Born John FitzGilbert about 1105, he is known in history as John Marshal (Marshall, Guillaume le Mareschal, etc.)
The son of Gilbert Giffard, Master Marshal at the court of King Henry I; John became Marshal to Henry upon his father's death in about 1129 until the King's death in 1135.
Henry had no legitimate male heirs, but had declared his daughter Matilda as his heir. Instead, upon his death Henry's nephew, Stephen de Blois, seized power and John Marshal declared for him.
Whether rightly or due to collusion of his enemies at court, John Marshal was rumored to be secretly supporting Empress Matilda/Maude after her arrival in England in 1139, and King Stephen besieged John's castle at Marlborough, after which he did declare for Maude, (his brother William Giffard later became her Chancellor 1141-1142).
Although capturing Stephen, Matilda was never crowned Queen of England. Unable to gain the upper hand militarily, Maude fled England in 1148. John's lands were seized or ransacked and he was excommunicated from the Church, despite having given his house and lands in Winchester to Troarn Abbey, land at Rockley Manor to the Templars, and being a benefactor of Bradenstoke Priory, where his Salisbury in-laws were interred.
Maude's son, Henry, came to oppose King Stephen and a truce was finally reached which allowed Stephen to rule during his lifetime upon his guarantee that the crown would pass to Henry, which it did, thus ending 'the Anarchy.'
After his coronation in 1154, King Henry II restored much of John Marshal's former holdings which had been confiscated by Stephen.
He married first, Aline Pipard in about 1129 and with her had two sons, Gilbert and Walter. As a result of a peace pact negotiated by Robert, Earl of Gloucester between John Marshal and Patrick of Salisbury who had besieged him, John agreed to set aside Aline and have her married to a cousin of the Earl of Gloucester's, and to take as his second wife Sybille, the sister of Patrick of Salisbury, which he did in about 1145.
Descendants of John Marshal and Sybille include Robert the Bruce, Anne Boleyn, Queen Elizabeth I, George Washington and Sir Winston Churchill.
Although neither his grave marker or Sybille's remain, John Marshal's remains are at Bradenstoke.
The son of Gilbert Giffard, Master Marshal at the court of King Henry I; John became Marshal to Henry upon his father's death in about 1129 until the King's death in 1135.
Henry had no legitimate male heirs, but had declared his daughter Matilda as his heir. Instead, upon his death Henry's nephew, Stephen de Blois, seized power and John Marshal declared for him.
Whether rightly or due to collusion of his enemies at court, John Marshal was rumored to be secretly supporting Empress Matilda/Maude after her arrival in England in 1139, and King Stephen besieged John's castle at Marlborough, after which he did declare for Maude, (his brother William Giffard later became her Chancellor 1141-1142).
Although capturing Stephen, Matilda was never crowned Queen of England. Unable to gain the upper hand militarily, Maude fled England in 1148. John's lands were seized or ransacked and he was excommunicated from the Church, despite having given his house and lands in Winchester to Troarn Abbey, land at Rockley Manor to the Templars, and being a benefactor of Bradenstoke Priory, where his Salisbury in-laws were interred.
Maude's son, Henry, came to oppose King Stephen and a truce was finally reached which allowed Stephen to rule during his lifetime upon his guarantee that the crown would pass to Henry, which it did, thus ending 'the Anarchy.'
After his coronation in 1154, King Henry II restored much of John Marshal's former holdings which had been confiscated by Stephen.
He married first, Aline Pipard in about 1129 and with her had two sons, Gilbert and Walter. As a result of a peace pact negotiated by Robert, Earl of Gloucester between John Marshal and Patrick of Salisbury who had besieged him, John agreed to set aside Aline and have her married to a cousin of the Earl of Gloucester's, and to take as his second wife Sybille, the sister of Patrick of Salisbury, which he did in about 1145.
Descendants of John Marshal and Sybille include Robert the Bruce, Anne Boleyn, Queen Elizabeth I, George Washington and Sir Winston Churchill.
Although neither his grave marker or Sybille's remain, John Marshal's remains are at Bradenstoke.
