Stephen Longespée ( 1216 – 1260) was an English knight who served as

Seneschal of Gascony The Seneschal of Gascony was an officer carrying out and managing the domestic affairs of the lord of the Duchy of Gascony. During the course of the twelfth century, the seneschalship, also became an office of military command. After 1360, the off ...

and as

Justiciar of Ireland The chief governor was the senior official in the Dublin Castle administration, which maintained English and British rule in Ireland from the 1170s to 1922. The chief governor was the viceroy of the English monarch (and later the British monarch) ...

Life

Longespée was a son of

William Longespée, 3rd Earl of Salisbury William Longespée, 3rd Earl of Salisbury (born in or before 11677 March 1226) ("Long Sword", Latinised to ''de Longa Spatha'') was an Anglo-Norman nobleman, primarily remembered for his command of the English forces at the Battle of Damme an ...

and Ela of Salisbury. He was a cousin of the King

Henry III of England Henry III (1 October 1207 – 16 November 1272), also known as Henry of Winchester, was King of England, Lord of Ireland, and Duke of Aquitaine from 1216 until his death in 1272. The son of King John and Isabella of Angoulême, Henry a ...

. His wife Emmeline was an heiress of her grandfather

Walter de Riddlesford Walter de Riddlesford ('' fl.'' 1150 – d. 1226) was an Anglo-Norman lord who was granted in Ireland the baronies of Bray, County Wicklow and Kilkea, County Kildare between 1171 and 1176. De Riddlesford was born in Carriebenan, Kildare, Irel ...

, and brought possessions in

Connacht Connacht ( ; ga, Connachta or ), is one of the provinces of Ireland, in the west of Ireland. Until the ninth century it consisted of several independent major Gaelic kingdoms (Uí Fiachrach, Uí Briúin, Uí Maine, Conmhaícne, and Delbhn ...

and

Leinster Leinster ( ; ga, Laighin or ) is one of the provinces of Ireland, situated in the southeast and east of Ireland. The province comprises the ancient Kingdoms of Meath, Leinster and Osraige. Following the 12th-century Norman invasion of Ir ...

in Ireland. In 1255, Longespée was appointed the

, where his administration was hampered with disputes with Lord Edward. After Lord Edward returned to England in 1255, Longespée remained until 1257 as Seneschal, before returning to England. When Lord Edward reluctantly recognised the

Provisions of Oxford The Provisions of Oxford were constitutional reforms developed during the Oxford Parliament of 1258 to resolve a dispute between King Henry III of England and his barons. The reforms were designed to ensure the king adhered to the rule of law and ...

in 1258, Longespée was one of the four counsellors given to accept the reform program. In 1259, Longespée was appointed

. He died in 1260.

Marriage and issue

Stephen married a distant cousin, Emmeline de Riddlesford, who was the widow of

Hugh de Lacy, 1st Earl of Ulster Hugh de Lacy, 1st Earl of Ulster (c. 1176after December 26, 1242) was an Anglo-Norman soldier and peer. He was a leading figure in the Norman invasion of Ireland in the 12th century, and was created Earl of Ulster in 1205 by King John of En ...

, and the daughter of Walter de Riddlesford (son of another

, and Amabilis Fitzhenry) and Annora Vitré. They had the following known issue: *Emeline Longespée (died 1291), married Maurice FitzGerald, had issue *

Ela Longespée Ela Longespée, Countess of Warwick (died 9 February 1298) was an English noblewoman. She was the daughter of Ela of Salisbury, 3rd Countess of Salisbury and William Longespée, and sister to, among others, Nicholas Longespee, Bishop of Salisbur ...

(died 1276), married Roger la Zouche, had issue.

Citations

References

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Longespee, Stephen Year of birth unknown 1260 deaths 13th-century English people Medieval English knights Seneschals of Gascony Younger sons of earls