John I de Balliol

John de Balliol (Baliol) (died 25 October 1268) was a leading figure of Scottish and Anglo-Norman life of his time. Balliol College, in Oxford, is named after him.

Contents

Life

He was born before 1208 to Hugh de Balliol, Lord of Balliol and of Barnard Castle and Gainford (c. 1177–February 2, 1229) and Cecilia de Fontaines, daughter of Aleure, lord of Fontaines and Longpré-les-Corps-Saints.

In 1233, Lord John married Dervorguilla of Galloway and Scotland, who was the daughter of Alan, Lord of Galloway and Margaret of Huntingdon. By the mid-thirteenth century, he and his wife had become very wealthy, principally as a result of inheritances from Dervorguilla's family. This wealth allowed Balliol to play a prominent public role, and, on Henry III's instruction, he served as joint protector of the young king of Scots, Alexander III. He was one of Henry III's leading counsellors between 1258 and 1265.[1] and was appointed Sheriff of Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire from 1261 to 1262. He was captured at the Battle of Lewes in 1264 but escaped and rejoined King Henry.

Following a dispute with the Bishop of Durham, he agreed to provide funds for scholars studying at Oxford. Support for a house of students began in around 1263; further endowments after his death, supervised by Dervorguilla, resulted in the establishment of Balliol College.

Issue

John and Dervorguilla had issue:

Sources

Notes

  1. ^ ODNB
  2. ^ a b c d e f g SCOTTISH ROYAL LINEAGE - THE HOUSE OF ATHOLL Part 2 of 6 Burkes Peerage. Retrieved on 2007-11-01
  3. ^ Norcliffe of Langton, M.A., Charles Best, editor, The Visitation of Yorkshire, 1563-64 by William Flower, Norroy King of Arms, London, 1881, p. 294 and footnotes

External links

Preceded by
Hugh
Lord of Balliol Succeeded by
John II