Roger de Mortimer 2nd Earl of March

  Information about this person:

• Web Reference: Roger de Mortimer from Britannia.

• Background. ⁷⁶⁰
Roger Mortimer, b. 1328, summoned to parliament as Baron Mortimer, and Baron Mortimer, of Wigmore, from 20 November, 1348, to 15 March, 1354. This nobleman, at the time of his father's decease, was only three yearsof age and during his minority, his castles in the marches of Wales were committed to the custody of William, Earl of Northampton, who had married his mother.

In the 20th Edward III (1347), he accompanied the king intoFrance and then received the honour of knighthood. In the 26th, he was ina similar expedition and, in two years afterwards, obtaining a reversal of the attainder of his grandfather, he was restored to the Earldom ofMarch and to his forfeited lands.

His lordship the next year was constable of Dover Castle and warden of the Cinque Ports, and for some years afterwards he was in the wars of France. He married Philippa, daughter of William de Montacute, 1st Earl of Salisbury, and had issue, Roger, Edmund, his successor, Margery, married to John, Lord Audley.

His lordship died at Romera, in Burgundy, in 1359, being then commander of the English forces there, and a knight of the Garter. He was slain by his son, Edmund Mortimer, 3rd Earl of March.

~Dormant, Abeyant, Forfeited and Extinct Peerages, pg. 384

He was knighted on the field on 26 August 1346 in the Battle of Créçy, Normandy, France. He was a Founder member of the Order of the Garter, #7, circa 1347-1348

• Background Information. ⁸¹⁴
Roger Mortimer was three years old at the time of his father's death. In 20 Edward III, though he had not fully come to his majority, the king took homage and gave him livery of his lands. he was summoned to parliament from 22-28 Edward as Roger Morimer, and in 24, 25 and 27, he was summoned as Roger Moritmer de Wigmore. He obtained the full reversal of his grandfather's attainder, and was summoned to parliament in 29 Edward III as the earl of March. He carried this titled until the time of his death in 34 Edward III. He was married to Philippa, daughter of William de Montacute, earl of Salisbury, and they had a son, Roger who died before him. He also had a son, Edmund Morimer, his only surviving her.

~Baronia Anglica Concentrata, Vol. I, p. 336

• Background Information. ¹⁴¹
Roger de Mortimer, Lord Mortimer, grandson and heir, being son and heir of Edmund de Mortimer, Lord Mortimer, by Elizabeth his wife, which Edmund was son and heir of Roger de Mortimer, 1st Earl of March. He was aged 3 at his father's death, 16 Dec 1331, having been born at Ludlow on 11 Nov 1328. The wardship of many of the estates and the marriage of the heir were in 1336 granted to William de Montagu, afterwards Earl of Salisbury, who had been the chief instrument in arresting Roger's grand father. Wigmore Castle was in charge of his stepfather, Willian de Bohun, Earl of Northampton, who as early as 1342 asked the King to give it up to the heir, the King did so, taking Roger's homage. In November 1341 the castle of Radnor had been granted to him, under security. On 13 Sep 1344, at a great tournament at Hereford, the juveni of Mortimer distinguished himself.

In February 1345/6 Roger de Mortimer was ordered to raise 200 men in Radnor, Wigmore, &c., in anticipation of the projected invasion of France, in which he distinguished himself. On landing at La Hogue on 12 July 1346 he was knighted by Edward, Prince of Wales on whom that honor had just been bestowed by the King. He fought at Crécy, 26 August, in the first division with the Prince of Wales. In recognition of his good service in the campaign it was ordered, 6 Sepr 1346, that he should have livery of all his lands in Hereford and the March of Wales, though not yet of age, the King having taken his homage. On 16 Jun 1347 he had permission to receive the castle of Trim, &c., from his grandmother Joan in exchange for lands in England. About 1348 he became K.G., being one of the founders of the order. He was summoned to Parliament on 20 Nov 1348 and later, by writs directed Rogero de Mortuo-Mari, with, at times, the addition de Wygemore. On 31 Dec 1349 he helped the Prince of Wales to defeat the plot for the betraying of Calais to the French. In February 1351/2 he founded a chantry in the chapel of Ludlow Castle. On 24 May 1352, as Lord of Wigmore, he was ordered to send forty Welshmen for the King's service, and was again in France in that year.

In 1354, Roger de Mortimer obtained a reversal of the sentence against his grandfather Roger in 1330, and was restored to the title of Earl of March and to all his grandfather's estates. On 30 Jun 1354 he was appointed for life to keep the manor, park and forest of Clarendon, and 3 Nov 1354 was custodian of Corfe Castle. In 1355, as lord of Denbigh, &c., he was to send sixty men for the King's service, and 8 August in the same year was appointed for life to keep the castle of Dover and the Cinque Ports, receiving £300 a year. He was made steward of the castles, manors and lands of Ros and Hamlack on 15 July. In July 1355, he was in the fleet collected by the Earl of Lancaster for the campaign to aid Charles of Navarre, but the fleet, being delayed by contrary winds, did not get further than the Isle of Wight, when news came that Charles had made peace with France.

Roger de Mortimer was summoned to Parliament as Earl of March, 20 Sep 1355. About Michaelmas he sailed from Sandwich with the King's expedition to invade France, which made a hurried return in November to meet a surprise invasion by the Scots. On 20 Jan 1355/6, he witnessed Edward Baliol's resignation to Edward of the kingdom and crown of Scotland. By the death of his grandmother Joan, October 1356, he came into her large estates. In February 1356/7 he was pardoned the relief due on his succession to his hereditary lands.

Roger had protection on going abroad on the King's service 3 July 1357. He was on the King's council in about 1358, and in September of that year was granted the hundred of Munslow, Salop, in fee. On 12 January 1358/9 he was ordered to send 160 Welshmen for the King's service, for his lands in Denbigh and Montgomery, and 140 for his lands in South Wales and Wigmore. On 20 August he was appointed constable of the castle of Bridgnorth, and in November was ordered to have his castles in Wales and the March repaired. In October he took part in Edward III's futile invasion of France. He was appointed constable of the host and rode at the head, with 600 men-at-arms and 1,000 archers. They attacked, but failed to take Rheims, but Roger took Saint-Florentin and Tonnerre. Thereafter he was with Edward in Burgundy, and died suddenly at Rouvray (Côte d'Or).

Roger married Philippe, daughter of William de Montagu, Earl of Salisbury, his guardian, by Katherine, daughter [and in her issue] coheir of William, Lord Grandison. He died as aforesaid, 26 Feb 1359/60, and was buried in France, but his body was afterwards brought over to England and buried at Wigmore. Dower was assigned to his widow, Philippe, 3 July 1360. She died 5 Jan 1381/2, and was buried at Bisham.

~Cokayne's Complete Peerage, 2nd Edition, (March) Vol. VIII, pp. 442-445, Vol. XIV, p. 466

Roger married Philippa de Montagu Countess of Ulster, daughter of Sir William de Montagu Knight, 1st Earl of Salisbury and Katharine de Grandison Countess of Salisbury.¹⁶⁰ (Philippa de Montagu Countess of Ulster was born circa 1332 in Salisbury, Wiltshire, England, and died on 5 Jan 1381-1382 in England ^141,160.)