William de Braose, 4th Lord of Bramber
William de Braose, (or William de Briouze), 4th Lord of Bramber (1144/1153 – 9 August 1211), court favourite of King John of England, at the peak of his power, was also Lord of Gower, Abergavenny, Brecknock, Builth, Radnor, Kington, Limerick, Glamorgan, Skenfrith, Briouze in Normandy, Grosmont and White Castle.
His principal antagonist was a Seisyll ap Dyfnwal, of Castell Arnallt near Llanover in the valley of the River Usk near Abergavenny, whom he blamed for the death of his uncle Henry.
William de Braose did however reputedly hunt down and kill Seisyll ap Dyfnwal's surviving son, Cadwaladr, a boy of seven.
In 1203, William de Braose was put in charge of Arthur of Brittany,[a] whom he had personally captured the previous year at the Battle of Mirebeau.
In early 1200, King John deprived Theobald Walter, 1st Baron Butler of all his offices and lands in Ireland because of his irregularities as sheriff.
[1] A manuscript in the National Library of Ireland points to William as the agent of his restoration:"Grant by William de Braosa (senior), to Theobald Walter (le Botiller) the burgh of Kildelon (Killaloe) ... the cantred of Elykaruel (the baronies of Clonlisk and Ballybritt, County Offaly), Eliogarty, Ormond, Ara and Oioney, etc.
These have been interpreted as bribes encouraging silence on the demise of Arthur, seen by many as a rightful heir to the throne occupied by John of England.
In Wales, William allied himself to the Welsh Prince Llywelyn the Great, and helped him in his rebellion against King John.
He was buried in the Abbey of St. Victor in Paris by a fellow exile and vociferous opponent of King John, Stephen Langton, the Archbishop of Canterbury.
While William had aroused the jealousy of the other barons during his rise, the arbitrary and violent manner of his fall very probably discomfited them and played a role in the Baronial uprisings of the next decade.
This established John's branch of the family and positioned it for survival at least or, at best, an opportunity for continued future power and influence.
William's third son, Reginald de Braose reacquired his father's lands and titles for himself by simply seizing them back by force following the death of Giles.
William's eldest daughter Matilda/Maud married a prominent Welsh prince, Gruffydd ap Rhys II of Deheubarth.
The story of the death of Maud de St. Valery and the conflict of her family with John Lackland is covered in several novels, notably Lady of Hay by Barbara Erskine.
