| Magna Carta Surety Baron Eustace de Vescy was one of the twenty-five medieval barons who were surety for Magna Carta in 1215. Join: Magna Carta Project Discuss: magna_carta |
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Eustace de Vescy (or Vesci) was the son of William de Vescy and Burga de Stuteville.[1][2][3] He was probably born about 1169-70: he was 14 in 1185[2] and came of age in 1190.[1][2]
Eustace inherited the barony of Alnwick, Northumberland, coming into possession when he was of age in 1190 in return for a fine of 1300 marks. With the barony came lands in Northumberland and Yorkshire,[1][4]
In 1194 Eustace attended the second coronation of Richard I.[1][2] In December that year he is recorded as being with Richard I at Chinon, France.[1][2] In 1199 he was one of the guarantors of a treaty between King John of England and the Count of Boulogne.[1][2]
In 1200 he was one of those present when William the Lion, King of Scotland paid homage to King John at England for his English lands.[1][2] In 1209 he was one of the barons who escorted William the Lion to a meeting with John.[1][2]
The following year he served in King John's expedition to Ireland; but two years later, in 1212, he was accused of plotting against John, fled to Scotland, was outlawed, and had his lands seized by the Crown.[1][2] His lands were given back after John submitted to the Pope and undertook to return property confiscated during the papal interdict of England.[1][2]
In 1213 he refused to join in John's expedition to Poitou, and the next year withheld scutage in 1214 for the campaign there.[1][2]
Despite a papal admonition to stay loyal to John, Eustace aligned himself with the Barons who compelled John to sign the Magna Carta in 1215, of which he was one of the Sureties.[1][2] He was among the rebel Barons excommunicated later that year.[1][2]
In 1193 Eustace married Margaret, illegitimate daughter of William the Lion, at Roxburgh, Scotland.[3] She brought him lands in Roxburghshire.[2] They had three sons:
In early May 1216 Eustace attempted reconciliation with John[1], but, after Louis of France invaded England, he set out with his half-brother Alexander II of Scotland to pay Louis homage.[1] On the way, he was killed during a siege of Barnard Castle, County Durham.[1][2][3]
For the 800th anniversary of the Magna Carta in 2015, Professor Nigel Saul wrote a set of biographies of the Surety Barons. He and the Magna Carta 800th Anniversary Committee generously gave permission for them to be reproduced on WikiTree. They can be viewed here.
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Categories: First Barons' War | Early Barony of Alnwick | Magna Carta | Surety Barons