Philippa Basset, Countess of Warwick (died c. October 1265), was a 13th-century noblewoman and heiress. She was the wife firstly of Henry (II) de Newburgh, earl of Warwick and after his premature death she was married to Richard Siward a soldier and adventurer at the court of King Henry III of England.
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Family and first marriage
Philippa was the eldest of three daughters of Thomas Basset of Headington (died c. April 1220) head of a branch of the prolific 12th-century Basset family, and a long-time royal courtier and sheriff of Oxford in the reign of King John. In 1204 Thomas was awarded the wardship of the under-age earl of Warwick, Henry, then only twelve or thirteen but already married to Margaret d'Oilly. His child wife became pregnant and died delivering twins in 1205, the elder, a boy, being named by the teenage earl Thomas, apparently after his guardian; there is good evidence of lifelong friendship between Basset and the young earl. Following this domestic tragedy Thomas Basset exercised his right as guardian and in June 1205 he married his eldest daughter Philippa to his ward. In 1220 Earl Henry acquired the manor of Headington on the death of his father-in-law by right of Philippa, whose share of his inheritance it was as the chief manor of his barony. The earl died however on 10 October 1229 still only around 37 but leaving his son Thomas as adult heir by his first wife. Philippa at this point assumed control not just of the lordship of Headington but substantial dower lands in the earldom of Warwick: the castle of Brailes, Warwickshire, the manor and forest of Sutton Coldfield, Chedworth, Gloucestershire and East Knoyle, Wiltshire.
