Sir Roger Fiennes (1384–1449) 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 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 ...

, High Sheriff of Surrey and Sussex, and builder of

Herstmonceux Castle Herstmonceux Castle is a brick-built castle, dating from the 15th century, near Herstmonceux, East Sussex, England. It is one of the oldest significant brick buildings still standing in England. The castle was renowned for being one of the f ...

. He was also Treasurer of

King Henry VI Henry VI (6 December 1421 – 21 May 1471) was King of England and Lord of Ireland from 1422 to 1461 and again from 1470 to 1471, and disputed King of France from 1422 to 1453. The only child of Henry V, he succeeded to the English throne a ...

's household.

Origins

Roger Fiennes was the son of William de Fiennes, Sheriff of Surrey and Sussex in 1396, and Elizabeth Battisford. He was baptised at

Herstmonceux Herstmonceux ( , ; ) is a village and civil parish in the Wealden District of East Sussex, England, which includes Herstmonceux Castle. The Herstmonceux Medieval Festival is held annually in August. History The name comes from Anglo-Saxon ...

on 14 September 1384. His younger brother was

James Fiennes, 1st Baron Saye and Sele James Fiennes, 1st Baron Saye and Sele (22 September 1395 – 4 July 1450) was an English soldier and politician. He was born at Herstmonceux, Sussex, the second son of Sir William Fiennes (1 August 1357 – 18 January 1402) and his wife Elizabe ...

Career

Sir Roger was

knighted 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 Christian denomination, church or the country, especially in a military capacity. Knighthood ...

before 1412, accompanied

King Henry V Henry V (16 September 1386 – 31 August 1422), also called Henry of Monmouth, was King of England and Lord of Ireland from 1413 until his death in 1422. Despite his relatively short reign, Henry's outstanding military successes in the ...

to France and fought at Agincourt in 1415. Sir Roger was prominent in the politics and a prominent member of the royal household. He was

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

Sussex Sussex (), from the Old English (), is a historic county in South East England that was formerly an independent medieval Anglo-Saxon kingdom. It is bounded to the west by Hampshire, north by Surrey, northeast by Kent, south by the English ...

in 1416, 1429, 1439, 1442 and 1445. He was Constable of Portchester Castle from 1421 until his death, Sheriff of Surrey and Sussex for 1422 and 1434,

Treasurer of the Household The Treasurer of the Household is a member of the Royal Household of the Sovereign of the United Kingdom. The position is usually held by one of the government deputy Chief Whips in the House of Commons. The current holder of the office is Ma ...

for

between 1439 and 1446, Keeper of the King's Wardrobe, and Chief Steward of the

Duchy of Lancaster The Duchy of Lancaster is the private estate of the Monarchy of the United Kingdom, British sovereign as Duke of Lancaster. The principal purpose of the estate is to provide a source of independent income to the sovereign. The estate consists of ...

from 1441 to 1447. He financed the initial construction of

with spoils from the

Hundred Years' War The Hundred Years' War (; 1337–1453) was a series of armed conflicts between the kingdoms of Kingdom of England, England and Kingdom of France, France during the Late Middle Ages. It originated from disputed claims to the French Crown, ...

Herstmonceux Castle

Roger Fiennes was ultimately responsible for the construction of

in the County of

. He needed a house fitting a man of his position, so construction of the castle on the site of the old manor house began in 1441.Anthony Emery: Greater Medieval Houses of England and Wales, 1300–1500: Volume 3, p.344 It was through his position as treasurer that he could afford the £3,800 construction cost of the original castle. The castle is not a defensive structure, but a palatial residence.

Marriage and children

Before 1422, Fiennes married Elizabeth Holland, daughter of Sir John Holland and his second wife, Margaret.Richardson, Douglas. ''Plantagenet Ancestry: A Study In Colonial And Medieval Families,'' 2nd Edition, 2011. pp. 148
Google eBook
/ref> Roger Fiennes and Elizabeth Holland had two boys and one girl: *

Richard Fiennes, 7th Baron Dacre Richard Fiennes, ''jure uxoris'' 7th Baron Dacre (1415 – 25 November 1483) was an English knight and hereditary keeper of Herstmonceux Castle, Sussex. He was the son of Sir Roger Fiennes, Member of Parliament (M.P.) for Sussex. and Elizabeth H ...

*Sir Robert Fiennes *Margaret Fiennes, who married Sir Nicholas Carew of Beddington Sir Roger Fiennes died in 1449. His will was dated at

Buxted Buxted is a village and civil parish in the Wealden district of East Sussex in England. The parish is situated on the Weald, north of Uckfield; the settlements of Five Ash Down, Heron's Ghyll and High Hurstwood are included within its boundarie ...

, Sussex 29 October 1449 and proved on 18 November 1449. He requested to be buried at All Saints, Herstmonceux, in his will.

References

External links

History of Parliament: FIENNES, Sir Roger (1384-1449), of Herstmonceux, Suss.

{{DEFAULTSORT:Fiennes, Roger

Roger Roger is a given name, usually masculine, and a surname. The given name is derived from the Old French personal names ' and '. These names are of Germanic origin, derived from the elements ', ''χrōþi'' ("fame", "renown", "honour") and ', ' ( ...

1384 births 1449 deaths People from Herstmonceux Members of Parliament for Sussex English MPs March 1416 High Sheriffs of Surrey High Sheriffs of Sussex English MPs 1429 English MPs 1439 English MPs 1442 English MPs 1445 Knights Bachelor