The Wife of the 2nd Chief Butler of Ireland was one of the Most Powerful Women in the 13th Century and the First Woman to Build a Castle in Ireland
Family Background:
Roesia de Verdun (Rohese, Rose, c1204-1247) was the only daughter and heir of Nicholas de Verdun (c1169-1231) and Clementia le Boteler. Her grandfather, Bertram de Verdun (c1137-1192), was a trusted lieutenant to both Henry the II and John, King of England.
Roesia’s inheritance included substantial lands in the counties of Staffordshire, Warwickshire, Lincolnshire, Leicestershire, and Buckinghamshire England. It also included the town charter of Dundalk in County Louth Ireland.
Marriage to Theobald Le Botiller (Butler):
Theobald le Botiller (1200-1230), the 2nd Chief Butler of Ireland, was the owner of several large land grants in Leinster that he received for his service to William Marshall II. He was also a widower with a son, also named Theobald (1224-1248), that was in line to inherit his hereditary title and lands.
In 1225, ready to marry again, the 2nd Chief set his sights on Roesia Verdun. Apparently, Roesia wasn’t very smitten with Theobald. King Henry III had to intervene and personally request that she marry his “beloved Theobald le Botiller.” This must have been a request Roesia couldn’t refuse, because they married a short time later.
Children:
Historical records show that Theobald and Roesia had at least two children together:
- Matilda (‘Maud’) de Verdun (1225-1283)
- John de Verdun (1226-before 1274)
Because the 2nd Chief Butler’s son with his first wife was his legal heir, his children with Roesia weren’t able to inherit his lands. They were, however, able to inherit her lands. To ensure their inheritance, they adopted her surname of de Verdun.
Death of the 2nd Chief Butler:
In the year 1230, the 2nd Chief Butler was summoned “with horses and arms” to attend King Henry III during the English invasion of France. Because the Butler family fortune was due to, and dependent on, its relationship with the crown, the 2nd Chief Butler dutifully answered the call. He died in Poitou, France a short time afterwards at approximately 30 years of age. After his death, Roesia became a femme sole, a woman no longer under the stewardship of a man.
Later Life & Legacy:
Following her father’s death in 1231, Roesia applied for seisin (ownership) of her inheritance which was granted in 1233. This inheritance left her in no hurry to find a new husband. In fact, she even paid a fine to ensure that she wouldn’t have to marry again!
In an exercise of her newfound independence and power, Roesia decided to build a castle to defend her Irish lands. Castle Roche, Norman for ‘castle on the rock’, stood approximately seven miles northwest of Dundalk and was the first castle in Ireland built by a woman. Its remains are still visible today.
During the building of the castle, two stories emerged that cemented Roesia’s reputation as one of the most formidable women of the 13th century. In one story, Roesia allegedly threw a mason out of a window to his death so he couldn’t repeat the castle’s design. In another story, she’s said to have led a group of men on horseback into battle against her enemies, the O’Hanlons.
In addition to her fierce drive and determination, Roesia was also extremely pious. She founded the Augustinian Grace Dieu priory in Leicestershire England around the year 1240 and was a nun from 1242 until her death in 1247.
Primary Sources:
- M.S. Hagger, The Fortunes of a Norman Family: the de Verduns in England, Ireland & Wales, 1066-1316 (Four Courts Press, 2001).
- Finn, C.,Through Her Eyes: A New History of Ireland in 21 Women (Gill Books, 2019).
- “House of Augustinian nuns: The priory of Grace Dieu”, A History of the County of Leicestershire: Volume 2 (1954), pp. 27-28.
- Image 1: (Castle Roche): By Hazazzy – Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0.
