Piers Gaveston was loathed by many at the English court for his friendship and influence over Edward II. This loathing took several forms, chief amongst them that Piers the son of a low born Gascon knight. Certainly Piers was born and raised in Gascony - but he was much more than the son of a Gascon knight!
The relationship between Gascony and the English crown was a complex one. Gascony was part of the Duchy of Acquitaine. Acquitaine had been part of the mighty Anjevin Empire, with the marriage between Eleanor of Acquitaine and Henry II of England. The collapse of the Anjevin Empire during the reign of King John meant the Duchy if Gascony became a thorn in the side of both the French and English kings. Edward II's father, Edward Ist, held the Duchy of Gascony by being a vassal of the French king, Phillip IV, through the Treaty of Paris of 1259. EDward Ist had spent some of his youth in Gascony. Tensions erupted in 1294 between Edward Ist and Philip, and lasted until 1303 when a new Treaty of Paris was signed. Many Gascons were loyal to the English crown, and one of these was Piers Gaveston's father.
Piers' parents were Arnaud de Gabeston and Claramonde de Marsan. His father was descended from the leading nobility of Bearn. Claramonde de Marsan was the daughter of Arnaud-Guillaume de Marsan. Along with her brother Fortaner de Lescun, she shared the estates of her father, which on her marriage to Arnaud made him a substantial landowner. Hardly a 'humble knight'.
The couple had five children - Arnaud-Guillaume de Marsan, Piers, Gerard de Gabaston, Raimond Arnaude de Gabaston and Amy de Gabaston. His father served Edward Ist for almost 20 years, following him on various campaigns. This is how Piers came to the English court, along with 2 of his brothers. Piers first appears in the service of Edward I in Flanders in 1297, where his wages were given as 12d. His horse was valued at 12 marks. Piers would probably have been in his teens at this time, and went on to serve Edward Ist , along with his father, in Scotland. At some point, Edward Ist thought Piers a suitable companion for his son - as a role model, with graceful manners and having proven himself on the battlefield.
Arnaude de Gabeston died in 1302, and was accorded the honour of being buried in Wichester Cathedral. His tomb is pictured below.
Source - 'Piers Gaveston, Politics and Patronage in the reign of Edward II' by J S Hamilton.
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