William de Vesci or Vescy (died 1297) was a prominent 13th-century noble. He was a son of
William de Vesci
William de Vesci (c.1125–1184) was an Anglo-Norman feudal lord and Sheriff. Born William fitz Eustace at Knaresborough Castle, Yorkshire, the son of Eustace Fitz John and Beatrix de Vesci, he took his mother's surname.
He was appointed Sher ...
and his second wife Lady Agnes de Ferrers, daughter of
William de Ferrers, 5th Earl of Derby
William III de Ferrers, 5th Earl of Derby (c. 1193 – 28 March 1254) of Chartley Castle in Staffordshire, was an English nobleman and major landowner, unable through illness to take much part in national affairs. From his two marriages, he left ...
, and his first wife Sibyl Marshal.
![William de Vesci (d](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/23/William_de_Vesci_%28d.1297%29_arms_%28alternate%29.svg)
He founded the
Grey Abbey in
Kildare
Kildare () is a town in County Kildare, Ireland. , its population was 8,634 making it the 7th largest town in County Kildare. The town lies on the R445, some west of Dublin – near enough for it to have become, despite being a regional cen ...
, Ireland for the
Franciscans
, image = FrancescoCoA PioM.svg
, image_size = 200px
, caption = A cross, Christ's arm and Saint Francis's arm, a universal symbol of the Franciscans
, abbreviation = OFM
, predecessor =
, ...
in
1260. During the
Second Barons' War
The Second Barons' War (1264–1267) was a civil war in England between the forces of a number of barons led by Simon de Montfort against the royalist forces of King Henry III, led initially by the king himself and later by his son, the fut ...
campaign of 1265, William held
Gloucester Castle
Gloucester Castle was a Norman-era royal castle situated in the city of Gloucester in Gloucestershire, England. It was demolished in 1787 and replaced by Gloucester Prison.
Early Norman motte and bailey castle
It was probably constructed ...
against
Prince Edward. He was pardoned afterwards and entered the service of 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 ...
. He served against the Welsh in 1277 and later in 1282. He was appointed the justice of the forests north of the Trent in 1285.
Upon the death of his brother
John de Vesci
John de Vesci, sometimes spelt Vescy, was a prominent 13th-century noble. He was the eldest son of William de Vesci and Agnes de Ferrers. He married firstly Agnes de Saluzzo and secondly Isabella de Beaumont. John died c. 1289.
He succeeded to h ...
in 1289, William succeeded to the family estates, including as Lord of Sprouston in Scotland. He was also granted the Constable of
Scarborough Castle
Scarborough Castle is a former medieval Royal fortress situated on a rocky promontory overlooking the North Sea and Scarborough, North Yorkshire, England. The site of the castle, encompassing the Iron Age settlement, Roman signal station, an Ang ...
between 1289 and 1292. William was sent with
Antony Bek, Bishop of Durham in 1289 to represent King
Edward I of England
Edward I (17/18 June 1239 – 7 July 1307), also known as Edward Longshanks and the Hammer of the Scots, was King of England and Lord of Ireland from 1272 to 1307. Concurrently, he ruled the duchies of Aquitaine and Gascony as a vassa ...
in Scotland. He also founded
White Abbey, near Kildare, Ireland for the Carmelites in 1290.
Upon the death of
Margaret, Maid of Norway
Margaret (, ; March or April 1283 – September 1290), known as the Maid of Norway, was the queen-designate of Scotland from 1286 until her death. As she was never inaugurated, her status as monarch is uncertain and has been debated by historian ...
in 1290, William became one of the
competitors for the Crown of Scotland
When the crown of Scotland became vacant in September 1290 on the death of the seven-year-old Queen Margaret, 13 claimants to the throne came forward. Those with the most credible claims were John Balliol, Robert de Brus, 5th Lord of Annandale, ...
, deriving his claim from his grandmother, Margaret, illegitimate daughter of
William the Lion
William the Lion, sometimes styled William I and also known by the nickname Garbh, "the Rough"''Uilleam Garbh''; e.g. Annals of Ulster, s.a. 1214.6; Annals of Loch Cé, s.a. 1213.10. ( 1142 – 4 December 1214), reigned as King of Scots from 11 ...
and the wife of
Eustace fitz John
Eustace fitz John (died 1157), Constable of Chester, was a powerful magnate in northern England during the reigns of Henry I, Stephen and Henry II. From a relatively humble background in South East England, Eustace made his career serving Henry I ...
. William's claim was withdrawn on the eve of King Edward I of England announcing which of the claimants would inherit the throne in 1292.
With the death of his mother, Agnes on 11 May
1290
Year 1290 ( MCCXC) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar.
Events
By place
Europe
* July 10 – King Ladislaus IV (the Cuman) is assassinated at the castle of Köröss ...
