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Brian Fitz Count

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308:, they failed to take the fortification and had to retreat as it had been reinforced by Brian. Wallingford Castle under Brian fitz Count was considered impregnable, not just because of the fortifications but also due to the large body of fighting men he had gathered together. His castle of Wallingford was the easternmost point of the Angevin defences in the Thames valley and it held off King Stephen's forces for over thirteen years. Empress Matilda's nighttime escape from the siege of Oxford was to the safety of Wallingford Castle. 27: 339:
Henry's patronage of Brian fitz Count, the illegitimate son of his brother-in-law Alan Fergent, could be seen as patronage to a nephew and his presence at court could be the result of having been sent there either out of friendship or a family relationship. Regardless, Brian fitz Count proved to be a
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wrote of Brian: "Brian, a man of intelligence and education, was one of the better types of baron of the anarchy, a type more numerous perhaps than is usually supposed, whose honest purpose is lost sight of at a time when the majority of the class was making the very name of baron a byword for
581: 270: 189:, Henry I's illegitimate son, and the two remained longstanding allies. In 1127 Brian and Robert were chosen by Henry to accompany his daughter, 586: 601: 198: 591: 319:
and died in the 1150s. As they had no heirs, their lands and castles in England and Wales reverted to the Crown early in the reign of
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faithlessness, cruelty and lawlessness". See: K.S.B. Keats-Rohan, 'The Devolution of the Honour of Wallingford, 1066–1148',
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loyal and valuable adherent to Henry I. See: Charlotte A. Newman, 'Family and Royal Favor in Henry I's England',
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in swearing for Matilda in 1138, Brian only swore his support for Empress Matilda upon her arrival in England at
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Grosmont Castle and the families of Fitz Osbern, Ballon, Fitz Count, Burgh, Braose and Plantagenet of Grosmont
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He supported Empress Matilda against King Stephen from 1139 on. Unlike the other Marcher Lords that followed
59: 527: 258: 232: 224: 130:) was descended from the Breton ducal house, and became an Anglo-Norman noble, holding the lordships of 182: 320: 305: 266: 242: 217: 178: 139: 550: 522: 353: 216:, Brian was reputedly concerned with the resurgence of Welsh hostility following the death of 84: 254: 262: 194: 190: 154: 143: 532: 399: 286: 526: 570: 448: 250: 228: 290: 209: 185:
in 1106 and elsewhere, winning the king's favour. Brian became a close friend of
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notes that Brian was a man of "distinguished birth and splendid position". As a
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Brian would go on to become one of the most notable knights to have sided with
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faction. As a result, he is consistently mentioned in contemporary sources.
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English Baronies: a study of their origin and descent, 1086-1327
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King, Edmund. (2004). Oxford Dictionary of National Biography.
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When Brian died is unknown. After his death, Matilda became a
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by marriage, and his extensive estates in the counties of
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H. W. C. Davis, 'Henry of Blois and Brian Fitz-Count',
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The Devolution of the Honour of Wallingford, 1066–1148.
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in 1139. Although Stephen's forces repeatedly besieged
344:, Vol. 14, no. 3/4 (Autumn 1982), p. 301 & n. 27 265:, but by what right is uncertain. He gave this to 51:. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. 