
Sir Hugh de Courtenay, 2nd/10th Earl of Devon (12 July 1303 – 2 May 1377), 2nd Baron Courtenay,
feudal baron of Okehampton and
feudal baron of Plympton, played an important role in the
Hundred Years War
The Hundred Years' War (; 1337–1453) was a conflict between the kingdoms of England and France and a civil war in France during the Late Middle Ages. It emerged from feudal disputes over the Duchy of Aquitaine and was triggered by a c ...
in the service of King
Edward III
Edward III (13 November 1312 – 21 June 1377), also known as Edward of Windsor before his accession, was King of England from January 1327 until his death in 1377. He is noted for his military success and for restoring royal authority after t ...
. His chief seats were
Tiverton Castle and
Okehampton Castle
Okehampton Castle is a medieval motte and bailey castle in Devon, England. It was built between 1068 and 1086 by Baldwin FitzGilbert following a revolt in Devon against Norman conquest of England, Norman rule, and formed the centre of the Honou ...
in Devon. The ordinal number given to the early Courtenay Earls of Devon depends on whether the earldom is deemed a new creation by the letters patent granted 22 February 1334/5 or whether it is deemed a restitution of the old dignity of the de Redvers family. Authorities differ in their opinions, and thus alternative ordinal numbers exist, given here.
Origins
Hugh de Courtenay was born on 12 July 1303, the second son of
Hugh de Courtenay, 1st/9th Earl of Devon (1276–1340), by his wife Agnes de Saint John, a daughter of Sir John de Saint John of
Basing,
Hampshire
Hampshire (, ; abbreviated to Hants.) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in South East England. It is bordered by Berkshire to the north, Surrey and West Sussex to the east, the Isle of Wight across the Solent to the south, ...
. He succeeded to the earldom on the death of his father in 1340. His elder brother, John de Courtenay (c.1296-11 July 1349), Abbot of
Tavistock
Tavistock ( ) is an ancient stannary and market town and civil parish in the West Devon district, in the county of Devon, England. It is situated on the River Tavy, from which its name derives. At the 2011 census, the three electoral wards (N ...
, as a cleric was unmarried and although he succeeded his father as
feudal baron of Okehampton, did not succeed to the earldom.
Career
By his marriage to
Margaret de Bohun, Countess of Devon in 1325, Courtenay acquired the manor of
Powderham; it was later granted by Margaret de Bohun to one of her younger sons, Sir
Philip Courtenay (died 1406), whose family has occupied it until the present day, and who were recognised in 1831 as having been ''de jure'' Earls of Devon from 1556.
On 20 January 1327 Courtenay was made a
knight banneret
A knight banneret, sometimes known simply as banneret, was a medieval knight who led a company of troops during time of war under his own banner (which was square-shaped, in contrast to the tapering standard or the pennon flown by the lower- ...
. In 1333 both he and his father were at the
Battle of Halidon Hill
The Battle of Halidon Hill took place on 19 July 1333 when a Scottish army under Sir Archibald Douglas attacked an English army commanded by King Edward III of England () and was heavily defeated. The year before, Edward Balliol had seized ...
. He was summoned to Parliament on 23 April 1337 by
writ
In common law, a writ is a formal written order issued by a body with administrative or judicial jurisdiction; in modern usage, this body is generally a court. Warrant (legal), Warrants, prerogative writs, subpoenas, and ''certiorari'' are commo ...
directed to ''Hugoni de Courteney juniori'', by which he is held to have become
Baron Courtenay during the lifetime of his father. In 1339 he and his father were with the forces which repulsed a French invasion of
Cornwall
Cornwall (; or ) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in South West England. It is also one of the Celtic nations and the homeland of the Cornish people. The county is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, ...
, driving the French back to their ships. The 9th Earl died on 23 December 1340 at the age of 64. Courtenay succeeded to the earldom, and was granted livery of his lands on 11 January 1341.
In 1342 the Earl was with King Edward III's expedition to
Brittany
Brittany ( ) is a peninsula, historical country and cultural area in the north-west of modern France, covering the western part of what was known as Armorica in Roman Gaul. It became an Kingdom of Brittany, independent kingdom and then a Duch ...
