Widow, Lord, and Countess (1297–1307)

Abstract

The first six months of mourning and settling in as a wealthy and powerful dowager were over: now Joan’s life as a widow would truly begin. It took several years to straighten out William’s affairs after his death, to distribute his inheritance to his donees and heirs, and to probate the terms of his will. This did not mean that Joan was without cares during the final years of her life—far from it. Indeed, the family’s debts (especially the long-standing debt relating to Eleanor de Montfort’s dower in the lands of her first husband, William Marshal the Younger) were still an ongoing concern; the situation in Scotland was still unresolved, including very significant worries about the health and safety of her daughter Joan, son-in-law John Comyn, and her grandchildren, and the oversight of her lands and maintenance of her rights were time-consuming activities in which she engaged daily.