Editing Earl of Pembroke (section)

===The first creation: de Clare (1138)===
* [[Gilbert de Clare, 1st Earl of Pembroke]] (1100–1147)
* [[Richard de Clare, 2nd Earl of Pembroke]] (1130–1176)
* [[Gilbert de Clare, 3rd Earl of Pembroke]] (1173–1185)
* [[Isabel de Clare, 4th Countess of Pembroke]] (1172–1220)

The first definite creation came decades later in 1138.  Two years previously Welsh forces had [[Battle of Crug Mawr|severely defeated]] Norman forces<ref name="Lloyd2004">{{cite book |last= Lloyd |first= J. E. |title= A History of Wales: From the Norman Invasion to the Edwardian Conquest |publisher= Barnes & Noble |location= New York |date= 2004 |asin= B01FKW4P94}}</ref>{{rp|80–85}}<ref name="Davies1994">{{cite book |first= John |last= Davies |title= A History of Wales |date= 1994 |publisher= Penguin |location= London |isbn= 978-0-14-014581-6}}</ref>{{rp|124}} and in partial reaction in 1138 Pembrokeshire became a [[county palatine]] with [[Stephen of England|King Stephen]] creating [[Gilbert de Clare, 1st Earl of Pembroke|Gilbert de Clare]],{{sfn|Planche|1855|p=267}} as an earl. Gilbert was already [[Lord of Striguil]] (modern [[Chepstow]]) who was married to Isabel de Beaumont,{{sfn|Chisholm|1911|p=78}} [[Henry I of England|Henry I]]'s former mistress.<ref>George Edward Cokayne, ''The Complete Peerage; or, A History of the House of Lords and All its Members from the Earliest Times'', Vol. VII, Eds. H. A. Doubleday & Howard de Walden (London: The St. Catherine Press, Ltd., 1929), [https://archive.org/details/in.ernet.dli.2015.210885/page/n538/mode/1up p. 526], footnote (c)</ref> 

His son [[Richard de Clare, 2nd Earl of Pembroke|Richard]] (commonly known as '''Strongbow''') also supported Stephen and so was treated with suspicion by Matilda's son, [[Henry II of England|Henry II]] who on Gilbert's death in 1148 seems to have to refused to recognise Richard's claims to the earldom of Pembroke although his claim to the lesser [[lordship of Striguil]] does not seem to have been challenged. 

Being effectively disinherited by the king (for the first but not the last time in his life) and with mounting debts, Richard welcomed the opportunity to restore his fortunes that presented itself in 1168. In that year, he was chosen to lead a Norman expedition to [[Ireland]] in support of [[Diarmait Mac Murchada]], the deposed [[Kings of Leinster|King of Leinster]]. The Lord of Striguil crossed over in person in 1170, took both [[Waterford]] and [[Dublin]], and was married to Diarmuid's daughter, [[Aoife MacMurrough]], claiming the Kingship of Leinster after Diarmuid's death in 1171.{{sfn|Chisholm|1911|p=78}} [[Henry II of England|Henry II]], wary of his power, stripped Strongbow of his new holdings the same year and invaded Ireland himself in 1171, putting his people in power. Strongbow returned to favour and power in Ireland, in 1173 when he aided the King in [[Revolt of 1173–1174|his campaign against his rebelling sons]]. He died in 1176 after years of bitter struggle with Irish magnates.

Strongbow died with male issue - Gilbert. However, Gilbert, being a minor, was not formally invested with either the earldom of Pembroke or of Striguil. It is unlikely that his father could have passed on the title to Pembroke as he himself did not possess it. When Gilbert died in 1185, his sister [[Isabel de Clare, 3rd Countess of Pembroke|Isabel de Clare]] became Countess of Pembroke in her own right (''[[suo jure]]'') until her death in 1220.{{sfn|Chisholm|1911|p=78}} In this way, she could be said to be the first successor to the earldom of Pembroke since her grandfather Gilbert, the first earl. By this reckoning, Isabel ought to be called the second countess, not the fourth countess of Pembroke.

In any event, the title Earl was re-created for her husband as her consort, the famous [[William Marshal, 1st Earl of Pembroke|Sir William Marshal]], son of [[John Marshal (Earl Marshal)|John the Marshal]], by Sibylle, the sister of [[Patrick of Salisbury, 1st Earl of Salisbury|Patrick, Earl of Salisbury]].