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WINCHESTER EARLDOM

WINCHESTER (QUENCY) EARLDOM

The name Quency is derived from Cuinchy, near Bethune, on the border of Artois and Flanders

[QUEN361] Saher I de Quency m. [SLIZ373] Maud of Huntingdon
. [QUEN372] Alice de Senlis m. [HUNT351] Roger de Huntingfield
. [QUEN371] Robert de Quency m1. [LEUC382] Orable of Leuchars
. . [QUEN381] Earl Saher IV of Winchester m. [BEAM382] Margaret of Leicester
. . . [QUER391] Robert de Quency m. [BAYE385] Countess Hawise of Lincoln
. . . [QUEN393] Hawise of Winchester m. [OXFO401] Earl Hugh of Oxford
. . . [QUEN391] Earl Roger of Winchester m1. [GALL402] Helen of Galloway
. . . . [QUEN402] Margaret of Winchester m. [DERB402] Earl William of Derby
. . . . [QUEN403] Hawise of Winchester m. [WAKE491] Baldwin III Wake, Sheriff of Yorkshire

28.  [QUEN361] Saher I de Quency married (after 1136) [SLIZ379] Maud (see HUNTINGDON (ST. LIZ) EARLDOM, who was previously married to [NORQ431] Robert FitzGilbert, see HASTINGS (EU) FEUDAL LORDSHIP). Saher died c.1157. Maud died some time between 1158-63.

27.  [QUEN371] Robert (younger son of Saher I) married 1. (c.1167-70) [LEUC382] Orable/Arabelle (see LEUCHARS), and as a result obtained lands in Leuchars, Tranent (in County Haddington), Lathrisk, Beith and Negask. They later separated, after which Robert married 2. Eve (probably of Galloway), whilst Orable married 2. Gilchrist, 3rd Earl of Mar. Robert died 1197, and Eve afterwards married 2. Walter de Berkeley. A century later there was an interesting reference to the manor at Tranent, in connection with his great-granddaughter [QUEN404] Helen de Quency who had married [ZOUC413] Sir Alan la Zouche. This Helen was sister of Margaret de Quency who married Earl William de Ferrers, see below. Orable died June 1203.

26.  [QUEN381] Saher IV (born c.1165-70, son & heir of Robert & Orable) married [BEAM382] Margaret (see LEICESTER (BEAUMONT) EARLDOM), and he thus became coheir of the Earl of Leicester's lands.

Saher was captured by the French, when he and his cousin Robert FitzWalter surrendered Vaudreuil Castle to King Philip II Augustus of France without a fight (1203). He was later released and was back in England (by 1204). He was created 1st Earl of Winchester (1207). He saved the town of St. Albans from being sacked by Dauphin Louis's French army (December 1216), then led an expedition from London (Spring 1217) to relieve Mountsorrel Castle, Leics, but was defeated en route at the Battle of Lincoln by King Henry III's forces (20th May 1217).

Saher joined the Crusaders before the Siege of Damietta, where he died (3rd November 1219). Margaret died c. February 1234-35.

25.  [QUEN391] Roger (2nd but 1st surviving son & heir of Saher IV) married 1. [GALL402] Helen (see GALLOWAY). Roger became Constable of Scotland (through the right of his wife), and 2nd Earl of Winchester (1219). Helen died sometime between 1245-50 and Roger married 2. (before June 1250) Maud (daughter of [HERE471] Humphrey de Bohun, 6th Earl of Hereford and 7th Earl of Essex, and widow of Anselm, 9th Earl of Pembroke), she died October 1252; then 3. (before December 1252) Eleanor (widow, 7th daughter of [DERB402] William de Ferrers, 5th Earl of Derby, by his 1st wife Sibyl). Roger died 25th April 1264 without male issue, and the Earldom reverted to the Crown. Afterwards Eleanor married 3. (before 1267) Roger de Leyburn). Eleanor died c. October 1274.

ROBERT DE QUENCY

[QUEN381] Earl Saher IV of Winchester m. [BEAM382] Margaret of Leicester
. [QUER391] Robert de Quency m. [BAYE385] Countess Hawise of Lincoln
. . [QUER402] Margaret de Quency of Lincoln m. [LINC402] Earl John of Lincoln

24.  [QUER391] Robert (son & heir apparent of Saher IV) married [BAYE385] Hawise (see CHESTER (BAYEUX) EARLDOM). Robert died before 1232. Hawise received a charter (c.1230-31) from her brother Ranulph, 7th Earl of Chester and 5th Earl of Lincoln. Ranulph had resigned the Lincoln Earldom and the charter conveyed this Earldom to Hawise, by which she became 6th Countess of Lincoln (1232) shortly after Ranulph's death. But at her request a few weeks later, this Earldom was transferred to her son-in-law (see next entry). Hawise died between 1241-43.

WINCHESTER (DESPENSER) EARLDOM

The name le Despenser was obtained from the position of dispensator (steward to the king, or even to an earl) rather than from de Spenser (hence there is no connection with the Spencer family of Althorpe). Dispensers and stewards were often hereditary positions, but it is not possible to link the various le Despensers, who could have acquired the title for service to the king, but be otherwise unrelated.

