The Lady, Ela, was the Countess of Salisbury, wife of the knight William Longespee and mother if the famous crusader William Longespee. She was born in 1187 in Amesbury, Wiltshire, England near where the Stonehenge stands. Ela's family were lords over the ancients lands of Sarum. Her dynasty began with Edward, a Norman who became the Sheriff of Wiltshire which is where Sarum is. Edward had two children, Walter and Maud. Maud married Humphrey de Bohun. Walter married Sybil de Chaworth. After Sybil's death, Walter became a monk at the Abbey he founded, the Augustinian Abbey or Bradenstroke. Walter's son Patrick was steward of the Empress Maud. He became the first Earl of Wiltshire or Salisbury. Sometimes it is called Sarum. Patrick was the uncle of William Marshal. Patrick married Ela Talvas of Ponthieu the widow of the Earl of Surrey. They had William of Salisbury who became Earl. William married the Breton lady Eleanor de Viteri. William was a powerful Earl who participated in the coronation of Richard I. William was taught the knightly ways from his father along with his cousin William the Marshal. He was part of King Richard's council in 1195. Unfortunately, in 1196 William Fitzpatrick died leaving only Ela as his heiress. She was only 9 years old, as a young heiress, she became a ward of King Richard I.
Her mother quickly remarried two years later. Ela, as a young female heiress was in danger of being kidnapped by greedy earls. Because of her position romantic tales were told about little Ela.
The story was that a wicked uncle threw Ela in a tower in Normandy in an attempt to claim her lands. A knight of Richard I, William Talbot, sought out to find the young heiress. The knight dressed as a pilgrim or a troubadour and traveled from castle to castle singing songs under castle windows until the young noble girl answered back. Being a daughter and granddaughter of Ladies of Brittany and Ponthieu it is certain she knew the Romances. Finally, Sir William Talbot spied a young fair girl, blond haired and blue eyed like the English at a castle and took jer on his horse to take her to her royal guardian. King Richard's minstrel Blondel sang about Talbot and his adventure of rescuing the fair damsel Ela. The song is called the Lay of Talbot. This is the part of the poem after Talbot rescues Ela:
"The Knight now raised his vizor up,
And raising it he smiled,
Crying, "My honored Leige, behold
Earl William's orphan child!
Talbot! A Talbot! rung the hall,
With gratulation wild,
Long live brave Talbot, and long live
Earl William's new found child!
Amidst a scene so new and strange
This poor maid could not speak
King Richard took her by the hand
And gently kissed her cheek
Then placed her smiling through a tear
By his brave Brother's side
Long live brave Longespee rung the Hall
Long live his future bride!"
Ela was married to William Longespee around 1197 when she was about 10 years old. William Longespee was the illegitimate son of Henry II and the Lady Ida probably the later wife of Roger Bigod. Longespee stayed loyal to his half-brother King John during the time of the Magna Carta. When King John died, he supported the young Henry III along with his cousin William the Marshal who was now one of the greatest knights and married to one of the wealthiest heiresses. William Longespee and Ela had eight children
Four sons: William, Richard, Stephan, and Nicholas
Four daughters:Isabella later de Vessey, Petronilla, Ela later first de Newburgh (Warwick) and then Basset, and Ida later de Somery and then Beaumont.
Longespee fought for Henry III's lands in Gasocony and in returning home his ship almost lost in a storm and he found refuge in a monastery on the Island of Re off the coast of Poitou and the city of La Rochelle. The island is famous now as a vacation spot for celebrities.
Meanwhile Ela became influenced by the famous intellectual, Archbishop Edmund who studied mathematics and Aristotle who was at that time in vogue. Edmund also practiced asceticism.
While Longespee was missing and feared dead, the De Burgh family tried to take advantage of William's supposed death and marry the older Ela to a young De Burgh nephew. The nephew was Reimund de Burgh a young teen at the time. He visited Lady Ela dressed in his most noble clothing and tried to woo her in knightly way. Ela told the young man that she believed her husband was still alive and even if he wasn't "she would have in no case have received him for a husband because their unequal rank with respect to family forbad such a union" So Reimund left disappointed.
Soon Ela was reunited with her long missing husband and was proud that she remained faithful to him. However, a few months after his return to Salisbury, William Longespee died. It was rumored that he was poisoned by the De Burghs. Later when opening Longespee's grave a rat ful of arsenic was found in his skull.
Ela remained faithful to her husband for the rest of her life. She ruled Salisbury and became Sheriff of Wiltshire in her own right. On 16 April 1232 she strted to build two monasteries, Lacock and Henton. LAcock was for women and Ela later became its prioress.
Her favorite son was her eldest, William Longespee II. He was made a knight in 1233 but never was named Earl of Salisbury. He took the cross and went on Crusades. He went first in 1240 and returned safely in 1242. He went again with the French King Louis IX. He left England in 1249 and joined the French in 1250 with 200 English knights. Before he left he received "the license and blessings of his Holy Mother the Abbess of Lacock." William Longespee became a famous and strong knight who had many successes with his 200 knights. It was said the French were jealous of his success. Robert of Artois especially argued with William. Later Robert of Artois led William into danger against the Mameluks before the main army of Louis IX came to help them. Ela of Lacock had a vision of her son's death as a martyr that day and though sad was proud that her son died a crusader. The English of course blamed the French for the death of the most noble knight and in the end the Crusade ended up being a disaster.
She ended her life in Lacock, her last wish was for wood for the nuns at her abbey in 1260. She died in 1261.
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