Edward II Granted the Earldom of Cornwall to Piers Gaveston Instead of One of His Brothers.
Edward II bestowed the earldom of Cornwall on his beloved friend (or lover, or adopted brother) Piers Gaveston on 6 August 1307, just under a month after the death of his father King Edward I and even before Piers had returned to England from the continent, having been exiled by Edward I some months before. It is frequently stated that Edward I had intended the earldom for one of his two younger sons, Edward II's half-brothers Thomas (born June 1300) or Edmund (born August 1301). This is frequently used as a stick to beat Edward II: that he cared more for his favourite than he did for the interests of his young royal brothers.
As is so often the case when a 'fact' about Edward II is repeated again and again, this one is not true. Edward I drew up a document on 31 August 1306 which specified that Thomas would receive the earldom of Norfolk, which escheated to the Crown on the death of the childless Roger Bigod in 1306. The king ordered that his youngest son Edmund was to be granted unspecified lands worth 7000 marks a year, with no title mentioned. [Calendar of Patent Rolls 1301-1307, p. 460]. Just to be clear, there is absolutely no mention of the earldom of Cornwall for either of the boys, so frankly it's hard to see why so many writers keep repeating that Edward I wanted to grant it to one of his younger sons. If he did, why didn't he mention it? Edward II did indeed bestow the earldom of Norfolk on twelve-year-old Thomas in late 1312, in accordance with their father's wishes; Edmund received the earldom of Kent in 1321.
A fact which is often missed is that the earldom of Cornwall was Edward II's own inheritance and did not escheat to the Crown for lack of heirs, as the earldom of Norfolk did. The earl of Cornwall before Piers Gaveston was Edmund, only surviving legitimate child of Henry III's brother Richard of Cornwall. Edmund died in 1300 leaving no children, nieces or nephews, and thus his nearest male heir was Edward I, his first cousin. After Edward I's death, the earldom of Cornwall passed by right to Edward II.
Of course, it's reasonable to criticise Edward II for granting one of the great English earldoms to a man who, whatever excellent qualities he may have had, was only a minor Gascon noble by birth and a second son to boot. But at least Edward didn't disinherit one of his brothers to do it - and the fact that his son Edward III also raised humble knights and younger sons, such as William Clinton and Robert Ufford, to earldoms merely because they were friends of his, generally passes without criticism.
Edward II bestowed the earldom of Cornwall on his beloved friend (or lover, or adopted brother) Piers Gaveston on 6 August 1307, just under a month after the death of his father King Edward I and even before Piers had returned to England from the continent, having been exiled by Edward I some months before. It is frequently stated that Edward I had intended the earldom for one of his two younger sons, Edward II's half-brothers Thomas (born June 1300) or Edmund (born August 1301). This is frequently used as a stick to beat Edward II: that he cared more for his favourite than he did for the interests of his young royal brothers.
As is so often the case when a 'fact' about Edward II is repeated again and again, this one is not true. Edward I drew up a document on 31 August 1306 which specified that Thomas would receive the earldom of Norfolk, which escheated to the Crown on the death of the childless Roger Bigod in 1306. The king ordered that his youngest son Edmund was to be granted unspecified lands worth 7000 marks a year, with no title mentioned. [Calendar of Patent Rolls 1301-1307, p. 460]. Just to be clear, there is absolutely no mention of the earldom of Cornwall for either of the boys, so frankly it's hard to see why so many writers keep repeating that Edward I wanted to grant it to one of his younger sons. If he did, why didn't he mention it? Edward II did indeed bestow the earldom of Norfolk on twelve-year-old Thomas in late 1312, in accordance with their father's wishes; Edmund received the earldom of Kent in 1321.
A fact which is often missed is that the earldom of Cornwall was Edward II's own inheritance and did not escheat to the Crown for lack of heirs, as the earldom of Norfolk did. The earl of Cornwall before Piers Gaveston was Edmund, only surviving legitimate child of Henry III's brother Richard of Cornwall. Edmund died in 1300 leaving no children, nieces or nephews, and thus his nearest male heir was Edward I, his first cousin. After Edward I's death, the earldom of Cornwall passed by right to Edward II.
Of course, it's reasonable to criticise Edward II for granting one of the great English earldoms to a man who, whatever excellent qualities he may have had, was only a minor Gascon noble by birth and a second son to boot. But at least Edward didn't disinherit one of his brothers to do it - and the fact that his son Edward III also raised humble knights and younger sons, such as William Clinton and Robert Ufford, to earldoms merely because they were friends of his, generally passes without criticism.
Kathryn Warner Oct 2009