Henry de Lathom, 3rd Earl of Lathom

Henry FitzSiward de Lathom, 3rd Earl of Lathom. (confirmed Earl of Lathom 27 Apr 1114). B: 27 Apr 1093, Lathom House, Lathom, Lancashire, England. M: 24 Apr 1118, Chapelry of Lathom Cemetery, Lathom, Lancashire, England. D: 12 Jun 1128, Lathom House, Lathom, Lancashire, England. Interred: 14 Jun 1128 Chapelry of Lathom Cemetery, Lathom, Lancashire, England.

Note: It was often said of him that he began the fall of the Latham clan of the halls of power. He was quite unfaithful to his wife Lady Alice. He was a mean and abusive husband. He had a long term affair with Martha Jane Hargrove and he had divorced Lady Alice to marry her. On the very day of his 2nd wedding, he was riding horseback with the wedding party. He was galloping after Martha when he failed to duck under a tree limb. He was knocked from his horse and broke his neck.

Henry FitzSiward de Latham Lord of Latham, 24 years old, married Alice Woodward, who was 24 years old, daughter of Henry Woodward and Alice Wheaton, 24 April 1118 in Lathom, Lancaster, England. It would appear that they had NO sons, but at least one daughter. Robert, who was likely the son of Henry, was very probably the son of Martha Jane Hargrove.

Lady Alice went 5 years before giving birth to their first child. Lord Henry was an abusive husband. These 2 facts earned her the nickname of "Poor Lady Alice." Following the birth of her second child, she was unable to conceive again. Lord Henry began cheating on her and in 1127 took an almost unheard action of seeking a divorce using her inability to have more children as the basis.

It is widely believed that the son Robert was not really her son, but rather the son of her husband and a concubine. She did act as regent for Robert until he became of age, in 1144.2

From Miscellanea Palatina:

Henry Fitz-Siward also named in this Inquisition of 1212, was grantee of Flixton from Albert de Gredle the elder, who was Lord of Manchester feC* It is clear that Robert Fitz-Henry succeeded to Flixton, for he gave that Church to Burscough ; and the Inquisition cited states the Flixton property to have passed hereditarily to its time, which was subsequent to the death of this Founder. It also, as above stated, fixes the Founder's son, Richard Fitz-Robert, as heir of Siward Fitz-Dunning before-mentioned, and closes up the entire descent of blood and inheritance from Dunning to this Richard was necessarily lineal, although it is possible, though not probable, that there might be two successive Siwards.