Thomas of Brotherton - 1st Earl of Norfolk

Thomas of Brotherton, 1st Earl of Norfolk and Earl Marshal of England, was the 5th son of King Edward I of England and the eldest child of his second wife, Margaret of France, daughter of King Philip III. He was the brother of Edmund of Woodstock, 1st Earl of Kent, and a half-brother to Edward of Caernarfon, future King Edward II.

 

Thomas Brotherton was born on June 1st, 1300, at a manor house in Brotherton, Yorkshire, England. His mother, Margaret, was traveling to Cawood, where she planned to give birth. While staying at Pontefract Castle following a hunt, she started to go into labor and was taken to the manor house in Brotherton. It was a difficult labor, so she prayed to Thomas Becket, as was custom then. Thus, he was named Thomas of Brotherton after Saint Thomas and his place of birth.

King Edward I presented Queen Margaret and newborn Thomas with two cradles. His brother Edmond of Woodstock was born the following year. Thomas and Edmond were overseen by wet nurses until the age of six and were visited by nobles and their sister Mary of Woodstock, who was a nun, as Margaret was often with Edward I on campaigns in Scotland.

On July 7th, 1307, King Edward I died while encamped at Burgh by Sands in Cumbria near the border with Scotland. Edward of Caernarfon succeeded him as King of England, being crowned Edward II in 1308. Thomas was then heir presumptive to the crown as Edward I's second surviving son, until Edward II had a son of his own.

The title of Earl of Cornwall should have been given to Thomas, but instead, his half-brother, King Edward II, gave that title to one of his favorites, Piers Gaveston. When Thomas was ten, King Edward II granted Thomas and his brother Edmond the estates of Roger Bigod, 5th Earl of Norfolk, who had died without an heir in 1306. Part of those estates included Framlingham Castle in Suffolk.

In 1312, Edward II created Thomas the 1st Earl of Norfolk (third creation) and appointed him Earl Marshal of England on February 10th, 1316. Thomas was one of many victims of Edward II's new favorites, Hugh Despenser the Younger and his father, Hugh Despenser the Elder, who stole some land from Thomas.

Sometime before January 8th, 1326, Thomas of Brotherton married Alice de Hales, daughter of Sir Roger de Hales. They had three children together: Margaret, Edward, and Alice.

In 1326, Queen Isabella (Edward II's wife) and Roger Mortimer invaded England from France and seized power from Edward II, and Thomas allied himself with them. He was one of the nobles who brought about the deposition of Edward II. Thomas also stood as one of the judges against the Despensers when they were sentenced to death. Edward II was forced to abdicate, and Edward's son became King Edward III.

Thomas became one of Edward III's principal advisors. On July 19th, 1333, as Lord Marshal, Thomas commanded the right wing of the English army under Edward III at the Battle of Haildon Hill, near Berwick upon Tweed, who heavily defeated the Scottish army led by Archibald Douglas.

Sometime before April 4th, 1336, Thomas married Mary de Brewes after his first wife Alice had died by October 1330.

On August 4th, 1338, Thomas of Brotherton died at Framlingham Castle and was buried in the choir of Bury St Edmunds Abbey. Having no surviving sons, he was succeeded by his daughter Margaret as Countess of Norfolk.