Elizabeth de Comyn
| Elizabeth de Comyn | |
|---|---|
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| Born | 1 November 1299 |
| Died | 20 November 1372 |
| Spouse | Richard Talbot, 2nd Baron Talbot |
| Issue | Gilbert Talbot, 3rd Baron Talbot |
| Father | John III Comyn, Lord of Badenoch |
| Mother | Joan de Valence |
Elizabeth de Comyn (1 November 1299 - 20 November 1372) was a medieval noblewoman and heiress, notable for being kidnapped by the Despenser family towards the end of the reign of King Edward II.
Elizabeth was born to John III Comyn, Lord of Badenoch, also known as the "Red Comyn", a powerful Scottish nobleman related to the Scottish crown, and Joan de Valence, the daughter of the French knight William de Valence, 1st Earl of Pembroke. She was the youngest of three children, with an elder sister, Joan de Comyn, and brother, John de Comyn. Her father was stabbed to death in 1306 by Robert the Bruce and Elizabeth and her siblings were sent south to England for their own safety. Joan married David II Strathbogie, the earl of Atholl, whilst her brother John later died at the Battle of Bannockburn in 1314, fighting Robert.
In 1324 Elizabeth's uncle on her father's side, Aymer de Valence, the earl of Pembroke, died. Since he had no surviving children, Aymer's considerable lands were then divided amongst his sisters; Isabel de Valence had died in 1305, leaving her share to her son, John Hastings, whilst Elizabeth's mother left lands to her daughters Joan and Elizabeth. Joan inherited the manor and castle of Mitford, the manor of Ponteland, and lands in Little Eland, and the manor of Foston. Elizabeth inherited the powerful fortress of Goodrich Castle and the manor of Painswick.
By the mid-1320s, however, England was in the grip of the oppressive rule of the Marcher lords Hugh le Despenser the older and his son Hugh Despenser the younger, the royal favourites of King Edward II. As part of a "sweeping revenge" on their rivals, especially in the Marches, the Despensers illegally seized a wide range of properties, particularly from vulnerable targets such as widows, or wives whose husbands were out of favour with the king.
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