Geoffrey de Mandeville II, 1st Earl of Essex (died September 1144) was a prominent figure during the reign of King
Stephen of England
Stephen (1092 or 1096 – 25 October 1154), often referred to as Stephen of Blois, was King of England from 22 December 1135 to his death in 1154. He was Count of Boulogne '' jure uxoris'' from 1125 until 1147 and Duke of Normandy from 1135 ...
. His biographer, the 19th-century historian
J. H. Round, called him "the most perfect and typical presentment of the feudal and anarchic spirit that stamps the reign of Stephen". That characterisation has been disputed since the later 20th century.
Early career
He succeeded his father,
William
William is a male given name of Germanic origin.Hanks, Hardcastle and Hodges, ''Oxford Dictionary of First Names'', Oxford University Press, 2nd edition, , p. 276. It became very popular in the English language after the Norman conquest of Engl ...
, sometime before 1129, possibly as early as 1116. A key portion of the family patrimony in Essex was in the King's hands. William had incurred a debt to the crown, perhaps in part due to a large fine levied in 1101 by
Henry I Henry I may refer to:
876–1366
* Henry I the Fowler, King of Germany (876–936)
* Henry I, Duke of Bavaria (died 955)
* Henry I of Austria, Margrave of Austria (died 1018)
* Henry I of France (1008–1060)
* Henry I the Long, Margrave of the ...
due to his displeasure at the escape of the important political prisoner,
Ranulph Flambard, when William was in charge of the
Tower of London
The Tower of London, officially His Majesty's Royal Palace and Fortress of the Tower of London, is a historic castle on the north bank of the River Thames in central London. It lies within the London Borough of Tower Hamlets, which is sep ...
. The King also held the substantial estate of Geoffrey's maternal grandfather
Eudo ''le Dapifer'' to which Geoffrey laid claim.
Geoffrey gained Eudo's lands and his father's offices during the shifting tides of fortunes of the two competitors for the English throne after King Henry I's death in 1135. He initially supported Stephen, who sometime in 1140 (most likely May of that year) made him
Earl of Essex
Earl of Essex is a title in the Peerage of England which was first created in the 12th century by King Stephen of England. The title has been recreated eight times from its original inception, beginning with a new first Earl upon each new cre ...
. By 1140 or 1141 Stephen had returned to him the lucrative manors in Essex.
He founded a Benedictine priory (later
Walden Abbey) at
Walden, Essex and constructed a castle there. He also contributed to
Hurley Priory in Berkshire, which had been founded by his grandfather
Geoffrey de Mandeville I.
After the defeat and capture of Stephen at
Lincoln
Lincoln most commonly refers to:
* Abraham Lincoln (1809–1865), the sixteenth president of the United States
* Lincoln, England, cathedral city and county town of Lincolnshire, England
* Lincoln, Nebraska, the capital of Nebraska, U.S.
* Lincol ...
early in 1141, Earl Geoffrey, like many barons, acknowledged Stephen's rival
Empress Matilda as his sovereign lady. She confirmed his custody of the Tower, forgave the large debts his father had incurred to the crown, granted him the
Norman
Norman or Normans may refer to:
Ethnic and cultural identity
* The Normans, a people partly descended from Norse Vikings who settled in the territory of Normandy in France in the 10th and 11th centuries
** People or things connected with the Norm ...
lands of Eudo ''le Dapifer'', and appointed him
Sheriff of Essex and Hertfordshire,
Middlesex
Middlesex (; abbreviation: Middx) is a historic county in southeast England. Its area is almost entirely within the wider urbanised area of London and mostly within the ceremonial county of Greater London, with small sections in neighbour ...
and
London
London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary dow ...
.
