1st Earl of Cornwall Piers Gaveston

Abt 1284 - 1312  (28 years)

• Name	Piers Gaveston
  Title	1st Earl of Cornwall
  Birth	Abt 1284	France
  Gender	Male
  Occupation	King Edward II's favorite  [1, 2]
  		_Edward II & Gaveston Edward had a close and controversial relationship with Piers Gaveston, who had joined his household in 1300. The precise nature of Edward and Gaveston's relationship is uncertain; they may have been friends, lovers or sworn brothers. Gaveston's arrogance and power as Edward's favourite provoked discontent both among the barons and the French royal…
  Religion	Abt 1312
  	he was pronounced excommunicate by Archbishop Winchelsey at St Paul's
  Death	19 Jun 1312  [1, 2]
  	At Warwick, Gaveston was condemned to death for violating the terms of the Ordinances, before an assembly of barons, including Warwick, Lancaster, Hereford and Arundel.[83] On 19 June, he was taken out on the road towards Kenilworth as far as Blacklow Hil
  		Memorial-Gaveston Monument to the memory of Piers Gaveston, 1st Earl of Cornwall, at Blacklow Hill
  Person ID	I4755	A Tree Called Smith
  Last Modified	21 Jul 2025

  
  

  Family	Countess of Cornwall Margaret de Clare,   b. 12 Oct 1292, Tewkesbury, Gloucestershire, England d. 9 Apr 1342, Badlesmere, Kent, England (Age 49 years)
  Marriage	Oct 1307  [3]
  	this marriage was arranged by the King "to strengthen Piers and surround him with friends." Gaveston celebrated the marriage with a lavish tournament at Wallingford Castle. The marriage of such a high-born heiress to a foreigner did not please the English
  Family ID	F1310	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart
  Last Modified	21 Jul 2025

  
  

• Burials

  Memorial-Gaveston Monument to the memory of Piers Gaveston, 1st Earl of Cornwall, at Blacklow Hill

  
  

  Historic Documents

  (Historic) Gaveston Cornwall charter Initial from the charter granting Gaveston the earldom of Cornwall, showing the arms of England at top, and Gaveston's coat of arms impaled with those of de Clare below.

  
  

  Old World		_Piers Gaveston Piers Gaveston, the 1st Earl of Cornwall was an English nobleman of Gascon origin, and the favorite of King Edward II of England. At a young age he made a good impression on King Edward I, and was assigned to the household of the king's eldest son and heir, Prince Edward of Carnarvon. Eventually the prince's blatant favoritism towards Gaveston was…
  		_Edward II & Gaveston Edward had a close and controversial relationship with Piers Gaveston, who had joined his household in 1300. The precise nature of Edward and Gaveston's relationship is uncertain; they may have been friends, lovers or sworn brothers. Gaveston's arrogance and power as Edward's favourite provoked discontent both among the barons and the French royal…

  
  

• Sources

  [S447] Wikipedia: Piers Gaveston, (Name: Wikipedia;), Piers Gaveston, 1st Earl of Cornwall. Piers Gaveston, 1st Earl of Cornwall (c. 1284 – 19 June 1312) was an English nobleman of Gascon origin, and the favourite of Edward II of England. At a young age, Gaveston made a good impression on King Edward I, who assigned him to the household of the King's son, Edward of Caernarfon. The prince's partiality for Gaveston was so extravagant that Edward I sent Gaveston into exile, but he was recalled a few months later, after the King's death led to the prince's accession as Edward II. Edward bestowed the Earldom of Cornwall on Gaveston, and arranged for him to marry Edward's niece Margaret de Clare, sister of the powerful Earl of Gloucester. Gaveston's exclusive access to the King provoked several members of the nobility, and in 1308, the King was again forced to send him into exile. During this absence, he served as the King's Lord Lieutenant of Ireland. Edward managed to negotiate a deal with the opposition, however, and Gaveston returned the next year. Upon his return his behaviour became even more offensive, and, by the Ordinances of 1311, it was decided that Gaveston should be exiled for a third time, to suffer outlawry if he returned. He did however return in late 1311 and, in 1312, he was hunted down and executed by a group of magnates led by Thomas, 2nd Earl of Lancaster, and Guy de Beauchamp, 10th Earl of Warwick. It was alleged by medieval chroniclers (as discussed below under "Questions of sexuality") that Edward II and Piers Gaveston were lovers, a rumour that was reinforced by later portrayals in fiction, such as Christopher Marlowe's late 16th-century play, Edward II. This assertion has received the support of some modern historians, while others have questioned it. According to Pierre Chaplais, the relationship between the two was that of an adoptive brotherhood, and Gaveston served as an unofficial deputy for a reluctant king. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Piers_Gaveston,_1st_Earl_of_Cornwall [S927] Wikipedia: Edward I, Edward I of England. Edward I (17/18 June 1239 – 7 July 1307), also known as Edward Longshanks and the Hammer of the Scots (Latin: Malleus Scotorum), was King of England from 1272 to 1307. Before his accession to the throne, he was commonly referred to as The Lord Edward.[1] The first son of Henry III, Edward was involved early in the political intrigues of his father's reign, which included an outright rebellion by the English barons. In 1259, he briefly sided with a baronial reform movement, supporting the Provisions of Oxford. After reconciliation with his father, however, he remained loyal throughout the subsequent armed conflict, known as the Second Barons' War. After the Battle of Lewes, Edward was hostage to the rebellious barons, but escaped after a few months and joined the fight against Simon de Montfort. Montfort was defeated at the Battle of Evesham in 1265, and within two years the rebellion was extinguished. With England pacified, Edward joined the Ninth Crusade to the Holy Land. The crusade accomplished little, and Edward was on his way home in 1272 when he was informed that his father had died. Making a slow return, he reached England in 1274 and was crowned at Westminster Abbey on 19 August. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edward_I_of_England History-DODSWORTH Charles (Pedigree) Descendants of King Edward I [S1930] Wikipedia: Margaret de Clare, (Name: Wikipedia;), Margaret de Clare, Baroness Badlesmere. Margaret de Badlesmere, Baroness Badlesmere (née de Clare; c. 1 April 1287 – 22 October 1333/January 1334, disputed) was a Anglo-Norman noblewoman, suo jure heiress, and the wife of Bartholomew de Badlesmere, 1st Baron Badlesmere.[1] She was arrested and subsequently imprisoned in the Tower of London for the duration of a year from November 1321 to November 1322, making her the first recorded female prisoner in the Tower's history.[2][3] She was jailed on account of having ordered an armed assault on Isabella of France, Queen consort of King Edward II of England. Before Margaret had instructed her archers to fire upon Isabella and her escort, she had refused the Queen admittance to Leeds Castle where her husband, Baron Badlesmere held the post of governor, but which was legally the property of Queen Isabella as part of the latter's dower. Margaret surrendered the castle on 31 October 1321 after it was besieged by the King's forces using ballistas. Edward's capture of Leeds Castle was the catalyst which led to the Despenser War in the Welsh Marches and the north of England.[citation needed] Upon her release from the Tower, Margaret entered a religious life at the convent house of the Minorite Sisters outside Aldgate. King Edward granted her a stipend to pay for her maintenance. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Margaret_de_Clare,_Baroness_Badlesmere