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Robert de Vere (after c. 1165 – before 25 October 1221), hereditary Master Chamberlain of England, was the son of
Aubrey de Vere, 1st Earl of Oxford
Aubrey de Vere, 1st Earl of Oxford ( – 26 December 1194) was an English noble involved in the succession conflict between King Stephen and Empress Matilda in the mid-twelfth century.
He was the son of Aubrey de Vere, Lord Great Chamberlain ...
, and
Agnes of Essex. He succeeded his brother as the third Earl of Oxford, and was one of the twenty-five guarantors of
Magna Carta
(Medieval Latin for "Great Charter of Freedoms"), commonly called (also ''Magna Charta''; "Great Charter"), is a royal charter of rights agreed to by King John of England at Runnymede, near Windsor, on 15 June 1215. First drafted by the ...
.
![Coat of arms of Robert de Vere, heir to the earldom of Oxford](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/9b/Coat_of_arms_of_Robert_de_Vere%2C_heir_to_the_earldom_of_Oxford.png)
Robert de Vere was the second surviving son of
Aubrey de Vere, 1st Earl of Oxford
Aubrey de Vere, 1st Earl of Oxford ( – 26 December 1194) was an English noble involved in the succession conflict between King Stephen and Empress Matilda in the mid-twelfth century.
He was the son of Aubrey de Vere, Lord Great Chamberlain ...
, and his third wife,
Agnes of Essex. The date of his birth is not known, but he was likely born after 1164. Almost nothing is known of his life until 1207, when he married
Isabel de Bolebec, the widow of Henry de Nonant (d. 1206) of
Totnes
Totnes ( or ) is a market town and civil parishes in England, civil parish at the head of the estuary of the River Dart in Devon, England, within the South Devon Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. It is about west of Paignton, about west-so ...
,
Devon
Devon ( , historically known as Devonshire , ) is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in South West England. The most populous settlement in Devon is the city of Plymouth, followed by Devon's county town, the city of Exeter. Devon is ...
. In 1206-7 Isabel and her sister Constance were co-heiresses of their niece, another Isabel de Bolebec, the countess of Oxford by her marriage to Robert's brother,
Aubrey de Vere, 2nd Earl of Oxford. They divided the barony of Whitchurch. The fact that aunt and niece had identical names, Isabel de Bolbec, and were successively countesses of Oxford and heiresses of Whitchurch has led to confusion between the two women.
When Robert's brother,
Aubrey de Vere, 2nd Earl of Oxford, died in the latter half of 1214, Robert succeeded to his title and estates and the hereditary office of Master Chamberlain of England. The
dower
Dower is a provision accorded traditionally by a husband or his family, to a wife for her support should she become widowed. It was settled on the bride (being gifted into trust) by agreement at the time of the wedding, or as provided by law.
...
of Earl Aubrey's second wife, Alice (possibly his cousin, a daughter of
Roger Bigod, 2nd Earl of Norfolk
Roger Bigod ( – 1221) was the son of Hugh Bigod, 1st Earl of Norfolk and his first wife, Juliana de Vere. Although his father died 1176 or 1177, Roger did not succeed to the earldom of Norfolk until 1189 for his claim had been disputed by hi ...
), had not been formalized. In 1215 Oxford settled his sister-in-law's dower by lot, the earl drawing two
knights' fees for every one drawn by Alice. This is the only known instance of dower being settled in this manner.
Oxford joined the disaffected barons who met at Stamford and forced King
John
John is a common English name and surname:
* John (given name)
* John (surname)
John may also refer to:
New Testament
Works
* Gospel of John, a title often shortened to John
* First Epistle of John, often shortened to 1 John
* Secon ...
to issue
Magna Carta
(Medieval Latin for "Great Charter of Freedoms"), commonly called (also ''Magna Charta''; "Great Charter"), is a royal charter of rights agreed to by King John of England at Runnymede, near Windsor, on 15 June 1215. First drafted by the ...
at
Runnymede
Runnymede is a water-meadow alongside the River Thames in the English county of Surrey, and just over west of central London. It is notable for its association with the sealing of Magna Carta, and as a consequence is, with its adjoining hi ...
on 15 June 1215. The earl was elected one of the barons who were to guarantee the King's adherence to its terms. Together with other Magna Carta barons, he was
excommunicated
Excommunication is an institutional act of religious censure used to end or at least regulate the communion of a member of a congregation with other members of the religious institution who are in normal communion with each other. The purpose ...
as a rebel by
Pope Innocent III
Pope Innocent III ( la, Innocentius III; 1160 or 1161 – 16 July 1216), born Lotario dei Conti di Segni (anglicized as Lothar of Segni), was the head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 8 January 1198 to his death in 16 J ...
on 16 December 1215, and joined them in offering the crown to
Prince Louis of France.
