One of the principle duties in landed medieval society was making provision for the maintenance of family from the land one held.  This paper looks at how this obligation to secure the family interests manifests itself in the Mortimer family of Wigmore in Herefordshire, particularly in relation to their almost unknown cadet branch in West Wales. It suggests a possible origin from the senior line, and traces the attempts of the junior branch to establish themselves among the strictures of primogeniture.  Following the West Wales Mortimers through their participation in the Welsh Wars of Independence (1257-1283), and the rise to royal favour and acquisition of lands, we then witness a slow decline of potential, and ultimately a settling into the life of country gentlemen.

Paper presented at the International Medieval Congress, Leeds        13 July 2005

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