Earls of Salisbury
Edward of Salisbury [a], Sheriff of Wiltshire, b abt 1055, of Wiltshire, England, d bef 1100. The identity of his wife is not known.
Children of Edward of Salisbury were:
Walter Fitz Edward of Salisbury [b], Sheriff of Wiltshire, b abt 1092, of Chitterne, Wiltshire, England, d 1147. He md Sibyl de Chaworth abt 1118, daughter of Patrick de Chaworth and Maud de Hesdin.
Children of Walter Fitz Edward of Salisbury and Sibyl de Chaworth were:
  • Patrick of Salisbury, Earl of Salisbury, b abt 1122.
  • Sibylla of Salisbury b abt 1129, prob Salisbury, Wiltshire, England. She md John Fitz Gilbert, Mareschal, bef 1146, Pembrokeshire, Wales.
Sir Patrick of Salisbury [c], Earl of Salisbury, Sheriff of Wiltshire, b abt 1122, of Salisbury, Wiltshire, England, d 27 Mar 1167/68, Battle of Poitou, France. He md Ela Talvas abt 1149, daughter of William III Talvas, Duke of Alencon and Ponthieu, and Alice/Ela of Burgundy.
Child of Patrick of Salisbury and Ela Talvas was:

Sir William Fitz Patrick [d], Earl of Salisbury, Sheriff of Wiltshire, b abt 1150, of Salisbury, Wiltshire, England, d 17 Apr 1196. He md Eleanor de Vitre abt 1184, daughter of Robert de Vitre and Emma de Dinan.
Child of William Fitz Patrick and Eleanor de Vitre was:

Ela Fitz Patrick of Salisbury [e] b abt 1188, Amesbury, Wiltshire, England, d 24 Aug 1261, Lacock Abbey, Wiltshire, England. She md Sir William I Longespee, Earl of Salisbury, 1198, son of Henry II Curtmantle Plantagenet, King of England, and Unknown Mistress.

NOTES:
a. Styled Edward the Sheriff, he is stated to have been born in England. He was sheriff of Wiltshire as early as Feb 1080/81, when he attested a charter for Queen Maud for Malmesbury, and also one for the Conqueror and Maud for Holy Trinity, Caen. He held in chief 33 manors in Wiltshire, as well as smaller estates in Oxfordshire and Hertfordshire. He survived the Conqueror. Keats-Rohan, in her acclaimed Domesday People, states that Edward was the "richest English tenant-in-chief in Domesday." The name of his wife is not known, nor anything of his origins.

b. Styled Walter Fitz Edward and Walter the Sheriff, he was sheriff of Wiltshire under Henry I, although he lost that office for a time during Henry's reign. He was present at the Council of Northampton in Sep 1131, and was with Stephen at Westminster in Easter 1136, and at Salisbury in Christmas 1139. He founded the Priory of Bradenstoke in Wiltshire and was a benefactor to Salisbury Cathedral. His wife, Sybil, predeceased him, he later taking the habit of a canon at Bradenstoke. They had three sons, William, Patrick, and Walter, the latter a canon of Bradenstoke, as well as a daughter, Sibyl, who married, as his third wife, John Fitz Gilbert, alias John the Marshal.

c. Second, but first surviving son (his elder brother William died s.p., sometime after 1143). He was a supporter of Maud, who made him her Constable, and by whom he was later created Earl of Wiltshire, although he was usually styled Earl of Salisbury. He was with Henry, Duke of Normandy at Devizes on 13 Apr 1149, and again in 1153, and at Westminster 6 Nov 1153 where he witnessed the treaty between Stephen and Henry. After Henry II's accession, he continued to act as sheriff and was frequently at Court. In 1167, he was left in charge of the royal forces in Poitou. He confirmed his father's gifts to Bradenstoke, and was a benefactor to the priory of St. Denys, also to the Templars. He was slain at the battle of Poitou by Geoffrey de Lusignan.

d. Styled also Fitz Patrick, he was Earl of Wiltshire, but was always styled Earl of Salisbury. He received the third penny of Wiltshire in 1168, and remained loyal during the rebellion of the King's sons 1173-74. He was sheriff of Wiltshire 1189-90 and 1191-96. He bore the sceptre with the dove at Richard's coronation 3 Sep 1189, and appears to have been in close attendance to that monarch until he left Dover for Normandy 12 Dec. He served as sheriff of Dorset and Somerset in 1194, and upon Richard's return from captivity, he attended the Great Council at Nottingham in March and was present at Richard's second coronation at Winchester 27 Apr. His widow, Eleanor (previously the widow of Gilbert Crispin and William Paynel), married, 4thly, Gilbert de Malesmains.

e. Only daughter and heir, she was given by Richard I, with the Earldom of Salisbury, to his bastard brother, William Longespee. After his death in 1225/26, the Countess Ela did homage for her inheritance 19 Mar 1225/26, but on the 23rd she was required to surrender Salisbury Castle. The county of Wiltshire was committed to her 22 Jan 1226/27. She founded Lacock Abbey in 1229, and took the veil there in 1238.
SOURCES:
CP: Vol XI[373-382]; AR: Line 81[28], Line 108[26-28]; Bohon.
Return to TOP of this page

Return to INDEX FOR FITZ PATRICK

Return to MAIN INDEX

Return to HOME