Oxford took up arms against King John, but pledged loyalty to him after the King had taken
Castle Hedingham
Castle Hedingham is a village in northern Essex, England, located four miles west of Halstead and 3 miles southeast of Great Yeldham in the Colne Valley on the ancient road from Colchester, Essex, to Cambridge.
It developed around Hedingham ...
in March 1216. Later in the same year, however, he did
homage
Homage (Old English) or Hommage (French) may refer to:
History
*Homage (feudal) /ˈhɒmɪdʒ/, the medieval oath of allegiance
*Commendation ceremony, medieval homage ceremony Arts
*Homage (arts) /oʊˈmɑʒ/, an allusion or imitation by one arti ...
to Prince Louis at
Rochester
Rochester may refer to:
Places Australia
* Rochester, Victoria
Canada
* Rochester, Alberta
United Kingdom
*Rochester, Kent
** City of Rochester-upon-Medway (1982–1998), district council area
** History of Rochester, Kent
** HM Prison ...
. Louis entered London and was proclaimed King. On 14 June 1216, he captured
Winchester
Winchester is a City status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city in Hampshire, England. The city lies at the heart of the wider City of Winchester, a local government Districts of England, district, at the western end of the South Downs Nation ...
and soon controlled over half of England.
In the midst of this crisis, King John died, prompting many of the barons to desert Louis in favour of John's nine-year-old son,
Henry III. In 1217 Prince Louis retook Castle Hedingham and restored it to Oxford, but despite this Oxford transferred his allegiance to the new King in October 1217. Although he did homage to Henry, he was not fully restored in his offices and lands until February 1218.
Earl Robert served as a king's justice in 1220-21, and died shortly before 25 October 1221.
He was buried at
Hatfield Regis Priory
Hatfield Broad Oak Priory, or Hatfield Regis Priory, is a former Benedictine priory in Hatfield Broad Oak, Essex, England. Founded by 1139, it was dissolved in 1536 as part of Henry VIII's dissolution of the monasteries.
History
The large settlem ...
, where either his son,
Hugh de Vere, 4th Earl of Oxford
Hugh de Vere, 4th Earl of Oxford (c. 1207 – December 1263) was the only son and heir of Robert de Vere, 3rd Earl of Oxford and Isabel de Bolebec, daughter and eventually sole heiress of Hugh de Bolebec.
Early life
Hugh de Vere was born a ...
, or his grandson,
Robert de Vere, 5th Earl of Oxford
Robert de Vere, 5th Earl of Oxford (c. 1220 – 1296) was the son and heir of Hugh de Vere, 4th Earl of Oxford, and chamberlain to Queen Eleanor.
Early life
Robert de Vere was born about 1220, the only son of Hugh de Vere, 4th Earl of Oxfor ...
had an effigy erected in which he is depicted in chain mail, cross-legged, pulling his sword from its scabbard and holding a shield displaying his de Vere arms.
Issue
Robert de Vere and Isabel de Bolebec had a son,
Hugh de Vere, 4th Earl of Oxford
Hugh de Vere, 4th Earl of Oxford (c. 1207 – December 1263) was the only son and heir of Robert de Vere, 3rd Earl of Oxford and Isabel de Bolebec, daughter and eventually sole heiress of Hugh de Bolebec.
Early life
Hugh de Vere was born a ...
.
[.]
Ancestry
Footnotes
References
*
*
External links
Medieval Lands Project on Hugh de Vere, 4th Earl of Oxford
{{DEFAULTSORT:Oxford, Robert de Vere, 3rd Earl of
12th-century births
1221 deaths
Year of birth unknown
Anglo-Normans
Robert de Vere, 3rd Earl
People from Castle Hedingham
Magna Carta barons
Robert
The name Robert is an ancient Germanic given name, from Proto-Germanic "fame" and "bright" (''Hrōþiberhtaz''). Compare Old Dutch ''Robrecht'' and Old High German ''Hrodebert'' (a compound of '' Hruod'' ( non, Hróðr) "fame, glory, honou ...
12th-century English people
13th-century English people