The following is a Chronology of events relating to the
de Warenne family and Conisbrough Castle. It is by no means a
complete Chronology and has many gaps. If you discover other
pieces of information that you consider should be included, please Email
us at
info@conisbroughcastle.org.uk
Saxon Period
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1000-04
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The lands of Kyningesburg were granted by
Wulfric Spott, one of the ministers of King Edward, to
Eltheim, another Saxon nobleman.
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Harold II, 1066 (10 months)
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1066
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King Harold II lost the estates of
Kyningesburg (which he then owned) along with the rest of
England, to the Normans.
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Norman Period
William I, 1066 - 1087 (21 years)
William:
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the first Earl Warenne
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1069
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The Great Northern Rising was put-down by
William the Conqueror. As a result, the lands of the
north of England were parcelled up and given by the King to
his loyal followers. This is probably the date that
William de Warenne became the first Earl of Conisbrough.
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1075
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Whilst he was the joint Chief Justiciar,
William and Gundrada (his wife and daughter of King William
I), visited the monastery of Cluny during a pilgrimage to
Rome.
|
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1079
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William established the first Cluniac
monastery in England at Lewes.
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1085
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William's wife Gundrada died in childbirth
at Castle Acre (Norfolk) in May of that year, she was buried
in the chapter house at the Cluniac Abbey of St. Pancras in
Lewes.
|
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1086
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The Domesday Survey records that the
Honour of Conisbrough was a large estate centred on the
burh, and some twenty eight vills (small townships) belonged
to it.
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William II, 1087 - 1100 (13 years)
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1088 May
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William was created Earl of Surrey, making
him one of the wealthiest men in England.
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1088 24th June
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The first Earl de Warenne died from wounds
received at the siege of Pevensey Castle. He was
buried next to his wife at St. Pancras Abbey.
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William:
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the second Earl Warenne
|
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1088
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The first Earl was succeeded by his son
William.
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Henry I, 1100 - 1135 (35 years)
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1101
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William joins with the King's brother
Robert Curthose in an unsuccessful invasion of England,
Robert claims the crown, but the English support Henry.
|
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1103
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William de Warenne is pardoned by Henry I.
|
| 1106 |
William distinguished himself
at the battle of Tenchebrai during Henry I conquest of
Normandy against Robert Curthose. |
|
1107
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The lands of Sandal near Wakefield were
granted to William by the King.
|
|
1118
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William married Isabel, widow of Robert de
Beaumont, count of Meulun.
|
| 1119 |
William at the battle of
Brémule with Henry I, Walter Gifford and Roger fitz Richard
against King Louis VI of France. |
| 1121 |
William grants the churches
in the honours of Conisbrough and Wakefield to the abbey of
St. Pancras in Lewes. |
Stephen, 1135 - 1154 (19 years)
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1138
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The second Earl Warenne died.
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William:
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the third Earl Warenne
|
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1138
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William succeeds his father to become the
third Earl.
|
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1141
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William de Warenne fought at the battle of
Lincoln in February of that year, when King Stephen was
captured by supporters of the Empress Matilda.
|
|
1146
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William joined his step brother Waleran,
count of Meulun to take part in the Second Crusade.
|
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1147
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The third Earl de Warenne was killed by
the Turks near Laodicea in what is now Syria, leaving no
male heir, having only a daughter, Isabel.
|
William:
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the fourth Earl Warenne
|
|
1148 ?
|
The de Warenne heiress Isabel was married to William de
Blois, the younger son of King Stephen there by becoming the
fourth Earl Warenne.
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Henry II, 1154 -1189 (35 years)
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1159
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The fourth Earl William died without issue
(having no children) leaving the estates in the hands of his
widow, Isabel and the King.
|
Hamelin:
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the fifth Earl Warenne
|
|
1163
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Henry II arranged another marriage for the
widowed Isabel, to his illegitimate half brother Hamelin
Plantagenet son of Geoffrey of Anjou.
|
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1180
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Hamelin ordered the building of stone
castles at Conisbrough and Sandal.
|
Richard I, 1189 - 1199 (10 years)
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1189
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Hamelin and Isabel jointly founded an
endowment for a priest for the chapel of St. Philip and St.
James within the castle at Conisbrough.
|
John, 1199 - 1216 (17 years)
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1199
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Hamelin attended the coronation of his
nephew King John.
|
|
1200
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Hamelin travelled to Lincoln to witness
the King of Scotland's oath of homage.
|
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1201
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King John visited the new castle at
Conisbrough, granting a market charter for the town during
his visit.
|
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1202
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Hamelin died and was buried at Lewes
Priory.
|
William:
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the sixth Earl Warenne
|
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1202
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Hamelin and Isabel's son William became
the sixth Earl Warenne.
|
|
1203
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Isabel de Warenne died and was buried next
to her husband Hamelin.
|
|
1204
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Earl William lost his Norman lands
following their conquest by Philip Augustus the King of
France. By way of compensation, William was granted
lands at Grantham and Stamford in Lincolnshire by King John.
|
|
1215
|
William was one of the few nobles still
loyal to King John, and was one of the councillors by whose
advice the King issued Magna Carta. William is one of
only four barons named in the document as standing with the
King at the signing of the charter at Runnymede.
|
|
1216
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William was appointed Warden of the Cinque
Ports, but soon after, William deserted King John in favour
of Louis of France.
|
Henry III, 1216 - 1272 (56 years)
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1217
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William de Warenne swears unquestioned
support to the young Henry III.
|
|
1225
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William married Matilda, daughter and
co-heiress of William the Marshall Earl of Pembroke.
|
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1231
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William and Matilda's only son, John is
born.
|
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1239
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The sixth Earl Warenne died.