, he inherited large estates in Ireland, her share of the great Marshal inheritance, including the franchise of the
County Kildare
County Kildare ( ga, Contae Chill Dara) is a county in Ireland. It is in the province of Leinster and is part of the Eastern and Midland Region. It is named after the town of Kildare. Kildare County Council is the local authority for the county, ...
with
Kildare Castle
Kildare Castle is a ruined castle located at Kildare in County Kildare, Ireland. Built in the 12th century as a motte and bailey castle by Richard de Clare, 2nd Earl of Pembroke
Richard de Clare, 2nd Earl of Pembroke (of the first creatio ...
and
Rathangan Castle. On 12 September 1290, William was appointed
Lord Justice in Ireland by King Edward I of England. His service was interrupted by complaints, with William entering the king's court in 1293 and 1294 to answer charges of slander and libel against him. Sir
John FitzThomas, 4th Lord Offaly, fiercely quarrelled with William over rival claimants of the
King of Connaught
The Kings of Connacht were rulers of the ''cóiced'' (variously translated as portion, fifth, province) of Connacht, which lies west of the River Shannon, Ireland. However, the name only became applied to it in the early medieval era, being name ...
. FitzThomas made claims to King Edward I of England that William had accused the king of cowardice during the siege of
Kenilworth Castle
Kenilworth Castle is a castle in the town of Kenilworth in Warwickshire, England managed by English Heritage; much of it is still in ruins. The castle was founded during the Norman conquest of England; with development through to the Tudor pe ...
in 1266, and was organising a rebellion against the king. Following the report of a commission of inquiry headed by Sir
William de Essendon, the
Lord High Treasurer of Ireland, William lost his position as Lord Justice. William attempted to sue FitzThomas for
defamation
Defamation is the act of communicating to a third party false statements about a person, place or thing that results in damage to its reputation. It can be spoken (slander) or written (libel). It constitutes a tort or a crime. The legal defini ...
before the council at
Dublin
Dublin (; , or ) is the capital and largest city of Republic of Ireland, Ireland. On a bay at the mouth of the River Liffey, it is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Leinster, bordered on the south by the Dublin Mountains, a part of th ...
. King Edward I summoned all the parties to Westminster, however, FitzThomas did not appear, and although William requested for a judgment in his favour by reason of the default, this was not allowed, with the matter finally being resolved during the parliament in August 1295. He was summoned to Parliament as a baron in 1295.
The Complete Peerage, 1st edition, Volume VIII, page 31
/ref>
While he regained the king's favour, William did not regain his position of Lord Justice in Ireland, however, he was restored to his former position as justiciar of the forests beyond Trent. He was sent to 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 ...
in December 1295 on the king's service. William surrendered his lands of Kildare in 1297 on condition of his and his brother's debts to the exchequer being forgiven. Edward I regranted his lands in Kildare for life only. William also resigned Malton Castle
Malton Castle was a castle in Malton, North Yorkshire, England. A wooden motte and bailey castle was built by William Tyson, lord of Alnwick in the 11th century, on the site of the Roman fort of Derventio Brigantum. The castle was given to Eus ...
and his Yorkshire estates to Antony Bek, Bishop of Durham, however, he received them back for life and entailed after his death on his illegitimate son and his heirs. He also placed in charge of Alnwick Castle
Alnwick Castle () is a castle and country house in Alnwick in the English county of Northumberland. It is the seat of the 12th Duke of Northumberland, built following the Norman conquest and renovated and remodelled a number of times. It is a G ...
to Antony Bek, Bishop of Durham on trust, to restore it to his illegitimate son when he became of age. Soon afterwards William died in 1297. Since he had no surviving legitimate issue his great inheritance reverted to the Crown. The Crown granted it to FitzThomas, who became Earl of Kildare
Earl () is a rank of the nobility in the United Kingdom. The title originates in the Old English word ''eorl'', meaning "a man of noble birth or rank". The word is cognate with the Scandinavian form ''jarl'', and meant "chieftain", particular ...
.
Marriage and legacy
He married Isabella, daughter of Adam de Perinton and widow of Robert de Welles. They had issue:
*John de Vesci, d. 1295. He married Clemence de Avagour, a kinswoman of Queen Eleanor in 1286.
He also fathered an illegitimate son, William de Vescy of Kildare, with Devorgille, daughter of Donal Roe MacCarthy Mór, Prince of Desmond.
Arms
During the lifetime of his brother, John, William bore arms blazon
In heraldry and heraldic vexillology, a blazon is a formal description of a coat of arms, flag or similar emblem, from which the reader can reconstruct the appropriate image. The verb ''to blazon'' means to create such a description. The vis ...
ed: ''Or, a cross Sable, debruised by a label of five points Gules''. Upon succeeding John, William bore arms blazoned ''Or, a cross Sable''. These arms were later inherited by his illegitimate son, William.[.]
References
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Vesci, William
1297 deaths
13th-century Scottish people
Year of birth unknown
Competitors for the Crown of Scotland
People from Alnwick
William
William is a male given name of Germanic origin.Hanks, Hardcastle and Hodges, ''Oxford Dictionary of First Names'', Oxford University Press, 2nd edition, , p. 276. It became very popular in the English language after the Norman conquest of Engl ...
Barons in the Peerage of England
Lords Lieutenant of Ireland