Walter of Pattishall
Encyclopedia
Walter of Pattishall was a British justice and administrator. He was the eldest son of Simon of Pattishall
, Chief Justice of the Common Pleas
, and elder brother of High of Pattishall
, Bishop of Coventry and Lichfield. He inherited lands in Northamptonshire
, Buckinghamshire
, Lincolnshire
, Yorkshire
and elsewhere, and as a result of his marriage to Margery, daughter of Richard d'Argentan, he acquired lands in Bedfordshire
. He followed his fathers footsteps and became a justice, although with less success. His first appointment is as an itinerant justice in the South Midlands
between 1218 and 1219, followed by occasional service as a royal justice, sitting for the last time in June 1231.
Although not a successful justice, he was appointed High Sheriff
of Buckinghamshire
and Bedfordshire
on 18 January 1224 to replace Falkes de Breauté
, who was becoming increasingly unpopular in the royal court. Following de Breauté's rebellion in 1224, culminating in the successful siege of Bedford Castle
, Pattishall, along with Henry of Braybrooke
, was ordered in the name of the king to demolish the castle. This caused an issue of loyalties, as both Pattishall and Braybrooke were vassals of William de Beauchamp
, who owned the barony of Bedford and held the position of hereditary constable of the castle, but ultimately their loyalty to the king won out and the castle was demolished. Pattishall was replaced as High Sheriff on 5 September 1228, and was certainly dead by August 1232; he may have been dead by August 1231. He was survived by his wife and his son, Sir Simon of Pattishall.
Simon of Pattishall
Simon of Pattishall was an English judge and civil servant who is considered the first Chief Justice of the Common Pleas. The first appearance of Pattishall in the records was in 1190, where he served as the escheator for Northamptonshire and also as a judge, serving in Westminster and as a...
, Chief Justice of the Common Pleas
Chief Justice of the Common Pleas
The Court of Common Pleas, also known as the Common Bench or Common Place, was the second highest common law court in the English legal system until 1880, when it was dissolved. As such, the Chief Justice of the Common Pleas was one of the highest judicial officials in England, behind only the Lord...
, and elder brother of High of Pattishall
Hugh de Pateshull
Hugh de Pateshull was a medieval Bishop of Coventry and Lichfield.Pateshull was the son of Simon of Pattishall and Simon's wife Amice. Simon was a royal justice...
, Bishop of Coventry and Lichfield. He inherited lands in 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,...
, 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....
, Lincolnshire
Lincolnshire
Lincolnshire is a county in the east of England. It borders Norfolk to the south east, Cambridgeshire to the south, Rutland to the south west, Leicestershire and Nottinghamshire to the west, South Yorkshire to the north west, and the East Riding of Yorkshire to the north. It also borders...
, Yorkshire
Yorkshire
Yorkshire is a historic county of northern England and the largest in the United Kingdom. Because of its great size in comparison to other English counties, functions have been increasingly undertaken over time by its subdivisions, which have also been subject to periodic reform...
and elsewhere, and as a result of his marriage to Margery, daughter of Richard d'Argentan, he acquired lands in Bedfordshire
Bedfordshire
Bedfordshire is a ceremonial county of historic origin in England that forms part of the East of England region.It borders Cambridgeshire to the north-east, Northamptonshire to the north, Buckinghamshire to the west and Hertfordshire to the south-east....
. He followed his fathers footsteps and became a justice, although with less success. His first appointment is as an itinerant justice in the South Midlands
South Midlands
The South Midlands is a notional area of England. According to one definition, it is the southern portion of the East Midlands together with the northern portion of South East England and the western portion of the East of England, and just as there is no agreed definition for these areas,...
between 1218 and 1219, followed by occasional service as a royal justice, sitting for the last time in June 1231.
Although not a successful justice, he was appointed High Sheriff
High Sheriff
A high sheriff is, or was, a law enforcement officer in the United Kingdom, Canada and the United States.In England and Wales, the office is unpaid and partly ceremonial, appointed by the Crown through a warrant from the Privy Council. In Cornwall, the High Sheriff is appointed by the Duke of...
of Buckinghamshire
High Sheriff of Buckinghamshire
The High Sheriff of Buckinghamshire, in common with other counties, was originally the King's representative on taxation upholding the law in Saxon times...
and Bedfordshire
High Sheriff of Bedfordshire
-1066–1125:*1066-c.1084: Ansculf de Picquigny*Ralph Taillebois*Hugh de Belcamp*1124 Richard of WinchesterFrom 1125 through the end of 1575, appointees to the shrievalty held the joint office of High Sheriff of Bedfordshire and Buckinghamshire.-1575–1599:...
on 18 January 1224 to replace Falkes de Breauté
Falkes de Breauté
Sir Falkes de Breauté was an Anglo-Norman soldier who earned high office by loyally serving first King John and later King Henry III in First Barons' War. He played a key role in the Battle of Lincoln Fair in 1217. He attempted to rival Hubert de Burgh, and as a result fell from power in 1224...
, who was becoming increasingly unpopular in the royal court. Following de Breauté's rebellion in 1224, culminating in the successful siege of Bedford Castle
Bedford Castle
Bedford Castle was a large medieval castle in Bedford, England. Built after 1100 by Henry I, the castle played a prominent part in both the civil war of the Anarchy and the First Barons' War. The castle was significantly extended in stone, although the final plan of the castle remains uncertain...
, Pattishall, along with Henry of Braybrooke
Henry of Braybrooke
Henry of Braybrooke was an English High Sheriff and justice.He was the son of Robert of Braybrooke, who had served as High Sheriff of Buckinghamshire, Bedfordshire, Northamptonshire and Rutland, as well as Master of the Great Wardrobe, and had accumulated large amounts of land in Northamptonshire,...
, was ordered in the name of the king to demolish the castle. This caused an issue of loyalties, as both Pattishall and Braybrooke were vassals of William de Beauchamp
William de Beauchamp (1185)
-Magna Carta baron:de Beauchamp took part in the 1210 expedition to Ireland and the 1214 expedition to Poitiers before joining the rebellious barons in 1215 at the beginning of the First Barons' War, entertaining them at his seat of Bedford Castle; as such Beauchamp was one of the rebels...
, who owned the barony of Bedford and held the position of hereditary constable of the castle, but ultimately their loyalty to the king won out and the castle was demolished. Pattishall was replaced as High Sheriff on 5 September 1228, and was certainly dead by August 1232; he may have been dead by August 1231. He was survived by his wife and his son, Sir Simon of Pattishall.