Roger de Leybourne
Encyclopedia
Sir Roger de Leybourne was a British soldier and landowner. He was the son of another Sir Roger de Leybourne and his wife Eleanor, the daughter and heir of Stephen of Thornham
. In 1199 when the elder Roger was still a minor his wardship was sold to Thornham for 300 marks. The elder Roger then joined the rebels at the start of the First Barons' War
in 1215, being captured in November at the siege of Rochester Castle
, paying 250 marks for his release. After the death of the elder Roger some time before 1251 his son inherited seven Knight's fee
s in Kent
and Oxfordshire
, as well as substantial debts, which were only cancelled in 1253 by Henry III
.
Roger first came to royal notice in 1252 when he killed Arnulf de Munteny, one of the king's household knights, in a jousting tournament
with a sharpened lance, avenging himself of an injury caused by Arnulf in a previous tournament. To atone for his crime he "took the cross" (went on a Pilgrimage
), and was pardoned by the king. In 1253 he was given the lands of Roger Connell in Kent, and from the until his death he spent large amounts of time and money acquiring land in that county. In 1257 he served in the army of Lord Edward
as part of his campaign in Wales
, and became part of an influential group of his supporters. He joined Edward in autumn 1259 when he allied with Simon de Montfort
, and was made custodian of Bristol Castle
in November. He was part of Edward's retinue in 1260 when he and the Earl of Gloucester
attempted to take London
, and was one of those pardoned when Edward patched up his relationship with Henry III. In thanks for this service Edward gave him the manor of Elham
in Kent, but in 1262 the grant was deemed to be in violation of the conditions of Henry giving the manor to Edward in the first place, and the manor was returned, with the High Sheriff of Kent
being ordered to take £1,820 from Leybourne's lands; Leybourne frustrated him by simply removing all the goods from his lands in Kent, Essex
and Sussex
.
In 1263 he along with other Marcher Lords arrested Peter of Aigueblanche
, Bishop of Hertford, and seized Hereford, Gloucester, and Bristol, returning south to assault Windsor Castle. They were joined by Simon de Montfort, beginning the Second Barons' War
. They marched into Kent, attacking the Cinque Ports. By August 1263 the Marcher Lords were in negotiations with Edward, having been unnerved by de Montford's plan to ally with the Welsh, and they swore an oath to the king on the 18th. From this point onwards Leybourne was a loyal servant of the king, and swiftly returned to royal favour. In September he was made Steward of the King's Household
, Keeper of Kent, Surrey and Sussex, and in December was appointed Lord Warden of the Cinque Ports
and made High Sheriff of Kent
. In October 1263 he was one of those who sealed the agreement between Henry and Louis IX
, and travelled with the king to France at the end of the year.
During the second half of the conflict with de Montfort Leybourne fought at the Battle of Northampton
and as a defender at the siege of Rochester Castle, where he was badly wounded. He fought at the Battle of Lewes
with the other marcher lords, who were allowed to go free after their defeat on the condition that they return to stand trial at the next Parliament. When they failed to do so de Montfort sent a military expedition to defeat them, which failed, and they remained a thorn in the side of de Montfort throughout the rest of the war.
In December 1264 he was given a safe conduct to visit the king, and then and in May 1265 he spoke with Edward, helping organise his escape from Kenilworth Castle
on 28 May. Leybourne subsequently fought at the Battle of Evesham
, reportedly saving the king's life, and for the two years of conflict after Evesham served as Edward's principle lieutenant. In August 1265 he was made keeper of Westmorland
, in October he was given custody of Carlisle Castle
, made High Sheriff of Cumberland
and trusted with subduing London on behalf of the king. In November he fought the rebels in Kent, and in January 1266 he recaptured Sandwich, serving as Edward's deputy for the capture of the other Cinque Ports
. Along with Edward he besieged and captured Winchelsea, fighting off rebels across the Thames in May. He was knighted in September, with the king ordering that he should be received everywhere ‘with due honour as the king's knight’. He was also a member of the king's council, and appointed custodian of Nottingham Castle
.
