Kentucky Pioneers: Ancestry of Gordon Beck:Information about Philip de Braose
Philip de Braose (b. Bef. 1073, d. date unknown)
Notes for Philip de Braose:
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[Beck as of 071303.ged]
Philip had already followed the family's warrior tradition.The bloodystruggle for territor y in the Welsh Marches particularly suited the deBraoses' warring ambitions and Philip gaine d an unsteady hold on Radnorand Builth.The Welsh princes who defended these lands as theirb irthright launched repeated campaigns.
Early Norman gains met with several setbacks but Philip eventuallyconsolidated his position a nd was able to build strong castles.TheMarcher Lords held their lands largely outside the j urisdiction of theEnglish Crown. This policy provided a powerful incentive for therelentles s warfare needed to subdue the Welsh. The Marchers' autonomysoon challenged the monarchy, how ever and as their Welsh alliancesextended to marriage a distinctive new aristocracy arose.
Philip de Braose travelled to Jerusalem on the First Crusade of 1096.Robert Curthose was als o among those who responded to the Pope's call toarms. The Crusade was a welcome relief to me n whose fortunes werethreatened by hostilities between Robert and his brother. In fact fourou t of five Crusaders failed to return home but Jerusalem was taken fromthe Turks in 1099 and , despite the savagery of the conquest, thesurvivors were covered in glory.
Philip must have returned to England a formidable and battle-hardenedhero. At this time, in t he year 1100, William Rufus had just died, hisyoungest brother Henry had seized the throne an d Robert Curthose resumedhis rule in Normandy. Philip de Braose appears as England's tenth mo stwealthy baron.
By 1106 Henry had defeated Robert Curthose at the Battle of Tinchebray,twelve miles north o f Domfront and perilously close to Briouze. Englandand Normandy were united again under Kin g Henry I but continued wars onthe Continent eventually compromised Philip de Braose. In 1110 , KingHenry confiscated his lands.
Philip was back in royal favour within only two years, however and hisbarony was restored t o him.Philip's wife, Aanor, had enriched thefamily with new West Country strongholds (thoug h they were saddled withlegal disputes into the next century). Her father Judhael had beenrec alled from exile to become Lord of Barnstaple.
A new order of fighting monks to defend the Holy Land, the Templars,caught the imagination o f many warlike benefactors, including theBraoses. Saint Bernard of Clairvaux created holy ord ers for the KnightsTemplar in 1128. One interpretation of the historical record suggeststha t Philip de Braose travelled to Jerusalem more than once.
Some of the earliest gifts to the Templars came from his Sussex domains.Philip de Harcourt be stowed the order with the manor and church ofShipley.His brother, Richard de Rennesville, w as a Templar. Richard'stomb has survived at the old Templar Commanderie of Saint Stephen,Renn esville.
Philip de Braose's wife also gave five acres in Bramber to the Templars,where Saint Mary's Ho use now stands.This provided the order with freeaccess to the port. The land came from he r dower and was given in honourof her crusading husband. Philip de Harcourt added Saint Mary' s Church inSompting to their rapidly growing wealth in 1154. A small holding in thelost por t of Pende, Lancing and a chapel in Cokeham, Sompting came later.
New Shoreham was founded by Philip de Braose and became one of the mostprosperous English por ts during the next three centuries. Philip builtthe beautiful Saint Mary de Haura Church fo r his town and gave it toSaint Florent Abbey of Saumur, possibly in thanksgiving for a safe r eturnfrom the Holy Land. The Templars and the Knights Hospitaller establishedlarge houses a t New Shoreham but the river has long since washed away theremains.
Returning crusaders frequently introduced leprosy to the community.Philip or his son may hav e been responsible for establishing the hospitalof Saint Mary Magdalen between Bramber and St eyning in the area stillmarked with the name Maudlin. The bodies of medieval lepers wereunear thed here when a housing estate was built in 1959. They wereexamined by archaeologists, the n covered over in their burial place.
Further evidence of lepers can be found at Saint Botolph's Church nearby,on the Coombes Road . A low side window beside the altar allowed lepersgathered outside to watch the service with out risk to the congregation.
Philip's death appears to be recorded by a 12th century writer, Gerald ofWales.Some time be fore 1136, Philip and his dogs spent a night in thechurch of Saint Afan, or Llanafan in Welsh . They had been hunting nearBuilth. At first light Philip awoke to find that all his dogs ha d gonemad and he himself was completely blind.
After years of "tedium and darkness", Philip grasped an opportunity toredeem his offence agai nst the Church, "for he did not wish his spirituallight to be extinguished as his eyes had be en". He armed himself andtravelled to Jerusalem on a strong war horse, led by a group of frie nds.They took him to the front line of battle, where he gallantly chargedforward. Philip wa s immediately struck down by a sword blow and met anhonourable death.
More About Philip de Braose:
Date born 2: Abt. 1070, Bramber, Sussex, England.6149, 6150, 6151
Date born 3: Abt. 1075, Barnstaple, Devonshire, England.6152, 6153, 6154
Date born 4: 1075, Bramber, Sussex, England.6155, 6156, 6157
Burial: Unknown, Holy Land, Palestine.6158, 6159, 6160
Died 2: 1112, Holy Land, Palestine.6161, 6162, 6163
Died 3: Abt. 1134, Palestine.6164, 6165, 6166
Died 4: 11346167, 6168, 6169
Record Change: February 14, 20036170, 6171
Children of Philip de Braose and Aenor de Toteneis are: