Baron Giles D'Bois guilbert

About me:

In the latter part of the 13th century Giles de Bois Guilbert was born in the year of Our Lord 1288 on the feast of his namesake in Gilbert’s wood, Gloucestershire. Being of noble birth and second son to a family long of history but short of cash and without any likelihood that he would ever come into possession of his family’s estates, those lands of his family were held enfeoffed to Gilbert, called “the Red”, Earl of Gloucester. It is because of those family associations that he took service with the de Clare family. On June 14th 1306 at Westminster, Middlesex that service was then granted to the daughter Eleanor de Clare on the occasion of her marriage to Hugh le de Spencer the younger. This happenstance would be a significant factor during his lifetime and was bittersweet with equal parts bane and benefit. It would be through this new relationship that Giles would learn and profit much from Hugh and through him stand in good odor with the King, Edward.

Through de Bois Guilbert’s diligent and faithful service he was rewarded with a baronage in 1317 and charged by Hugh the younger as Custos of Gloucester Castle to arrest disturbers of the peace in Gloucester and Worchester. In 1322, Giles acquitted himself courageously in the defense of the ford at Boroughbridge against those rebels led by Thomas the Earl of Lancaster. Unfortunately, it was after this that his fortunes began to change for the worse with the return of Hugh le de Spencer from the banishment imposed earlier in the year by parliament. The roots of which begin previously with the barony that was granted to Giles and was brokered by Hugh from lands that Edward had illegally confiscated in Gower. This coupled with Hugh’s changing nature and seeming insatiable lust for power led to a continually widening rift between the two.

Ultimately, that split came to an end in the fall of 1326 when Edwards’s wife Queen Isabella and Roger de Mortimer arrived in England with a force of Hainaulters to depose Edward and install her son as King in his place. Though called to support Edward II, de Bois Guilbert would not raise arms against the Prince of Wales, nor could he in good conscience support de Spenser or Edward II any longer because of their recent misdeeds and renounced his baronage. It was this decision to make an open break along with his ties to the de Clare’s that most probably saved his life in the ensuing fierce attitudes and bloody reprisals towards to the de Spenser’s and their confederates.

Since the renunciation de Bois Guilbert has managed to support himself through the tournament but it is an unpredictable existence fraught with hazard especially since Giles had grown accustomed to the privileges that accompanied a baronage and has been plotting ever since to recover lost place and position, even through marriage to Isolda Throckmorton, thereby gaining access to the rich Foxely estates in the Cotswold’s. Isolda’s father Sir Simon has borne no sons that can inherit and has been open so far to Giles offers.

When not at tourney, Giles can be found at Foxely Manor pursuing his bid for Isolda’s hand and to protect his interests from any of the other wolves who may chose to call themselves suitors.

The year is now 1327 with the Feast of Assumption just past Giles has once again gained favor and stands in good odor with the Crown and was granted rank and title as a Baron to the Court. Though this is a prestigious recognition it gains little income but could be useful in ongoing negotiations with Sir Simon. Perhaps the fair Isolda will yield some of her native contrariness... ..