The Marriages and Children of Guy de Beauchamp, 10th Earl of Warwick
Guy de Beauchamp (10th Earl of Warwick, “the Saxon”) was born about 1272 to William de Beauchamp, 1st Earl Beauchamp of Warwick, and Lady Maud Fitz-John, Countess of Warwick.
In 1301, he was one of seven barons who wrote a letter to the Pope rejecting his authority on the “Scottish question”. In 1310, he was appointed to the Council of Westminster by Parliament to advise on regulations to counter the influence of Piers Gaveston. The Earl directly participated in creating ordinances that banned Gaveston and, when the man returned in spite of them, had him beheaded at Blacklow Hill near Warwick, in 1312. Guy was pardoned in 1314 but died the following year, purportedly due to poisoning by Gaveston’s followers.
He married (1st) Isabella de Clare, daughter of Gilbert de Clare and his first wife. Some state this marriage was childless and annulled, but I found no support for this other than the records of his second marriage. He married (2nd) Alice de Toni (d. 1324/5, daughter of Ralph de Toni of Flamsted and widow of Sir William de Leyburn) by February 28, 1309, becoming the Countess of Warwick. They had at least a few children, but she is thought to not be the mother of all his children, as Guy is said to have had children by at least one, if not several, mistresses. Though these children may have been by his first wife and subsequently delegitimized for inheritance or political reasons.
Guy de Beauchamp’s known children include:
1. Thomas (see previous post).
2. John who was Standard Bearer at Cressy, Captain at Calais, and Admiral of the fleet. He was an original Knight of the Garter and summoned to Parliament as a baron in his own right but died without heirs.
3. Maud who married Geoffrey Lord Say.
4. Emma who married Rowland Odingsels.
5. Isabel who married John Clinton.
6. Elizabeth who married Sir Thomas Astley.
7. Lucia who married Robert de Napton.