Adela of Ponthieu, Countess of Surrey

Adela of Ponthieu (c. 1110 – 10 October 1174),^[1] also known as Ela, was the daughter of William III, Count of Ponthieu and Helie of Burgundy.^[2] She became Countess of Surrey, then Countess of Salisbury, by marriage.

Adela of Ponthieu, Countess of Surrey
Born	Adela Talvas, Adela of Ponthieu c. 1110 Alençon, Normandy
Died	10 October 1174 England
Buried	Bradenstoke Priory, Bradenstoke, Wiltshire, England
Noble family	House of Bellême
Spouse(s)	William de Warenne, 3rd Earl of Surrey Patrick, 1st Earl of Salisbury
Issue	5, including Isabel de Warenne, Countess of Surrey, William of Salisbury, 2nd Earl of Salisbury
Father	William III, Count of Ponthieu
Mother	Helie of Burgundy

Early life

Adela was born about 1110 and was the daughter of William III, Count of Ponthieu, also seigneur de Montgomery, and Helie of Burgundy.^[2] The Gesta Normannorum Ducum records that she had three brothers and a sister.

Her paternal grandparents were Robert II of Bellême and Agnes, Countess of Ponthieu.^[3] Her maternal grandparents were Odo I, Duke of Burgundy and Sibylla of Burgundy, Duchess of Burgundy.^[4]

Marriages and issue

Adela firstly married William de Warenne, 3rd Earl of Surrey.^[5]

They had one daughter and sole heiress:

• Isabel de Warenne (c. 1137 – 12 July 1203),^[6] suo jure 4th Countess of Surrey.^[1] Isabel married firstly, in 1148, William of Blois, the younger son of King Stephen, who became earl in her right.^[7] They had no issue. She married secondly, in 1164, Hamelin of Anjou, the illegitimate half-brother of King Henry II, who became jure uxoris Earl of Surrey and adopted her surname de Warenne.^[6] They had four children including William de Warenne, 5th Earl of Surrey and Adela de Warenne.

Her first husband William died in January 1148 at the Battle of Mount Cadmus near Laodicea while on crusade with his half-brother Waleran de Beaumont, Count of Meulan, and their second cousin, King Louis VII of France.^[8][9]

Adela married, secondly, in 1148 or 1149, Patrick of Salisbury, 1st Earl of Salisbury,^[10] uncle of William Marshal.

They had issue:

• William of Salisbury, 2nd Earl of Salisbury (d. 1196). He married Eléonore de Vitré and they had one daughter and sole heiress, Ela of Salisbury suo jure 4th Countess of Salisbury.^[11] Ela married William Longespée, illegitimate son of King Henry II by his mistress Ida de Tosny, and the half-brother of Richard I and John. He became earl in her right. They had eight or nine children. She founded Lacock Abbey and Hinton Charterhouse, and after her husband died, assumed the post of Sheriff of Wiltshire which he had held.^[11]
• Walter of Salisbury, died in infancy.
• Patrick of Salisbury, died in infancy.
• Philip of Salisbury, died in infancy.

Death

She died on 10 October 1174.^[5][12] She was buried at Bradenstoke Priory, Wiltshire.^{[citation needed]}