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John:
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the seventh Earl Warenne
|
|
1239
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The sixth Earl's son John was 8 years old
at the time of his father's death. Although he was made the
seventh Earl Warenne, his estates were held in his minority
by his mother, Matilda.
|
|
1247
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Earl John married Alice de Lusignan, half
sister to Henry III.
|
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1256
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Alice died but not before giving John a
son, William, and two daughters.
|
|
1258
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John de Warenne supported Henry III in his
quarrel with the barons led by Simon de Montfort. John
is angered firstly by the Provisions of Oxford and then by
the truce made with Llywelyn ap Gruffydd.
|
|
1261
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John transferred his allegiance to de
Montfort.
|
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1263
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John changed sides again giving his
support to Henry III and Price Edward at the siege of
Rochester Castle.
|
|
1264
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John fought alongside Henry III at the
battle of Lewes after giving hospitality to his King the
preceding night. Upon the King's defeat, John went
into exile in France and Flanders.
|
|
1265
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John returned to England and joined Prince
Edward before the battle of Evesham which led to the death
of de Montfort.
|
|
1268
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John de Warenne received a pardon from the
King.
|
|
1270
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John was rebuked by Walter Giffard,
archbishop of York, for the severity of his exactions upon
his Yorkshire Tenants; this may coincide with building work
at Conisbrough and Sandal.
|
Edward I, 1272 - 1307 (35 years)
|
1278
|
Earl John resisted the application of the
statute Quo Warranto (Who Holds?) by stating that:-
his lands were gained by his ancestors by the sword and that
he (John) would defend them with his sword against all who
might desire to seize them.
|
|
1282-84
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John took a leading role in the campaigns
leading to the conquest of Wales, he was rewarded with the
border lordships of Bromfield and Yale. The building
of Holt castle near Chester was begun.
|
|
1285
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John de Warenne took a prominent part at
the negotiating table in the attempted conquest of Scotland.
|
|
1286
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John's only son William was ambushed and
killed at a tournament held at Croydon.
|
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1297
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John lost the battle of Stirling Bridge to
the Scot, William Wallace.
|
|
1298
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John is at the successful (for the
English) battle of Falkirk.
|
|
1300
|
Earl John attended the successful action
at Caerlaverock Castle.
|
|
1304
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The seventh Earl de Warenne died in his
London Home and was buried at Lewes Priory.
|
John:
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the eighth Earl Warenne
|
|
1304
|
The eighteen year old John succeeded his
grandfather to become the eighth Earl Warenne.
|
|
1306
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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.
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Edward II, 1307 - 1327 (20 years)
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1312
|
John was instrumental in the capture of
Piers Gaveston at Scarborough Castle, but the subsequent
execution at the hands of the Earls of Warwick, Lancaster,
Hereford and Arundel incensed the Earl of Surrey and he made
his peace with Edward II.
|
|
1313
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John separated from his wife to live in
adultery with Maude de Nerford, a gentleman's daughter from
a village near Castle Acre in Norfolk. John began a
series of efforts to obtain a divorce from Joan.
|
|
1316
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After many unsuccessful attempts it seemed
that divorce would be allowed, but once again judgement went
against him. Earl John was also excommunicated in this
year for adultery and for openly maintaining a mistress.
|
|
1317
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John de Warenne was sufficiently unwise to
become involved in the marital affairs of Thomas, Earl of
Lancaster. John helped Lancaster's wife Alice to elope
from her husband. Enraged, Lancaster seized
Conisbrough and Sandal.
|
|
1318
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Lancaster captured de Warenne's lands of
Bromfield and Yale.
|
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1322
|
Lancaster led the rebellion of the
Northern Barons, he was captured at the battle of
Boroughbridge and held captive at his own castle at
Pontefract. One of those presiding over Lancaster's
trial for treason was non other than John de Warenne.
Lancaster was found guilty and executed outside the walls of
Pontefract Castle.
|
|
1326
|
As a reward for his support of Edward II
against queen Isabella and Roger Mortimer, John regained his
lands, but the King only granted him the use of them during
the Earl's lifetime, after which they would revert back to
the Crown.
|
Edward III, 1327 - 1377 (50 years)
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1327
|
John loses his lands of Sandal and
Conisbrough yet again to the Crown.
|
|
1334
|
de Warenne regained his Yorkshire
holdings.
|
|
1336
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John is made Earl of Strathearn by the
Baliol king of Scotland as a reward for his help.
|
|
1347
|
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.
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