The Prince and the coroner's daughter

Thomas de Brotherton, Earl of Norfolk (1300-38) was born the son of King Edward I of England and his second wife Margaret of France, and was therefore the half-brother of the next king, Edward II of England when he ascended to the throne - Thomas was seven years old at this time.

Thomas married, around 1519, Alice de Hales. The marriage must have taken place after 1518 when Thomas came of age as if he had been any younger he would have required permission from the king to marry and there is no evidence that he married without the king's permission, and therefore had to be of age when he married Alice. Also, it could have not taken place after 1521 due to the birth dates of their children.
The couple had three children; Edward (d.1334), Margaret (1322-99) and Alice (1324-52).

It seems unusual for a prince, who is also second in line to the throne, to marry the daughter of a coroner, a woman who would have little if any dowry and no political influence. Among the royal families of medieval England, Alice de Hales can be considered the most obscure, and unlikely, bride that ever married a royal prince. Prince Thomas showed a reckless personality and a lack of interest in money or power; something that would be evident for his whole life.

The two families came into contact due to the fact that Prince Thomas was granted the property and lands of the previous Earl of Norfolk, Roger Bigod; this included the wardship of John de Hales, Alice's younger brother as he was still in his minority when his father died. It is also possible that he was also granted the wardship of John's sisters too and this is how the two met. Due to the young age and status of both members of the couple, it can be assumed that this was a love match, it has been suggested that he found Alice so beautiful that he married her. The wedding took place in Norfolk.

“…and the seid Thomas Brodirton, Erle of Norfolke, cam down into Norfolke and ther he wedded a knyght’s doughter fast by Bungey and they hadden togedir ij dowters”.   (Book of Pleas)
Alice de Hales (1302-27) was the daughter of Roger de Hales (1275-1313) and his wife Alice Skogan (b.1277). Roger and Alice (m.1298) had three other children; John, Jane and Matilda.
Hales Hall near Loddon, Norfolk was the seat of the Hales family. Hales was an ancient family that can be seen in England from the time of William the Conqueror. Sir Roger was Lord of Hales in 1294. He owned the Wrantishagh Manor, where he built a chapel dedicated to St Andrew and instated a priest and a congregation developed.

Hales Hall, Norfolk

Sir Roger de Hales (1274-1313) was Crown Coroner for Norfolk, which meant that he oversaw suspicious deaths and also the property and lands of those who died under suspicious circumstances.
On the 7th May 1303 Roger de Hales was the victim of an attack whilst carrying out his work;

"the king directed a commission of oyer and terminer to Henry de Spigurnel and Robert de Retford, touching Geoffrey Kempe, John Graunt, John Gerard and Robert Topyn of Norwich, and the whole community of that town, who assaulted Roger de Hales, coroner of the county of Norfolk, in the execution of his office on a body found dead in a place in Norwich called Tomeland and Ratounerawe, assaulted Richard de Hakeford, bailiff of the kings hundred of Bloufeld, and other men of that hundred who were there by summons of the bailiff, made on the mandate of the coroner in the kings name, snatched the coroners rolls from his hands, tore and trampled them, and prevented his exercising his office." 

In the Calendar of Close Rolls the following records concerning Roger de Hales can be found;

29 July 1309, To the sheriff of Norfolk. Order to cause a coroner for 

that county to be elected in place of Roger de Hales, who is 

insufficiently qualified.  

19 June 1313, To the sheriff of Norfolk. Order to cause a coroner for 

that county to be elected in place of Roger de Hales, deceased.

Prince Thomas became a member of the Hales family and took a great interest in the family's affairs. Alice's sister Jane married Sir John Jermy (1300-45), and in about 1325 Thomas gave the manors of Metfield and Mendham to Sir John and hi wife Jane as her dowry. The Jermy family and the Hales family were close geographically as well as being previously intertwined in business affairs; in 1303 Sir Roger granted the tenancy of Tharston estate to the Jermy family.

Prince Thomas married his daughter and heir Margaret to John Segrave between 1327, when Thomas was granted the wardship of John, and 1336. While a marriage to the king's niece was an advantageous marriage for John Segrave, this was not such an honour for Margaret. Prince Thomas could have done more to arrange a marriage for his daughter to a man with more wealth and power, however he often was blind to finding such things as important, which was highly unusual during this period and especially among the royal family.

To read more about this couple see Brad Verity's Love Matches & Contracted Misery - Part 1 in Foundations: The Journal of the Foundations of Medieval Genealogy