Medieval Ireland. An Encyclopedia

VERDON, DE
In 1185, Bertram III de Verdon (d. 1194) was sent to
Ireland as seneschal of the Lord John. Bertram estab-
lished himself in Louth, and his service was rewarded
with the grant of the lordship of Dundalk in 1189. This
led to a reorientation of the family’s landed interests,
which had previously been concentrated in the English
midlands and Normandy. The de Verdons sought to
establish themselves within Anglo-Irish society
through marriage. For example, Thomas (d. 1199) mar-
ried his sister, Leselina, to Hugh de Lacy, endowing
them with half of his Irish lands. This did not lead to
cordial relations in the short term, as Nicholas (d. 1231)
sought to regain these lands, resulting in a period of
sustained conflict with Hugh. It was not until 1235,
when Rohesia (d. 1247) recovered part of the Dundalk
lands, that this dispute was settled.
The marriage of John de Verdon (d. 1274) to Margery
de Lacy may have been intended to smooth over
relations between the two families, but it also boosted
the de Verdon family within the social hierarchy. Fol-
lowing the failure of the de Lacys in the male line in
1241, John became lord of the western half of Meath
in Ireland and lord of Ewyas Lacy, in the Welsh March,
in right of his wife. The other half of the de Lacy
inheritance passed to Geoffrey de Geneville.
In 1266, John began his attempt to regain the full
judicial liberties once held by Walter in Meath. This
legal battle was continued by Theobald I (d. 1309), but
the de Verdons were unsuccessful, although this priv-
ilege had been granted to de Geneville. The failure to
secure these rights may have contributed to the reori-
entation of the main de Verdon line away from Ireland
and toward the Welsh March, where their franchise
remained wide. Nevertheless, de Verdon authority over
their tenants in Louth remained strong, such that Rob-
ert (a younger brother of Theobald II) was able to lead
much of the county in the still unexplained “de Verdon
rebellion” in 1312.
The Gaelic Revival may also have played a part in
the reorientation of the main de Verdon line. During
John’s absence on crusade in 1271, his sons Nicholas
and John were killed defending the family lands in
Louth. Another John, the eldest son of Theobald I, was
also killed by the Irish in 1297. Theobald II divided
his time between England and Ireland far less equally
than his immediate forbears, and he appointed his
younger brother Milo as chief guardian of his lands
and fees in Ireland in 1309. Arguably this did not
represent a lack of interest in Ireland, but rather a
sensible approach to the problem of cross–Irish Sea
land-holding in a period of political uncertainty.
Theobald de Verdon had no sons. His lands were
divided between his widow, Elizabeth de Clare (d. 1360),

and his four daughters. The final partition was

effected in 1332, custody of the lands in the interim

being granted to Theobald’s brothers, Milo and

Nicholas, who actively defended them during the

Bruce invasion. The absentee de Verdon co-heirs

eventually sold their lands in Ireland between 1366

and around 1378.

BETH HARTLAND

References and Further Reading

Hagger, Mark S.The Fortunes of a Norman Family: The De

Ve rduns in England, Ireland and Wales, 1066–1316.Dublin:

2001.

Hartland, Beth. “Vaucouleurs, Ludlow and Trim: The Role of

Ireland in the Career of Geoffrey de Geneville (c. 1226–1314).”

Irish Historical Studies 33 (2001): 457–477.

Otway-Ruthven, A. J. “The Partition of the de Verdon Lands in

Ireland in 1332.” Proceedings of the Royal Irish Academy,

66C (1968): 401–455.

Smith, Brendan. Colonization and Conquest in Medieval

Ireland: The English in Louth 1170–1330. Cambridge:

1999.

See alsoAnglo-Norman Invasion; Bruce, Edward;

Clare, de; Courcy, John de; Gaelic Revival;

Geneville, Geoffrey de; Lacy, de; Lacy, Hugh de;

March Areas; Mide (Meath); Mortimer; Pale;

Plunkett; Trim

VIKING INCURSIONS

Viking incursions are first recorded in Ireland in A.D.

795. The earliest targets were churches and communi-
     ties located on islands or near the coast. While surprise
     was an essential feature of these early hit-and-run

Viking settlements.

MUNSTER

Cork

Youghal

Waterford

LAÍGIN Acklow

Wexford

Lough Fee

CONNACHT

AIRGIALLA

ULAÍD

Lough Foyle

Dublin

Clacdulker

SOUTHERN

UÍNÉILL

NORTHERN

UÍNÉILL

Annagassan

Cartigford

Strangford

Lough

Néigh

Leiylip

Limerick

VERDON, DE