During this period he was rewarded by the king with large amounts of land, including the village of Leeds, Kent
, where he later built a castle, and areas of Kent, Cumberland and Westmorland. He went on a second pilgrimage in 1269, and was rewarded with 1000 marks from Ottobuono, the papal legate, who later became Pope Adrian V
. Rather than going to the Holy Land he travelled to Gascony
, where he had been appointed Lieutenant on 29 November 1269, with his aim possibly being to raise men for the crusade. He stayed for long enough to have the city of Libourne
named after him, but returned home in December 1270, dying before 7 November 1271.
Stephen of Thornham
Stephen of Thornham was a British justice and administrator. He was the son of Robert of Thornham, a Kentish landowner, and the older brother of Robert of Thornham, and first came to official attention in 1170 when, along with his father, he acted as a benefactor to Combwell Priory...
. In 1199 when the elder Roger was still a minor his wardship was sold to Thornham for 300 marks. The elder Roger then joined the rebels at the start of the First Barons' War
First Barons' War
The First Barons' War was a civil war in the Kingdom of England, between a group of rebellious barons—led by Robert Fitzwalter and supported by a French army under the future Louis VIII of France—and King John of England...
in 1215, being captured in November at the siege of Rochester Castle
Rochester Castle
Rochester Castle stands on the east bank of the River Medway in Rochester, Kent, England. The 12th-century keep or stone tower, which is the castle's most prominent feature, is one of the best preserved in England or France. Located along the River Medway and Watling Street, Rochester was a...
, paying 250 marks for his release. After the death of the elder Roger some time before 1251 his son inherited seven Knight's fee
Knight's fee
In feudal Anglo-Norman England and Ireland, a knight's fee was a measure of a unit of land deemed sufficient from which a knight could derive not only sustenance for himself and his esquires, but also the means to furnish himself and his equipage with horses and armour to fight for his overlord in...
s in Kent
Kent
Kent is a county in southeast England, and is one of the home counties. It borders East Sussex, Surrey and Greater London and has a defined boundary with Essex in the middle of the Thames Estuary. The ceremonial county boundaries of Kent include the shire county of Kent and the unitary borough of...
and Oxfordshire
Oxfordshire
Oxfordshire is a county in the South East region of England, bordering on Warwickshire and Northamptonshire , Buckinghamshire , Berkshire , Wiltshire and Gloucestershire ....
, as well as substantial debts, which were only cancelled in 1253 by 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...
.
Roger first came to royal notice in 1252 when he killed Arnulf de Munteny, one of the king's household knights, in a jousting tournament
Jousting
Jousting is a martial game or hastilude between two knights mounted on horses and using lances, often as part of a tournament.Jousting emerged in the High Middle Ages based on the military use of the lance by heavy cavalry. The first camels tournament was staged in 1066, but jousting itself did not...
with a sharpened lance, avenging himself of an injury caused by Arnulf in a previous tournament. To atone for his crime he "took the cross" (went on a Pilgrimage
Pilgrimage
A pilgrimage is a journey or search of great moral or spiritual significance. Typically, it is a journey to a shrine or other location of importance to a person's beliefs and faith...
), and was pardoned by the king. In 1253 he was given the lands of Roger Connell in Kent, and from the until his death he spent large amounts of time and money acquiring land in that county. In 1257 he served in the army of 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...
as part of his campaign in 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...
, and became part of an influential group of his supporters. He joined Edward in autumn 1259 when he allied with Simon de Montfort
Simon de Montfort, 6th Earl of Leicester
Simon de Montfort, 6th Earl of Leicester, 1st Earl of Chester , sometimes referred to as Simon V de Montfort to distinguish him from other Simon de Montforts, was an Anglo-Norman nobleman. He led the barons' rebellion against King Henry III of England during the Second Barons' War of 1263-4, and...
