Person talk:Isolde De Mortimer (1)

Disputed Lineages: An Unattributed Discussion

Iseult, wife of Hugh de Audley, can not possibly have been the daughter of Sir Edmund de Mortimer, at least not legitimately. Iseult was born say 1260, and thus was slightly younger than Edmund de Mortimer. She married (1st) before 1287 Sir Walter de Balun, Knt., of Great Marcle, Herefordshire, Eastington, Gloucestershire, and Arley, Staffordshire, and Great Cheverel, Wiltshire. He was born about 1225 (aged 50 in 1275). Walter was heir in 1275 to his older brother, John de Balun. He was summoned to serve against the Welsh in 1277 and 1282. Sir Walter de Balun was living in 1287. Iseult married (2nd) before 1292 (date of suit) Hugh de Audley (or Aldithley), Knt., afterwards Lord Audley, of Stratton (in Stratton Audley), Oxfordshire, Raunds, Northamptonshire, and Bradwell and Chesterton (both in Wolstanton), Gratton, and Mere, Staffordshire, Justice of North Wales, steward of the king's household, Constable of Montgomery castle, younger son of James de Audley, of Aldithley and Heleigh, Staffordshire, by Ela, daughter of William Longespée, Knt. (grandson of King Henry II). They had two sons, James and Hugh, Knt. [Earl of Gloucester], and one daughter, Alice. Sir Hugh de Audley, Lord Audley, died while a prisoner in Wallingford castle shortly before 1 April 1325. In 1337 his widow, Iseult, endowed a chantry in the church of Eastington, Gloucestershire. She died testate shortly before 4 August 1338.

That Iseult was a Mortimer seems highly probable for three reasons. First, in 1287 Iseult and her first husband, Sir Walter de Balun, had the grant of the manor of Arley, Staffordshire for the term of their lives from Sir Edmund de Mortimer, which gift presumably represented her maritagium. Second, Iseult's grandson, Sir James de Audley, is known to have been a near kinsman of Sir Bartholomew de Burghersh, which Bartholomew was a great-grandson of Sir Edmund de Mortimer (see Beltz, Memorials of the Most Noble Order of the Garter, cited above). Third, the authorities who identify Iseult as a daughter of Sir Edmund de Mortimer cite a folio in one of the Additional Manuscripts in the British Library. This source has been incorrectly cited and can not now be located, although two parties in recent time have looked for it. My personal guess is that the Additional Manuscripts information shows that Iseult had the manor in Arley, Staffordshire for life by grant of Edmund de Mortimer and also that Iseult used a seal with the Mortimer arms. If this was the information found in this record, then the natural conclusion would be that Iseult was Edmund's daughter. If so, this would be a presumption not directly stated in the actual record. If this record can ever be located, and, if it does directly state that Iseult was the daughter of Edmund de Mortimer, then she would necessarily have to have been illegitimate. On the whole, however, it seems more likely that she was Sir Edmund de Mortimer's legitimate sister, particularly since her first husband, Sir Walter de Balun, was the same approximate age as Sir Edmund de Mortimer's father, Roger de Mortimer.

Please sign your posts. --Mike 16:19, 11 January 2010 (EST)