Sir Henry le Spring (died before 1311), also referred to as Lord Henry Spring, was an

English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England ** English national ide ...

knight A knight is a person granted an honorary title of knighthood by a head of state (including the Pope) or representative for service to the monarch, the church or the country, especially in a military capacity. Knighthood finds origins in the Gr ...

and landowner in northern England.

Biography

He was born into the

Anglo-Norman Anglo-Norman may refer to: *Anglo-Normans, the medieval ruling class in England following the Norman conquest of 1066 * Anglo-Norman language **Anglo-Norman literature * Anglo-Norman England, or Norman England, the period in English history from 10 ...

Le Spring family, who held large estates in the

County Palatine of Durham The County Palatine of Durham and Sadberge, commonly referred to as County Durham or simply Durham, is a historic county in Northern England. Until 1889, it was controlled by powers granted under the Bishopric of Durham. The county and Northum ...

and

Northumberland Northumberland () is a county in Northern England, one of two counties in England which border with Scotland. Notable landmarks in the county include Alnwick Castle, Bamburgh Castle, Hadrian's Wall and Hexham Abbey. It is bordered by land on ...

. He was the son of another Sir Henry le Spring, a knight, by an unknown wife. He served as a squire to Sir John Coilet of Barmelston. Henry le Spring was knighted himself after having fought for Henry III at the

Battle of Lewes The Battle of Lewes was one of two main battles of the conflict known as the Second Barons' War. It took place at Lewes in Sussex, on 14 May 1264. It marked the high point of the career of Simon de Montfort, 6th Earl of Leicester, and made h ...

in 1264. He became Lord of the Manor of Houghton, near the present-day

City of Sunderland The City of Sunderland () is a metropolitan borough with city status in the metropolitan county of Tyne and Wear, North East England. It is named after its largest settlement, Sunderland, spanning a far larger area, including nearby towns i ...

, after it was granted to him by Robert Fitzgerald, Lord of Raby. The estates surrounding the town had been in the possession of the Spring family since shortly after the Norman Conquest, and a result it became known as

Houghton-le-Spring Houghton-le-Spring ( ) is a town in the City of Sunderland, Tyne and Wear, North East England which has its recorded origins in Norman times. Historically in County Durham, it is now administered as part of the Tyne and Wear county. It is s ...

. He served as

Knight of the Shire Knight of the shire ( la, milites comitatus) was the formal title for a member of parliament (MP) representing a county constituency in the British House of Commons, from its origins in the medieval Parliament of England until the Redistributio ...

for the Northumberland constituency at least once. Henry Spring married Albreda, the daughter and heiress of Robert Bernard. One of his sons, Sir John Spring, was murdered in his manor house at Houghton in 1313 by Robert Lascelles, the husband of his lover.''History, Topography, and Directory of the County Palatine of Durham'' (Whittaker and Company, 1856), 238. Henry's daughter, Mary, married Sir Roland de Bellasise, who had fought with him at Lewes. Henry's wife was recorded as being a widow by 1311. He is buried in the Church of St Michael and All Angel in Houghton-le-Spring, where he has an elaborate effigy alongside his son-in-law.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Spring, Henry Year of death uncertain People from County Durham Medieval English knights 14th-century English MPs

Henry Henry may refer to: People *Henry (given name) *Henry (surname) * Henry Lau, Canadian singer and musician who performs under the mononym Henry Royalty * Portuguese royalty ** King-Cardinal Henry, King of Portugal ** Henry, Count of Portugal, ...

Year of birth uncertain