. Richardson states that the Earl took part on 9 April 1347 in a
tournament
A tournament is a competition involving at least three competitors, all participating in a sport or game. More specifically, the term may be used in either of two overlapping senses:
# One or more competitions held at a single venue and concen ...
at
Lichfield
Lichfield () is a city status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city and Civil parishes in England, civil parish in Staffordshire, England. Lichfield is situated south-east of the county town of Stafford, north-east of Walsall, north-west of ...
. However, in 1347 he was excused on grounds of infirmity from accompanying the King on an expedition beyond the seas, and about that time, was also excused from attending Parliament, suggesting the possibility that it was the Earl's eldest son and heir,
Hugh Courtenay, who had fought at the
Battle of Crecy
A battle is an occurrence of combat in warfare between opposing military units of any number or size. A war usually consists of multiple battles. In general, a battle is a military engagement that is well defined in duration, area, and force ...
on 26 August 1346, who took part in the tournament at
Lichfield
Lichfield () is a city status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city and Civil parishes in England, civil parish in Staffordshire, England. Lichfield is situated south-east of the county town of Stafford, north-east of Walsall, north-west of ...
.
In 1350 the King granted the Earl permission to travel for a year, and during that year he built the monastery of the
White Friars in London. In 1352 he was appointed Joint Warden of Devon and Cornwall, and returned to Devon. In 1361, he and his wife were legatees in the will of her brother,
Humphrey de Bohun, 6th Earl of Hereford, which greatly increased his wealth and land holdings.
Later years
Courtenay made an important contribution to the result of the
Battle of Poitiers
The Battle of Poitiers was fought on 19September 1356 between a Kingdom of France, French army commanded by King John II of France, King JohnII and an Kingdom of England, Anglo-Gascony, Gascon force under Edward the Black Prince, Edward, the ...
in 1356.
The Black Prince had sent the baggage train under Courtenay to the rear, which proved to be a wise manoeuvre as the long trail of wagons and carts blocked the narrow bridge and the escape route for the French. Courtenay played little part in the battle as a result of his defensive role. Courtenay retired with a full pension from the king. In 1373 he was appointed Chief Warden of the Royal Forests of Devon, the income of which in 1374 was assessed by Parliament at £1,500 per annum. He was one of the least wealthy of the English earls, and was surpassed in wealth by his fellow noble warriors the
Earl of Arundel
Earl of Arundel is a title of nobility in England, and one of the oldest extant in the English peerage. It is currently held by the Duke of Norfolk, and it is used (along with the earldom of Surrey) by his heir apparent as a courtesy title ...
,
Earl of Suffolk
Earl of Suffolk is a title which has been created four times in the Peerage of England. The first creation, in tandem with the creation of the title of Earl of Norfolk, came before 1069 in favour of Ralph the Staller; but the title was forfei ...
and
Earl of Warwick
Earl of Warwick is a title in the Peerage of the United Kingdom which has been created four times in English history. The name refers to Warwick Castle and the town of Warwick.
Overview
The first creation came in 1088, and the title was held b ...
. Nevertheless, he had a retinue of 40 knights, esquires and lawyers in Devon. He also
held
Held may refer to:
Places
* Held Glacier
People Arts and media
* Adolph Held (1885–1969), U.S. newspaper editor, banker, labor activist
*Al Held (1928–2005), U.S. abstract expressionist painter.
*Alexander Held (born 1958), German television ...
property by
entail
In English common law, fee tail or entail is a form of trust, established by deed or settlement, that restricts the sale or inheritance of an estate in real property and prevents that property from being sold, devised by will, or otherwise ali ...
, including five manors in Somerset, two in Cornwall, two in Hampshire, one in Dorset and one in Buckinghamshire. He had stood as patron in the career of
John Grandisson
The '' British Museum">John Grandisson Triptych'', displaying on two small escutcheons the arms of Bishop Grandisson. British Museum
John de Grandisson (1292 – 16 July 1369), also spelt Grandison, was Bishop of Exeter, in Devon, England, f ...
,
Bishop of Exeter
The Bishop of Exeter is the Ordinary (officer), ordinary of the Church of England Diocese of Exeter in the Province of Canterbury. The current bishop is Mike Harrison (bishop), Mike Harrison, since 2024.