, and was made custodian of Bristol Castle
Bristol Castle
Bristol Castle was a Norman castle built for the defence of Bristol. Remains can be seen today in Castle Park near the Broadmead Shopping Centre, including the sally port.-History:...
in November. He was part of Edward's retinue in 1260 when he and the Earl of Gloucester
Richard de Clare, 6th Earl of Hertford
Richard de Clare, 5th Earl of Hertford, 6th Earl of Gloucester was son of Gilbert de Clare, 4th Earl of Hertford and Isabel Marshal. On his father's death, when he became Earl of Gloucester , he was entrusted first to the guardianship of Hubert de Burgh. On Hubert's fall, his guardianship was...
attempted to take 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 was one of those pardoned when Edward patched up his relationship with Henry III. In thanks for this service Edward gave him the manor of Elham
Elham
Elham is a village in East Kent situated approximately south of Canterbury and north east of Folkestone in the Elham Valley.-Toponomy:The origin of the village's name has always been a matter of argument. The village is listed in the Domesday Book of 1086 as Alham. This may have derived from...
in Kent, but in 1262 the grant was deemed to be in violation of the conditions of Henry giving the manor to Edward in the first place, and the manor was returned, with the High Sheriff of Kent
High Sheriff of Kent
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...
being ordered to take £1,820 from Leybourne's lands; Leybourne frustrated him by simply removing all the goods from his lands in Kent, Essex
Essex
Essex is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the East region of England, and one of the home counties. It is located to the northeast of Greater London. It borders with Cambridgeshire and Suffolk to the north, Hertfordshire to the west, Kent to the South and London to the south west...
and Sussex
Sussex
Sussex , from the Old English Sūþsēaxe , is an historic county in South East England corresponding roughly in area to the ancient Kingdom of Sussex. It is bounded on the north by Surrey, east by Kent, south by the English Channel, and west by Hampshire, and is divided for local government into West...
.
In 1263 he along with other Marcher Lords arrested Peter of Aigueblanche
Peter of Aigueblanche
Peter of Aigueblanche was a medieval Bishop of Hereford. A nobleman from Savoy, he came to England as part of the party accompanying King Henry III's bride Eleanor of Provence. He entered the royal service, becoming bishop in 1241...
, Bishop of Hertford, and seized Hereford, Gloucester, and Bristol, returning south to assault Windsor Castle. They were joined by Simon de Montfort, beginning the Second Barons' War
Second 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:...
. They marched into Kent, attacking the Cinque Ports. By August 1263 the Marcher Lords were in negotiations with Edward, having been unnerved by de Montford's plan to ally with the Welsh, and they swore an oath to the king on the 18th. From this point onwards Leybourne was a loyal servant of the king, and swiftly returned to royal favour. In September he was made Steward of the King's Household
Lord Steward
The Lord Steward or Lord Steward of the Household, in England, is an important official of the Royal Household. He is always a peer. Until 1924, he was always a member of the Government...
, Keeper of Kent, Surrey and Sussex, and in December was appointed Lord Warden of the Cinque Ports
Lord Warden of the Cinque Ports
The Lord Warden of the Cinque Ports is a ceremonial official in the United Kingdom. The post dates from at least the 12th century but may be older. The Lord Warden of the Cinque Ports was originally in charge of the Cinque Ports, a group of five port towns on the southeast coast of England...
and made High Sheriff of Kent
High Sheriff of Kent
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...
. In October 1263 he was one of those who sealed the agreement between Henry and Louis IX
Louis IX of France
Louis IX , commonly Saint Louis, was King of France from 1226 until his death. He was also styled Louis II, Count of Artois from 1226 to 1237. Born at Poissy, near Paris, he was an eighth-generation descendant of Hugh Capet, and thus a member of the House of Capet, and the son of Louis VIII and...
, and travelled with the king to France at the end of the year.
