Robert de Mortimer [b] b abt 1176, of Essex and Richard's Castle, Herefordshire, England, d bef 5 Jul 1219. He md Margaret de Say 1210, daughter of Hugh de Say and Mabel Marmion.
Child of Robert de Mortimer and Margaret de Say was:

Hugh de Mortimer [c] b 1219, of Richard's Castle, Herefordshire, England, d 18 Nov 1274. The identity of his wife is undetermined.
Child of Hugh de Mortimer was:

Sir William la Zouche de Mortimer [e] b abt 1283, of Herefordshire, England, d 1337. He md Alice de Toeni bef 25 Feb 1316/17, daughter of Sir Ralph VII de Toeni, Lord of Flamstead, and Mary.
Child of William la Zouche and Alice de Toeni was:

Joyce la Zouche de Mortimer b abt 1323, of Herefordshire, England, d aft May 1372. She md Sir John de Botetourte, Lord Botetourte, bef 31 May 1347, son of Thomas de Botetourte and Joan de Somery.

NOTES:
There appears to be no patrilineal blood connection between this line of Mortimer of Richard's Castle to that Mortimer of Wigmore, and it is conjectured that they may have been of the same line as the Mortimers of Attleborough, although no solid proof has yet been found.


a. The first two Robert de Mortimers are sometimes difficult to discern in the records, but either the elder or younger Robert de Mortimer took part in the third Crusade, perhaps in personal attendance on Richard I.

b. From the time of his marriage in 1210, by which he acquired the barony of Burford and Richard's Castle, he was active in all the duties of a Lord Marcher, and also in that year was in the King's service in Ireland. In 1214 and 1215 he was again abroad with the King, to whom he remained loyal throughout the troubles with the Barons. He was with King John at Hereford in 1216, and took part in the Council at Bristol within one month of that King's death. The last order issued to him of which there is record was in Jan 1218/19, when he was required to assist the sheriff of Hereford in taking the castles of Grosmont, etc., from Reynold de Braose. He was still living in Easter term,1219, but was deceased before 5 Jul. He married Margaret de Say, widow of Hugh de Ferrieres, and after his death she married, thirdly, William de Stuteville, and appears to have died before the autumn of 1242.

c. He was an infant at his father's death, and in 1230, his custody was granted to Henry de Trublevill, and was still in the latter's custody in Aug 1236. He was said to be 40 years of age in 1259. In 1254, he obtained a grant of free warren in Amberden in Essex, Ham in co. Worcester, and Rochford in Hereford, and in 1261, as Hugh de Mortimer, son and heir of Robert de Mortimer and his wife Margaret de Say, he confirmed certain land to Worcester, the first witness being his brother William de Mortimer, Knight. In 1262, his men and those of Roger de Mortimer, adhered to Llewelyn. He had protection in Feb 1262/63 on going to the Welsh wars and in the autumn of the following year he surrendered Richard's Castle to Montfort. Like the other Lord Marchers, he appears to have taken the King's side in 1264-1265 and was consequently rewarded, receiving custody on 9 Aug 1265, just after the battle of Evesham, of the manor and forest of Feckenham in Worcester. While the name of his wife has not been discovered, one source states that her son, Robert de Mortimer, was nepos of Edmund de Mortimer of Wigmore, so it is suggested she was either a daughter of Roger de Mortimer of Wigmore (d 1282), or a sister of his son Edmund's wife, Margaret de Fiennes. (The author notes that, chronologically, either of these relationships would appear to be highly improbable; the earliest she could have been born, as a daughter of Roger de Mortimer is 1248, and her birthdate as a sister of Margaret de Fiennes would have been even later.)

d. He was aged 22 and more at his father's death, and had livery of his inheritance in Dec 1274. He was summoned for military service in Wales in 1277, and was so summoned again in 1282 and 1284. He is said to have been one of those who slew Prince Llewelyn, in a chance encounter at Builth in Dec 1282. The following Jun he was summoned to the assembly at Shrewsbury, and in that same year, for his good service in the expedition in Wales, his debts to the Crown were remitted. By his marriage to Joyce, daughter of William de la Zouche, he received Norton in Northants and other manors.

e. By fine in 1304, he acquired for himself and the heirs of his body, the manor of Ashby-de-la-Zouche in Leicester, with those of Swavesey and Fulbourn in Cambridge and Treve, Sussex, from his kinsman, Alan, Lord Zouche, subject to the latter's life interest and on whose death in Mar 1314, he entered into these estates. He was pardoned for his part in the death of Piers de Gaveston 16 Oct 1313. He was frequently summoned for service against the Scots (1315-1335), in Ireland (1332), and in Gascony (1324-25). He was summoned to join the King in Feb 1321/22, with his forces at Coventry, and was a Banneret at Boroughbridge 16 Mar 1321/22. He was summoned to Parliament from 26 Dec 1323 to 14 Jan 1336/37, whereby he became Lord Zouche. As a supporter of the Queen, he was present at the Council at Bristol in Oct 1326 when Prince Edward was chosen Keeper of the Realm, and was sent with the Earl of Lancaster into Wales to pursue and capture Edward II the following Nov. He was appointed Joint Keeper of Caerphilly Castle 15 Feb 1326/27 and Keeper of Glamorgan and Morganno, also Chamberlain of Cardiff 24 Feb to Jun 1327. For his good service to the Queen and to Edward III, he was appointed Keeper of the Tower of London 9 May 1328-Jan 1328/29. His abduction of the widowed Eleanor, Lady Despenser (whom he afterwards married), from Henley Castle before 26 Jan 1328/29, resulted in an order of arrest, and they were forced, by indenture, to grant to the King her lands in Glamorgan and Morganno, including the manors of Hanley and Tewkesbury, redeemable for 50,000 pounds paid on one day. Shortly thereafter, as an adherent of Edmund, Earl of Kent, his arrest was again ordered 10 and 18 Mar, but he was later acquitted. In Jan 1330/31, he and Eleanor recovered their lands, but for only 10,000 pounds, which was reduced two days later to 5,000. He married, firstly, Alice, widow of Guy de Beauchamp, and before that widow of Thomas de Leyburn, sister and heir of Robert de Toeni and daughter of Ralph VII de Toeni. She, who was aged 24-27 in 1309, died between 7 Nov 1324 and 8 Jan 1324/25, leaving issue by all three husbands. He married, secondly, about Jan 1328/29, Eleanor, widow of Hugh le Despenser, daughter of Gilbert de Clare, Earl of Gloucester and Hereford, by his second wife, Joan of Acre, daughter of King Edward I. Eleanor died just six months after her third husband, aged 44.

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SOURCES:
CP: Vol VI[453], Vol IX[256-264], Vol XII/2[957-960]; AR: Line 98[31-32], Line 177[2-3].

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