William Montagu, 2nd Baron Montagu

William Montagu (or William de Montacute), 2nd Baron Montagu (c. 1285 – 18 October 1319) was an English peer, and an eminent soldier and courtier during the reigns of Edward I and Edward II. He played a significant role in the wars in Scotland and Wales, and was appointed steward of the household to Edward II. Perhaps as a result of the influence of his enemy, Thomas, 2nd Earl of Lancaster, Edward II sent him to Gascony as Seneschal in 1318. He died there in October of the following year.

Biography

William Montagu, born about 1285, was the son and heir of Simon Montagu, 1st Baron Montagu (d. 26 September 1316), by either his first wife, Hawise (died 1287), daughter of Amaury de St Amand, or his second wife, Isabel, whose parentage is unknown.^{[1][2][lower-alpha 1][lower-alpha 2]}

Sigil of Earl William of Montagu (or his son)
"S(IGIL) DE G(RAF) VILLAVMI SIRE DE MONTAGU"

Montagu spent a great part of his life serving in the wars in Scotland, Wales and on the continent. He distinguished himself in the First War of Scottish Independence,^[1] being summoned for military service in 1301, and placed in charge of shipping for the war in March 1303.^[1][2] In 1304 he was with Edward I at the siege of Stirling Castle.^[1] In the same year he and his uncle, Amaury de St Amand, were imprisoned in the Tower of London for an alleged offence for which he was soon acquitted.^[1] On 22 May 1306 he and others were knighted with the future Edward II, then Prince of Wales.^[1][2] In February 1307 he and his father served together in Scotland,^[1] and in 1309 he took part in the first tournament at Dunstable in which he bore the arms Argent three lozenges conjoined in fess gules.^[4][1] In 1311 he was appointed to survey the defences of Hastings and other castles,^[1] and on 29 September of that year was placed in charge of Berkhamstead Castle.^[1] In 1314 he was appointed Keeper of Berwick Castle.^[2]

In May 1313 he attended Edward II and Isabella of France when they travelled to France to attend the coronation of Louis X, and in the same year and in 1314 served again in Scotland. In February 1316 he 'played a leading part' in suppressing a rebellion in Glamorganshire by Llywelyn Bren (d.1318),^[2][5] and in July of that year was sent to Bristol to settle grievances between the town's burgesses and Bartholomew de Badlesmere (d.1322), Constable of Bristol Castle.^[5][2] In reward for his services, in August 1316 he was granted the marriage of Joan de Verdun, daughter and heir of Theobald de Verdun,^[5] whom he married the following year to his younger son, John Montagu (d. August 1317).^[5][2] In November 1316 he was appointed steward of Edward II's household, a position which was accompanied by the grant, on 13 January 1317, of an annuity of 200 marks which he received until June of that year, when in lieu of the annuity the King granted him for life, as 'King's Bachelor', several manors, including Gravesend in Kent and Kingsbury in Somerset. On 26 September of that year the King granted him licence to crenellate his house at Cassington in Oxfordshire.^[5] He was summoned to Parliament from 20 November 1317, where he was one of the majores barones in the King's party.^[5]

In August 1318 he was appointed Keeper of Abingdon Abbey.^[5] However on 20 November 1318 Edward II sent him to Gascony as Seneschal, ^[6] and was replaced as steward of the household by Bartholomew de Badlesmere.^[2] According to Gross, 'this was almost certainly a concession to Thomas of Lancaster, who had accused Montagu of combining with Roger Damory to plot against his life, a factor which delayed his reconciliation with the King'.^[2] Montagu died in Gascony on 18 October 1319. His place of burial is unknown.^[7][8]

His widow, Elizabeth, married Sir Thomas Furnivall (d. before 18 April 1332) of Sheffield, who was pardoned and fined £200 on 8 June 1322 for marrying her without royal licence.^[9][7] Furnivall's son, Thomas Furnivall (d. October 1339), had married Joan de Verdun (d. 2 October 1334), widow of Elizabeth's eldest son, John Montagu.^[10][2] Elizabeth died in August 1354, and was buried in the Priory of St Frideswide, Oxford (now Christ Church Cathedral, Oxford), where her tomb still exists in the Latin chapel.^[7]

Montagu was succeeded by his second son, William, who was closely associated with Edward III, and was created Earl of Salisbury.^[11]

Family

Effigy of William Montagu's wife, Elizabeth de Montfort, in Christ Church Cathedral, Oxford

He married, about 1292, Elizabeth (died August 1354), daughter of Peter de Montfort (died before 4 March 1287),^{[lower-alpha 3]} by Maud de la Mare (daughter and heiress of Sir Henry de la Mare (d.1257), of Ashtead, Surrey, Royal Justice, Seneschal to William Longspree II Earl of Salisbury),^[12][13][14] by whom he had four sons and seven daughters:^[2]

• John, eldest son and heir, who in 1317 married his father's ward, Joan de Verdun (d. 2 October 1334), daughter and heir of Theobald de Verdun by Maud Mortimer, daughter of Edmund Mortimer, 2nd Baron Mortimer, in the royal chapel at Windsor Park, Berkshire, by whom he had no issue.^[5][15] He predeceased his father, and was buried at Lincoln Cathedral on 14 August 1317. His widow, Joan, married, on 24 February 1318, Sir Thomas Furnivall (d. October 1339), by whom she had three sons and two daughters.^{[10][5][2][15]}

• William (1301–1344), who succeeded as 3rd Baron Montagu, and later became 1st Earl of Salisbury. ^[2][11]

• Simon (died 1345), who was successively Bishop of Worcester and Bishop of Ely.^[2]

• Edward (died 14 July 1361), who married firstly, before 29 August 1338, Alice of Norfolk (died before 30 January 1352), daughter and coheir of Thomas of Brotherton, and granddaughter of Edward I,^[16][17][18] by whom he had a son and four daughters.^[19] Alice of Norfolk is said to have died as the result of an assault by her husband and his retainers.^[19][20] He married secondly a wife named Joan, whose parentage is unknown, by whom he had a son and two daughters.^[19]
• Alice, eldest daughter, who married, before 27 January 1333, as his first wife, Sir Ralph Daubeney (3 March 1305 – c.1378), by whom she was the mother of Sir Giles Daubeney (d. 24 June 1386).^[21][14]

• Katherine, who married Sir William Carrington.^[22][23][24]

• Mary, who married Sir Richard Cogan (died 1368) of Bampton, Devon.^[22][25][14]

• Elizabeth, who became Prioress of Halliwell.^[22][26][14]

• Hawise, who married Sir Roger Bavent (d. 23 April 1355), by whom she had a daughter, Joan, who married Sir John Dauntsey (d.1391).^{[22][27][28][29][30][31][32][33][14]}

• Maud, Abbess of Barking from 1341-1352.^[22][26][14]

Notes

References

• Cokayne, George Edward (1916). The Complete Peerage, edited by Vicary Gibbs IV. London: St. Catherine Press. 
• Cokayne, George Edward (1926). The Complete Peerage, edited by Vicary Gibbs and H.A. Doubleday V. London: St. Catherine Press. 
• Cokayne, George Edward (1936). The Complete Peerage, edited by H.A. Doubleday and Lord Howard de Walden IX. London: St. Catherine Press. 
• Copinger, W.A. (1910). The Manors of Suffolk 6. Manchester: Taylor, Garnett, Evans & Co. Retrieved 21 October 2013. 
• Elwes, Dudley George Cary (1876). A History of the Castles, Mansions and Manors of Western Sussex. London: Londmans & Co. Retrieved 22 October 2013. 
• Gross, Anthony (2004). "Montagu, William, second Lord Montagu (c.1285–1319)". Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (online ed.). Oxford University Press. doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/19000.  (Subscription or UK public library membership required.)
• Ormrod, W.M. (2004). "Montagu, William, first earl of Salisbury (1301–1344)". Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (online ed.). Oxford University Press. doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/19001.  (Subscription or UK public library membership required.)
• Richardson, Douglas (2011). Everingham, Kimball G., ed. Plantagenet Ancestry: A Study in Colonial and Medieval Families II (2nd ed.). Salt Lake City. ISBN 1449966349. 
• Richardson, Douglas (2011). Everingham, Kimball G., ed. Magna Carta Ancestry: A Study in Colonial and Medieval Families IV (2nd ed.). Salt Lake City. ISBN 1460992709. 
• Robertson, Herbert (1893-5). Stemmata Robertson et Durdin. London: Mitchell and Hughes. Retrieved 21 October 2013.  Check date values in: |date= (help)
• Shaw, William Arthur (1906). The Knights of England II. London: Sherratt and Hughes. Retrieved 21 October 2013. 
• Waugh, Scott L. (2004). "Thomas, first earl of Norfolk (1300–1338)". Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (online ed.). Oxford University Press. doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/27196.  (Subscription or UK public library membership required.)
• Wigram, Spencer Robert (1896). The Cartulary of the Monastery of St. Frideswide at Oxford II. Oxford: Clarendon Press. p. 9. Retrieved 23 October 2013. 
• Wright, Thomas (1836). The History and Topography of the County of Sussex. London: George Virtue. Retrieved 21 October 2013. 

Further reading

• Fryde, E. B. (1961). Handbook of British Chronology (Second ed.). London: Royal Historical Society. p. 448. 

External links

• 'Elizabeth De Montacute née Montfort', History of Henley Series Retrieved 22 October 2013