Geoffrey de Clinton
Encyclopedia
Geoffrey de Clinton was an Anglo-Norman noble
, chamberlain and treasurer to King Henry I of England
. He was foremost amongst the men king Henry "raised from the dust". He married Lescelina.
in Oxfordshire., though the family ultimately derived from
Saint-Pierre-de-Semilly
(Manche, arr. St. Lô, canton St.-Clair) in western Normandy.
It appears that Clinton spent some years as a minor official of the king's, until the 1118 fall of the treasurer Herbert camerarius, who was accused of plotting against the king. By 1120 Clinton had taken his place.
Not too long afterwards Clinton was appointed Sheriff of Warwickshire
(by 1121), to act as counterweight to the Earl of Warwick, Roger de Beaumont
, who Henry I did not trust. The 1122 rebellion of Roger's cousin Waleran de Beaumont, 1st Earl of Worcester
increased the king's suspicions still further, and he compelled Roger to grant Clinton a substantial part of his Warwickshire domains.
Clinton further secured his position by starting work on the great castle of Kenilworth
, only two miles from the earl's central fortress at Warwick
.
Clinton received other land grants from Henry I, and he used his position of political influence to enrich himself in other ways. In sum his total wealth was just below the level of the greatest magnates of the kingdom. He had enough to spend 2,000 pounds to insure his nephew Roger de Clinton
's election as Bishop of Coventry.
Around Easter 1130 Clinton was accused of treason, but was acquitted by a panel including David I of Scotland
, who was sitting in his capacity as Earl of Huntingdon
. The substance of the accusations against Clinton are not known, although since he was Henry I's treasurer, financial malfeasance of some sort is possible. The Beaumonts were back in favor, and it may be that they were behind the proceedings.
Clinton remained in the royal service, though he was never as influential as he had been. He died sometime between 1133 and 1135.
It appears that Clinton's land-holding must have been primarily life tenancies since his descendants' property was not nearly so imposing. His son and successor, also named Geoffrey, became engaged in a violent quarrel with the Earl of Warwick early in the reign of King Stephen of England
. The Clintons nearly lost everything, but in the end a settlement was reached (probably in the summer of 1138) by which the younger Geoffrey de Clinton married Warwick's daughter Agnes.
The direct Clinton male line seems to have died out during the reign of Henry III
. The later Baron Clinton
s, Earls of Lincoln, and Dukes of Newcastle-Under-Lyne
descend from the elder Geoffrey de Clinton's nephew Osbert.
Nobility
Nobility is a social class which possesses more acknowledged privileges or eminence than members of most other classes in a society, membership therein typically being hereditary. The privileges associated with nobility may constitute substantial advantages over or relative to non-nobles, or may be...
, chamberlain and treasurer to King Henry I of England
Henry I of England
Henry I was the fourth son of William I of England. He succeeded his elder brother William II as King of England in 1100 and defeated his eldest brother, Robert Curthose, to become Duke of Normandy in 1106...
. He was foremost amongst the men king Henry "raised from the dust". He married Lescelina.
Life
Clinton's family origins are a little obscure. The surname probably derives from the village of GlymptonGlympton
Glympton is a village and civil parish on the River Glyme about north of Woodstock, Oxfordshire.-Prehistory:Grim's Ditch in the southern part of the parish, just north of Grim's Dyke Farm, was dug in the 1st century. The surviving section is about long....
in Oxfordshire., though the family ultimately derived from
Saint-Pierre-de-Semilly
Saint-Pierre-de-Semilly
Saint-Pierre-de-Semilly is a commune in the Manche department in Normandy in north-western France.-References:*...
(Manche, arr. St. Lô, canton St.-Clair) in western Normandy.
It appears that Clinton spent some years as a minor official of the king's, until the 1118 fall of the treasurer Herbert camerarius, who was accused of plotting against the king. By 1120 Clinton had taken his place.
Not too long afterwards Clinton was appointed Sheriff of Warwickshire
High Sheriff of Warwickshire
The High Sheriff is the oldest secular office under the Crown. Formerly the High Sheriff was the principal law enforcement officer in the county but over the centuries most of the responsibilities associated with the post have been transferred elsewhere or are now defunct, so that its functions...
