Alan la Zouche (1205–1270)
Encyclopedia
Alan la Zouche Baron Zouche (d. 1270) was an Anglo-Norman nobleman and soldier.
, was a younger son of ‘Galfridus vicecomes,’ that is, in all probability of Geoffrey, viscount of Porhoet in Brittany
(d. 1141); his elder brother, Eudes de Porhoet, was for a few years count of Brittany, but with a disputed title, and his uncle, also named Alan, was founder of the viscounty of Rohan
. Under Henry II
Alan de Porhoet, or de la Zouch, established himself in England, and married Adeliza or Alice de Belmeis, sole heiress of the house of Belmeis [cf. Belmeis, Richard de], her inheritance including Tong Castle
in Shropshire
, Ashby (afterwards called Ashby-de-la-Zouch
) in Leicestershire
, North Molton
in Devon
shire, and other lands in Cambridgeshire
and elsewhere. As her husband, Alan de la Zouch became an important personage at Henry II's court. Their sons, William de la Zouch (d. 1199) and Roger de la Zouch (d. 1238?), succeeded in turn to these estates. Roger's Breton connection was almost fatal to him in 1204, but he managed to regain John's favour, and devoted himself to that king to the last. In the first year of Henry III's reign he was rewarded by receiving grants of the forfeited estates of his kinsmen, the viscounts of Rohan. He died before 3 November 1238.
. He was at La Sauve
in October, at Bordeaux in March and April 1243, and at La Réole
in November. Before 6 August 1250 Zouch was appointed justice of Chester
and of the four cantreds in North Wales
. Matthew Paris
says that he got this office by outbidding his predecessor, John de Grey. He offered to pay a ferm of twelve hundred marks instead of five hundred. Zouch boasted that Wales
was nearly all reduced to obedience to the English law
s, but his high-handed acts provoked royal interference and censure. He continued in office as the Lord Edward
's deputy after the king's grant of Chester and Wales to his eldest son.
had been among the lands which Edward had received from Henry III in 1254. In the spring of 1256 Zouch was sent to there on the service of the Lord Edward, and soon afterwards he was appointed justice of Ireland under Edward, his first official mandate being dated 27 June 1256. In 1257 he was still in Ireland. On 28 June 1258 he received a mandate from the king, now under the control of the baron
s, not to admit any justice or other officer appointed by Edward to Ireland unless the appointment had the consent of the king and the barons. However, he ceased to hold office soon after this, Stephen Longespee being found acting as justice in October 1258.
s Zouch adhered to the king. He was on 9 July 1261 appointed sheriff of Northamptonshire
, receiving in October a letter from the king urging him to keep his office despite any baronial interlopers. He remained sheriff until 1264, and sometimes ignored the provisions of Magna Carta
by acting as justice itinerant in his own shire and also in Buckinghamshire
and Hampshire
. In 1261 he was also made justice of the forests south of Trent
, and in 1263 king's seneschal
. In April 1262 he held forest pleas at Worcester
.
On 12 December 1263 he was one of the royalist barons who agreed to submit all points of dispute to the arbitration of Louis IX
. According to some accounts he was taken prisoner early in the battle of Lewes
by John Giffard
. He escaped almost immediately and took refuge in Lewes Priory
, where he is said to have been found after the fight disguised as a monk.
In the summer of 1266 he was one of the committee of twelve arbitrators appointed to arrange the terms of the surrender of Kenilworth Castle
. On 23 June 1267, after the peace between Henry III and Gilbert de Clare, 8th Earl of Gloucester, he was appointed warden of London
and constable of the Tower
. He continued in office until Michaelmas
, whereupon his tenure was prolonged until Easter
1268.
In 1270 Zouch had a suit against Earl Warenne with regard to a certain estate. On 19 June the trial was proceeding before the justices in banco at Westminster Hall, and Zouch seemed likely to win the case. He was murderously attacked by Earl Warenne and his followers. Roger, his son, was wounded and driven from the hall; Alan himself was seriously injured and left on the spot. He was still surviving when, on 4 August, Warenne made his peace with the crown and agreed to pay a substantial compensation to the injured Zouches. He died on 10 August, and on 20 October his son Roger received seisin
of his estate.
s, to whom he gave lands at Sibford, and to the Belmeis family foundation of Buildwas Abbey
, after having carried on protracted lawsuit
s with that house.
