Arundel (d'Aubigny), Earl of Arundel

The earl of Arundel holds the westernmost of the rapes of Sussex, the long strip from the Hampshire border to the lower Arun and up to the Surrey border, with the castle of Arundel on its hill over the river and the borough below it.

Within the rape great sub-honours are held of him: Petworth by the Percys, Midhurst by the Bohuns. The cathedral city of Chichester lies inside the rape but is not his: his father recovered it with Queen Adeliza's estates in 1189, and on his father's death in 1193 it passed to the crown (VCH Sussex). Outside Sussex he holds the Norfolk honour of the Aubignys, with the castles of Castle Rising and Buckenham and the family priory at Wymondham.

He carries the hereditary office of chief butler at coronations.

Who he is

Name: William d'Aubigny (Albini), the third earl
Title: Earl of Arundel (styled also earl of Sussex and of Chichester); hereditary chief butler of England
Since: 1193, on the death of his father, the second earl (24 December 1193)
Born: Before 1180
Family: Grandson of William d'Aubigny, the first earl, and Queen Adeliza, Henry I's widow, who brought Arundel to the family. Wife: Mabel, sister of Ranulf, earl of Chester; they married between 1196 and 1200, so whether they are married on 1 January 1200 is not pinned. Their children (William, Hugh, Maud, Isabel, Nicola, Cecily) are all born later.
Confidence: medium

A favourite of John's later in the reign. Nothing much is recorded of him in 1199-1200 beyond attendance at court. He dies at Caneli near Rome on 1 February 1221 on his way back from the Fifth Crusade.

Overlord

King John

What it holds

Arundel castle and borough, and the rape of Arundel: western Sussex from the Hampshire border to the Arun and beyond, with the forest and chase of Arundel
Not Chichester: the city, held by his grandfather and recovered by his father in 1189, seems to have passed to the crown in 1193 (VCH Sussex vol. 3); see the Chichester town record
Overlordship of the sub-honours of Petworth (Percy) and Midhurst (Bohun) and many knights' fees in the rape
In Norfolk: Castle Rising with its keep, and Buckenham castle with Wymondham priory, the Aubigny family's foundation and burial church
The hereditary chief butlership

How it was acquired

Arundel came to his grandfather by marriage to Queen Adeliza (about 1138) and was confirmed by Henry II; the Norfolk lands are the Aubigny patrimony.

Allies and rivals

Kin by marriage to Ranulf of Chester; neighbour of William de Braose at Bramber and the bishop of Chichester. No open quarrel this winter.

How things stand that morning

Holds the rape and his Norfolk honour in peace; loyal to John.

Wealth

The rape's manors, the port of Arundel on the Arun, the Norfolk manors and the wool of the downs. No figures.

Military

Arundel castle (motte with shell keep and two baileys), Castle Rising, Buckenham; knights of the honour (counted in the 1166 returns).

Threats

None pressing

Places of note

Arundel castle: Caput of the rape
Castle Rising: Aubigny keep in Norfolk
New Buckenham castle: Aubigny castle in Norfolk

Where the sources disagree

Evidence: Lineage and lands well known; his doings in 1199-1200 and his marriage date are thin.

On the map: The rape boundary is approximate, especially against Bramber in the east. Petworth and Midhurst are drawn inside the rape although held by sub-tenants. The city of Chichester (royal) and Selsey and the bishop's manors (Church) lie inside the outline but are not the earl's.

Primary sources for England

Chronicles, registers, sagas and inscriptions written in or near 1200 that cover this entry. Each has its own page with editions, translations and where to read it.

Chronicle of Jocelin of Brakelond, Jocelin of Brakelond (about 1198 to 1203). An inside account of Bury St Edmunds under Abbot Samson, written while the events were fresh. Read online
Chronicle of Melrose, Anonymous (monks of Melrose abbey) (about 1173 to 1270, in many hands; the 1200 entries are near contemporary). The main Scottish annal for the year, kept at a Cistercian house on the Tweed. Read online
Chronicle of Roger of Howden, Roger of Howden (about 1192 to 1201). The fullest single narrative for the year. Read online
Chronicle of the Princes, Anonymous (Welsh translation of a lost Latin chronicle kept at Strata Florida) (Latin original to about 1282, compiled from contemporary annals; Welsh versions about 1300 and later). The native Welsh record of the year. Read online
Chronicle; Deeds of the Kings, Gervase of Canterbury (Chronica about 1188 to 1199; Gesta Regum about 1199 to 1210). The Chronica stops in 1199, so for 1200 the witness is the briefer Gesta Regum, which notes John's peace with Philip, the coronation of Isabella at Westminster on 8 October 1200, and matters touching Canterbury: the archbishop Hubert Walter as chancellor, the cathedral priory's quarrel with him, and the Lambeth college dispute lately settled by the pope. Read online
English Chronicle of Ralph of Coggeshall, Ralph of Coggeshall (about 1200 to 1224, in stages). Short but independent entries for 1200 from a Cistercian house in Essex: John's levy on the Cistercians and the carucage, the peace with Philip, the king's new marriage and the queen's coronation, and the death of Hugh of Lincoln. Read online
Flowers of History, Roger of Wendover (about 1220 to 1235 at St Albans). For 1200 Wendover is mostly Howden rewritten, so he is a second witness only where he adds St Albans material: a long account of Hugh of Lincoln's last months, death and funeral, and anecdotes about John's conduct toward the Cistercians and his new queen. Read online
Images of History, Ralph de Diceto (about 1188 to 1202). A London view of the year from the dean of St Paul's, who knew the justiciar and the bishops personally. Read online

22 more in the sources library for The British Isles.

Sources and studies

Last revised 4 November 2026. Published 4 November 2026. Suggest a correction on the OMNIA Discord.