William le Gros, 1st Earl of Albemarle

William le Gros (died 20 August 1179) was the Count of Aumale (Earl of Albemarle), Earl of Yorkshire, and Lord of Holderness. He was the son of Stephen, Count of Aumale, and his spouse, Hawise, daughter of Ralph de Mortimer of Wigmore.

William witnessed two charters of King Stephen in 1136, where he is recorded as "Willelmus de Albamarla", but not being placed among the "comites".

He distinguished himself at the battle of the Standard in 1138, and was made Earl of Yorkshire (excludes Richmondshire) as his reward. He was with King Stephen in his defeat at Lincoln, February 2, 1141. He founded the Abbey of Meaux in 1150.

His Scarborough Castle was forfeited to King Henry II of England as a result of unauthorised construction during The Anarchy.

He married Cicely, Lady of Skipton, the daughter and co-heir of William Fitz-Duncan by his spouse Alice, Lady of Skipton, daughter of William le Meschin, Lord of Copeland.

He was interred within the Abbey of Thornton, Lincolnshire, which he had founded in 1139.

Dying without male issue, the Earl of Yorkshire left a daughter and heiress, Hawise (d. March 11, 1214) who succeeded her father in the "Comte" of Aumale and Lordship of Holderness. She married thrice, of whom (1) January 14, 1180, William de Mandeville, 3rd Earl of Essex, who thereby became Count of Aumale. He died without issue, January 14, 1189, and she remarried (2) after July 3, 1190, the crusader William de Forz (d.1195), who thereby became Count of Aumale, by whom she had her heir and successor.

References

* Cockayne, G.E., "The Complete Peerage", 1904, volume 1, p.353.

External links

* [http://kinemage.biochem.duke.edu/~panther/scarborough/index.scar.html William Le Gros's involvement with Scarborough Castle]
* [http://fmg.ac/MGR/Sources/S-00002316.htm William Earl of York and Royal Authority in Yorkshire]