From the first bishop until the sixteent ...
. He supported the taking-on of debt to build churches in the diocese of Exeter.
He died at Exeter on 2 May 1377 and was buried in
Exeter Cathedral
Exeter Cathedral, properly known as the Cathedral Church of Saint Peter in Exeter, is an Anglican cathedral, and the seat of the Bishop of Exeter, in the city status in the United Kingdom, city of Exeter, Devon, in South West England. The presen ...
on the same day. His will was dated 28 January 13--.
Marriage and issue

On 11 August 1325, in accordance with a
marriage settlement dated 27 September 1314, Courtenay married
Margaret de Bohun (b. 3 April 1311 - d. 16 December 1391), eldest surviving daughter of
Humphrey de Bohun, 4th Earl of Hereford (by his wife Princess
Elizabeth, a daughter of King
Edward I
Edward I (17/18 June 1239 – 7 July 1307), also known as Edward Longshanks and the Hammer of the Scots (Latin: Malleus Scotorum), was King of England from 1272 to 1307. Concurrently, he was Lord of Ireland, and from 125 ...
), by whom he had eight sons and nine daughters:
*Sir
Hugh Courtenay (d.1348), KG, eldest son and
heir apparent
An heir apparent is a person who is first in the order of succession and cannot be displaced from inheriting by the birth of another person. A person who is first in the current order of succession but could be displaced by the birth of a more e ...
, who died shortly before Easter term, 1348, predeceasing his father. He married, before 3 September 1341,
Elizabeth de Vere (d. 16 August 1375), a daughter of
John de Vere, 7th Earl of Oxford by his wife
Maud de Badlesmere (a daughter of
Bartholomew de Badlesmere, 1st Baron Badlesmere), by whom he had an only son,
Hugh Courtenay, 3rd Baron Courtenay, (d.20 February 1374) who died without issue. Elizabeth de Vere survived her husband and remarried successively to
John de Mowbray, 3rd Baron Mowbray (d. 4 October 1361), and to Sir William de Cossington.
*Thomas Courtenay (born c.1329-31), a Canon of
Crediton
Crediton is a town and civil parishes in England, civil parish in the Mid Devon district of Devon, England. It stands on the A377 road, A377 Exeter to Barnstaple road at the junction with the A3072 road to Tiverton, Devon, Tiverton, north w ...
and
Exeter
Exeter ( ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city and the county town of Devon in South West England. It is situated on the River Exe, approximately northeast of Plymouth and southwest of Bristol.
In Roman Britain, Exeter w ...
.
*Sir Edward Courtenay (c.1331-1368/71) "of Godlington" (location uncertain), second son, who also predeceased his father. He married Emeline Dauney (c.1329 – 28 February 1371), daughter and heiress of Sir
John Dauney/Dawnay/Dawney (d.1346/7) of
Boconnoc
Boconnoc () is a civil parishes in England, civil parish in Cornwall, England, United Kingdom, approximately east of the town of Lostwithiel. According to the UK census 2011, 2011 census the parish had a population of 96.
The parish is rural ...
and
Sheviock in Cornwall, and of
Townstal (including Norton Dauney within Townstal),
East Allington, Stancombe Dawney (in the parish of
Sherford, Devon),
Buckland Brewer
Buckland Brewer is a village and civil parish in the Torridge District, Torridge district of Devon, England, 4.7 miles south of Bideford. Historically the parish formed part of Hundred (country subdivision), Shebbear Hundred. According to the ...
, South Allington, etc., in Devon, all of which manors descended into the Courtenay family, and of
Mudford Terry in
Somerset
Somerset ( , ), Archaism, archaically Somersetshire ( , , ) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in South West England. It is bordered by the Bristol Channel, Gloucestershire, and Bristol to the north, Wiltshire to the east ...
