The Delahorne/Curtis Family History

Clare · ◉ direct ancestor

Nobility

♂Thomas Clare

Born 1245, England (unconfirmed). Died 1287, Ireland.

Thomas ClareW (died 29 August 1287) was an ancestor of Nancy Jane Blanchard (1929–2006) by three separate lines of descent, all through his daughter Margaret de Clare: by two of them he was her twenty-first great-grandfather, and by the third her twenty-second.

Family and early life

Thomas was probably the second son of Richard de Clare, Earl of Gloucester and Hertford, and his wife Maud de Lacy, and a younger brother of Gilbert de ClareW, who succeeded their father as earl. He is said to have studied at Oxford in 1257–1259.

The Barons’ War and the crusade

In the Second Barons’ WarW Thomas is said to have joined his brother against King Henry III and to have been knighted by Simon de MontfortW before the Battle of LewesW on 14 May 1264. The brothers later went over to the king’s side. In May 1265, by the same account, Thomas arranged the gift of a fast horse to Prince Edward, and on it the prince escaped from Montfort at Hereford. Thomas then fought for the king at the Battle of EveshamW on 4 August 1265, where Montfort was killed. In 1267 he took the cross at St Paul’s in London, and he went with Prince Edward on crusadeW in 1271, returning in 1272.

Thomond

Thomas came to Ireland near the end of 1274, and before 18 February 1275 he married Juliana FitzMaurice, a daughter and co-heir of Maurice FitzMaurice FitzGerald, Baron of Offaly. On 26 January 1276 the king is said to have granted him the whole land of ThomondW, in the west of Ireland. He built a castle at Quin about 1280 and tried to make peace among the rival Irish chiefs of the region. He and Juliana are said to have had three sons and two daughters, among them Margaret. Thomas died in Ireland on 29 August 1287.

Lines of descent

All three lines run through his daughter Margaret de Clare. They meet again in Sarah Dudley (1795–1839), whose parents Nathaniel Dudley (1763–1844) and Anna Smith (1764–1825) both descend from him, and in Wesley Blanchard (1844–1908), whose parents Elizabeth Trueworthy Blanchard (1825–1884) and Joseph Knapp Blanchard (1820–1885) both do.

Notes

Sources for his life

His parentage, his time at Oxford, his part in the Barons’ War, the horse for Prince Edward, the crusade, the grant of Thomond, Quin Castle, his marriage, his children and his death are all from Douglas Richardson, Magna Carta Ancestry (2005), BADLESMERE 4, p. 34, and CLARE 3, p. 196, a compiled genealogy that cites the calendars of state papers and documents relating to Ireland. Richardson styles him “Thomas de Clare, Knt., of Thomond in Connaught” and also lists among his offices Constable of Colchester Castle, Steward of the Forest of Essex, King’s Lieutenant in Gascony and Governor of London. Complete Peerage, 1st ed., vol. 3 (1890), p. 359, gives the marriage as 1276.

His wife’s name

Richardson calls her Juliane. Complete Peerage, 1st ed., vols. 1 and 2, calls her Amy, daughter of Sir Maurice fitz Maurice; the 2nd edition corrected this to Julian.

His birth

No source here gives his birth. The year 1245 comes from an online family tree.

Family time line

◉ Thomas Clare, Knight 1245–1287
◉ Juliana FitzMaurice 1263–1300
No marriage recorded
◉ Margaret de Clare

Recorded events

EventWhenWhereEvidence ?on record - the record itself, its image, or a transcript or printed copy of it has been read
from a compiled source - an index, a printed genealogy or a memorial page says so
not yet documented - in the family record, no source attached yet
Birth
per WikiTree Clare-639, NO EVIDENCE YET
 1245 England not yet documented
Death
per WikiTree Clare-639, NO EVIDENCE YET
 29 Aug 1287 Ireland from a compiled source
Title (Nobility)
Knight (Richardson, Magna Carta Ancestry, CLARE 3 p.196)
 from a compiled source
12451287 1250126012701280

Sources

  • Richardson, Douglas, Magna Carta Ancestry: A Study in Colonial and Medieval Families, ed. Kimball G. Everingham (Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Co., 2005) — Death, Title (Nobility), about this person, family with Juliana FitzMaurice
  • WikiTree (wikitree.com) member tree - finding aid only, NO EVIDENCE YET (owner rule s1211) — about this person

Borders as they stood about 1500, from the historical-basemaps project, the Newberry Library's Atlas of Historical County Boundaries (states and territories, 1783 on) and Natural Earth; the colonies and provinces are drawn along today's lines.

Line of descent

  1. Richard de Clare 1222–1262
    1. Gilbert de Clare –1230
      1. Richard de Clare –1217
        1. Roger de Clare
          1. Richard Clare 1092–1136
          2. Adeliza Meschines 1099–1152
        2. Maud de Saint Hilary
      2. Amice of Gloucester
        1. William Fitz Robert
        2. Hawise de Beaumont
    2. Isabel Marshal –1240
      1. William Marshal
        1. John Marshal 1105–1165
        2. Sybil Salisbury 1126–
      2. Isabel de Clare
        1. Richard FitzGilbert
        2. not yet known
  2. Maud de Lacy
    1. John de Lacy –1240
      1. Roger de Lacy
      2. Maud (surname unknown)
    2. Margaret de Quincy –1266
      1. Robert de Quincy –1217
        1. Saher de Quincy –1219
        2. Margaret de Beaumont –1235
          1. Robert Beaumont 1135–1190
          2. Petronilla Grandmesnil 1135–1212
      2. Hawise of Chester 1180–1243

Descendants

  1. Margaret de Clare
    1. Margery de Badlesmere abt 1304–
    2. Maud de Badlesmere abt 1308–
      1. Thomas de Vere abt 1336–
      2. Margaret de Vere –1398
        1. Nicholas de Lovaine abt 1370–
        2. Margaret Loveyne –1408
      3. Aubrey de Vere
    3. Elizabeth de Badlesmere abt 1310–
      1. Humphrey Bohun 1342–1373
        1. Eleanor Bohun 1366–1399
        2. Mary Bohun 1369–1394
      2. Elizabeth de Bohun –1385
        1. Elizabeth Fitzalan 1371–1425
        2. Elizabeth de Arundel
    4. Giles de Badlesmere abt 1316–bef 1338
    5. Margaret de Badlesmere abt 1317–