Richard of Cornwall - King of the Romans
My interest in Richard of Cornwall is that he was the founder of Hailes Abbey and
Hailes Abbey and was the origin of the Hailes Abbey Chronicals.
These Chronicals are the source of the notion that Sir John de Botetourt
was the illegitimate son of Edward I.
Richard of Cornwall was a "supporter" of the legends of Geoffrey of Monmouth and king Athur (of the round
table and Merlin the wizard fame). His association with Tintagel Castle and Hailes is too suspect (in my mind)
to dismiss.
The Wikipedia page on Richard of Cornwall says:
Richard (5 January 1209 – 2 April 1272) was an English prince who was King of the Romans from 1257 until his death
in 1272. He was the second son of John, King of England, and Isabella, Countess of Angoulême.
Richard was nominal Count of Poitou from 1225 to 1243, and he also held the title Earl of Cornwall since 1225.
He was one of the wealthiest men in Europe and joined the Barons' Crusade, where he achieved success as
a negotiator for the release of prisoners and assisted with the building of the citadel in Ascalon.
Being the 2nd son of King John, Henry III was the eldest,
he was quite a powerful man.
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The Wikipedia page also says:
In 1225, Richard traded with Gervase de Tintagel, swapping the land of Merthen (originally part of the manor of
Winnianton) for Tintagel Castle. It has been suggested that a castle was built on the site by Richard in 1233
to establish a connection with the Arthurian legends that were associated by Geoffrey of Monmouth with the area.
Richard hoped that, in this way, he could gain the Cornish people's trust. The castle itself held no real
strategic value.
Geoffrey of Monmouth - and Athurian legend
The assocation of Richard of Cornwall with Geoffrey of Monmouth does not suggest that entries in the Hailes
Abbey Chronicals are any more realiable than the Arthurian legend.
Geoffrey of Monmouth (Latin: Galfridus Monemutensis, Galfridus Arturus; Welsh: Gruffudd ap Arthur, Sieffre o Fynwy;
c. 1095 – c. 1155) was a Catholic cleric from Monmouth, Wales, and one of the major figures in the development
of British historiography and the popularity of tales of King Arthur.
He is best known for his chronicle The History of the Kings of Britain
(Latin: De gestis Britonum or Historia Regum Britanniae) which was widely popular in its day,
being translated into other languages from its original Latin. It was given historical
credence well into the 16th century, but is now considered historically unreliable.
The History of the Kings of Britain - Geoffrey of Monmouth
Geoffrey of Monmouth seems to be responsible for the Athurian and other legends. While his writings are
now genrally dismissed by later historians, he was influencial in the beliefs of royalty at the time of
Edward I.
Richard of Cornwall was the 2nd son of King John. Richard founded Hailes Abbey
Gervais de Tintagel
