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The Death of Patrick of Salisbury and the Rise of William Marshal

By Katarzyna Ogrodnik-Fujcik

‘When the Marshal saw the blow delivered that killed his uncle, he almost went out of his mind in his grief, because he was unable to reach in good time the man who had killed him; he would have gladly avenged his death. He did not wait until he was fully armed. With only his hauberk on, but otherwise unarmed, he launched himself into a violent attack. With the lance he held in his hand he went to engage the first of them and knocked him off his horse. He was bent on exacting violent revenge; never was a starving lion so savage towards its prey…’ ~ from The History of William Marshal

27th March 1168 must have been one of the darkest days of William Marshal’s life. On this day his maternal uncle, Patrick, Earl of Salisbury, was killed in an ambush in Poitou, under William’s own eyes. William himself, who fought hard to avenge him, received a bad wound in his thigh and was taken captive with little prospect of winning his freedom. The killing of Earl Patrick was by far the most shocking incident of the 1168 revolt. In the long run, however, the day’s events turned out to be fortunate for his nephew. They were to be the first step towards William’s brilliant career.

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Tomb effigy of William Marshal, Temple Church, London. Photo courtesy of Adam Kucharczyk

Earl Patrick was Henry II’s staunch supporter and one of few king’s men of Anglo-Norman origin to hold a post in the lands of Queen Eleanor. The king named him commander of his military forces in Aquitaine, assistant to the queen. In this he was given priority over Theobald Chabot, lord of Vouvent and the Poitevin constable of Aquitaine.

Probably in late 1167 Patrick was approached by his nephew, Wiliam Marshal., who was the son of his sister Sybil and John Marshal. As the fourth son he did not inherit any family lands and thus was forced to make his living in other way. He sought fortune in the service of his influential uncle. If we are to believe The History of William Marshal:

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… the earl gave him a joyful welcome, and since the Marshal was a good and worthy knight (and his sister’s son) he gave him an honoured place in his household.

Probable depiction of Eleanor of Aquitaine in Fécamp Psalter [also known as The Psalter of Eleanor of Aquitaine], c. 1185. Source: Wikimedia Commons
When the alarming news of a revolt in Poitou reached England both Patrick and William crossed into France with the king. Just after Easter 1168 the earl was entrusted with safeguarding Queen Eleanor. On 27 March, together with his twenty-one-year-old nephew and a small force, he was escorting the queen from castle to castle. They were not fully armed, and only William wore his hauberk. Then they were surprised by Geoffrey and Guy de Lusignan, the leaders of the revolt. These brothers ambushed the Earl’s party, and whereas the queen managed to reach the safety of a nearby castle, the unarmed Patrick was struck down from behind and died on the spot, under his nephew’s eyes.

Thanks to The History of William Marshal we get a glimpse of the pandemonium that followed. Actions of enraged William were described in vivid detail. Although his situation was hopeless he managed to inflict heavy losses on his enemies (or so the author of The History claimed) before his horse was cut down. Still, he continued to fight his enemies, with the hedge behind his back. The author of The History added that William would have stood his ground and would not have been seized, had it not been for this “outrageous act”: he was surprised from behind by a knight who jumped over the hedge and pierced his thigh with a lance.

St. Hilary Church, Poitiers, the resting place of Earl Patrick of Salisbury. Photo courtesy of Igor Rosa

To William, the landless knight, the situation must have seemed hopeless. We do not know how long precisely his captivity lasted. It must have been a few months, but his captors made it as uncomfortable for him as possible. His wound did not receive proper treatment and he himself was carried around with them wherever they went. The History of William Marshal relates:

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They kept him endlessly on the move, night and day, never giving him a chance to rest: he was in the clutches of wicked men indeed.

From those clutches he was rescued by Queen Eleanor herself. Either she saw a great promise in him, or he won her admiration with his brave though hopeless attempt to avenge his uncle. Whatever her reasons, she decided that the Marshal was a good bet, worth spending money on. Not only did she pay the ransom but also showered gifts of money, horses and arms on him upon his release. Moreover she endowed an anniversary mass to be said annually “for the soul of Earl Patrick who died in our service” at the church of Saint-Hilaire, Poitiers, where William’s uncle was laid to rest.

Two years after the described events, in 1170 William was appointed tutor in arms to her eldest surviving son, Henry, newly crowned and since the day of his coronation called ‘the Young King’. After the latter’s untimely passing in 1183 Marshal was to serve Henry II, Richard the Lionheart, John and Henry III, respectively, his unswerving loyalty to the House of Anjou becoming his hallmark. The death of an uncle, tragic as it must have been, gave a jolt to a nephew’s good fortunes. His rise was to be spectacular, from a landless knight to one of the most powerful magnates of the realm and regent for the king.

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Ruins of Château de Lusignan today. Source: Wikimedia Commons

The de Lusignan brothers persisted in claiming that they had never given an order to kill Earl Patrick. William thought otherwise and found it impossible to forgive them. Judging by what the author of The History says he might have forgiven Geoffrey, though Guy was banished by king Henry and went to the Holy Land. He was to go down in history as the King of Jerusalem and loser of the Battle of Hattin. Geoffrey too was banished, but later entered the Young King’s household and served him, quite ironically, together with William Marshal. He claimed that he was innocent of Earl Patrick’s death. If we are to believe The History in 1183 he rushed to Marshal defence and spoke for him after William and the Young King fell out:

I’m ready to do combat and quash this treacherous chargé against the worthiest man in the world! God confound these traitors of yours! I know the Marshal was never base or false. Though truly, he feels no love towards me, for he suspects me of a wrong of which I’m innocent: I never killed his uncle. ~ from The History of William Marshal

Katarzyna Ogrodnik-Fujcik is a teacher, amateur historian and freelance writer. She works with different magazines and websites on Polish and European history. She runs a blog dedicated to Henry the Young King.

Top Image: Château de Lusignan as depicted in The Very Rich Hours of the Duke of Berry, 15th century – Wikimedia Commons

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