During the second half of the conflict with de Montfort Leybourne fought at the Battle of Northampton
Battle of Northampton (1264)
The Battle of Northampton was a battle in the Second Barons' War.In April 1264 an encounter took place, as part of the Baron's War wherein Henry III of England besieged Simon de Montfort's supporters who were holed in at Northampton Castle...
and as a defender at the siege of Rochester Castle, where he was badly wounded. He fought at 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...
with the other marcher lords, who were allowed to go free after their defeat on the condition that they return to stand trial at the next Parliament. When they failed to do so de Montfort sent a military expedition to defeat them, which failed, and they remained a thorn in the side of de Montfort throughout the rest of the war.
In December 1264 he was given a safe conduct to visit the king, and then and in May 1265 he spoke with Edward, helping organise his escape from 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 28 May. Leybourne subsequently fought at the Battle of Evesham
Battle of Evesham
The Battle of Evesham was one of the two main battles of 13th century England's Second Barons' War. It marked the defeat of Simon de Montfort, Earl of Leicester, and the rebellious barons by Prince Edward – later King Edward I – who led the forces of his father, King Henry III...
, reportedly saving the king's life, and for the two years of conflict after Evesham served as Edward's principle lieutenant. In August 1265 he was made keeper of Westmorland
Westmorland
Westmorland is an area of North West England and one of the 39 historic counties of England. It formed an administrative county from 1889 to 1974, after which the entirety of the county was absorbed into the new county of Cumbria.-Early history:...
, in October he was given custody of Carlisle Castle
Carlisle Castle
Carlisle Castle is situated in Carlisle, in the English county of Cumbria, near the ruins of Hadrian's Wall. The castle is over 900 years old and has been the scene of many historical episodes in British history. Given the proximity of Carlisle to the border between England and Scotland, it...
, made High Sheriff of Cumberland
High Sheriff of Cumberland
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...
and trusted with subduing London on behalf of the king. In November he fought the rebels in Kent, and in January 1266 he recaptured Sandwich, serving as Edward's deputy for the capture of the other Cinque Ports
Cinque Ports
The Confederation of Cinque Ports is a historic series of coastal towns in Kent and Sussex. It was originally formed for military and trade purposes, but is now entirely ceremonial. It lies at the eastern end of the English Channel, where the crossing to the continent is narrowest...
. Along with Edward he besieged and captured Winchelsea, fighting off rebels across the Thames in May. He was knighted in September, with the king ordering that he should be received everywhere ‘with due honour as the king's knight’. He was also a member of the king's council, and appointed custodian of Nottingham Castle
Nottingham Castle
Nottingham Castle is a castle in Nottingham, England. It is located in a commanding position on a natural promontory known as "'Castle Rock'", with cliffs high to the south and west. In the Middle Ages it was a major royal fortress and occasional royal residence...
.
During this period he was rewarded by the king with large amounts of land, including the village of Leeds, Kent
Leeds, Kent
Leeds is a village and civil parish in the Maidstone District of Kent, England. The parish is located to the east of Maidstone.The village of Leeds is five miles from the county town. It appeared in the Domesday Book of 1086 called Esledes - an old English word meaning slope or hillside...
, where he later built a castle, and areas of Kent, Cumberland and Westmorland. He went on a second pilgrimage in 1269, and was rewarded with 1000 marks from Ottobuono, the papal legate, who later became Pope Adrian V
Pope Adrian V
Pope Adrian V , born Ottobuono de' Fieschi, was pope in 1276.-Biography:Ottobuono belonged to a feudal family of Liguria, the Fieschi, Counts of Lavagna....
. Rather than going to the Holy Land he travelled to Gascony
Gascony
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...
, where he had been appointed Lieutenant on 29 November 1269, with his aim possibly being to raise men for the crusade. He stayed for long enough to have the city of Libourne
Libourne
Libourne is a commune in the Gironde department in Aquitaine in southwestern France. It is a sub-prefecture of the department.It is the wine-making capital of northern Gironde and lies near Saint-Émilion and Pomerol.-Geography:...
named after him, but returned home in December 1270, dying before 7 November 1271.