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- Miles FitzWalter of Gloucester, 1st Earl of Hereford, Lord of Brecknock (1100 - 24 December 1143) was the son of Walter of Gloucester, who served as hereditary sheriff of that county between 1104 and 1121.
Miles (sometimes Latinized Milo) succeeded his father about the latter year. He was high in the service of Henry I between 1128 and 1135. He was appointed Sheriff of Staffordshire (1128-1130) and Sheriff of Herefordshire (1128-1135). He was Constable of England and combined the hereditary office of Sheriff of Gloucester with that of local justiciar for Gloucestershire.
Miles founded Llanthony Secunda Priory, Gloucester, in 1136.
Civil war allegiances
After the death of King Henry he declared for Stephen, at whose court he appears as constable in 1136. King Stephen granted him the honour of Gloucester and Brecknock. However, in 1139, when the empress Matilda appeared in England, he declared for her, and placed the city of Gloucester at her disposal; he was further distinguished by sacking the nearby royalist city of Worcester, attacking Stephen's siege works at Wallingford Castle and reducing the county of Hereford. He was retained as her Constable.
Earldom
In 1141, he was rewarded with the earldom of Hereford when Matilda ruled the country. He remained loyal to the Empress after her defeat at Winchester the same year. John of Salisbury classes him with Geoffrey de Mandeville and others who were non tam comites regni quam hostes publici. The charge is justified by his public policy; but the materials for appraising his personal character do not exist.
Family and children
He married Sibyl de Neufmarché, daughter of Bernard de Neufmarché, Lord of Brecon and Nest, granddaughter of Gruffydd ap Llywelyn, in 1121. Their children were:
Margaret de Gloucester, married Humphrey II de Bohun, by whom she had issue.
Bertha of Hereford, married William de Braose before 1150, by whom she had issue.
Roger Fitzmiles, 2nd Earl of Hereford. Hereditary Sheriff of Gloucestershire until 1155.
Walter de Hereford died after 1159 in the Holy Land. He was hereditary Sheriff of Gloucestershire in 1155-1157 and High Sheriff of Herefordshire in 1155-1159.
Henry Fitzmiles Henry of Hereford, died 12 April 1165. He succeeded to the title of Baron Abergavenny in 1141/42.
William de Hereford. He died before 1160 without issue.
Mahel de Hereford, died October 1165 at Bronllys Castle, Breconshire, Wales, mortally hurt when a stone dropped from the tower during a fire; died without issue. Buried at Llanthony Priory.
Lucy of Gloucester, married Herbert FitzHerbert of Winchester, Lord Chamberlain, by whom she had issue. Buried at Llanthony Priory.
Miles was accidentally killed by an arrow while deer hunting in the Forest of Dean in 1143. He was succeeded by his eldest son Roger, who died childless. The grandson of his daughter Margaret was later granted the recreated Earldom.
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1100 - 1143 (43 years)
, d. Aft 1143, Hempsted, Gloucestershire, England