The honour created by Henry I for Nigel d'Aubigny out of forfeited lands, chiefly the Stuteville fee: in Yorkshire the Vale of Mowbray round Thirsk, Nidderdale round Kirkby Malzeard, and Burton in Lonsdale; outside it the Isle of Axholme and Melton Mowbray (emd records).
Henry II slighted the castles of Thirsk and Kirkby Malzeard after the 1173-74 rising. The Stutevilles claim the whole, and the claim is live.
Who he is
- Name
- William de Mowbray
- Title
- Lord of the Mowbray honour
- Since
- Livery in 1194 on paying his relief (his father Nigel died at Acre in 1191)
- Born
- About 1173, at Thirsk castle
- Family
- Son of Nigel de Mowbray and Mabel; grandson of Roger de Mowbray, the rebel of 1173-74. Wife Avice (contemporary records); sons Nigel and Roger.
- Confidence
- high
Wikipedia (William de Mowbray). He was one of the hostages for Richard's ransom (with Richard at Speyer, 20 November 1193).
Overlord
King John
What it holds
- Thirsk (borough; the castle slighted in 1176)
- Kirkby Malzeard and Nidderdale (castle slighted in 1176)
- Burton in Lonsdale castle
- Patronage of Byland Abbey and Newburgh Priory
- The Isle of Axholme and Epworth, Melton Mowbray and other lands outside Yorkshire (emd)
How it was acquired
Inheritance from Nigel d'Aubigny (died 1129), who took his mother's name of Mowbray in the next generation.
Allies and rivals
Rival: William de Stuteville, who sues for the barony as the heir of the Stutevilles dispossessed in 1106. Mowbray's debts from the ransom years weigh on him.
How things stand that morning
Holds his lands; the Stuteville suit is pending and Stuteville has the ear of the court.
Wealth
The Vale of Mowbray, Nidderdale's sheep and lead, Lonsdale.
Military
Burton in Lonsdale castle; Thirsk and Kirkby Malzeard are unfortified since 1176. No figures.
Threats
- The Stuteville claim
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.
- 1200 to 1201The Stuteville suit is pressed in the king's court and ends in a compromise in 1201, Mowbray ceding knights' fees to Stuteville (terms not checked).Depends on: Stuteville's influence with John Stopped by: Stuteville's death or a royal grant in Mowbray's favour
Places of note
- Thirsk: Caput (castle slighted 1176)
- Kirkby Malzeard: Castle slighted 1176
- Burton in Lonsdale castle: Motte and bailey
Where the sources disagree
Evidence: Wikipedia for the man; the 1201 settlement is from general histories (not re-read).
On the map: Main blocks only.
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.