Sir Peter de Montfort (c. 1215 – 4 August 1265) was an English parliamentarian.
In 1257 he was High Sheriff of Staffordshire[1] and Shropshire.
He is said to have presided over a meeting of the Parliament of England at a Parliament held in Oxford in 1258. This was dubbed by the supporters of Henry III as the "Mad Parliament". He is the earliest person recorded as the presiding officer of the Commons, an office later known as the Speaker of the House of Commons but referred to then as the 'parlour' or 'prolocutor'. He was the son of Thurstan de Montfort. He was closely associated with Simon de Montfort, 6th Earl of Leicester and died with him at the Battle of Evesham on 4 August 1265.
Peter de Montfort married Alice de Audley. Their grandson John was created 1st Lord Montfort; their granddaughter Lady Elizabeth Montacute was married to William de Montacute, 2nd Baron Montacute (later spelt Montagu), and thus the mother of William Montagu, 1st Earl of Salisbury, King of Mann, leader of the coup against Roger Mortimer and the most trusted advisor of Edward III. (Lady Elizabeth was also a leading benefactor of Christ Church at Oxford University.) The family home was Beaudesert Castle, built by Thurstan de Montfort on land granted by Henry de Newburgh, Earl of Warwick. A charter for a market alongside the castle was obtained from the Empress Maud in 1140. It was probably his grandson Peter who walled the inner bailey in stone, which was completed in January 1216.
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by unknown |
Presiding officer of the Commons 1258–1265 |
Succeeded by unknown |