(by 1121), to act as counterweight to the Earl of Warwick, Roger de Beaumont
Roger de Beaumont, 2nd Earl of Warwick
Roger de Beaumont, 2nd Earl of Warwick was the elder son of Henry de Beaumont, 1st Earl of Warwick and Marguerite, daughter of Geoffrey II of Perche and Beatrix of Montdidier...
, who Henry I did not trust. The 1122 rebellion of Roger's cousin Waleran de Beaumont, 1st Earl of Worcester
Waleran de Beaumont, 1st Earl of Worcester
Waleran de Beaumont, Count of Meulan, 1st Earl of Worcester , was the son of Robert de Beaumont, 1st Earl of Leicester and Elizabeth de Vermandois, and the twin brother of Robert de Beaumont, 2nd Earl of Leicester...
increased the king's suspicions still further, and he compelled Roger to grant Clinton a substantial part of his Warwickshire domains.
Clinton further secured his position by starting work on the great castle of Kenilworth
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...
, only two miles from the earl's central fortress at Warwick
Warwick Castle
Warwick Castle is a medieval castle in Warwick, the county town of Warwickshire, England. It sits on a bend on the River Avon. The castle was built by William the Conqueror in 1068 within or adjacent to the Anglo-Saxon burh of Warwick. It was used as a fortification until the early 17th century,...
.
Clinton received other land grants from Henry I, and he used his position of political influence to enrich himself in other ways. In sum his total wealth was just below the level of the greatest magnates of the kingdom. He had enough to spend 2,000 pounds to insure his nephew Roger de Clinton
Roger de Clinton
Roger de Clinton was a medieval Bishop of Coventry and Lichfield. He was responsible for organising a new grid street plan for the town of Lichfield in the 12th century which survives to this day.-Life:...
's election as Bishop of Coventry.
Around Easter 1130 Clinton was accused of treason, but was acquitted by a panel including David I of Scotland
David I of Scotland
David I or Dabíd mac Maíl Choluim was a 12th-century ruler who was Prince of the Cumbrians and later King of the Scots...
, who was sitting in his capacity as Earl of Huntingdon
Earl of Huntingdon
Earl of Huntingdon is a title which has been created several times in the Peerage of England. The title is associated with the ruling house of Scotland, and latterly with the Hastings family.-Early history:...
. The substance of the accusations against Clinton are not known, although since he was Henry I's treasurer, financial malfeasance of some sort is possible. The Beaumonts were back in favor, and it may be that they were behind the proceedings.
Clinton remained in the royal service, though he was never as influential as he had been. He died sometime between 1133 and 1135.
It appears that Clinton's land-holding must have been primarily life tenancies since his descendants' property was not nearly so imposing. His son and successor, also named Geoffrey, became engaged in a violent quarrel with the Earl of Warwick early in the reign of King Stephen of England
Stephen
Stephen or Steven is a masculine first name, derived from the Greek name Στέφανος meaning "crown, garland", in turn from the Greek word "στέφανος", meaning "wreath, crown, honour, reward", literally "that which surrounds or encompasses". In ancient Greece a wreath was given to the winner of a...
. The Clintons nearly lost everything, but in the end a settlement was reached (probably in the summer of 1138) by which the younger Geoffrey de Clinton married Warwick's daughter Agnes.
The direct Clinton male line seems to have died out during the reign of Henry III
Henry III of England
Henry III was the son and successor of John as King of England, reigning for 56 years from 1216 until his death. His contemporaries knew him as Henry of Winchester. He was the first child king in England since the reign of Æthelred the Unready...
. The later Baron Clinton
Baron Clinton
Baron Clinton is a title in the Peerage of England. It was created in 1298 for John de Clinton. The peerage was created by writ, which means that it can descend through both male and female lines. The first Baron's great-great-great-grandson, the fifth Baron, fought on the Yorkist side in the Wars...
s, Earls of Lincoln, and Dukes of Newcastle-Under-Lyne
Earl of Lincoln
Earl of Lincoln is a title that has been created eight times in the Peerage of England.-Earls of Lincoln, First Creation :*William d'Aubigny, 1st Earl of Lincoln and 1st Earl of Arundel Earl of Lincoln is a title that has been created eight times in the Peerage of England.-Earls of Lincoln, First...
descend from the elder Geoffrey de Clinton's nephew Osbert.