Our common ancestors - de Clare - Contents

de Clare

• Sources yet to be consulted:
  • PEMBROKE in [Complete Peerage]

Richard FitzGilbert de Clare (see here).
From the same male-line family as (his 2nd cousin) William the Conqueror.
He joined William the Conqueror in Norman invasion of England 1066.
William the Conqueror granted him Clare, Suffolk, after which the family took their name.
He built Clare Castle, Clare, Suffolk.
He had issue:

Gilbert FitzRichard de Clare, Lord of Clare, born c.1066.
He was present at the murder of William II in 1100.
He received lands in Wales from Henry I, including Cardigan Castle, SW Wales.
He mar Alice de Claremont [descendant of Hugh Capet, King of France, descendant of Charlemagne].
They had issue:

1. Richard de Clare, Lord of Clare, died 1136, had issue:
   1. Roger de Clare, 2nd Earl of Hertford, died 1173, had issue:
      1. Richard de Clare, 3rd Earl of Hertford, died 1217, had issue:
         1. Gilbert de Clare, 5th Earl of Gloucester.

   
   

2. Gilbert de Clare, 1st Earl of Pembroke, born c.1100.
   He mar Isabel de Beaumont [descendant of Henry I, King of France and of Charlemagne].
   Isabel is NOT descendant of Edward the Elder.
   She was previously lover of Henry I (of England).
   1st Earl and Isabel had issue:

   
   

   1. Richard de Clare, "Strongbow", 2nd Earl of Pembroke,
      the Invader of Ireland, born 1130.

   
   

3. Alice de Clare, mar Aubrey de Vere and had issue.

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Clare Castle, Suffolk

Clare Castle, Clare, Suffolk.
Clare Castle is now a ruin, in Clare Castle Country Park.
See modern satellite view.

Clare Castle, Clare, Suffolk.
From 1885 map.
See also 1846 map. From here.

Clare Castle, Clare, Suffolk.
Photo 2010. From here.

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• Earls of Pembroke

• The Irish county of Co.Clare:
  • The modern Irish county of Co.Clare was historically part of the north Munster Gaelic kingdom of Thomond, dominated by the O'Briens, Kings of Thomond.
  • The region was granted to the de Clare family in 1275, and they became Lords of Thomond.
  • The Thomond motor car was named after this region.

• There are several theories on the origin of the name of the Irish county of Co.Clare:
  1. When the boundaries of the modern Co.Clare were fixed by Sir Henry Sidney in 1565, it was apparently named after the de Clares (it did not have a separate name before, because it was just part of Thomond). So ultimately Co.Clare would be after Clare in Suffolk.
  2. Another theory is that Co.Clare is after the Gaelic "clar", meaning a plain, or a level piece of land. The county's Irish name today is "An Clar".
  3. A further theory is that the Gaelic "clar" also means a plank or board, and that Clare Castle (also here), S of Ennis, is named from a bridge of planks built over the river Fergus, and the county is named after that.