He was the eldest son of Gilbert, Earl of Gloucester and his wife Isabel Marshal (who married, secondly, the King's brother, Richard Earl of Cornwall): _born_ 1222, the same year as that which probably saw the birth of Margaret de Burgh. King Henry obliged him to _marry_, in or about January, 1239, Maud de Lacy, daughter of John, Earl of Lincoln, by whom (after the death of Margaret) he had a family of three sons and three daughters. His eldest daughter he named after his lost love; but she proved a far less amiable character. Earl Richard was one of several noblemen who _died_, we are told, from poison, in consequence of dining with Queen Eleonore's cousin, Count Pietro of Savoy, June 14, 1262. He was _buried_ in Tewkesbury Abbey. Richard stood foremost of the English nobles in the wars of the Barons against Henry the Third, and with his own hand forced the King to swear to the terms they dictated, in 1259, as is stated in the story. [Character historical.]
FICTITIOUS CHARACTERS.
These are, the priests at Bury Castle; the various Jews introduced; Levina; Doucebelle de Vaux.
Eva de Braose, Marie de Lusignan, Sir John de Burgh and his wife Hawise, are historical so far as their existence is concerned, but the characters ascribed to them are imaginary.
The dreadful end of Delecresse is thus far true,--that a Jew was thus treated by Richard de Clare. But who it really was who revealed to King Henry the clandestine marriage of Richard and Margaret, is one of the inscrutable mysteries of which no evidence remains.