Engelard de Cigogné

Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

Engelard de Cigogné was a 13th-century French-born administrator from Touraine who served

King John of England.[1]

He was born in the little village of

Loches Castle in 1205, of which he was castellan. Gérard had then joined Engelard and other of his relatives in England and had been appointed High Sheriff of Gloucestershire and Herefordshire
in 1208.

Engelard was appointed High Sheriff of both

High Sheriff of Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire until 1222. Engelard himself was compensated with the post of Constable of Windsor Castle
, which he held until 1223.

The barons had meanwhile invited Prince Louis of France, the future Louis VIII of France, to be King of England in place of John and the French prince duly occupied southern England and besieged the castles of Odiham, Dover and Windsor. As Constable of Windsor Engelard ( De Athe) led its resistance to a besieging force led by the Count of Nevers until the besiegers left to pursue other objectives. After peace was restored Engelard was rewarded for his services by being given the manor of Benson in Oxfordshire.[2] He was also appointed High Sheriff of Oxfordshire and Berkshire for 1233 and reinstated as Constable of Windsor Castle in 1234, holding the post until 1242.

He was so trusted by Henry III that he was once appointed to keep Eleanor, Fair Maid of Brittany, in his custody. Eleanor was a cousin of Henry and posed a potential threat to the crown, and was thus confined since 1202, then at Bristol Castle.

He died in 1244. He had married Agatha and had a son, Oliver. The previous Christmas the king had sent him a personal gift of wine as a tribute to a loyal and valued servant of the Crown.

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