Everything about Walter Fitz Gilbert Of Cadzow totally explained
Sir Walter fitz Gilbert of Cadzow, 1st Laird of
Cadzow (d. c.
1346) was a
Scottish nobleman. The son of
Gilbert fitz William of Hameldone, and an unknown wife, possibly Isabelle Randolph. He is the first historically confirmed progenitor of the
House of Hamilton, which includes the
Dukes of Hamilton,
Dukes of Abercorn and
Earls of Haddington.
Umfraville or Beaumont?
There is some confusion as to the ancestry of his grandfather
William de Hameldone, who could, it has been argued, be descended from the Umfraville family of
Northumberland, or the Beaumont
Earls of Leicester. Both assertions are based on armorial evidence (both families used
Cinquefoils in their arms), and references to various Hamilton place-names in Northumberland and
Leicestershire. The Leicester connection is considered more likely as
Robert de Beaumont, 3rd Earl of Leicester is known to have had a son William.
Documentary evidence
Walter fitz Gilbert first appears as a witness to a charter of
James Stewart, 5th High Steward of Scotland granting land to the monks of
Paisley Abbey in 1294, and also later in the year in another granting land to the same establishment by Sir Herbert Maxwell. The other signatories were all minor landowners in
Renfrewshire.
Fitz Gilbert was present at
Berwick Castle to sign the
Ragman Roll, alongside the majority of other Scots Nobility, at the behest of
Edward I of England. He is styled on that document as "Walter fiz Gilbert de Hameldone".
Wars of Scottish Independence
During the risings of
William Wallace, and later
Robert the Bruce, Walter fitz Gilbert remained loyal to the English party, holding lands in
Fife of King Edward. By 1314 he was constable of
Bothwell Castle in
South Lanarkshire. Following the defeat of
Edward II of England at the
Battle of Bannockburn, numerous fleeing English noblemen sought refuge there, including the
Earl of Hertford. A detachment of the Scots army, under King Robert's brother
Edward Bruce arrived at Bothwell and demanded that the castle and its occupants yield, Fitz Gilbert complied and surrendered the castle and left Hertford and his retinue to their fate.
Later life
Joining the Bruce party, Walter fitz Gilbert was granted lands of
Dalserf, previously owned by the
Comyn faction, and was later rewarded with the barony of
Cadzow and
Cadzow Castle on the banks of the
Clyde. He was a Justice of
Lanark in 1321, and was
knighted the following year. In 1323 he wa granted the lands of
Kinneil,
Lambert and
Auldcathy in present day West Lothian, and
Kirkcowan in
Wigtownshire.
Walter fitz Gilbert was present at the
Battle of Halidon Hill in 1333, fighting in the division of the High Steward, (later
Robert II of Scotland), but is thought to have escaped the carnage there. There is little else heard of him. He died prior to 1346, when his son David fought at the
Battle of Neville's Cross as Laird of Cadzow.
Marriage and Issue
Walter fitz Gilbert married Mary Gordon, daughter of Sir Adam Gordon of that Ilk, ancestor of the
Earls of Huntly.By her he'd two sons:
Further Information
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