Isabella of Gloucester and Hertford

Isabella of Gloucester and Hertford
Lady of Annandale and Ireby
Spouse(s)	Robert de Brus, 5th Lord of Annandale
Issue Robert VI the Bruce, Earl of Carrick Lady Isabella FitzMarmaduke Lady Constance Scot de Calverley Richard Bruce Sir Bernard Bruce William Bruce
Father	Gilbert de Clare, 4th Earl of Hertford
Mother	Isabel Marshal
Born	2 November 1226
Died	10 July 1264

Isabella de Clare (2 November 1226 – 10 July 1264) was the daughter of Gilbert de Clare, 4th Earl of Hertford and 5th Earl of Gloucester and Isabel Marshal. She is also known as Isabel de Clare, but this is however, the name of many women in her family.

Family

Isabella's maternal grandparents were William Marshal, 1st Earl of Pembroke and his wife Isabel de Clare, 4th Countess of Pembroke. Isabella's paternal grandparents were Richard de Clare, 3rd Earl of Hertford and Amice FitzRobert.

Isabella was the fourth of six children, her brother was Richard de Clare, 6th Earl of Hertford. Her sister, Amice de Clare married Baldwin de Redvers, 6th Earl of Devon and was mother of Baldwin de Redvers, 7th Earl of Devon and Isabella de Fortibus, Countess of Devon.

Marriage

Isabella was married on 12 May 1240 (at age thirteen and a half) to Robert de Brus, 5th Lord of Annandale. Isabella brought to him the village of Ripe, in Sussex. Her husband was a candidate to become King of Scotland, after the death of the young Margaret, Maid of Norway. Her husband did not however succeed; Robert's rival, John Balliol was elected King of Scotland in 1292.^[1]

Robert and Isabella had up to six children:

1. Robert (1243–1304)
2. William, married Elizabeth de Sully, without issue
3. Bernard, married firstly Alicia de Clare and married secondly Constance de Morleyn
4. Richard (died before 26 January 1287)
5. Isabella (1249 – c. 1284), married (as his first wife) Sir John FitzMarmaduke, Isabel was buried at Easington, county Durham.^[2]

John Balliol's time as King of Scotland did not last long, he died in 1314. Isabella's grandson, Robert the Bruce became King of Scotland. Isabella did not however get to see this day, she died in 1264, aged thirty seven. Her husband married a second time, to Christina de Ireby, this marriage produced no children.

Despite claims to the contrary by amateur genealogists, there is no evidence that Isabella had other children.^[3]

Ancestors

Ancestors of Isabella of Gloucester and Hertford

16. Richard Fitz Gilbert de Clare               Roger de Clare, 2nd Earl of Hertford                       17. Alice de Gernon               Richard de Clare, 3rd Earl of Hertford                             18. James de St Hilary               Maud de St. Hilary                       19. Aveline               Gilbert de Clare, 4th Earl of Hertford                                   20. Robert, 1st Earl of Gloucester               William Fitz Robert, 2nd Earl of Gloucester                       21. Mabel FitzHamon               Amice FitzRobert                             22. Robert de Beaumont, 2nd Earl of Leicester               Hawise de Beaumont                       23. Amice de Montfort               Isabella de Clare                                         24. Gilbert Marshal               John Marshal                       25. Margaret               William Marshal, 1st Earl of Pembroke                             26. Walter de Salisbury               Sybilla of Salisbury                       27. Sybyl de Chaources               Isabel Marshal                                   28. Gilbert de Clare, 1st Earl of Pembroke               Richard de Clare, 2nd Earl of Pembroke                       29. Isabel de Beaumont               Isabel de Clare, 4th Countess of Pembroke                             30. Dermot MacMurrough               15. Eva MacMurrough                       31. Mor Ui Thuathail

References

1. Cawley, Charles, ENGLAND, EARLS CREATED, Foundation for Medieval Genealogy, retrieved August 2012,
2. Richardson (2005) p.539
3. A woman named Constance Bruce, born circa 1251, who married a William Scott, has been attributed to Isabella and/or Robert by some amateur genealogists. However, Burke (1837) states that Constance Scott, neé Bruce, was the daughter of "Sir Roger Bruce, of Walton". (John Burke, A Genealogical and Heraldic History of the Landed Gentry; Or, Commoners of Great Britain and Ireland Etc. London, Henry Colburn; 1837-1838, p. 114.)