House of Mowbray
The house consists of two Mowbray Norman noble families who held possession formed after the Norman Conquest of England of Geoffroy de Montbray, Bishop of Coutances.
Family History
Geoffroy de Montbray had accompanied William the Conqueror in his campaign for the crown of England and had been rewarded for his support with about 280 goods. His nephew Robert de Montbray was appointed Earl of Northumbria, but this item lost due to his rebellion against William II, and then disappeared ( depending on the source ) in prison or in a monastery.
Roberts marriage to Matilda de L' Aigle was canceled, she married in 1107 after her second husband Nigel d' Aubigny, who then received the goods the Montbrays. Nigel could be divorced in 1118 and married Matilda de Gournay Gundred who was the mother of his son. This, Roger d' Aubigny took, at the behest of Henry I. the name of Montbray after he inherits from his father. This second Montbray family is therefore the first Montbray family not related by blood, was only in possession of the goods. Over time, the name Montbray smoothening to Mowbray.
William Mowbray († 1222 ) was one of the 25 barons who signed the Magna Carta. John Mowbray († 1379 ) was appointed in 1377 to the Earl of Nottingham, his brother Thomas († 1399 ) in 1383 for Lord Marshal of England ( from 1397 Earl Marshal ) and in 1397 the Duke of Norfolk. As Earl Marshal he was deposed in 1398, when Duke then 1399 with the accession of Henry IV. During the same year he inherited from his maternal grandmother parallel the existing title of Earl of Norfolk, whom he could pass on to his descendants. 1412 the Earl Marshal was returned as hereditary dignity to John Mowbray, 1425 the title of duke was restored. His grandson John († 1476 ) was the last Duke of Norfolk of the family, his daughter Anne Mowbray, 8th Countess of Norfolk ( † 1481 ) in 1478 as a 5 -year-old with a few months younger Richard of Shrewsbury, 1st Duke of York (and then from 1481 also Duke of Norfolk ) married, second son of King England, considered one of the two princes in the Tower disappeared in 1483.
By the death of Richard's legacy was passed on to John Howard, whose mother was a Mowbray. As John Howard was in charge of the night, in which the prince disappeared from the Tower, with the watch, he is seen as one of those who had an interest in her death.