[see under Qunicy, Saer de], and in 1267 succeeded to her share of the Quincy estates. Their eldest son, Roger de la Zouch, married Ela, daughter of Emelina, countess of Ulster, was summoned to parliament
, and died in 1285, being succeeded by his son Alan, then aged 18, who died in 1314, being also summoned to parliament between 1297 and his death. He left three daughters as his coheirs. The youngest, Elizabeth, was a nun
. The elder ones were Eleanor, who married (1) Nicholas Seymour, and (2) Alan de Charlton; and Maud, who married Robert de Holland, 1st Baron Holand
. Between the descendants of these two ladies the estates were divided. A younger son of the elder Alan and Elena de Quincy was Eudes or Ivo, the alleged ancestor of the Zouches of Harringworth [see Zouche, Edward la].
Background
He was the son of Roger de la Zouch and the grandson of Alan de la Zouch. This elder Alan, the first of the family to be established in EnglandEngland
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, was a younger son of ‘Galfridus vicecomes,’ that is, in all probability of Geoffrey, viscount of Porhoet in Brittany
Brittany
Brittany is a cultural and administrative region in the north-west of France. Previously a kingdom and then a duchy, Brittany was united to the Kingdom of France in 1532 as a province. Brittany has also been referred to as Less, Lesser or Little Britain...
(d. 1141); his elder brother, Eudes de Porhoet, was for a few years count of Brittany, but with a disputed title, and his uncle, also named Alan, was founder of the viscounty of Rohan
Rohan
Rohan is a realm in J. R. R. Tolkien's fantasy era of Middle-earth. It is a grassland which lies north of its ally Gondor and north-west of Mordor, the realm of Sauron, their enemy . It is inhabited by the Rohirrim, a people of herdsmen and farmers who are well-known for their horses and cavalry....
. Under Henry II
Henry II of England
Henry II ruled as King of England , Count of Anjou, Count of Maine, Duke of Normandy, Duke of Aquitaine, Duke of Gascony, Count of Nantes, Lord of Ireland and, at various times, controlled parts of Wales, Scotland and western France. Henry, the great-grandson of William the Conqueror, was the...
Alan de Porhoet, or de la Zouch, established himself in England, and married Adeliza or Alice de Belmeis, sole heiress of the house of Belmeis [cf. Belmeis, Richard de], her inheritance including Tong Castle
Tong Castle
Tong Castle was a very large mostly Gothic country house in Shropshire, set within a park landscaped by Capability Brown, on the site of a medieval castle of the same name....
in Shropshire
Shropshire
Shropshire is a county in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes, the county is a NUTS 3 region and is one of four counties or unitary districts that comprise the "Shropshire and Staffordshire" NUTS 2 region. It borders Wales to the west...
, Ashby (afterwards called Ashby-de-la-Zouch
Ashby-de-la-Zouch
Ashby-de-la-Zouch, — Zouch being pronounced "Zoosh" — often shortened to Ashby, is a small market town and civil parish in North West Leicestershire, England, within the National Forest. It is twinned with Pithiviers in north-central France....
) in Leicestershire
Leicestershire
Leicestershire is a landlocked county in the English Midlands. It takes its name from the heavily populated City of Leicester, traditionally its administrative centre, although the City of Leicester unitary authority is today administered separately from the rest of Leicestershire...
