Margaret de Clare was a Norman-Irish noblewoman and the wife of
Bartholomew de Badlesmere, 1st Lord Badlesmere. In 1321, she was arrested and imprisoned in the Tower of London for refusing Isabella of France, Queen consort of King Edward II, admittance to Leeds Castle of which her husband, Lord Badlesmere, was castellan
Margaret was born at Bunratty Castle in Thomond, Ireland on or about 1 April 1287, the youngest child of Thomas de Clare, Lord of Thomond and Juliana FitzGerald of Offaly. Her paternal grandparents were Richard de Clare, 6th Earl of Hertford, 2nd Earl of Gloucester and Maud de Lacy. Her maternal grandparents were Maurice FitzGerald, 3rd Lord of Offaly and Maud de Prendergast (born 17 March 1242), daughter of Gerald de Prendergast and a de Burgh daughter whose first name is not known. Margaret's maternal ancestors included Brian Boru, Dermot McMurrough, Maud de Braose, and the de Clare's buried in Tewkesbury Abbey
On 29 August 1287, when she was almost five months of age, her father was killed in battle. Her mother married her second husband, Nicholas Avenel sometime afterwards.
Margaret was co-heiress to her nephew Thomas de Clare, son of her brother Richard, by which she inherited the manors of Plashes in Standon, Hertfordshire and lands in Thomond, Limerick and Cork in 1321 upon the death of Thomas
Before 1303, she married firstly, Gilbert de Umfraville, son of Gilbert de Umphraville, Earl of Angus, and Elizabeth Comyn. Upon their marriage, the Earl of Angus granted Gilbert and Margaret the manors of Hambleton and Market Overton. When Gilbert died childless, sometime before 1307, the manors passed to Margaret.
Sometime before 30 June 1308, she married secondly, Bartholomew de Badlesmere, 1st Lord Badlesmere, an English baron and Governor of Bristol Castle, by whom she had five children She was styled as Lady Badlesmere on 26 October 1309, and henceforth known by that title
Lord Badlesmere was appointed castellan of the Royal Castle of Leeds in Kent, by Thomas, 2nd Earl of Lancaster, Regent of King Edward II. In October 1321, the queen consort Isabella of France went on a pilgrimage to the shrine of St. Thomas at Canterbury. She decided to break her journey by stopping at Leeds Castle, which was given to her as part of her dowry Bartholomew was away at the time leaving Margaret in charge of the castle. Due to her dislike of Isabella as well as her own belligerent character, she refused the Queen admittance, and subsequently ordered her archers to fire upon Queen Isabella when she approached the outer barbican. When King Edward heard of the treatment to his consort by Margaret, he sent an expeditionary force to the castle. After a successful assault of the castle, with the King's troops using ballistas, the defenders surrendered, and Margaret was seized and sent to the Tower of London.
As a result of Margaret's arrest, Lord Badlesmere joined Lancaster's rebellion and fought in the Battle of Boroughbridge on 16 March 1322. He was arrested and afterward hanged for treason on 14 April 1322. Margaret remained imprisoned in the Tower until 3 November 1322. She was released from the Tower, due to the successful mediation, on her behalf, of her son-in-law William de Ros. She retired to the convent house of the Minorite Sisters, outside Aldgate.
In 1328, her son Giles obtained a reversal of his father's attainder and succeeded to the barony as the 2nd Baron Badlesmere.
Children:
1.Margery de Badlesmere (1308/1309- 18 October 1363), married before 25 November 1316, William de Ros, 3rd Baron de Ros of Hamlake. (c.1290- 3 February 1343[10]), by whom she had six children.
2.Maud de Badlesmere (1310- 24 May 1366), married firstly Robert FitzPayn, and secondly, John de Vere, 7th Earl of Oxford. By her second marriage, Maud had seven children.
3. Elizabeth de Badlesmere (1313- 8 June 1356), married firstly Sir Edmund Mortimer, and secondly, William de Bohun, 1st Earl of Northampton. Both marriages produced children.
4.Giles de Badlesmere, 2nd Baron Badlesmere (18 October 1314- 7 June 1338, married Elizabeth Montagu, by whom he had four daughters.
5.Margaret de Badlesmere (born 1315), married John Tiptoft, 2nd Lord Tiptoft, by whom she had one son, Robert Tiptoft