Born John FitzGilbert about 1105, he is known in history as John Marshal (Marshall, Guillaume le Mareschal, etc.)
The son of Gilbert Giffard, Master Marshal at the court of King Henry I; John became Marshal to Henry upon his father's death in about 1129 until the King's death in 1135.
Henry had no legitimate male heirs, but had declared his daughter Matilda as his heir. Instead, upon his death Henry's nephew, Stephen de Blois, seized power and John Marshal declared for him.
Whether rightly or due to collusion of his enemies at court, John Marshal was rumored to be secretly supporting Empress Matilda/Maude after her arrival in England in 1139, and King Stephen besieged John's castle at Marlborough, after which he did declare for Maude, (his brother William Giffard later became her Chancellor 1141-1142).
Although capturing Stephen, Matilda was never crowned Queen of England. Unable to gain the upper hand militarily, Maude fled England in 1148. John's lands were seized or ransacked and he was excommunicated from the Church, despite having given his house and lands in Winchester to Troarn Abbey, land at Rockley Manor to the Templars, and being a benefactor of Bradenstoke Priory, where his Salisbury in-laws were interred.
Maude's son, Henry, came to oppose King Stephen and a truce was finally reached which allowed Stephen to rule during his lifetime upon his guarantee that the crown would pass to Henry, which it did, thus ending 'the Anarchy.'
After his coronation in 1154, King Henry II restored much of John Marshal's former holdings which had been confiscated by Stephen.
He married first, Aline Pipard in about 1129 and with her had two sons, Gilbert and Walter. As a result of a peace pact negotiated by Robert, Earl of Gloucester between John Marshal and Patrick of Salisbury who had besieged him, John agreed to set aside Aline and have her married to a cousin of the Earl of Gloucester's, and to take as his second wife Sybille, the sister of Patrick of Salisbury, which he did in about 1145.
Descendants of John Marshal and Sybille include Robert the Bruce, Anne Boleyn, Queen Elizabeth I, George Washington and Sir Winston Churchill.
Although neither his grave marker or Sybille's remain, John Marshal's remains are at Bradenstoke.
The son of Gilbert Giffard, Master Marshal at the court of King Henry I; John became Marshal to Henry upon his father's death in about 1129 until the King's death in 1135.
Henry had no legitimate male heirs, but had declared his daughter Matilda as his heir. Instead, upon his death Henry's nephew, Stephen de Blois, seized power and John Marshal declared for him.
Whether rightly or due to collusion of his enemies at court, John Marshal was rumored to be secretly supporting Empress Matilda/Maude after her arrival in England in 1139, and King Stephen besieged John's castle at Marlborough, after which he did declare for Maude, (his brother William Giffard later became her Chancellor 1141-1142).
Although capturing Stephen, Matilda was never crowned Queen of England. Unable to gain the upper hand militarily, Maude fled England in 1148. John's lands were seized or ransacked and he was excommunicated from the Church, despite having given his house and lands in Winchester to Troarn Abbey, land at Rockley Manor to the Templars, and being a benefactor of Bradenstoke Priory, where his Salisbury in-laws were interred.
Maude's son, Henry, came to oppose King Stephen and a truce was finally reached which allowed Stephen to rule during his lifetime upon his guarantee that the crown would pass to Henry, which it did, thus ending 'the Anarchy.'
After his coronation in 1154, King Henry II restored much of John Marshal's former holdings which had been confiscated by Stephen.
He married first, Aline Pipard in about 1129 and with her had two sons, Gilbert and Walter. As a result of a peace pact negotiated by Robert, Earl of Gloucester between John Marshal and Patrick of Salisbury who had besieged him, John agreed to set aside Aline and have her married to a cousin of the Earl of Gloucester's, and to take as his second wife Sybille, the sister of Patrick of Salisbury, which he did in about 1145.
Descendants of John Marshal and Sybille include Robert the Bruce, Anne Boleyn, Queen Elizabeth I, George Washington and Sir Winston Churchill.
Although neither his grave marker or Sybille's remain, John Marshal's remains are at Bradenstoke.
Gravesite Details
No remaining burial marker.
