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BADLESMERE, DE BADLESMERE of England


BARTHOLOMEW BADLESMERE b. ca 1145 Castle at Tong, Kent, England, died after 1189 A. D. Issue:

WILLIAM BADLESMERE b. ca 1170, died after 1222 A. D.

BARTHOLOMEW BADLESMERE b. ca 1181 Castle at Tong, Kent, England. Issue:
  1. Ralph Badlesmere b. ca 1255 Badlesmere, Kent, England.
  2. Gunselm Badlesmere b. ca 1253 Badlesmere, Kent, England, d. 1301 at Badlesmere m. 1274 at Kingsdown Near, Sittingbourne, Kent, England, Joan FitzBernard, b. 1260, daughter of Ralph FitzBernard and his wife, Joan Aquillon. Issue:
  1. Margaret Badlesmere b. Badlesmere, Kent, England d. 1306 m. Robert Burghershe.
  2. Bartholomew de Badlesmere, Baron, b. 1275 m. 1308 at Kent, Lady Margaret de Clare, b. 1286/1287 Gloucestershire, England, daughter of Thomas de Clare, Governor of Longon and his wife, Julian or Amy FitzMaurice. He fought in the English army, both in France and Scotland during the latter years of the reign of King Edward I of England. In 1307 he became the governor of Bristol Castle, Edward II having appointed him stewart of his household. Badlesmere made a compact with some other noblemen to gain supreme influence in the royal council. Although very hostile to Thomas, Earl of Lancaster, Badlesmere helped to make peace between the king and the earl in 1318, and was a member of the middle party which detested alike Edward's minions, like the Despensers, and his violent enemies like Lancaster. The king's conduct, however, drew him to the side of the earl, and he had already joined Edward's enemies when, in October 1321, his wife, Margaret de Clare, refused to admit Queen Isabella to the castle of her husband at Leeds in Kent. The king made an assault on the castle; eventually capturing it. When he seized and imprisoned Baroness Badlesmere and their five children, civil war broke out. Baron de Badlesmere was captured by the Earls of Kent and Surrey at the battle of Boroughbridge, and hanged, drawn, and quartered at Blean near Canterbury on 14 April 1322, and his head set upon a pole at Burgate in 1332. Issue:
  1. Lady Margery de Badlesmere b. ca 1309 Leeds, Kent, England m. William D. Ros, Lord of Hamlake.
  2. Lady Elizabeth de Badlesmere b. 1313 Leeds, Kent, England, d. 1356 Kent, England m. (1) 6/27/1326 Sir Edmund de Mortimer (2) 1338 William de Bohun, Earl of Northampton.
  3. Lady Maud de Badlesmere m. (1) Robert Fitzpayne (2) John de Vere, seventh Earl of Oxford (killed at Rheims 6/14/1360).
Leeds Castle

Leeds Castle was built in 1119 by Robert de Crevecoeur to replace the earlier Saxon manor of Esledes. In 1278 the castle became a royal palace for King Edward I of England his his queen, Eleanor of Castile. The castle was captured on 31 October 1321 by the forces of Edward II from Margaret de Clare, Baroness Badlesmere, the wife of the governor of the castle, Bartholomew de Badlesmere, 1st Baron. The baron had left the castle in her charge during his absence. The After she refused Queen Isabella admittance and baroness Badlesmere had instructed her archers to fire upon the Queen and her party (six were killed), King Edward besieged the castle.

Sources: Americans of Royal Descent by Charles H. Browning.