, North Molton
North Molton
North Molton is a village in north Devon, England.A feature of the village is the church of All Saints, which has a tall tower, nave and two aisles. The rood screen is Perpendicular in style and there are two parclose screens of different designs. The font is octagonal and also Perpendicular...
in Devon
Devon
Devon is a large county in southwestern England. The county is sometimes referred to as Devonshire, although the term is rarely used inside the county itself as the county has never been officially "shired", it often indicates a traditional or historical context.The county shares borders with...
shire, and other lands in Cambridgeshire
Cambridgeshire
Cambridgeshire is a county in England, bordering Lincolnshire to the north, Norfolk to the northeast, Suffolk to the east, Essex and Hertfordshire to the south, and Bedfordshire and Northamptonshire to the west...
and elsewhere. As her husband, Alan de la Zouch became an important personage at Henry II's court. Their sons, William de la Zouch (d. 1199) and Roger de la Zouch (d. 1238?), succeeded in turn to these estates. Roger's Breton connection was almost fatal to him in 1204, but he managed to regain John's favour, and devoted himself to that king to the last. In the first year of Henry III's reign he was rewarded by receiving grants of the forfeited estates of his kinsmen, the viscounts of Rohan. He died before 3 November 1238.
Early service
On 15 June 1242 Alan was summoned to attend the king Henry III with horses and arms in GasconyGascony
Gascony is an area of southwest France that was part of the "Province of Guyenne and Gascony" prior to the French Revolution. The region is vaguely defined and the distinction between Guyenne and Gascony is unclear; sometimes they are considered to overlap, and sometimes Gascony is considered a...
. He was at La Sauve
La Sauve
La Sauve is a commune in the Gironde department in Aquitaine in southwestern France.-Population:-References:*...
in October, at Bordeaux in March and April 1243, and at La Réole
La Réole
La Réole is a commune in the Gironde department in Aquitaine in southwestern France.-Geography:La Réole is located on the right bank of the Garonne, southeast of Bordeaux by rail.-History:...
in November. Before 6 August 1250 Zouch was appointed justice of Chester
Chester
Chester is a city in Cheshire, England. Lying on the River Dee, close to the border with Wales, it is home to 77,040 inhabitants, and is the largest and most populous settlement of the wider unitary authority area of Cheshire West and Chester, which had a population of 328,100 according to the...
and of the four cantreds in North Wales
North Wales
North Wales is the northernmost unofficial region of Wales. It is bordered to the south by the counties of Ceredigion and Powys in Mid Wales and to the east by the counties of Shropshire in the West Midlands and Cheshire in North West England...
. Matthew Paris
Matthew Paris
Matthew Paris was a Benedictine monk, English chronicler, artist in illuminated manuscripts and cartographer, based at St Albans Abbey in Hertfordshire...
says that he got this office by outbidding his predecessor, John de Grey. He offered to pay a ferm of twelve hundred marks instead of five hundred. Zouch boasted that Wales
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
was nearly all reduced to obedience to the English law
English law
English law is the legal system of England and Wales, and is the basis of common law legal systems used in most Commonwealth countries and the United States except Louisiana...
s, but his high-handed acts provoked royal interference and censure. He continued in office as the Lord Edward
Edward I of England
Edward I , also known as Edward Longshanks and the Hammer of the Scots, was King of England from 1272 to 1307. The first son of Henry III, Edward was involved early in the political intrigues of his father's reign, which included an outright rebellion by the English barons...
's deputy after the king's grant of Chester and Wales to his eldest son.
In Ireland
IrelandIreland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
had been among the lands which Edward had received from Henry III in 1254. In the spring of 1256 Zouch was sent to there on the service of the Lord Edward, and soon afterwards he was appointed justice of Ireland under Edward, his first official mandate being dated 27 June 1256. In 1257 he was still in Ireland. On 28 June 1258 he received a mandate from the king, now under the control of the baron
Baron
Baron is a title of nobility. The word baron comes from Old French baron, itself from Old High German and Latin baro meaning " man, warrior"; it merged with cognate Old English beorn meaning "nobleman"...
s, not to admit any justice or other officer appointed by Edward to Ireland unless the appointment had the consent of the king and the barons. However, he ceased to hold office soon after this, Stephen Longespee being found acting as justice in October 1258.
