Barons and castellans · Kingdom of England · as at first light, 1 January 1200

Ros

Walter Espec's inheritance: the castle of Helmsley in Ryedale with the patronage of Rievaulx and Kirkham, and the border castle of Wark on Tweed facing Scotland, given to the Ros family by Henry II.

Robert is the king of Scots' son-in-law and a go-between: in 1199 he went on a mission to William the Lion for John. Richard imprisoned and heavily fined him in 1196 after a French prisoner escaped from his castle of Bonneville in Normandy.

Who he is

Name
Robert de Ros
Title
Lord of Helmsley and of Wark on Tweed
Since
His father Everard de Ros died before 1184; in 1191, though under age, he paid a large fine to have his father's lands
Born
About 1170-1182 (Wikipedia gives both c. 1160 and c. 1182; under age in 1191)
Family
Son of Everard de Ros and Roese Trussebut (died 1194), from whom he has a third of the Trussebut lands. Married early in 1191 at Haddington to Isabella, illegitimate daughter of William the Lion and widow of Robert de Brus. His son William is a child.
Confidence
medium

Wikipedia (Robert de Ros (died 1227)).

Overlord

King John (and the king of Scots for Scottish lands)

What it holds

  • Helmsley castle and Ryedale manors
  • Wark on Tweed castle and its manors on the Tweed
  • A third of the Trussebut lands (Yorkshire and elsewhere)
  • Bonneville-sur-Touques in Normandy (hereditary castellan)
  • Patronage of Rievaulx Abbey and Kirkham Priory

How it was acquired

Inheritance from Walter Espec through his sister's line (Helmsley in 1158); Wark by Henry II's grant before 1189.

Allies and rivals

Son-in-law of William the Lion; neighbour of the Vescys (also married to a daughter of the Scots king).

How things stand that morning

Holds Helmsley and Wark. In John's favour after the mission of 1199.

Wealth

Ryedale, the Trussebut manors, the Tweed fisheries.

Military

Helmsley (stone castle building in this period) and Wark on Tweed (a frontier castle). No figures.

Threats

  • War with Scotland would put Wark in the front line

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.

  1. 22 November 1200William the Lion does homage to John at Lincoln; Ros, with Vescy, is among the go-betweens (not pinned).Depends on: The Scottish talks Stopped by: A Scottish invasion

Places of note

  • Helmsley castle: Caput
  • Wark on Tweed castle: Border castle

Where the sources disagree

Evidence: Wikipedia; birth date inconsistent in the article.

On the map: Main blocks; the Trussebut manors are not drawn.

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

  1. Wikipedia: Robert de Ros (died 1227)

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