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Birth:          ABT 1176 England
Death:          7 Mar 1226 England
Burial:         Cathedral, Salisbury, Wiltshire, England

Notes
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ela_Longespee
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Longesp%C3%A9e,_3rd_Earl_of_Salisbury
William Longespée, 3rd Earl of Salisbury (c. 1176 – 7 March 1226) ("Long Sword", 
Latinised to de Longa Spatha) was an English noble, primarily remembered for his 
command of the English forces at the Battle of Damme and for remaining loyal to his 
half-brother, King John. His nickname "Longespée" is generally taken as a reference 
to his great size and the outsize weapons he wielded.
Early life[edit]

He was an illegitimate son of Henry II, King of England. His mother was unknown for 
many years until the discovery of a charter William made that mentions "Comitissa Ida, 
mater mea" (Countess Ida, my mother).[1][2] This referred to Ida de Tosny, a member 
of the prominent Tosny (or Toesny) family, who had married Roger Bigod, 2nd Earl of 
Norfolk[3] in 1181.

Prior to the discovery of the charter mentioning Countess Ida, speculation and folklore 
gave Rosamond Clifford, another mistress of Henry II, as William's mother. URL 
https://www.genealogieonline.nl/en/family-tree-fountaine-fontaine-fountain-
lafontaine/P2800.php

King Henry acknowledged William as his son and gave him the honour of Appleby, 
Lincolnshire, in 1188. Eight years later, his half brother King Richard I married him to a 
great heiress, Ela of Salisbury, 3rd Countess of Salisbury.

During the reign of King John, Salisbury was at court on several important ceremonial 
occasions and held various offices: sheriff of Wiltshire; lieutenant of Gascony; 
constable of Dover; and Lord Warden of the Cinque Ports; and later warden of the 
Welsh Marches. He was appointed sheriff of Cambridgeshire and Huntingdonshire 
about 1213.

Military career[edit]

He was a commander in the king's Welsh and Irish expeditions of 1210–1212 and was 
appointed Viceroy of Ireland, jointly with John de Gray, Bishop of Norwich, when the 
king left for England in 1210.[4] The king also granted him the honour of Eye in 
Suffolk.

In 1213, Salisbury led a large fleet to Flanders, where he seized or destroyed a good 
part of a French invasion fleet anchored at or near Damme. This ended the invasion 
threat but not the conflicts between England and France. In 1214, Salisbury was sent 
to help Otto IV of Germany, an English ally, who was invading France. Salisbury 
commanded the right wing of the army at their disastrous defeat in that year at the 
Battle of Bouvines, where he was captured.

By the time he returned to England, revolt was brewing amongst the barons. Salisbury 
was one of the few who remained loyal to John. In the civil war that took place the 
year after the signing of the Magna Carta, Salisbury was one of the leaders of the 
king's army in the south. He was made High Sheriff of Wiltshire again, this time for life. 
After raising the siege of Lincoln with William Marshall he was also appointed High 
Sheriff of Lincolnshire (in addition to his current post as High Sheriff of Somerset) and 
governor of Lincoln castle. However, after the French prince Louis (later Louis VIII) 
landed as an ally of the rebels, Salisbury went over to his side. Presumably, he 
thought John's cause was lost.

After John's death and the departure of Louis, Salisbury, along with many other 
barons, joined the cause of John's young son, now Henry III of England. He held an 
influential place in the government during the king's minority and fought in Gascony to 
help secure the remaining part of the English continental possessions. He was 
appointed High Sheriff of Devon in 1217 and High Sheriff of Staffordshire and 
Shropshire in 1224. Salisbury's ship was nearly lost in a storm while returning to 
England in 1225, and he spent some months in refuge at a monastery on the French 
island of Ré.

Death[edit]

He died not long after his return to England at Salisbury Castle. Roger of Wendover 
alleged that he was poisoned by Hubert de Burgh. He was buried at Salisbury 
Cathedral in Salisbury, Wiltshire, England.

William Longespée's tomb was opened in 1791. Bizarrely, the well-preserved corpse of 
a rat which carried traces of arsenic, was found inside his skull.[5] The rat is now on 
display in a case at the Salisbury and South Wiltshire Museum.[5]

Likeness[edit]

A terracotta statue of Longespée, dating from 1756, is located in the Great Hall of 
Lacock Abbey in Lacock, Wiltshire, England. A likeness of his wife Ela is also on 
display, while several other statues are believed to show their children.

Family[edit]

By his wife Ela, Countess of Salisbury, he had four sons and six daughters:[6]
William II Longespée (1212?–1250), who was sometimes called Earl of Salisbury but 
never legally bore the title because he died before his mother, Countess Ela, who held 
the earldom until her death in 1261.
Richard, a canon of Salisbury.
Stephen (d. 1260), who was seneschal of Gascony and married Emeline de Ridelsford, 
widow of Hugh de Lacy, 1st Earl of Ulster. Their two daughters were Eleanor 
Longspee, who married Sir Roger La Zouche and Emeline Longspee, who married Sir 
Maurice FitzMaurice, Justiciar of Ireland.
Nicholas (d. 1297), bishop of Salisbury.
Isabella Longespée, who married Sir William de Vesci.
Ela Longespée, who first married Thomas de Beaumont, 6th Earl of Warwick, and then 
married Philip Basset. No issue.[7]
Ida Longespée, married firstly Ralph who was son of Ralph de Somery, Baron of 
Dudley, and Margaret, daughter of John Marshal;[7] she married secondly William de 
Beauchamp, Baron of Bedford, by whom she had six children, including Maud de 
Beauchamp, wife of Roger de Mowbray.[8]
Ida II de Longespée (she is alternatively listed as William and Ela's granddaughter: 
see notes below), married Sir Walter FitzRobert, son of Robert Fitzwalter, by whom she 
had issue including Ela FitzWalter, wife of William de Odyngsells. Ela's and Williams's 
grandsons include William de Clinton and John de Grey.[7]
Mary Longespée, married. No issue.[7]
Pernel Longespée.

Parents
PLANTAGENET Henry II "Curt Mantel" (5 Mar 1133 - 6 Jul 1189)
DE TOSNY Ida (ABT 1160 - )

Siblings
LONGESPEE William (ABT 1176 - 7 Mar 1226)

Marriage To FITZ PATRICK [OF SALISBURY] Ela (ABT 1191 - 24 Aug 1261)
    m.  

Notes

Parents
FITZ PATRICK William (ABT 1154 - 17 Apr 1196)
DE VITRE Eleanor (Alianore) (ABT 1150 - 1232)

Children by FITZ PATRICK [OF SALISBURY] Ela ABT 1191 - 24 Aug 1261
LONGESPEE Ida (Idonea) (ABT 1210 - ABT 1269)
LONGESPEE William (ABT 1212 - 7 Feb 1250)
LONGESPEE Stephen (ABT 1214 - 1260)

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