Sir Richard de la Vache, KG (d.1366) was an English

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 ...

Buckinghamshire Buckinghamshire (), abbreviated Bucks, is a ceremonial county in South East England that borders Greater London to the south-east, Berkshire to the south, Oxfordshire to the west, Northamptonshire to the north, Bedfordshire to the north-ea ...

belonging to the Delavache family. The Delavache family, often claimed to be of Gascon descent from

, but were more likely Norman and the name was only found in

Gascony Gascony (; french: Gascogne ; oc, Gasconha ; eu, Gaskoinia) was a province of the southwestern Kingdom of France that succeeded the Duchy of Gascony (602–1453). From the 17th century until the French Revolution (1789–1799), it was part o ...

belonging to a merchant, referenced in the Calendar Patent Roles, 1330-1334, called John del La Vacarie, with no evidence of a connection to the Buckinghamshire family. Richard was first mentioned fighting at the Siege of Calais 1345-6. In 1347, Richard was summoned by

Edward III Edward III (13 November 1312 – 21 June 1377), also known as Edward of Windsor before his accession, was King of England and Lord of Ireland from January 1327 until his death in 1377. He is noted for his military success and for restoring r ...

and arrived with one man-at-arms and two archersfrom the Muster Roll 21 Edward III, quoted in J.P. Yeatman and G.R. Sitwell (1907) "''The Feudal History of the County of Derby''", volume 1, chapter 20 for a new campaign in France. In 1356 he became

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 ...

upon the death of John de Lisle. In 1358, Richard was steward of the forest of Sherwood. In 1361 he was appointed

constable of the Tower The Constable of the Tower is the most senior appointment at the Tower of London. In the Middle Ages a constable was the person in charge of a castle when the owner—the king or a nobleman—was not in residence. The Constable of the Tower had a ...

of London for life and was succeeded by Sir Alan Buxhull, a fellow Knight of the Garter. In 1362 and 1364 he received letters of safe conduct for travel to the continent, probably to participate in military campaigns. Richard's son, Sir Philip, was also a Knight of the Garter.

References

* George Frederick Beltz, ''Memorials of the most noble Order of the Garter'' (1841) 1366 deaths English knights Garter Knights appointed by Edward III Year of birth unknown {{England-bio-stub