Beatrix de Vesci of

Alnwick Castle Alnwick Castle () is a castle and country house in Alnwick in the English county of Northumberland. It is the seat of the 12th Duke of Northumberland, built following the Norman conquest and renovated and remodelled a number of times. It is a G ...

, was an eleventh-century medieval noble lady of house

de Vesci de Vesci (Vescy, Vecey, Vesey, Vasey, Vessey, Veasie, Veazey, Veasy and Veasey) is the surname of an old Norman noble family originating from Vassy, Calvados, also known as the House of de Vesci. The first records are about Robert de Vesci, N ...

Life

Daughter and sole heir of

Ivo de Vesci Ivo de Vesci, sometimes spelt Vescy and first name sometimes Yves, was a prominent 11th-century English noble. He obtained lands and the lordship of Alnwick in Northumberland from King William II of England. He was also given lands in Malton, ...

, Builder and first Baron and his wife, Alda, Beatrix de Vesci was one of the richest heiresses of her time. She was the first wife of

Eustace Fitz John Eustace fitz John (died 1157), Constable of Chester, was a powerful magnate in northern England during the reigns of Henry I, Stephen and Henry II. From a relatively humble background in South East England, Eustace made his career serving Henry I ...

, also known as Eustacius fitz John de Burgo, Constable of

Chestershire Cheshire ( ) is a ceremonial and historic county in North West England, bordered by Wales to the west, Merseyside and Greater Manchester to the north, Derbyshire to the east, and Staffordshire and Shropshire to the south. Cheshire's county t ...

and

Knaresborough Knaresborough ( ) is a market and spa town and civil parish in the Borough of Harrogate, in North Yorkshire, England, on the River Nidd. It is east of Harrogate. History Knaresborough is mentioned in the Domesday Book of 1086 as ''Chenares ...

. According to Dugdale, Beatrix had two sons, William and Geoffrey. However, it is most often said that she died during childbirth of her first and only son,

William de Vesci William de Vesci (c.1125–1184) was an Anglo-Norman feudal lord and Sheriff. Born William fitz Eustace at Knaresborough Castle, Yorkshire, the son of Eustace Fitz John and Beatrix de Vesci, he took his mother's surname. He was appointed Sher ...

took his mother’s surname and would become the ancestor of the

baronial house. William served as

Sheriff of Northumberland This is a list of the High Sheriffs of the English county of Northumberland. 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 ...

from 1157 to 1170, and

Sheriff of Lancashire The High Sheriff of Lancashire is an ancient officer, now largely ceremonial, granted to Lancashire, a county in North West England. High Sheriff, High Shrievalties are the oldest secular titles under the Crown, in England and Wales. The High She ...

from 1166 to 1170. Upon the death of

, his lands passed to his son William by consent of King Henry II. Beatrix de Vesci's grandson,

Eustace de Vesci Eustace de Vesci (1169–1216) was an English lord of Alnwick Castle, and a ''Magna Carta'' surety. He also held lands in Sprouston, Roxburghshire, Scotland as brother in-law to King Alexander II of Scotland. Eustace was a leader during the Baro ...

, was one of the Surety Barons of ''

Magna Carta (Medieval Latin for "Great Charter of Freedoms"), commonly called (also ''Magna Charta''; "Great Charter"), is a royal charter of rights agreed to by King John of England at Runnymede, near Windsor, on 15 June 1215. First drafted by the ...

''.

References

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Vesci, de 11th-century English people English families Anglo-Norman families Year of birth uncertain

Beatrix Beatrix is a Latin feminine given name, most likely derived from ''Viatrix'', a feminine form of the Late Latin name ''Viator'' which meant "voyager, traveller" and later influenced in spelling by association with the Latin word ''beatus'' or "bles ...

11th-century English women Deaths in childbirth