The Mortimers of Wigmore

Ambitious and powerful, the Mortimers bestrode the medieval stage. Inextricably linked with the great events of their time, their story is the tale of a turbulent England racked with dissension, rebellion and open warfare at home and abroad. Following the Conqueror they came from Normandy establishing their power base on the Welsh border. As Earls of March they played a major part in the story of England and it was a direct descendant of the Mortimers who became King Edward IV in 1461.

As the Normans moved into Wales they established control of much of the southern and eastern parts of the country, pushing the native Welsh ever further north and west. The Welsh March controlled by the Normans extended from Chester in the north, through Shropshire, and Herefordshire to Chepstow in Monmouthshire, then across South Wales to Pembrokeshire. It was an area over which Norman lords and Welsh princes fought for control and the English king exercised no authority.

Did you know?
In the Wars of the Roses, the Yorkists main claim to the throne was through their
Mortimer ancestry  ☛ ☛

A Brief Introduction
These short articles introduce some of the main themes of the story of the Mortimers.
1.  Where did they come from?  ☛☛
2.  The Welsh Marcher Lordships  ☛☛
3.  Twin castles: Wigmore and Ludlow  ☛☛
4.  Their Rise to National Prominence   ☛☛
5.  Roger Mortimer and Queen Isabella  ☛☛
6.  The Mortimer Earls of March  ☛☛
7.  The Last Mortimer of Wigmore  ☛☛
Learn more about the Mortimers
These longer articles tell the fascinating Mortimer story in more detail.
1.  Their Origins and Connections in Normandy  ☛☛
2.  The first two Mortimers of Wigmore  ☛☛
3.  The Years 1181 to 1246 – Trouble with the Welsh  ☛☛
4.  Roger Mortimer (d1282) – Slayer of Simon de Montfort  ☛☛
5.  Dissimilar brothers – Edmund  Mortimer and Roger of Chirk  ☛☛
6.  Roger Mortimer,  1st Earl of March – The Greatest Traitor?  ☛☛
7.  The 2nd Earl and the Rehabilitation of the Mortimers  ☛☛
8.  The fateful Royal Marriage of the 3rd Earl   ☛☛
9.  The 4th Earl -Potential Heir to the Throne? ☛☛
10.  Sir Edmund Mortimer (d1409) – Bitter Enemy of Henry IV ☛☛
11.  The 5th and last Mortimer Earl of March (d1425)  ☛☛