When Stephen was released in December of that year, Earl Geoffrey returned to his original allegiance. There has been much scholarly debate over the dating of the charters he received from King Stephen and Empress Matilda. Depending on the order and timing of those documents, either Geoffrey appears to have been playing off one against the other to get what he wanted or his support was courted by the rival claimants to the throne. The king arrested the earl in 1143 and, threatened with execution, Geoffrey surrendered his castles of
Pleshey
Pleshey is a historic village and civil parish in the Chelmsford district, in the county of Essex, England, north-west of Chelmsford. The Normans built a motte and bailey in the late 11th century; the motte is one of the largest of its kind in ...
and
Saffron Walden
Saffron Walden is a market town in the Uttlesford district of Essex, England, north of Bishop's Stortford, south of Cambridge and north of London. It retains a rural appearance and some buildings of the medieval period. The population was 15, ...
as well as custody of the Tower of London to Stephen. In reaction, Earl Geoffrey launched a rebellion.
Outlaw activity and death
In 1143–44, Earl Geoffrey maintained himself as a rebel and a bandit in the
fen
A fen is a type of peat-accumulating wetland fed by mineral-rich Groundwater, ground or surface water. It is one of the main types of wetlands along with marshes, swamps, and bogs. Bogs and fens, both peat-forming ecosystems, are also known as ...
-country, using the
Isle of Ely
The Isle of Ely () is a historic region around the city of Ely in Cambridgeshire, England. Between 1889 and 1965, it formed an administrative county.
Etymology
Its name has been said to mean "island of eels", a reference to the creatures th ...
and
Ramsey Abbey as his headquarters. He was besieged by King Stephen and met his death attacking
Burwell Castle
Burwell Castle was an unfinished medieval enclosure castle in Burwell, Cambridgeshire, England.
Details
Burwell Castle was built near the village of Burwell in 1143 by Stephen I of England, on the site of a former Roman villa. It was construct ...
in September 1144 in consequence of an arrow wound received in a skirmish. Because he had died excommunicated, his body initially was denied burial at the monastery he had founded,
Walden Priory. Wrapped in lead, it was accepted eventually by the
Templar
, colors = White mantle with a red cross
, colors_label = Attire
, march =
, mascot = Two knights riding a single horse
, equipment ...
community in London for burial within the
Temple Church
The Temple Church is a Royal peculiar church in the City of London located between Fleet Street and the River Thames, built by the Knights Templar as their English headquarters. It was consecrated on 10 February 1185 by Patriarch Heraclius of J ...
in London. His son Geoffrey III arranged for an effigy to be placed on the floor, where it can still be seen today.
Temple Church was badly damaged by bombing during World War Two and its burial vaults were ransacked by looters. Many coffins were smashed and bones thrown on the floor, but the skull of Geoffrey de Mandeville was stolen, placing suspicion for the theft on a private collector.
Significance
His career is interesting for several reasons. The charters he received from King Stephen and Empress Matilda illustrate the ambitions of English barons. The most important concessions are grants of offices and jurisdictions, which had the effect of making Mandeville almost a
viceroy
A viceroy () is an official who reigns over a polity in the name of and as the representative of the monarch of the territory. The term derives from the Latin prefix ''vice-'', meaning "in the place of" and the French word ''roy'', meaning " ...
with full powers in Essex and Hertfordshire, Middlesex and London, but these were based on offices and jurisdictions his ancestors had held. His career as an outlaw exemplifies the worst excesses of the
civil wars
A civil war or intrastate war is a war between organized groups within the same state (or country).
The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government polici ...
of 1140–1147, and it is possible that the deeds of Mandeville inspired the rhetorical description of this period in the ''
Peterborough Chronicle
The ''Peterborough Chronicle'' (also called the Laud manuscript and the E manuscript) is a version of the ''Anglo-Saxon Chronicles'' originally maintained by the monks of Peterborough Abbey in Cambridgeshire. It contains unique information abo ...
'', when "men said openly that Christ and his saints were asleep". He had seized Ramsey Abbey (near
Peterborough
Peterborough () is a cathedral city in Cambridgeshire, east of England. It is the largest part of the City of Peterborough unitary authority district (which covers a larger area than Peterborough itself). It was part of Northamptonshire until ...
) in 1143, expelling the monks and using Ramsey as a base for forays into the surrounding region, sacking
Cambridge
Cambridge ( ) is a College town, university city and the county town in Cambridgeshire, England. It is located on the River Cam approximately north of London. As of the 2021 United Kingdom census, the population of Cambridge was 145,700. Cam ...
and other smaller settlements.
