Alice of Norfolk


Alice of Norfolk or Alice of Brotherton was an English noblewoman. She was the daughter of Thomas of Brotherton, and a granddaughter of King Edward I of England. She married Edward Montagu, 1st Baron Montagu.

Life

Alice of Norfolk, likely born about 1324, was the daughter of Thomas of Brotherton, eldest son of King Edward I by his second marriage to Margaret of France, the daughter of King Philippe III of France. Her mother was Alice de Hales, daughter of Sir Roger de Hales of Hales Hall in Loddon in Roughton, Norfolk, by his wife Alice. She had an elder brother, Edward of Norfolk, and an elder sister, Margaret, Duchess of Norfolk.
Alice's father died in August 1338. His only son, Edward of Norfolk, having predeceased him, Alice and her elder sister Margaret were their father's heirs. In March 1339, King Edward III ordered William Trussell, escheator, to deliver to Alice and her husband, Edward Montagu, her share of her father's lands.
Alice's husband fought at the Battle of Crecy in 1346, and was summoned to Parliament from 20 November 1348 to 20 November 1360 by writs directed Edwardo de Monte Acuto, "whereby he is held to have become Lord Montagu".
Alice of Norfolk died at Bungay, Suffolk, shortly before 30 January 1352, as the result of an assault by her husband, for which crime he and some of his retainers were indicted. In 1361 one William Dunche of Bungay was pardoned for his part in her death, as well as other felonies.
Her heirs were her surviving daughters, Elizabeth, Maud and Joan. At her death, the marriages of two of her daughters were found to belong to the King, and these two daughters were sent to live with Alice's mother-in-law, Elizabeth, who after the death of her first husband, William Montagu, 2nd Baron Montagu, had married Thomas Furnivall, 1st Baron Furnivall.
Alice's husband remarried. By his second wife, Joan, whose surname is unknown, he had a son, Edward, and two daughters, Elizabeth Montagu, who married Sir John de Brewes, and Audrey Montagu, who married Sir Hugh de Strelley.
Edward Montagu died 14 July 1361, his only son and heir by Alice having predeceased him. His heir was his seven-week-old son by his second marriage, Edward Montagu, who survived him by only three months. At his death on 4 October 1361 any barony created by writ fell into abeyance, according to modern doctrine, among the surviving daughters of his father.
Montagu's arms were Argent, three lozenges in fess, on each an eagle displayed with a label of three points.

Marriage and issue

On 4 February 1333 Thomas of Brotherton contracted Alice in marriage to William Montagu, 2nd Earl of Salisbury, son and heir of William Montagu, 1st Earl of Salisbury, by Katherine Grandison, daughter of William Grandison, 1st Baron Grandison. The marriage contract was later declared void.
Alice married instead, before 29 August 1338, William's uncle, Edward Montagu, 1st Baron Montagu, youngest son of William Montagu, 2nd Baron Montagu, by Elizabeth Montfort, daughter of Sir Piers Montfort of Beaudesert, Warwickshire, by whom she had a son and four daughters: