Robert Marmion, 3rd Baron Marmion of Tamworth

Robert Marmion, 3rd Baron Marmion of Tamworth (died 1218) was an Anglo-Norman nobleman and itinerant justice. He was reputed to have been the King's Champion but his grandson, Phillip, is the first Marmion to have a solid claim to this. Robert was descended from the lords of Fontenay-le-Marmion in Normandy, who are said to have been hereditary champions of the Dukes of Normandy.

Career

Lord Marmion first appears as a justiciar at Caen in 1177. He was one of the justices before whom fines were levied in 1184, and from 1185 to 1189 was High Sheriff of Worcestershire. He was an itinerant justice for Warwickshire and Leicestershire in 1187-8, Staffordshire in 1187-92, Shropshire in 1187-94, Herefordshire in 1188-90, Worcestershire in 1189, Gloucestershire in 1189-91 and 1193, and Bristol in 1194.

Marmion had taken the vow to join the crusade, but had bought his way out of it. In 1195 he was with Richard in Normandy, and in 1197 witnessed the treaty between Richard and Baldwin of Flanders. During the early years of John's reign he was in attendance on the king in Normandy. In 1204-5 he was again one of the justices before whom fines were levied. He sided with the barons against the king, but after John's death rejoined the royal party under the nine year old Henry III. He gave a mill at Barston, Warwickshire, to the Templars, and was a benefactor of Kirkstead Abbey, Lincolnshire.

He died before 15 May 1218, whereupon his lands were placed in the custody of his younger son Robert Marmion the Younger until such time as his older brother Robert Marmion the Elder dropped his support of the rebel barons and came into the King's peace.^[2]

Family and descendants

Marmion first married Matilda/Maud, daughter of William de Beauchamp of Elmley,^[3] with whom he had the following issue:

• Robert the Elder^[3] (d.1241), of Tamworth, Scrivelsby and Normandy. m. Juliana d. of Philip de Vassy,^[3] Baron of Vassy, Lord Forest Auvray,^[4] and had a son, Philip, who was the last of the senior Marmion line, with the Kings Championship passing to the Dymoke family.
• Mabel m. Hugh de Say of Richard's Castle^[5][6]
• ? m. William de Lizures^[5]

and secondly, to Philippa, who bore him:

• Robert the Younger,^[3] of Winteringham, Coningsby and Tanfield. Father of William who married Lorette, daughter of Richard FitzRoy, illegitimate son of King John
• William,^[3] of Torrington and Normandy. Cleric & Member of Simon de Montfort's Parliament^[3]

Palmer claimed that he had at least the following three additional sons:^[3]

• Geoffrey,^[3] ancestor of the Marmions of Checkendon, Stoke Marmion, and of Aynho, to which branch Shackerley Marmion the dramatist belonged
• Phllip^[3] (d. 1276), ancestor of the Marmions of Westbury, Wiltshire
• Manasser^[3] (aka Manser or Mauncer), ancestor of the Marmions of Galby^[7] & Rippingale

but no supporting evidence was quoted. Banks identified Geoffrey as actually being the son of Robert's eldest son and cited the College of Arms as evidence.^[8] Manasser is recorded as being the son of a Sir William Marmion in evidence submitted by the Marmion family of Galby and Keisby at the National Archives and this is confirmed by various petitions.^[9] Seeing as there is evidence to suggest that the identification of Geoffrey and Manasser as sons of Robert is dubious it also seems likely that Philip is also misplaced and that Robert had just three sons, i.e. Robert the elder, Robert the younger and William.

References

Bibliography

•  This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: "Marmion, Robert". Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co. 1885–1900.