John le Despenser

• Preferred Name: John le Despenser
  
• Gender: M
  
• Christening: 1235 in Defford, Worcestershire, England at LATI: N2.0873 LONG: E2.1191
  
• FSID: LJRP-6SP
  
• Death: 1274 in Swallowfield, Wiltshire, England at LATI: N1.3752 LONG: E0.9506 with note: GEDCOM data
  
• Birth: 1235 in Defford, Worcestershire, England at LATI: N2.0873 LONG: E2.1191 with note: GEDCOM data
  
• Notes:

  === Life Sketch ===
  Sir John le Despencer, of Martley, co. Worcester (dsp. 1275), mar. Joan le Lou (d. 1266), dau .and hrss. of Robert le Lou, of Castle Carlton.
  [Cracroft's Peerage.]
  
  John le DESPENCER
  http://www.berkshirehistory.com/bios/jdespencer.html:
  
  Sir John Despencer (1235-1274)
  Rebel Baron
  
  Born: 1235
  Died: 1274 at Swallowfield, Berkshire
  
  John Despencer was the son of Geoffrey Le Despencer of Martley in Worcestershire and Emma the daughter of Richard Harcourt, the Lady of Swallowfield in Berkshire, which she held in dower from her first husband, Sir John St. John. He came of age in 1256 - holding ?60 per annum in Leicestershire and ?15 per annum in Hampshire - and was immediately called to receive the honour of knighthood. He married Joan the daughter of Robert de Lou. No doubt he and his wife then lived at Swallowfield, for his mother is known to have moved out to Portchester Castle in Hampshire.
  
  Sir John Le Despencer, followed his elder half-brother and overlord Roger St. John, in joining the Barons in their great civil struggle against King Henry III and they both attended the celebrated Council summoned at Oxford in 1258, and commonly known as 'the Mad Parliament'. Early in 1264, Sir John and his young son, Adam, formed part of the force left by Simon de Montfort to hold Northampton. It was, however, taken when the Royalist monks from a Cluniac monastery abutting on the walls of the town, undermined the said fortifications, putting wooden props as a temporary support.
  
  In 1265, Roger St. John was killed at the rebellious Battle of Evesham. His estates were confiscated and "Swaluefelde and one messuage and one carucate of lands in Beaumys with woods and rents and all appurts" were granted to Roger de Leybourne, and in a Charter Roll we read that "only a messuage in Beaumys remained the property of Sir John Le Despencer", his half-brother. The latter was probably therefore obliged to retire to nearby Beaumys Castle, though he did hold estates elsewhere. He died in 1274.
  
  The name of Spencer still survives in the parish of Swallowfield, both amongst the people and also in the village called 'Spencer's Wood'.
  Edited from Lady Russell's "Swallowfield & its Owners" (1901).
  
  Birth: 1235 in Defford, Worcestershire, England, United Kingdom
  Death: 1251
  Father: Galfridus Geoffrey le DESPENCER b: ABT 1185 in Defford, Worcestershire, England, United Kingdom c: in Martley, Worcestershire, England,
  Mother: Emma D' HARCOURT b: ABT 1206 in Defford, Worcestershire, England,
  Marriage 1 Mrs Anne SPENCER b: ABT 1240 in Defford, Worcestershire, England,
  Married: ABT 1260 in Defford, Worcestershire, England,
  Children
  Adam SPENCER b: ABT 1261 in Dafford, Worcestershire, England,
  William SPENCER b: ABT 1263 in Belton, Worcestershire, England,
  -----------
  
  === !In his 40th year in the reign of Henry ===
  !In his 40th year in the reign of Henry III he was known as Sir Henry Despenser holding estates in Southampton. In 1256 when Pope Alexander the II directed his bill to the Bishop of Salisbury, petitions that he will build a chapel in Swalefield. Sir John took part with the barons in their wars against Henry III and was taken prisoner at the Battle of Northampton. He held much land.
  
  === !#205-v1-p40; !#235-v1-p565; !#240-v1-p3 ===
  !#205-v1-p40; !#235-v1-p565; !#240-v1-p380-381; !#244-v1-p108; !#558-v1-p201; !#1848-p284;
  
  === !BIR-DEA: Bk, Medieval Knight by Stephen ===
  !BIR-DEA: Bk, Medieval Knight by Stephen Turnbull.
  
