From Wikipedia, the free encyclopediaMaud le Vavasour, Baroness Butler (24 June 1176- before 1226) was an Anglo-Norman heiress and the wife of Fulk FitzWarin,[1] a medieval landed gentlemanwho was forced to become an outlaw in the early 13th century. The legend ofRobin Hood is allegedly based on him.By her first marriage to Theobald Walter, 1st Baron Butler, Maud was the ancestress of the Butler Earls of Ormond.FamilyMaud le Vavasour was born on 24 June 1176 in Yorkshire, England to Robert le Vavasour, High Sheriff of Lancashire (1150- 1234), and his first wife Juliana de Ros. She had a brother Sir John le Vavasour who married Alice Cockfield, by whom he had issue. Maud’s paternal grandparents were William le Vavasour, Lord of Hazelwood, and Justiciar of England, and Matilda Perry. Her maternal grandparents were Gilbert de Ros and Matilda de Cauz.Maud was heiress to the properties of Edlington and Newborough in Yorkshire.Marriages and childrenIn 1189, Maud married her first husband Theobald Walter, 1st Baron Butler (died February 1206), son of Hervey Walter and Maud de Valoignes, and went to live in Ireland. His brother Hubert Walter was Archbishop of Canterbury. In 1185, Theobald had been given land by Prince John, who was then Lord of Ireland. He was appointed Butler of Ireland in 1192,[2] and High Sheriff of Lancashire in 1194.Theobald and Maud had three children:

1. Maud le Botiller ( also known as Maud Walter) (1192- before 1240), married as his first wife Sir Gerald de Prendergast by whom she had issue, including Marie de Prendergast, who in her turn married Sir John de Cogan and had issue.
2. Beatrice le Botiller
3. Theobald le Botiller, chief Butler of Ireland (January 1200- 19 July 1230), who married firstly Joan du Marais, daughter of Geoffrey du Marais and Eva de Bermingham, and had a son Theobald le Botiller (1224- 1248), who marriedMargery de Burgh, daughter of Richard Mor de Burgh, Lord of Connacht, andEgidia de Lacy (daughter of Walter de Lacy and Margaret de Braose), and from whom descended the Earls of Ormond. Theobald le Botiller, chief Butler of Ireland married secondly, after 4 September 1225, Rohese de Verdon (1205- 10 February 1247), daughter of Nicholas de Verdon and Joan de Lacy, by whom he had a son and daughter: John le Botiller de Verdon, Lord of Westmeath (1226- 1274), who married Margery de Lacy (1229- after 10 June 1276), by whom he had issue, and Maud le Botiller de Verdon, who upon her marriage to John Fitzalan became the 6th Countess of Arundel, and from whom descended the Fitzalan Earls of Arundel.

Following the death of Theobald in early February 1206, Maud returned to England into the custody of her father, who, having bought the right of marrying her at the price of 1200 marks and two palfrys, gave her in marriage, on 1 October 1207, to Fulk FitzWarin.[3] Fulk was the son of Fulk FitzWarin and Hawise de Dinan, who subsequent to a violent quarrel with King John of England, sought refuge in the woods and became an outlaw. Maud accompanied him. The legendary figures of Robin Hood and Maid Marian are said to be based on Fulk and Maud.

By FitzWarin, Maud had a son and a daughter:

1. Sir Fulk FitzWarin (1208-14 May 1264), married firstly, Clarice d ‘Auberville, by whom he had a daughter, Mabel FitzWarin (1248- 1296), who in turn married firstly John de Crevequer, and secondly, Sir John Tregoze, Baron Tregoze (1245- 1300), son of Robert II Tregoze, Lord of Ewyas Harold, and Juliane de Cantelou, and had issue. Fulk married secondly, Constance de Toeni (1225- 1265), by whom he had a son, Fulk FitzWarin and a daughter, Hawise FitzWarin, both of whom married and had issue.
2. Hawise FitzWarin (born 3 February 1210), married firstly William Pantulf, by whom she had issue, and secondly, Hubert Huse.

DeathMaud le Vavasour died sometime before 1226. She had numerous descendants including the Earls of Ormond, the Earls of Arundel, Anne Boleyn, Mary Boleynand Elizabeth I.In fiction

Maud is the main protagonist in Elizabeth Chadwick’s The White Castle, which relates in highly fictional form, her life and adventures as the wife of Fulk FitzWarin.

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