Edward le Despenser, 1st Baron Despenser (24 March 1336, Essendine – 11 November 1375) was the son of another Edward le Despenser and Anne Ferrers, sister of Henry, Lord Ferrers of Groby. He succeeded as Lord of Glamorgan in 1349. Le Despencer went with

Edward the Black Prince Edward of Woodstock, known to history as the Black Prince (15 June 1330 – 8 June 1376), was the eldest son of King Edward III of England, and the heir apparent to the English throne. He died before his father and so his son, Richard II, su ...

to France, and was present at the

Battle of Poitiers The Battle of Poitiers was fought on 19September 1356 between a French army commanded by King JohnII and an Anglo- Gascon force under Edward, the Black Prince, during the Hundred Years' War. It took place in western France, south of Poit ...

. In recognition of his conduct in the French wars, he was summoned to Parliament as a baron in 1357. At the same time, he also became a

Knight of the Garter The Most Noble Order of the Garter is an order of chivalry founded by Edward III of England in 1348. It is the most senior order of knighthood in the British honours system, outranked in precedence only by the Victoria Cross and the George ...

. He was a friend and patron of

Jean Froissart Jean Froissart ( Old and Middle French: ''Jehan'', – ) (also John Froissart) was a French-speaking medieval author and court historian from the Low Countries who wrote several works, including ''Chronicles'' and ''Meliador'', a long Arthurian ...

William Caferro, ''John Hawkwood: An English Mercenary in Fourteenth-Century Italy'' (2006), p. 134. and the eldest brother of

Henry le Despenser Henry le Despenser ( 1341 – 23 August 1406) was an English nobleman and Bishop of Norwich whose reputation as the 'Fighting Bishop' was gained for his part in suppressing the Peasants' Revolt in East Anglia and in defeating the peasants at th ...

Bishop of Norwich The Bishop of Norwich is the ordinary of the Church of England Diocese of Norwich in the Province of Canterbury. The diocese covers most of the county of Norfolk and part of Suffolk. The bishop of Norwich is Graham Usher. The see is in t ...

. There is a statue of him on the top of the Holy Trinity Chantry Chapel in

Tewkesbury Abbey The Abbey Church of St Mary the Virgin, Tewkesbury–commonly known as Tewkesbury Abbey–is located in the English county of Gloucestershire. A former Benedictine monastery, it is now a parish church. Considered one of the finest examples of No ...

, renowned as the "KNEELING KNIGHT".

Family

Edward married Elizabeth de Burghersh, daughter of Bartholomew de Burghersh, 2nd Baron Burghersh. They had the following children: * Margaret Le Despencer (died 3 November 1415), married Robert de Ferrers, 5th Baron Ferrers of Chartley. They were ancestors to Queen

Catherine Parr Catherine Parr (sometimes alternatively spelled Katherine, Katheryn, Kateryn, or Katharine; 1512 – 5 September 1548) was Queen of England and Ireland as the last of the six wives of King Henry VIII from their marriage on 12 July 1543 until ...

. * Elizabeth le Despenser (died 10 or 11 April 1408)
married
(1) John FitzAlan, 2nd Baron Arundel (30 November 1364 – 14 August 1390)
(2) William la Zouche, 3rd Baron Zouche *

Thomas le Despenser, 1st Earl of Gloucester Thomas le Despenser, 2nd Baron Despenser, 1st Earl of Gloucester KG (22 September 137313 January 1400) was the son of Edward le Despenser, 1st Baron le Despencer, whom he succeeded in 1375. Royal intrigues A supporter of Richard II against Th ...

(22 September 1373 – 13 January 1400), married

Constance of York Constance of York, Countess of Gloucester ( – 28 November 1416) was the only daughter of Edmund of Langley, 1st Duke of York, and his wife Isabella of Castile, daughter of King Peter of Castile and his favourite mistress, María de Padilla. ...

. * Hugh Despencer * Cicely Despencer * Anne Despencer (died 30 October 1426) married (1) Hugh de Hastings and (2) Thomas de Morley, 4th Baron Morley

Notes

References

*Burke, Sir Bernard. "Despencer-Barons Despencer, Earl of Gloucester." ''A Genealogical History of the Dormant, Abeyant, Forfeited, and Extinct Peerages, of the British Empire.'' London: Wm Clowes and Sons, Ltd., 1962. (p. 167). *Burke, John. ''A General and Heraldic Dictionary of the Peerages of England, Ireland, and Scotland, Extinct, Dormant, and in Abeyance.'' London: H. Colburn and R. Bentley, 1831. (pp. 173–4
googlebooks
Retrieved May 26, 2008 *Weis, Frederick Lewis, Walter Lee Sheppard, David Faris, and Frederick Lewis Weis. ''Ancestral Roots of Certain American Colonists Who Came to America Before 1700: The Lineage of Alfred the Great, Charlemagne, Malcolm of Scotland, Robert the Strong, and Some of Their Descendants.'' (7th Ed.) Baltimore, Md: Genealogical Pub. Co, 1992. (pp. 73–74, Lines: 70–35, 70–36, 74–34, 212–34.
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Retrieved May 26, 2008 {{DEFAULTSORT:Despenser, Edward Despenser, 1st Baron 1330s births 1375 deaths 14th-century English nobility Barons le Despencer Peers created by Edward III Garter Knights appointed by Edward III

Edward Edward is an English given name. It is derived from the Anglo-Saxon name ''Ēadweard'', composed of the elements '' ēad'' "wealth, fortune; prosperous" and '' weard'' "guardian, protector”. History The name Edward was very popular in Anglo-Sa ...

Burials at Tewkesbury Abbey Lords of Glamorgan People of the Hundred Years' War