Geoffrey Fitz Peter, 1st Earl of Essex
Geoffrey Fitz Peter | |
---|---|
Chief Justiciar of England | |
In office 11 July 1198 – 14 October 1213 | |
Monarchs | John |
Preceded by | Hubert Walter |
Succeeded by | Peter des Roches |
Justiciar of England | |
In office 1189 – 11 July 1198 | |
Monarch | Richard I |
Sheriff of Northamptonshire | |
In office 1184–1189 | |
Monarch | Henry II |
Personal details | |
Born | c. 1162 |
Died | 14 October 1213 |
Spouse(s) | (1) Beatrice de Say (2) Cecily Fitzgeoffrey Hawise Fitzgeoffrey |
Occupation | Earl of Essex |
Profession | Noble |
Geoffrey Fitz Peter, Earl of Essex (c. 1162–1213) was a prominent member of the government of England during the reigns of
Life
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He was from a modest landowning family that had a tradition of service in mid-ranking posts under Henry II. Geoffrey's elder brother, Simon Fitz Peter, was at various times High Sheriff of Northamptonshire, Buckinghamshire, and Bedfordshire. Geoffrey, too, got his start in this way, as High Sheriff of Northamptonshire for the last five years of Henry II's reign.
Around this time Geoffrey married Beatrice de Say, daughter and eventual co-heiress of William de Say II. This William was the elder son of William de Say I and Beatrice, sister of
When Richard I left on crusade, he appointed Geoffrey one of the five judges of the king's court, and thus a principal advisor to Hugh de Puiset, Bishop of Durham, who, as Chief Justiciar, was one of the regents during the king's absence. Late in 1189, Geoffrey's wife's cousin William de Mandeville, 3rd Earl of Essex died, leaving no direct heirs. His wife's inheritance was disputed between Geoffrey and Beatrice's uncle, Geoffrey de Say, but Geoffrey Fitz Peter used his political influence to eventually obtain the Mandeville lands (although not the earldom, which was left open) for himself.
He served as Constable of the Tower of London from 1198 to 1205. He served as
On 11 July 1198, King Richard appointed Geoffrey Chief Justiciar, which at that time effectively made him the king's principal minister. On his coronation day the new king ennobled Geoffrey as Earl of Essex.
King John granted
After the accession of King John, Geoffrey continued in his capacity as the king's principal minister until his death on 14 October 1213.[3]
Marriage and issue
Spouses
- m1. Beatrice de Say, daughter of William de Say and heiress of the Mandeville Earls of Essex.
- m2. Aveline de Clare, daughter of Roger de Clare, 2nd Earl of Hertford.
Children of Beatrice
Note that his sons by this marriage took the de Mandeville surname.
- Geoffrey FitzGeoffrey de Mandeville, 2nd Earl of Essex.
- William FitzGeoffrey de Mandeville, 3rd Earl of Essex.
- Henry Fitz Geoffrey, Dean of Wolverhampton.
- Maud Fitzgeoffrey, who married Henry de Bohun, 1st Earl of Hereford.
Children of Aveline
- John Fitzgeoffrey, Lord of Shere and Justiciar of Ireland.
- Cecily Fitzgeoffrey.
- Hawise Fitzgeoffrey.
Geoffrey's first two sons died without male issue. The earldom had been associated with their mother's Mandeville heritage, and the earldom was next granted to the son of their sister Maud and her husband Henry De Bohun instead of their half-brother John.
Notes
- ^ "Sheriffs of Buckinghamshire". Retrieved 20 May 2011.
- ISBN 978-1-871372-03-8.
- ^ Powicke Handbook of British Chronology, p. 70
References
- Powicke, F. Mauriceand E. B. Fryde Handbook of British Chronology 2nd. ed. London:Royal Historical Society 1961
External links