Our common ancestors - Fitzalan - Contents

Fitzalan, Earl of Arundel

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  • Have the original Fitzalan stones at Haughmond Abbey been moved somewhere?

John Fitzalan, Lord of Clun, born 1200,
mar Isabel d'Aubigny [dau of William d'Aubigny, 3rd Earl of Arundel],
he died 1240,
had issue:

John FitzAlan, Lord of Arundel, born 1223,
mar Maud de Verdun,
died 1267,
both bur Haughmond Abbey, near Shrewsbury, Shropshire,
had issue:

John Fitzalan, Lord of Arundel, born 14 September 1246,
mar Isabella Mortimer [descendant of Charlemagne],
died 18 March 1272,
both bur Haughmond Abbey, see tomb,
had issue:

1. Richard Fitzalan, 1st Earl of Arundel, born 3 February 1267.

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Tomb of John Fitzalan and Isabella Mortimer

The tomb stones of John Fitzalan, Lord of Arundel (died 1272) and his wife Isabella Mortimer, Haughmond Abbey, Shropshire.
These stones were near the altar of the church.
The abbey fell into ruins. The church is vanished, but the outline of the church is still visible.
The tomb stones were re-discovered inside the bounds of the lost church in 1811.
They have apparently been removed for safe-keeping and blank stones are at the location, near the site of the altar.

 
Account of the Fitzalan tomb stones at Haughmond Abbey.
From p.497 of The Gentleman's Magazine, Volume 95, Part 1 (June 1825).
It describes them as N of the Chapter House. The N end of the Abbey site was probably overgrown with vegetation before 1811, when it was cut back and the stones discovered.

Drawings of the stones. From the above.
On RHS stone is visible "IOHAN FIS ALEIN" (John Fitz Alan).
On LHS stone is visible "ISABEL DE MOR...R SA FEMME" (Isabel de Mortimer, his wife).

• Page 87 of "Haughmond Abbey, Shropshire", W.H. St.John Hope and Harold Brakspear, Archaeological Journal, 1909, vol.LXVI, says that John Fitzalan is the stone to the N, and Isabella Mortimer is the stone to the S.

The N side of Haughmond Abbey.
From here in The four minsters round the Wrekin, Mackenzie E.C. Walcott, 1877.
The Fitzalan stones are at the location "TOMBS" in the vanished church.

Description of the tombs. From pp.33-34 of the above.

The N side of Haughmond Abbey.
From here in Transactions of the Shropshire Archaeological and Natural History Society, 3rd series, vol 8, 1908.
Note an internal wall down the church which was not marked/visible on the 1877 map.
The two stones are shown near the altar.
See description of stones from p.ii.

The N side of Haughmond Abbey.
From modern satellite view.
The location of the stones is visible inside the bounds of the vanished church.

This is what is at the location of the Fitzalan stones today.
These stones are apparently blank and part overgrown.
It looks like the original stones have been removed for safe-keeping. They do not appear to be in the Chapter House.
Photo 2012. See full size. From here.

Wide 2019 shot showing location of the stones. Photo from the W.
See full size.
See other angle.

2019 photo of the location of the stones. Photo from the W.
John Fitzalan (location) would be to the N (LHS), Isabella Mortimer to the S (RHS).
See full size.
See closer shot. Apparently blank.

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• Earls of Arundel. Notes confusion about the numbering of the Earls.

• Haughmond Abbey
• Haughmond Abbey images