Loyalist
During the barons' warSecond Barons' War
The Second Barons' War was a civil war in England between the forces of a number of barons led by Simon de Montfort, against the Royalist forces led by Prince Edward , in the name of Henry III.-Causes:...
s Zouch adhered to the king. He was on 9 July 1261 appointed sheriff of Northamptonshire
Northamptonshire
Northamptonshire is a landlocked county in the English East Midlands, with a population of 629,676 as at the 2001 census. It has boundaries with the ceremonial counties of Warwickshire to the west, Leicestershire and Rutland to the north, Cambridgeshire to the east, Bedfordshire to the south-east,...
, receiving in October a letter from the king urging him to keep his office despite any baronial interlopers. He remained sheriff until 1264, and sometimes ignored the provisions of Magna Carta
Magna Carta
Magna Carta is an English charter, originally issued in the year 1215 and reissued later in the 13th century in modified versions, which included the most direct challenges to the monarch's authority to date. The charter first passed into law in 1225...
by acting as justice itinerant in his own shire and also in Buckinghamshire
Buckinghamshire
Buckinghamshire is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan home county in South East England. The county town is Aylesbury, the largest town in the ceremonial county is Milton Keynes and largest town in the non-metropolitan county is High Wycombe....
and Hampshire
Hampshire
Hampshire is a county on the southern coast of England in the United Kingdom. The county town of Hampshire is Winchester, a historic cathedral city that was once the capital of England. Hampshire is notable for housing the original birthplaces of the Royal Navy, British Army, and Royal Air Force...
. In 1261 he was also made justice of the forests south of Trent
Trent
-Places:* Trento in northern Italy, site of the Council of Trent* Trent, Dorset, England, United Kingdom* Trent, Germany, a municipality on the island of Rügen* Trent, California, USA* Trent, Kentucky, USA* Trent, South Dakota, USA* Trent, Texas, USA...
, and in 1263 king's seneschal
Seneschal
A seneschal was an officer in the houses of important nobles in the Middle Ages. In the French administrative system of the Middle Ages, the sénéchal was also a royal officer in charge of justice and control of the administration in southern provinces, equivalent to the northern French bailli...
. In April 1262 he held forest pleas at Worcester
Worcester
The City of Worcester, commonly known as Worcester, , is a city and county town of Worcestershire in the West Midlands of England. Worcester is situated some southwest of Birmingham and north of Gloucester, and has an approximate population of 94,000 people. The River Severn runs through the...
.
On 12 December 1263 he was one of the royalist barons who agreed to submit all points of dispute to the arbitration of Louis IX
Louis IX
Louis IX may refer to:* Louis IX of France .* Louis IX, Duke of Bavaria "the Rich" * Louis IX, Landgrave of Hesse-Darmstadt ....
. According to some accounts he was taken prisoner early in the battle of Lewes
Battle of Lewes
The Battle of Lewes was one of two main battles of the conflict known as the Second Barons' War. It took place at Lewes in Sussex, on 14 May 1264...
by John Giffard
John Giffard
John Giffard , baron Giffard of Brimsfield, was an English nobleman prominent in the Second Barons' War and in Wales. His initial gift of land in Oxford led to the foundation of Gloucester College, Oxford.-Involvement in military actions:...
. He escaped almost immediately and took refuge in Lewes Priory
Lewes Priory
The Priory of St Pancras was the first Cluniac house in England and had one of the largest monastic churches in the country. It was set within an extensive walled and gated precinct laid out in a commanding location fronting the tidal shore-line at the head of the Ouse valley to the south of Lewes...
, where he is said to have been found after the fight disguised as a monk.
In the summer of 1266 he was one of the committee of twelve arbitrators appointed to arrange the terms of the surrender of Kenilworth Castle
Kenilworth Castle
Kenilworth Castle is located in the town of the same name in Warwickshire, England. Constructed from Norman through to Tudor times, the castle has been described by architectural historian Anthony Emery as "the finest surviving example of a semi-royal palace of the later middle ages, significant...
