William de Redvers 5th Earl of Devon, Lord of the Isle of Wight

  General Notes:

On the death of Richard de Redvers III, without a legal son, his uncle William, the youngest brother of Baldwin I became the eighth Lord and fifth Earl. William de Redvers carefully ruled the Island through the disastrous reigns of kings Richard I (1189-1199) John (1199-1216). These two brothers bankrupted the kingdom and dismally failed to prevent the French King Phillip capturing Normandy and eventually invading England Itself. William de Redvers faithfully supported them and John based himself at Yarmouth in 1201, 1206 and 1214 to prepare his forces for war in the Solent before he had established the new naval base at Portsmouth, founded in 1212.

The lack of other references to the Island in this renewed period of chaotic baronial rebellion and anarchy suggests the Wight was again unmolested, apart from by the stationing of some of John's mercenary soldiers.

At the height of the fighting in England William de Redvers retired to die at Quarr, leaving his grandson Baldwin III (1217-1244) to pick his way through the early years of the disastrous reign of Henry III (1216-1272).

William married Mabel de Beaumont, daughter of Robert de Beaumont Count of Meulan and Maud de Dunstanville.