge" de Clare FitzGilbert and Rohese Giffard:
[15feb06abernethy.ged]
Richard "de Tonbridge" de Clare FitzGilbert
# Born: Abt 1024, Bienfaite, Normandy, France
# Married Abt 1025, France, to Rohese Giffard
# Died: Abt 1090, St. Neot's, Huntingdonshire, England
Richard "de Tombridge" de Clare, Lord of Clare, Joint Chief Justiciar o f England
christened Brionne, Normandy, France
buried Priory, St. Neot's, Huntingdonshire, England
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From: http://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/NORrichardfitz.htm
In about 1026, Herleva of Falaise, the sixteen year old daughter of a t anner from Falaise in Normandy, gave birth to a son called Richard. The b oy's father was Gilbert, Count of Brionne, one of the most powerful lan downers in Normandy. As Herleva was not married to Gilbert, the boy bec ame known as Richard Fitz Gilbert. The term 'Fitz' was used to show tha t Richard was the illegitimate son of Gilbert.
When Robert, Duke of Normandy died in 1035 William of Normandy inherite d his father's title. Several leading Normans, including Gilbert of Bri onne, Osbern the Seneschal and Alan of Brittany, became William's guard ians.
A number of Norman barons would not accept an illegitimate son as their l eader and in 1040 an attempt was made to kill William. The plot failed b ut they did manage to kill Gilbert of Brionne. As Richard was illegitim ate, he did not receive very much land when his father died.
Richard married Rohese, daughter of Walter Giffard of Normandy. The cou ple had at least three children, Rohaise, Gilbert de Clare and Walter o f Clare.
When William of Normandy, decided to invade England in 1066, he invited h is three half-brothers, Richard Fitz Gilbert, Odo of Bayeux and Robert o f Mortain to join him. Richard, who had married Rohese, daughter of Wal ter Giffard of Normandy, also brought with him members of his wife's fa mily.
After his coronation in 1066, William the Conqueror claimed that all th e land in England now belonged to him. William retained about a fifth o f this land for his own use. The rest was distributed to those men who h ad helped him defeat Harold at the Battle of Hastings.
Richard Fitz Gilbert, was granted land in Kent, Essex, Surrey, Suffolk a nd Norfolk. In exchange for this land. Richard had to promise to provid e the king with sixty knights. In order to supply these knights, barons d ivided their land up into smaller units called manors. These manors wer e then passed on to men who promised to serve as knights when the king n eeded them.
Richard built castles at Tonbridge (Kent), Clare (Suffolk), Bletchingle y (Surrey) and Hanley (Worcester). His knights normally lived in the ma nor that they had been granted. Once or twice a year, Richard would vis it his knights to check the manor accounts and to collect the profits t hat the land had made.
The Normans were very impressed with Richard's castle at Tonbridge. Aft er a while people in Kent began calling him Richard of Tonbridge. Other p eople called him Richard of Clare, after the castle and large estates h e owned in Clare in Suffolk. In time, Richard adopted Clare as his fami ly name and he became known as Richard de Clare.
William the Conqueror trusted Richard de Clare and appointed him as a m ember of his ruling council. Richard was also given the title Chief Jus ticiar. This meant that Richard took over the running of the government w hen the king was making one of his many visits to Normandy. In this pos t he played an important role in the suppression of the revolt against W illiam in 1075.
Just before William the Conqueror died he decided that William Rufus, r ather than his older brother, Robert Curthose, should be king of Englan d. He was crowned by Lanfranc, the Archbishop of Canterbury, on 26th Se ptember, 1087.
The following year some Normans, including Richard de Clare, Odo of Bay eux, Robert of Mortain, William Fitz Osbern and Geoffrey of Coutances, l ed a rebellion against the rule of Rufus in order to place Robert Curth ose on the throne. However most Normans in England remained loyal and R ufus and his army successfully attacked the rebel strongholds at Tonbri dge, Pevensey and Rochester.
After a two day siege at Tonbridge Castle, Richard de Clare was forced t o surrender to William Rufus. Richard was punished by having his castle a nd the town of Tonbridge burnt to the ground. Richard de Clare was also f orced to live in a monastery where he died three years later. His land w as inherited by his son, Gilbert de Clare.
source page:
http://www.deloriahurst.com/deloriahurst%20page/3383.html
added:
03/07/07
Children of Richard "de Tonbridge" de Clare FitzGilbert and Rohese Giffard are:
- +Gilbert (FitzRichard) -de Clare, de Tonburce, b. Abt. 10664166, d. Abt. 11174166.

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