Hugh Bigod, 3rd Earl of Norfolk ★

Born Abt in England. He married Late 1206 or early 1207, to Maud Marshal. He died February 18, 1225.

Family Background

Hugh Bigod was born around 1182, eldest son of Roger Bigod, 2nd Earl of Norfolk, and Ida de Tosny, inheriting through his family substantial landholdings including Framlingham Castle.

Magna Carta

In 1215, Hugh and his father stood together among the twenty-five sureties of Magna Carta, the barons entrusted with enforcing King John's adherence to the charter's terms — placing father and son alike among the leading figures of the baronial reform movement.

Marriage and Children

In late 1206 or early 1207 Hugh married Maud Marshal, daughter of William Marshal, 1st Earl of Pembroke, tying the Bigods to one of the most powerful families in England. Their children included Roger Bigod, who succeeded as 4th Earl of Norfolk, and Hugh Bigod, who later served as Justiciar of England.

Earldom and Death

Hugh succeeded to his father's title in 1221, becoming 3rd Earl of Norfolk, but held the earldom barely four years before his death on February 18, 1225. His widow Maud remarried soon after to William de Warenne, 5th Earl of Surrey, and Hugh's son Roger inherited the earldom.