The Mortimers   -  The main Mortimer family began as vassals of William, Duke of Normandy in a castle at Mort de Mer in France. Roger Mortimer’s son Ralph, came over with the Conqueror and soon settled at Wigmore castle, Herefordshire. The ‘strange, eventful history’ of the family lasted in the male line until 1425, although it can be said that through the female line came the Yorkist kings Edward IV and Richard III.

The story of the family is a microcosm of English and to some extent Welsh medieval history, and includes the new family seat at Ludlow castle, Mortimers who were friends of Edward I, and Edward III, marriages into the English and Welsh royal families, and Roger, the de-facto Regent of England, who had an affair with Queen Isabelle. It is a story involving lords, estates, castles, abbeys, battles, marriages, intrigues and struggles for power that well illustrate every aspect of medieval life, and the fortunes of the ruling classes of the period.

The Mortimer History Society has now been launched with over 30 founder members, and held its Inaugural meeting and first AGM on October 24, 2009 at Wigmore. The first objective is to set up a good quality website that will not only carry news and articles, but provide an interactive site that make possible the first Mortimer Gazetteer – an A-Z of all places, buildings and artefacts associated with the Mortimers. There will be an opportunity also to find information on the latest books and research, not only on the main Mortimer dynasty, but also many minor branches of the family. 

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