438:. London: Thomas Nelson and Sons Ltd, 1955. p.60 177:. He was sent to be raised at the court of King 142:, and a staunch supporter of his daughter, the 470:(Hambledon and London, London, 2002), pp. 96-7 541:. Vol. 1. London: Smith, Elder & Co. 8: 197:during the negotiations for her marriage to 169:Brian fitz Count was an illegitimate son of 422:(Hambledon and London, London, 2002), p. 97 508:(The Clarendon Press, Oxford, 1963), p. 93 402:, 'Henry of Blois and Brian Fitz-Count', 271:Miles de Gloucester, 1st Earl of Hereford 111:Learn how and when to remove this message 382: 380: 378: 374: 332: 483:, Vol. 25, No. 98 (Apr., 1910), p. 299 414: 412: 406:, Vol. 25, No. 98 (Apr., 1910), p. 298 273:about 1141. Brian held the honour of 7: 582:People from Wallingford, Oxfordshire 199:Geoffrey Plantagenet, Count of Anjou 49:adding citations to reliable sources 436:Gesta Stephani The Deeds of Stephen 223:Brian married an English heiress, 14: 538:Dictionary of National Biography 25: 231:, and through her obtained the 173:, and thus the half-brother of 36:needs additional citations for 187:Robert, 1st Earl of Gloucester 181:. He served Henry well at the 1: 587:12th-century English nobility 481:The English Historical Review 404:The English Historical Review 235: 138:. He was a loyal adherent of 602:Feudal barons of Abergavenny 241:. Brian also inherited the 175:Conan III, Duke of Brittany 618: 592:12th-century Breton people 493:The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle 171:Alan IV, Duke of Brittany 528:"Fitzcount, Brian"  140:Henry I, King of England 361:Vol. 54 (1989), p. 315. 577:Anglo-Normans in Wales 457:Vol. 54 (1989), p. 315 212:through the Barony of 597:People of The Anarchy 447:K.S.B. Keats-Rohan, ' 386:C. Warren Hollister, 233:Honour of Wallingford 16:Anglo-Norman nobleman 298:Robert of Gloucester 183:Battle of Tinchebray 128:Brian of Wallingford 45:improve this article 321:Henry II of England 306:Wallingford Castle 267:Walter de Hereford 179:Henry I of England 60:"Brian Fitz Count" 434:Potter, K.R. ed. 121: 120: 113: 95: 609: 542: 530: 523:Round, J. Horace 509: 502: 496: 490: 484: 477: 471: 466:Donald Matthew, 464: 458: 445: 439: 432: 423: 418:Donald Matthew, 416: 407: 397: 391: 384: 362: 351: 345: 337: 255:Hamelin de Balun 253:from his uncle, 240: 237: 124:Brian fitz Count 116: 109: 105: 102: 96: 94: 53: 29: 21: 617: 616: 612: 611: 610: 608: 607: 606: 567: 566: 545:Remfry, P. M., 533:Stephen, Leslie 521: 518: 516:Further reading 513: 512: 503: 499: 491: 487: 478: 474: 465: 461: 446: 442: 433: 426: 417: 410: 398: 394: 385: 376: 371: 366: 365: 352: 348: 338: 334: 329: 263:Grosmont Castle 257:. He held the 238: 191:Empress Matilda 167: 155:Empress Matilda 144:Empress Matilda 117: 106: 100: 97: 54: 52: 42: 30: 17: 12: 11: 5: 615: 613: 605: 604: 599: 594: 589: 584: 579: 569: 568: 565: 564: 558: 543: 517: 514: 511: 510: 504:I.J. Sanders, 497: 485: 472: 459: 440: 424: 408: 400:H. W. C. Davis 392: 373: 372: 370: 367: 364: 363: 346: 331: 330: 328: 325: 245:and Barony of 225:Matilda D'Oyly 206:Gesta Stephani 166: 163: 119: 118: 33: 31: 24: 15: 13: 10: 9: 6: 4: 3: 2: 614: 603: 600: 598: 595: 593: 590: 588: 585: 583: 580: 578: 575: 574: 572: 562: 559: 556: 555:1-899376-56-9 552: 548: 544: 540: 539: 534: 529: 524: 520: 519: 515: 507: 501: 498: 494: 489: 486: 482: 476: 473: 469: 463: 460: 456: 455: 450: 444: 441: 437: 431: 429: 425: 421: 415: 413: 409: 405: 401: 396: 393: 389: 383: 381: 379: 375: 368: 360: 355: 350: 347: 343: 336: 333: 326: 324: 322: 318: 314: 309: 307: 303: 299: 294: 292: 288: 285:ran from the 284: 280: 276: 272: 269:, the son of 268: 264: 260: 256: 252: 251:Welsh Marches 248: 244: 234: 230: 229:Miles Crispin 226: 221: 219: 215: 211: 207: 202: 200: 196: 192: 188: 184: 180: 176: 172: 164: 162: 160: 156: 151: 150:(1135–1153). 149: 145: 141: 137: 133: 129: 125: 115: 112: 104: 93: 90: 86: 83: 79: 76: 72: 69: 65: 62: –  61: 57: 56:Find sources: 50: 46: 40: 39: 34:This article 32: 28: 23: 22: 19: 546: 536: 505: 500: 492: 488: 480: 475: 468:King Stephen 467: 462: 452: 443: 435: 420:King Stephen 419: 403: 395: 387: 358: 349: 341: 335: 310: 295: 222: 210:Marcher Lord 205: 203: 168: 152: 127: 123: 122: 107: 101:January 2023 98: 88: 81: 74: 67: 55: 43:Please help 38:verification 35: 18: 275:Wallingford 247:Abergavenny 239: 1127 227:, widow of 214:Abergavenny 148:the Anarchy 136:Abergavenny 132:Wallingford 571:Categories 454:Oxoniensia 369:References 359:Oxoniensia 354:A.L. Poole 71:newspapers 287:Chilterns 283:Wiltshire 279:Berkshire 146:, during 525:(1885). 157:and the 535:(ed.). 388:Henry I 302:Arundel 289:to the 249:in the 218:Henry I 159:Angevin 85:scholar 553:  342:Albion 291:Thames 259:honour 243:castle 126:(also 87:  80:  73:  66:  58:  531:. In 327:Notes 195:Anjou 193:, to 92:JSTOR 78:books 551:ISBN 281:and 204:The 165:Life 134:and 64:news 317:Bec 315:at 313:nun 261:of 47:by 573:: 451:' 427:^ 411:^ 377:^ 323:. 293:. 236:c. 220:. 201:. 563:. 557:) 549:( 114:) 108:( 103:) 99:( 89:· 82:· 75:· 68:· 41:.

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"Brian Fitz Count"
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Wallingford
Abergavenny
Henry I, King of England
Empress Matilda
the Anarchy
Empress Matilda
Angevin
Alan IV, Duke of Brittany
Conan III, Duke of Brittany
Henry I of England
Battle of Tinchebray
Robert, 1st Earl of Gloucester
Empress Matilda
Anjou
Geoffrey Plantagenet, Count of Anjou
Marcher Lord
Abergavenny
Henry I
Matilda D'Oyly

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