William le Gros, 1st Earl of Albemarle

William the thickness ( † July 20, 1179 ) was the last French Count of Aumale from the house of Blois and the first English Earl of Albemarle; at the same time he was under King Stephen of England, the last Earl of York. He was a son of Count Stephen of Aumale and Hedwig.

1138 William was one of the leaders of the English army in the standards battle against the Scots. His castle in Scarborough was razed by the English King Henry II, because it was built during the reign of his predecessor Stephan without permission. During the uprising, the king's son Henry the Younger in 1173 William remained loyal to King Henry II and defended for this Normandy. He was, however, captured by the June 29, 1173 of the attacking Count Philip of Flanders. After his death he was buried in the Abbey of Thornton.

William married Cecily FitzDuncan, † before 1190, daughter of William FitzDuncan, Earl of Moray and the illegitimate son of the Scottish king Duncan II; the couple had one daughter:

  • Havide († March 11, 1214 ); ∞ I) January 14, 1180 William de Mandeville, 3rd Earl of Essex († November 14, 1189 ); ∞ II ) to July 2, 1190 of Fort William († 1195); ∞ III) Baudouin de Béthune, Lord of Chocques († October 13, 1211 )
Stephen, King of England Scarborough, North Yorkshire Henry II of England Philip I, Count of Flanders Duncan II of Scotland
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