Eleanor de Clare (1292 - June 30, 1337) was the eldest daughter of Gilbert de Clare, 7th Earl of Hertford and 3rd Earl of Gloucester, and Joan of Acre. With her sisters, Elizabeth de Clare and Margaret de Clare, she inherited her father's estates after the death of her brother, Gilbert de Clare, 4th Earl of Gloucester.

She was born at Caerphilly, Glamorgan, and married, at Westminister , shortly after 14 June 1306, Hugh the younger Despenser, of Hanley Castle, the son of Hugh le Despenser, Earl of Winchester by Isabel Beauchamp , daughter of William de Beauchamp , 9th Earl of Warwick. They had ten children:

1. Hugh de Despenser III (1308-1349)
2. Gilbert de Despenser , died 1381.
3. Edward de Despenser , died 1342.
4. John de Despenser , died June 1366.
5. Eleanor de Despenser , died after 1351, nun at Semplingham Priory
6. Isabel de Despenser (1312-1351), married Richard Fitzalan, 10th Earl of Arundel
7. Joan de Despenser , died 1384, nun at Shaftesbury Abbey
8. Margaret de Despenser , died 1337, nun at Whatton Priory
9. Elizabeth de Despenser , born 1325, married Maurice de Berkeley, 4th Baron Berkeley .

Eleanor's husband rose to prominence as the new favorite of King Edward II of England, who was also Eleanor's uncle. The king strongly favored Hugh and Eleanor, visiting them often and granting them many gifts. One foreign chronicler even alleged that Edward was involved in a ménage à trois with his niece and her husband. Whatever the truth, Eleanor's fortunes changed drastically after the invasion of Queen Isabella and Roger Mortimer. Hugh le Despenser was executed, and she was imprisoned in 1326. She was confined to the Tower of London and Devizes Castle until she signed away her share of the lucrative Clare inheritance to Queen Isabella's paramour, Roger Mortimer. She was accused of stealing back many of Despenser's confiscated items from the Tower of London. Finally in 1328 Eleanor was allowed possession of her own lands, for which she did homage.

Eleanor was abducted from Hanley Castle in January 1329 by William de la Zouche . This earned them the ire of Sir John Grey, 1st Baron Grey who was contracted to marry Eleanor. Lord Grey was still attempting to claim Eleanor in 1333. In addition, Eleanor was imprisoned again and fined for marrying without royal permission. Her lands were restored soon thereafter and she was reunited with her new husband, but they never did pay the fine. Eleanor and William had one child:

1. William de la Zouche, born 1330, died after 1360, a monk at Glastonbury Abbey.

Eleanor died at Tewkesbury, Gloucestershire, England.

Sources

Underhill, Frances. For Her Good Estate.