  === RESEARCH: WAS UNDER AGE AT FATHERS DEATH ===
  RESEARCH: WAS UNDER AGE AT FATHERS DEATH, MOTHER EMMA AS GARDIAN (1251). AT FULL AGE KNOWN AS SIR IN 1256 (14 HENRY III). ESTATE IN SOUTHAMPTON VALUED AT 60# PER ANNUM. WAS CALLED TO KNIGHTHOOD AT FULL AGE. WITH FAMILY AND OTHER BARONS WARED AGAINST HENRY III. TAKEN PRISONER AT BATTLE OF NORTHAMPTON AT WHICH HIS MANORS OF CASTLE-CARLTON AND GAVENBY IN LINCOLNSHIRE, IN WHICH HE HELD BY RIGHT OF WIFE, WERE EXTENDED BY KING. AT BATTLE OF LEWES 14 MAY 1264, BY MUTUAL AGREEMENT, PRISONERS WERE RELEASED IN EXCHANGE FOR PRINCE HELD BY BARONS. ROGER DE MORTIMER DELIVERED THE WRIT TO LONDON. FACT: POPE ALEXANDER IV DIRECTS HIS BULL TO THE BISHOP OF SALISBURY (1256), TO WHOM JOHN PITITONS FOR CHAPEL IN HIS MANOR OF SWALEFIELD BY REASON OF DIFFICULTIES. INQUISITION IN 1275 AT MANOR OF MARTELEYIU, WIGORN, YEAR AFTER DEATH, SHOWED HIM POSSESSED OF ADVOWSON OF THE CHURCH, HELD IN CHIEF OF THE KING WICH HIS FATHER HAD BY GIFT OF KING HENRY. HAD RESTITUTION OF MANORS OF CASTLE-CARLTON AND GAVENBY BY RIGHT OF WIFE JOAN (NO CHILD) AND HELD BY HIM ONLY BY COURTESY OF ENGLAND, AND JOHN DE MERIETH (COUSIN OF JOHN) AT HIS DEATH AND THEN TO HEIR-IN-LAW, SON OF JOHN BY SECOND WIFE ANNE. IT ALSO IS NOTED IN 'RISE OF SPENCERS BY PEERAGE STUDIES THAT THIS JOHN PROVED TO BE WITHOUT ANY HIER AND THAT THESE POSSESSIONS SUCCEEDED TO HUGH LE DESPENCER AND NOTED AS BEING SO.
  
  === GEN: Sir GEN: John GEN: Spencer GEN: He ===
  GEN: Sir GEN: John GEN: Spencer GEN: He was taken prisoner in the Battle of Northampton in 1260 and hisGEN: manors namely GEN: Castle Carlton and Cavenly in Lincoln which held in the right ofthis GEN: first wife were GEN: siezed by the King. Fortune favored Sir John at the Battle of LewesGEN: March 14, 1265 GEN: where the King was taken prisoner. The captives of both sides wereGEN: freed. As a GEN: consequence of this agreement, Stir John not only obtained hisliberty GEN but also GEN: rrestitution of this lands. GEN: Knighted GEN: 1256 GEN: Sir GEN: John GEN: Spencer GEN: He was taken prisoner in the Battle of Northampton in 1260 and hisGEN: manors namely GEN: Castle Carlton and Cavenly in Lincoln which held in the right ofthis GEN: first wife were GEN: siezed by the King. Fortune favored Sir John at the Battle of LewesGEN: March 14, 1265 GEN: where the King was taken prisoner. The captives of both sides wereGEN: freed. As a GEN: consequence of this agreement, Stir John not only obtained hisliberty GEN but also GEN: rrestitution of this lands. GEN: Knighted GEN: 1256
  
  === SOURCE: ENG. A. M. VOL. 1, PG. 40 GS 92 ===
  SOURCE: ENG. A. M. VOL. 1, PG. 40 GS 929.242 AL # 29
  
  === !Eng AM vol I p 39-40 ===
  !Eng AM vol I p 39-40
  
  === John and Anne had two children of which ===
  John and Anne had two children of which William was the second.
  
  === !#21> Complete Peerage-v4pt1-p259/60fn(c ===
  !#21> Complete Peerage-v4pt1-p259/60fn(c), (FHL 942 D22cok); !AF: BAPT-END-SP-SS> AFN:HS1TV6;
  
  === Knighted by King Henry III ===
  Knight of the Garland
  
  === Sir John was seven years of age when his ===
  Sir John was seven years of age when his father died, and he wascommitted to the guardianship of his mother, Emma. He was knighted in 1256. Hewas taken prisoner at the Battle of Northhampton in April, 1264, and his manors- namely, Castle Carlton and Cavenly in Lincoln which he held in right of hisfirst wife, were siezed by the King. Fortune favored sir John, however, at theBattle of Lewes on 14 May 1265, where both the King was taken prisoner, becauseas a result, the captives on both sides were freed. As a consequence ofthis agreement Sir John Spencer not only obtained his liberty, but received restitution of his lands. Married (1st) Joan Le Lou. Sir John had noissue by his first wife and his lands reverted to her next heir--namely, hercousin, John De Meredith.

• m. ABT 1260 in Defford, ~, England

1. Adam le Despencer, b. 1261 in Defford, Worcestershire, England     d. 1349 in Defford, Worcestershire, England