. On 23 June 1267, after the peace between Henry III and Gilbert de Clare, 8th Earl of Gloucester, he was appointed warden of London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
and constable of the Tower
Constable of the Tower
The Constable of the Tower is the most senior appointment at the Tower of London. In the middle ages a constable was the person in charge of a castle when the owner - the king or a nobleman - was not in residence...
. He continued in office until Michaelmas
Michaelmas
Michaelmas, the feast of Saint Michael the Archangel is a day in the Western Christian calendar which occurs on 29 September...
, whereupon his tenure was prolonged until Easter
Easter
Easter is the central feast in the Christian liturgical year. According to the Canonical gospels, Jesus rose from the dead on the third day after his crucifixion. His resurrection is celebrated on Easter Day or Easter Sunday...
1268.
In 1270 Zouch had a suit against Earl Warenne with regard to a certain estate. On 19 June the trial was proceeding before the justices in banco at Westminster Hall, and Zouch seemed likely to win the case. He was murderously attacked by Earl Warenne and his followers. Roger, his son, was wounded and driven from the hall; Alan himself was seriously injured and left on the spot. He was still surviving when, on 4 August, Warenne made his peace with the crown and agreed to pay a substantial compensation to the injured Zouches. He died on 10 August, and on 20 October his son Roger received seisin
Seisin
Seisin is the term denoting the legal possession of a feudal fiefdom . It was used in the form of "the son and heir of X has obtained seisin of his inheritance", and thus is effectively a term concerned with conveyancing in the feudal era...
of his estate.
Legacy
Zouch was a benefactor of the Knights TemplarKnights Templar
The Poor Fellow-Soldiers of Christ and of the Temple of Solomon , commonly known as the Knights Templar, the Order of the Temple or simply as Templars, were among the most famous of the Western Christian military orders...
s, to whom he gave lands at Sibford, and to the Belmeis family foundation of Buildwas Abbey
Buildwas Abbey
Buildwas Abbey is located along the banks of the River Severn in Buildwas, Shropshire, England, about two miles west of Ironbridge.-Early history:...
, after having carried on protracted lawsuit
Lawsuit
A lawsuit or "suit in law" is a civil action brought in a court of law in which a plaintiff, a party who claims to have incurred loss as a result of a defendant's actions, demands a legal or equitable remedy. The defendant is required to respond to the plaintiff's complaint...
s with that house.
Family
Zouch married Elena (d. 1296), one of the daughters and coheirs of Roger de Quincy, 2nd Earl of WinchesterRoger de Quincy, 2nd Earl of Winchester
Roger de Quincy, 2nd Earl of Winchester was a medieval nobleman who was prominent on both sides of the Anglo-Scottish border, as Earl of Winchester and Constable of Scotland....
[see under Qunicy, Saer de], and in 1267 succeeded to her share of the Quincy estates. Their eldest son, Roger de la Zouch, married Ela, daughter of Emelina, countess of Ulster, was summoned to parliament
Parliament
A parliament is a legislature, especially in those countries whose system of government is based on the Westminster system modeled after that of the United Kingdom. The name is derived from the French , the action of parler : a parlement is a discussion. The term came to mean a meeting at which...
, and died in 1285, being succeeded by his son Alan, then aged 18, who died in 1314, being also summoned to parliament between 1297 and his death. He left three daughters as his coheirs. The youngest, Elizabeth, was a nun
Nun
A nun is a woman who has taken vows committing her to live a spiritual life. She may be an ascetic who voluntarily chooses to leave mainstream society and live her life in prayer and contemplation in a monastery or convent...
. The elder ones were Eleanor, who married (1) Nicholas Seymour, and (2) Alan de Charlton; and Maud, who married Robert de Holland, 1st Baron Holand
Robert de Holland, 1st Baron Holand
Robert de Holland, 1st Baron Holand was an English nobleman, born in Lancashire.He was a son of Sir Robert de Holland of Upholland, Lancashire and Elizabeth, daughter of William de Samlesbury....
. Between the descendants of these two ladies the estates were divided. A younger son of the elder Alan and Elena de Quincy was Eudes or Ivo, the alleged ancestor of the Zouches of Harringworth [see Zouche, Edward la].