Marriage and offspring
Geoffrey married
Rohese de Vere (c. 1110–1167 or after), daughter of
Aubrey de Vere II
Aubrey de Vere (''c.'' 1085 – May 1141) — also known as "Alberic sde Ver" and "Albericus ''regis camerarius''" (the king's chamberlain)— was the second of that name in England after the Norman Conquest, being the eldest surviving son of Aub ...
and sister of the first
earl of Oxford. He had four sons:
* Arnulf/Ernulf de Mandeville, illegitimate, supported his father in rebellion and was exiled shortly after the earl's death. He returned to England, probably in the reign of
King Henry II, and there witnessed several charters issued by his half brothers, the 2nd and 3rd earls of Essex.
[J. C. Holt, "1153: The Treaty of Winchester" in ''The Anarchy of Stephen's Reign'' (Oxford: 1994), p. 298, n. 24.]
*
Geoffrey III, 2nd earl of Essex (d. 1166) By a fresh grant from Henry II he was created Earl of Essex.
*
William II, 3rd earl of Essex and Count of Aumale (d. 1189)
* Robert (d. before 1189)
Historical fiction
* An account of Geoffrey's outlaw actions and the taking of Ramsey Abbey provides for elements of the backstory for two of
Ellis Peters' "
Brother Cadfael
Brother Cadfael is the main fictional character in a series of historical murder mysteries written between 1977 and 1994 by the linguist-scholar Edith Pargeter under the name "Ellis Peters". The character of Cadfael himself is a Welsh Benedic ...
" books, ''
The Potter's Field'' and ''
The Holy Thief''.
* In his 1969 novel ''Knight in Anarchy'',
George Shipway
George Shipway (25 May 1908–1982) was a British author best known for his historical novels, but he also tried his hand at political satire in his book ''The Chilian Club''.
Military career
George Frederick Morgan Shipway was born on 25 May 1 ...
describes the life of Humphrey de Visdelou as he follows de Mandeville to his doom.
* Geoffrey de Mandeville is a character in the historical fiction book ''
When Christ and His Saints Slept'', by
Sharon Kay Penman
Sharon Kay Penman (August 13, 1945 – January 22, 2021) was an American historical novelist, published in the UK as Sharon Penman. She was best known for the Welsh Princes trilogy and the Plantagenet series. In addition, she wrote four medieval ...
.
References
Sources
* C. Warren Hollister, "The Misfortunes of the Mandevilles", ''History'', vol. 58, pp. 18–28, 1973
*
* R. H. C. Davis, J. O. Prestwich, "The Treason of Geoffrey de Mandeville", ''The English Historical Review'', vol. 103, no. 407, pp. 283–317, 1988; Prestwich, "Geoffrey de Mandeville: A Further Comment", ''EHR'', vol. 103, no. 409, pp. 960–966; Prestwich, Davis, "Last Words on Geoffrey de Mandeville", ''EHR'', vol. 105, no. 416, pp. 670–672, 1990.
*
* J. H. Round, ''Geoffrey de Mandeville, a Study of the Anarchy'' (London, 1892)
*
George Shipway
George Shipway (25 May 1908–1982) was a British author best known for his historical novels, but he also tried his hand at political satire in his book ''The Chilian Club''.
Military career
George Frederick Morgan Shipway was born on 25 May 1 ...
''Knight in Anarchy'' (Cox & Wyman Ltd., London, 1969)
External links
* "English Anarchy & Geoffrey de Mandeville – Scourge of the Fens" http://www.ecoln.com/mandevil.html
{{DEFAULTSORT:Essex, Geoffrey de Mandeville, 1st Earl of
1144 deaths
12th-century English people
Anglo-Normans
People excommunicated by the Catholic Church
High Sheriffs of Essex
High Sheriffs of Hertfordshire
Sheriffs of the City of London
Norman warriors
Year of birth unknown
People of The Anarchy
Deaths by arrow wounds
Geoffrey
G
Peers created by King Stephen