. He died between 2 February 1368 and 1 April 1371. He and his wife are supposedly represented by the surviving stone effigies in Sheviock Church in Cornwall. It is said by Cleaveland (1735) that Emmeline Dauney brought to her husband 16 manors. By his wife he had issue as follows:
**
Edward Courtenay, 3rd/11th Earl of Devon (d.1419), "The Blind Earl", who married Maud Camoys. The earldom remained in their descendants until their great-grandson,
Thomas Courtenay, 6th/14th Earl of Devon, was beheaded at
York
York is a cathedral city in North Yorkshire, England, with Roman Britain, Roman origins, sited at the confluence of the rivers River Ouse, Yorkshire, Ouse and River Foss, Foss. It has many historic buildings and other structures, such as a Yor ...
on 3 April 1461 after the
Battle of Towton
The Battle of Towton took place on 29 March 1461 during the Wars of the Roses, near Towton in North Yorkshire, and "has the dubious distinction of being probably the largest and bloodiest battle on English soil". Fought for ten hours between a ...
, without issue. All his honours were forfeited by
attainder
In English criminal law, attainder was the metaphorical "stain" or "corruption of blood" which arose from being condemned for a serious capital crime (felony or treason). It entailed losing not only one's life, property and hereditary titles, but ...
, and the earldom eventually passed, after a brief period of confusion during the
Wars of the Roses
The Wars of the Roses, known at the time and in following centuries as the Civil Wars, were a series of armed confrontations, machinations, battles and campaigns fought over control of the English throne from 1455 to 1487. The conflict was fo ...
(for which see
Earl of Devon
Earl of Devon is a title that has been created several times in the Peerage of England. It was possessed first (after the Norman Conquest of 1066) by the Redvers family (''alias'' de Reviers, Revieres, etc.), and later by the Courtenay famil ...
), by a new creation in 1485 to
Edward Courtenay, 1st Earl of Devon
Edward Courtenay, 1st Earl of Devon (c. 1527 – 18 September 1556) was an English nobleman during the rule of the Tudor dynasty. Born into a family with close royal connections, he was at various times considered a possible match for the ...
(d.1509), the grandson of Sir
Hugh Courtenay (1358-1425) of
Boconnoc
Boconnoc () is a civil parishes in England, civil parish in Cornwall, England, United Kingdom, approximately east of the town of Lostwithiel. According to the UK census 2011, 2011 census the parish had a population of 96.
The parish is rural ...
in Cornwall and of
Haccombe in Devon, younger brother of the 3rd/11th Earl.
**Sir
Hugh Courtenay (1358-1425) of
Boconnoc
Boconnoc () is a civil parishes in England, civil parish in Cornwall, England, United Kingdom, approximately east of the town of Lostwithiel. According to the UK census 2011, 2011 census the parish had a population of 96.
The parish is rural ...
in Cornwall and of
Haccombe in Devon, whose grandson was
Edward Courtenay, 1st Earl of Devon
Edward Courtenay, 1st Earl of Devon (c. 1527 – 18 September 1556) was an English nobleman during the rule of the Tudor dynasty. Born into a family with close royal connections, he was at various times considered a possible match for the ...
(d.1509).
*Robert Courtenay.
*
William Courtenay (c.1342 – 31 July 1396),
Archbishop of Canterbury
The archbishop of Canterbury is the senior bishop and a principal leader of the Church of England, the Primus inter pares, ceremonial head of the worldwide Anglican Communion and the bishop of the diocese of Canterbury. The first archbishop ...
.
*Sir
Philip Courtenay (c.1345 – 29 July 1406) of
Powderham in Devon, who married Ann Wake, a daughter of Sir Thomas Wake by his wife Alice Patteshull, a daughter of Sir John de Patteshull.
*Sir
Peter Courtenay Peter Courtenay may refer to:
*Peter Courtenay (bishop) (c. 1432–1492), English bishop and politician
*Sir Peter Courtenay (KG) (1346–1405), soldier and knight
*Sir Peter Courtenay (died 1552), of Ugbrooke, Sheriff of Devon in 1548/9
*Peter Co ...
(d. 2 February 1405), KG, of
Hardington Mandeville,
Somerset
Somerset ( , ), Archaism, archaically Somersetshire ( , , ) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in South West England. It is bordered by the Bristol Channel, Gloucestershire, and Bristol to the north, Wiltshire to the east ...
