Engelard de Cigogné was a 13th-century French-born administrator from Touraine who served
King John of England
King is the title given to a male monarch in a variety of contexts. The female equivalent is queen, which title is also given to the consort of a king.
*In the context of prehistory, antiquity and contemporary indigenous peoples, the t ...
.
He was born in the little village of Cigogné, just south of Tours in France, ( a relative; possibly a son or half brother or nephew by marriage) of
Gérard d'Athée
Gérard ( French: ) is a French masculine given name and surname of Germanic origin, variations of which exist in many Germanic and Romance languages. Like many other early Germanic names, it is dithematic, consisting of two meaningful constit ...
, A trusted relative and principal overlord,, Knight and military commander to King John. John had paid a considerable ransom of between 1000m and 2000m to secure Gérard's freedom after he had been captured in the storming of Loches Castle in 1205, of which he was castellan. Gérard had then joined Engelard and other of his relatives in England and had been appointed
High Sheriff of Gloucestershire
This is a list of Sheriffs and High Sheriffs of Gloucestershire, who should not be confused with the Sheriffs of the City of Gloucester.
The High Sheriff is the oldest secular office under the Crown (in England and Wales the office previously kn ...
and
Herefordshire
Herefordshire () is a county in the West Midlands of England, governed by Herefordshire Council. It is bordered by Shropshire to the north, Worcestershire to the east, Gloucestershire to the south-east, and the Welsh counties of Monmouthsh ...
in 1208.
Engelard was appointed High Sheriff of both Gloucestershire and Herefordshire in 1210, following on from Gérard. The whole family of Gérard, including Engelard, were the only people to be condemned by name in Magna Carta, which was drawn up in 1215 during the baronial revolt of that year. In it the king made a number of commitments to meet the barons' demands, of which Item 50 specifically promised that Gérard Athée and his whole family would henceforth be banned from office. Engelard was duly relieved of his shrievalties in Gloucestershire and Herefordshire, although another member of the proscribed group,
Philip Marc
Philip Marc (also Mark) was a High Sheriff of Nottinghamshire, Derbyshire and the Royal Forests in 1208. Marc has been proposed as a candidate for the role of Sheriff of Nottingham in the legend of
Robin Hood.High Sheriff of Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire until 1222. Engelard himself was compensated with the post of Constable of Windsor Castle, which he held until 1223.
The barons had meanwhile invited Prince Louis of France, the future Louis VIII of France, to be King of England in place of John and the French prince duly occupied southern England and besieged the castles of Odiham, Dover and Windsor. As Constable of Windsor Engelard ( De Athe) led its resistance to a besieging force led by the Count of Nevers until the besiegers left to pursue other objectives. After peace was restored Engelard was rewarded for his services by being given the manor of Benson in Oxfordshire. He was also appointed
High Sheriff of Oxfordshire
The High Sheriff of Oxfordshire, in common with other counties, was originally the King's representative on taxation upholding the law in Saxon times. The word Sheriff evolved from 'shire-reeve'.
The title of High Sheriff is therefore much olde ...
and Berkshire for 1233 and reinstated as Constable of Windsor Castle in 1234, holding the post until 1242.
He was so trusted by Henry III that he was once appointed to keep
Eleanor, Fair Maid of Brittany
Eleanor, Fair Maid of Brittany (c. 1184 – 10 August 1241), also known as Damsel of Brittany, Pearl of Brittany, or Beauty of Brittany, was the eldest daughter of Geoffrey II, Duke of Brittany, and Constance, Duchess of Brittany. Her father, ...
, in his custody. Eleanor was a cousin of Henry and posed a potential threat to the crown, and was thus confined since 1202, then at
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. Built during the reign of William the Conqueror, and later owned by Ro ...
.
He died in 1244. He had married Agatha and had a son, Oliver. The previous Christmas the king had sent him a personal gift of wine as a tribute to a loyal and valued servant of the Crown.