Robert de Vere, 3rd Earl of Oxford
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Robert de Vere (d. 1221) was the second surviving son of Aubrey de Vere III, first earl of Oxford, and Agnes of Essex. Almost nothing of his life is known until he married in 1207 the widow Isabel de Bolebec, the aunt and co-heiress of his deceased sister-in-law. The couple had one child, a son, Hugh, later 4th earl of Oxford. When Robert's brother Aubrey de Vere IV, 2nd earl of Oxford died in Oct. 1214, Robert succeeded to the title and hereditary office of master chamberlain of England (later Lord Great Chamberlain). He swiftly joined the disaffected barons in opposition to King John. Many among the rebels were his kinsmen. He was elected one of the twenty-five barons who were to ensure the king's adherence to the terms of Magna Carta, and as such was excommunicated by Pope Innocent III in 1215.
King John besieged and took Castle Hedingham, Essex, from Robert in March 1216 and gave his lands to a loyal baron. While this prompted Robert to swear loyalty to the king soon thereafter, he nonetheless did homage to Prince Louis when the French prince arrived in Rochester later that year. He remained in the rebel camp until Oct. 1217, when he did homage to the boy-king Henry III, but he was not fully restored in his offices and lands until Feb. 1218.[1]
Robert served as a king's justice in 1220-21, and died in Oct. 1221. He was buried at Hatfield Regis Priory, where his son Earl Hugh later had an effigy erected of his father.[2]
[edit] Sources
- Complete Peerage of England, Scotland, Ireland, Great Britain and the United Kingdom by G. E. Cokayne, Page: X:210-3
- Burke's Peerage & Baronetage by John Burke, Page: 2498
| Peerage of England | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Aubrey de Vere |
Earl of Oxford 1214–1221 |
Succeeded by Hugh de Vere |