, who married Margaret Clyvedon, widow of Sir John de Saint Loe (d. 8 November 1375), and daughter and heiress of John de Clyvedon. His
monumental brass
A monumental brass is a type of engraved church monument, sepulchral memorial once found through Western Europe, which in the 13th century began to partially take the place of three-dimensional church monument, monuments and effigy, effigies carve ...
, much worn, but still showing the arms of Courtenay
impaling Bohun, survives in the floor of the south aisle of
Exeter Cathedral
Exeter Cathedral, properly known as the Cathedral Church of Saint Peter in Exeter, is an Anglican cathedral, and the seat of the Bishop of Exeter, in the city status in the United Kingdom, city of Exeter, Devon, in South West England. The presen ...
.
*Humphrey Courtenay, who died young without issue.
*Margaret Courtenay (the elder), (born c. 1328 - died 2 Aug 1395), who married
John de Cobham, 3rd Baron Cobham.
*Elizabeth Courtenay (d. 7 August 1395), who married firstly, Sir John de Vere (d. before 23 June 1350) of
Whitchurch, Buckinghamshire
Whitchurch is a village and civil parish in the unitary authority area of Buckinghamshire, England. The village is on the A413 road about north of Aylesbury and south of Winslow. The 2011 Census recorded a parish population of 932.
Topony ...
, eldest son and heir apparent of
John de Vere, 7th Earl of Oxford, by his wife
Maud de Badlesmere; and secondly to Sir Andrew Luttrell of Chilton, in
Thorverton, Devon and had issue, including
Sir Hugh Luttrell.
*Katherine Courtenay (d. 31 December 1399), who married, before 18 October 1353,
Thomas Engaine, 2nd Baron Engaine (d. 29 June 1367), without progeny.
*Anne Courtenay.
*Joan Courtenay, who married, before 1367, Sir
John de Cheverston (died c. 1375), by whom she had no issue.
*Margaret Courtenay (the younger), (born btw. 1342 and 1350 - died after July 1381), who married
Sir Theobald Grenville II (died by July 1381).
[Burls, Robin J., ''Society, economy and lordship in Devon in the age of the first two Courtenay earls, c. 1297-1377''. Dphil. (University of Oxford, 2002): p. 133 (author states, "Sir Edward Courtenay (d. c. 1371) married Emmeline Dauney, daughter and sole heiress of a Cornish knight, while his sister, Margaret (d. 1385), took as a husband Sir Theobald Grenville, the head of a north Devon family whose members were already well entrenched in the Courtenay affinity.").]
*______ Courtenay (7th daughter).
*______ Courtenay (8th daughter).
*______ Courtenay (9th daughter).
References
Bibliography
*Browning, Charles H., ''Americans of Royal Descent,'' 6th ed. 1905, p. 105-108
*
*
*
* Holmes, G. ''Estates of Higher Nobility in Fourteenth Century England'', Cambridge, 1957, p. 58
*
* Mortimer, Ian ''Edward III'' (London 2007).
* Ormrod, W. M. ''The Reign of Edward III'' (Tempus Publishing 1999).
*
*
*
*Saul, Nigel, ed. ''The Oxford History of Medieval England'' (OUP 1997).
*''Register of Edward, the Black Prince'', (ed) A. E. Stamp & M. C. B. Dawes (London 1930–33).
*Sumption, Jonathan, ''The Hundred Years' War'', 2 vols, Vol.1: ''Trial by Battle'', vol. 2: ''Trial by Fire'' (Faber 1999).
*Waugh, Scott L., ''England in the Reign of Edward III'' (CUP 1991)
*Tuck, Anthony, ''Crown and Nobility; England 1272-1461: political conflict in late medieval England'', 2nd ed., (Blackwell 1999).
Further reading
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Courtenay, 10th Earl of Devon, Hugh de
1303 births
1377 deaths
Burials at Exeter Cathedral
Hugh
Hugh is the English-language variant of the masculine given name , itself the Old French variant of '' Hugo (name)">Hugo'', a short form of Continental Germanic Germanic name">given names beginning in the element "mind, spirit" (Old English ). ...
Hugh de Courtenay, 10th Earl of Devon
Devon, Hugh de Courtenay, 10th Earl of
Knights banneret of England
People of the Hundred Years' War