The Clares are one of the great baronial families of England, with their caput at Clare in Suffolk (the emd records) and a second centre at Tonbridge in Kent, where the castle guards the crossing of the Medway on the London road to Hastings.
Around it lies the lowy of Tonbridge, a liberty of about a league in every direction, held of the archbishop of Canterbury, whose high steward the earl is at an archbishop's enthronement. In Surrey the Clares hold Bletchingley; in Essex a string of manors (Thaxted, Bardfield and others). The countess's claim to a share of Gloucester makes the annulment of John's marriage a family matter.
Who he is
- Name
- Richard de Clare
- Title
- Earl of Hertford (earl of Clare)
- Since
- 1173, on the death of his father, Roger de Clare
- Born
- About 1153, at Tonbridge castle
- Family
- Wife: Amice (born about 1160), second daughter and co-heiress of William, earl of Gloucester (died 1183), and so sister of Isabella of Gloucester, John's discarded wife; they married about 1172. Before 1198 the pope ordered them to separate as too closely related, and they were later reconciled with papal leave. Children: Gilbert (about 1180), Richard, Maud, Hawise (later wife of Geoffrey de Say) and Matilda (later wife of Rhys Gryg).
- Confidence
- high
He attended John's coronation on 27 May 1199. Nothing else of note is recorded for him in 1199-1200. Through Amice the Clares have a claim to a share of the Gloucester inheritance, which John holds since the annulment; it will go to Amaury of Evreux in 1200 and only reach the Clares in 1217.
Overlord
King John; for Tonbridge, the archbishop of Canterbury
What it holds
- Tonbridge castle and the lowy of Tonbridge (Kent), held of the archbishop of Canterbury
- Bletchingley (Surrey) with its castle and borough
- Essex manors of the honour of Clare: Thaxted, Great Bardfield and others
- The honour of Clare in Suffolk with Clare castle (emd records)
- Part of the Giffard inheritance in Buckinghamshire (emd records)
- A claim, through Amice, to a share of the Gloucester inheritance
How it was acquired
Tonbridge and the honour of Clare since the Conquest (Richard FitzGilbert); the Giffard lands by inheritance in 1191.
Allies and rivals
The archbishop of Canterbury is his lord for Tonbridge and the two have quarrelled over it since Becket's time. Kinsman by marriage of the king's justiciar (FitzPeter later marries the earl's sister Aveline).
How things stand that morning
Holds his English lands in peace.
Wealth
Rich Suffolk and Essex manors; the Weald around Tonbridge; the borough of Bletchingley. No figures.
Military
Tonbridge castle (motte and bailey with a shell keep), Bletchingley castle, Clare castle; the knights of the honour of Clare.
Threats
- The Gloucester inheritance going elsewhere
What the year holds
What happened next, if nothing in play changes it. Each event carries what it depends on and what would stop it.
- 22 May 1200 onwardUnder the Le Goulet settlement the earldom of Gloucester goes to Amaury of Evreux, son of Amice's elder sister Mabel, not to the Clares.Depends on: The treaty Stopped by: No treaty
Places of note
- Tonbridge castle: Clare castle on the Medway
- Bletchingley castle: Clare castle in Surrey
Where the sources disagree
Evidence: Family and lands well known; his doings in 1199-1200 are thin.
On the map: Clare itself and the Suffolk fees are drawn by the emd researcher. Only the main Kent, Surrey and Essex holdings are drawn here.
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.