The northern block of the Warenne earldom, whose heart is in Sussex (Lewes), Surrey (Reigate) and Norfolk (Castle Acre): the soke of Conisbrough in the lower Don valley, where Hamelin has built the great round keep of Conisbrough, and the huge manor of Wakefield, which runs up the Calder valley from Wakefield and Sandal to Halifax and the Lancashire border.
Hatfield Chase is their hunting ground.
Who he is
- Name
- Hamelin de Warenne (Hamelin of Anjou) and Countess Isabel de Warenne
- Title
- Earl of Surrey (earl Warenne) by right of his wife
- Since
- 1164, by his marriage to Isabel, heiress of the Warennes
- Born
- Hamelin about 1130 (he is about 70); Isabel about 1137
- Family
- Hamelin is the illegitimate half-brother of Henry II, so John's uncle. Isabel is the daughter of William III de Warenne and widow of King Stephen's son William. Their son William de Warenne (born about 1166) is the heir; a daughter, Maud, is the mother of Countess Alice of Eu.
- Confidence
- high
General histories; Hamelin dies 7 May 1202 and Isabel in 1203.
Overlord
King John
What it holds
- Conisbrough castle and its soke of townships in the lower Don valley
- The manor of Wakefield with Sandal castle, Halifax, Sowerby, Hipperholme and the upper Calder
- Hatfield, Thorne and the chase of Hatfield
- The rest of the earldom outside this area (ese and emd records)
How it was acquired
Warenne inheritance since the Conquest (Conisbrough) and the early twelfth century (Wakefield); Hamelin by marriage, 1164.
Allies and rivals
The king's uncle; loyal to Henry II, Richard and John. Neighbours: Roger de Lacy (Pontefract), the Lovetot heiress (Hallamshire), the royal honour of Tickhill.
How things stand that morning
Held. Hamelin is old; his son William is active in the king's service.
Wealth
The Don and Calder valleys, the Wakefield manor courts, the forest and chase.
Military
Conisbrough castle (the cylindrical keep of the 1180s) and Sandal castle (earth and timber then). No figures.
Threats
- Hamelin's age: he dies on 7 May 1202
Places of note
- Conisbrough castle: Hamelin's keep
- Sandal castle: Castle of the manor of Wakefield
Where the sources disagree
Evidence: The family and the castles are well known; the Wakefield manor's extent in 1200 is drawn from later court rolls.
On the map: Blocks around the castles; the manor of Wakefield is drawn along the Calder.
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.