[DESP421] Hugh de Berges of Prestwold m. --- of Queninborough
. [DESP431] Asketill de Berges of Prestwold m. Rohese
. . [DESP441] Geoffrey le Despenser m. ?
. . . [DESP451] Thomas le Despenser of Burton on the Wolds m. ?
. . . . [DESP461] Sir Hugh le Despenser of Loughborough m1. ?
. . . . . [DESP471] Sir Hugh le Despenser of Loughborough m. [WYCO482] Aline Basset of Wycombe
. . . . . . [DESP481] Earl Hugh of Winchester m. [BXXX484] Isabel of Warwick
. . . . . . . [DESP512] Isabel Despenser of Winchester m1. [HAST492] Lord John Hastings

28.  [DESP421] Hugh de Berges (possibly son of Asketill), of Prestwold (Leics), married --- (daughter of 29. William, sub-tenant at Queniborough (Leics) to Geoffrey de la Guerche at the Domesday Survey).

27.  [DESP431] Asketill de Berges, of Prestwold, married Rohese.

26.  [DESP441] Geoffrey le Despenser (a younger son of Asketill).

25.  [DESP451] Thomas le Despenser of Burton on the Wolds (Leics). He died c.1207.

24.  [DESP461] Sir Hugh (born c.1180), of Loughborough, Burton, Hugglescote, Freeby and Arnesby (Leics), Parlington and Hillam (Yorks), Sibsey and Aukborough (Lincs), Ryhall and Belmesthorp (Rutland), married 1. ---; then 2. ---. He died 23rd February 1238.

23.  [DESP471] Sir Hugh (born c.1223, son of Hugh by his 1st wife), of Loughborough, Burton, Hugglescote, Freeby and Arnesby (Leics), Parlington and Hillam (Yorks), Sibsey and Aukborough (Lincs), Ryhall and Belmesthorp (Rutland), married (c.1260) [WYCO482] Aline (daughter & heiress of Sir Philip Basset, of Wycombe, Compton-Basset and Wootton-Basset, etc, see WYCOMBE BARONY). Hugh was Constable of Horston Castle (1255-60), Justiciar of England (1260-61), Constable of the Tower of London (1263-), Justiciar of England (1263-), present at the Battle of Lewes (4th May 1264), Constable of the Castles of Devizes, Nottingham, Orford and Oxford (1264-). He was slain at the Battle of Evesham (4th August 1265).

 

 

field at the site of the Battle of Evesham
(23 August 2008)

Afterwards, Aline had a grant for life of the manors of Loughborough, Freeby and Hugglescote. She married 2. (before October 1271) Roger le Bigod, 7th Earl of Norfolk, and died before April 1281.

22.  [DESP481] Sir Hugh (born 1st March 1260-61, son & heir of Hugh), of Loughborough, Arnesby, Parlington, Ryhall, etc, (through his father), also Wycombe, Compton-Basset and Wootton-Basset, etc, (through his mother). He also acquired on his majority (March 1281-82) Martley Manor (Worcs), as heir to his father's first-cousin John le Despenser (who had died without issue in 1275). He married (c.1286, without the king's licence, for which he was fined 2,000 marks, later remitted) [BXXX489] Isabel (widow, see WARWICK (BEAUCHAMP) EARLDOM, who had previously married 1. Sir Patrick, see CHAORCES). He was Constable of Odiham Castle (1294-), created 1st Lord le Despenser (1295), Justice of the Forests South of Trent (1297-1307), and was one of the King's Council (1297), Constable of Devizes and Marlborough Castles (1307-08), Constable of Strigoil Castle and Keeper of the town of Chepstow (1307-10), Justice of the Forests South of Trent during the King's pleasure (1307-09) and for life (1309-), Keeper of the Forests south of Trent (1312-15). Meanwhile Isabel died c.1306.

Hugh fought at the Battle of Bannockburn, on a site near Stirling Castle occupied by English troops under siege from the Scots. King Robert I of Scotland had carefully chosen the site, to box in the English army between the River Forth and the boggy ditch of the Bannockburn. At the end of the two-day battle (23rd and 24th June 1314), King Edward II's force was decisively beaten, with 4,000 dead. After the battle was lost, Hugh accompanied Edward on his flight south to Dunbar, and thence by sea to Berwick. He later fought in Scottish wars (1317).

Hugh was Constable of Marlborough Castle (1321), and was created 3rd Earl of Winchester (10th May 1322). On King Edward II's flight to Wales in October 1326, with [MRCH491] Roger, 2nd Lord Mortimer (later 1st Earl of March), in pursuit, Hugh was despatched to defend Bristol, which, however, he at once surrendered on the arrival of the King’s estranged wife, Queen Isabella, (Roger’s lover). The next day, 27th October, he was tried by Roger, without being allowed to speak in his own defence, and condemned to death as a traitor. He was immediately hung on the common gallows at Bristol, and all his honours were forfeited. He was succeeded by his son Hugh.