Roger Mortimer, 1st Earl of March

Timeline

1. 1287–1310Wigmore · HerefordshireBorn at Wigmore in Herefordshire, he inherited the family estates in 1304. In his youth he took part in military operations against Wales and Scotland, gradually accumulating reputation and military strength among the Marcher nobles.
2. 1311–1320Ludlow · ShropshireIn the 1310s he was responsible for defense of the Welsh Marches, repeatedly leading campaigns against Welsh rebellions. During this period the English court was torn by factional strife over Gaveston and the Ordinances; Mortimer's position was complex, being neither a core member of the Lancastrian faction nor fully aligned with the king's favorites.
3. 1321–1324Tower of London · LondonIn 1321 he joined the baronial alliance against the Despensers; in March 1322 he was defeated and captured at the Battle of Boroughbridge in Yorkshire and imprisoned in the Tower of London. In August 1324 he successfully escaped, fleeing through Wales to France, laying the groundwork for his later coup with the queen.