Matilda of Chester, Countess of Huntingdon

Matilda of Chester
Matilda of Chester
Countess of Huntingdon
Born	1171
Died	6 January 1233
Spouse(s)	Hugh de Kevelioc, 5th Earl of Chester; Bertrade de Montfort

Matilda of Chester,

David of Scotland, Earl of Huntingdon

.

Family

Lady Maude was born in 1171, the eldest child of Hugh de Kevelioc (aka Hugh de Meschines), 5th Earl of Chester and Bertrade de Montfort, a cousin of King

Maud (Matilda) of Gloucester, the granddaughter of King Henry I of England, and her maternal grandparents were Simon III de Montfort

, Count of Évreux and Mahaut.

Lady Matilda's five siblings were:

Ranulf de Blondeville, 6th Earl of Chester
Richard^[3] (died young)
Mabel of Chester, Countess of Arundel
Agnes (Alice) of Chester, Countess of Derby
Hawise of Chester, Countess of Lincoln
.

She also had a sister, Amice (or Amicia) of Chester, who may have been illegitimate.

Matilda's father died in 1181 when she was ten years of age. He had served in King Henry's Irish campaigns after his estates had been restored to him in 1177. They had been confiscated by the King as a result of his taking part in the baronial Revolt of 1173–1174. His son Ranulf succeeded him as Earl of Chester, and Matilda became a co-heiress of her brother.

Dervorguilla of Galloway, a granddaughter of Matilda of Chester

Marriage and issue

On 26 August 1190, she married

William I of Scotland. He was almost thirty years Matilda's senior. The marriage was recorded by Benedict of Peterborough

.

David and Matilda had seven children:

Alan, Lord of Galloway, by whom she had two daughters, including Dervorguilla of Galloway
.

Robert of Huntingdon (died young)

Ada of Huntingdon, married Sir

Henry de Hastings, 1st Baron Hastings

.

Matilda (Maud) of Huntingdon (-aft.1219, unmarried)

Robert Bruce, 4th Lord of Annandale, by whom she had two sons, including Robert de Brus, 5th Lord of Annandale
.

John of Scotland, Earl of Huntingdon (1207 – 6 June 1237), married Elen ferch Llywelyn. He succeeded his uncle Ranulf as Earl of Chester in 1232, but died childless.
Henry of Huntingdon (died young)^[4]

Her husband David had four illegitimate children by various mistresses.

On her brother Ranulf's death in October 1232 Matilda inherited a share in his estates with her other 3 sisters, and his Earldom of Chester suo jure. Less than a month later with the consent of the King, Matilda gave an inter vivos gift of the Earldom to her son

John the Scot who became Earl of Chester by right of his mother.^[5] He was formally invested by King Henry III as Earl of Chester on 21 November 1232.^[6]

He became Earl of Chester in his own right on the death of his mother six weeks later.

Matilda died on 6 January 1233 at the age of about sixty-two. Her husband had died in 1219. In 1290, upon the death of

competitors for the crown of Scotland, including John Balliol, who was chosen king, and Robert de Brus, grandfather of king Robert I

.

References

^ Cokayne, G.E. et al, The Complete Peerage of England, Scotland, Ireland, Great Britain and the United Kingdom, Extant, Extinct or Dormant, new ed., 13 volumes in 14 (1910-1959; reprint in 6 volumes, Gloucester, U.K.: Alan Sutton Publishing, 2000), volume III
^ Alison Weir, Britain's Royal Family: A Complete Genealogy (London, U.K.: The Bodley Head, 1999)
^ That Richard is a son of Earl Hugh, Matilda's father, is recorded in the Domesday Descendants.
^ "thePeerage.com - Person Page 10777". Thepeerage.com. Retrieved 8 November 2008.
^ Burke, John, A general and heraldic dictionary of the peerages of England, Ireland, and Scotland
^ Earl of Chester

Peerage of England
Preceded by Ranulf de Blondeville	Countess of Chester suo jure 26 Oct - 21 Nov 1232	Succeeded by John the Scot

[1] Cokayne, G.E. et al, The Complete Peerage of England, Scotland, Ireland, Great Britain and the United Kingdom, Extant, Extinct or Dormant, new ed., 13 volumes in 14 (1910-1959; reprint in 6 volumes, Gloucester, U.K.: Alan Sutton Publishing, 2000), volume III

[2] Alison Weir, Britain's Royal Family: A Complete Genealogy (London, U.K.: The Bodley Head, 1999)

[3] That Richard is a son of Earl Hugh, Matilda's father, is recorded in the Domesday Descendants.

[4] "thePeerage.com - Person Page 10777". Thepeerage.com. Retrieved 8 November 2008.

[5] Burke, John, A general and heraldic dictionary of the peerages of England, Ireland, and Scotland

[6] Earl of Chester

[3]

[4]

[5]

[6]