Edmund De Mortimer, Lord of Wigmore, son of Roger de Mortimer and Maud
de Braose: _born_ March 25, 1266; _died_ at Wigmore Castle, July 17,
1304; _buried_ in Wigmore Abbey. _Married_ Margaret, daughter of Sir
William de Fienles: _married_ September 8, 1285; sided warmly with her
son, and gathered various illegal assemblies at Worcester, where she
lived, and at Radnor. On December 28, 1325, the King wrote, commanding
her to retire to the Abbey of Elstow without delay, and there dwell at
her own cost till further order: "and from the hour of your entering you
shall not come forth, nor make any assembly of people without our
special leave." She was commanded to write and say whether she intended
to obey! The Abbess of Elstow was at the same time ordered to give
convenient lodging to her in the Abbey, but not to suffer her to go
forth nor make gatherings of persons. (Close Roll, 19 Edward the
Second.) Nothing further is known of her except that she was alive in
1332, and was _dead_ on May 7, 1334, when the mandate was issued for her
_Inq. Post Mortem_. The latter contains no date of death. Margaret was
_buried_ at Wigmore. _Their children_:--1. Roger, _born_ April 25 or
May 3, 1287; created Earl of March, 1328; _hanged_ at Tyburn, November
29, 1330: _buried_ in Friars' Minors Church, Coventry, whence leave was
granted to his widow and son, in November, 1331, to transport the body
to Wigmore Abbey. _Married_ Jeanne de Geneville, daughter and co-heir
of Peter de Geneville (son of Geoffroi de Vaucouleur, brother of the
Sieur de Joinville, historian of Saint Louis) and Jeanne de Lusignan:
_born_ February 2, 1286; _married_ before 1304. On hearing of her
husband's escape from the Tower in August 1323, she journeyed to
Southampton with her elder children, intending to rejoin him in France:
but before she set sail, on April 6, 1324, the King directed the Sheriff
of Southampton to capture her without delay, and deliver her to the care
of John de Rithre, Constable of Skipton Castle. A damsel, squire,
laundress, groom, and page, were allowed to her, and her expenses were
reckoned at 13 shillings 4 pence per day while travelling, and after
reaching Skipton at 13 shillings 4 pence per week, with ten marks (6
pounds, 13 shillings 4 pence) per annum for clothing. (Close Roll, 17
Edward the Second.) These details appear afterwards to have been
slightly altered, since the account of the expenses mentions 37
shillings 6 pence for the keep of two damsels, one laundress, one
chamberlain, one cook, and one groom. Robes were supplied to her at
Easter and Michaelmas. She remained a prisoner at Skipton from May 17,
1324, on which day she seems to have come there, till August 3, 1326.
(_Rot. de Liberate_, 19 Edward the Second, and 3 Edward the Third.) By
mandate of July 22, 1326, she was transferred to Pomfret (Close Roll, 20
Edward the Second), which she reached in two days, the cost of the
journey being ten shillings 10 pence, (_Rot. Lib._, 3 Edward the Third.)
When her husband was seized in October, 1330, the King sent down John
de Melbourne to superintend the affairs of the Countess, with the ladies
and children in her company, dwelling at Ludlow Castle, with express
instructions that their wardrobes, gods, and jewels, were not to be
touched. (_Rot. Pat._ and _Claus._, 4 Edward the Third.) The lands of
her own inheritance were restored to her in the December and January
following, with especial mention of Ludlow Castle, (_Rot. Claus.,
ibidem_). Edward the Third always speaks of her with great respect. In
August, 1347, there were suits against her in the Irish Courts (the
Mortimers held large estates in Ireland), and it is noted that she was
not able to plead in person on account of her great age, which made
travelling perilous to her. (_Rot. Claus._, 21 Edward the Third.) She
was then 63. On the 19th of October, 1356, she died (_Inq. Post
Mortem_, 30 Edward the Third 30)--the very day of her husband's capture,
26 years before--and was _buried_ in the Church of the Friars Minors,
Shrewsbury. (Cott. Ms. Cleop., C, 3.)