Stephen de Segrave (or Seagrove or Stephen Segrave or Stephen of Seagrave) (c. 1171 – 9 November 1241) was a medieval Chief Justiciar of England.

Life

He was born as the son of a certain Gilbert de Segrave of Segrave in

Leicestershire Leicestershire ( ) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in the East Midlands of England. It is bordered by Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire and Lincolnshire to the north, Rutland to the east, Northamptonshire to the south-east, Warw ...

, who had been High Sheriff of Warwickshire and Leicestershire in 1193. Stephen became a

knight A knight is a person granted an honorary title of a knighthood by a head of state (including the pope) or representative for service to the monarch, the church, or the country, especially in a military capacity. The concept of a knighthood ...

and was made constable of the

Tower of London The Tower of London, officially His Majesty's Royal Palace and Fortress of the Tower of London, is a historic citadel and castle on the north bank of the River Thames in central London, England. It lies within the London Borough of Tower Hamle ...

in 1220. He obtained lands and held various positions under Henry III. From 1221 to 1223 he served as High Sheriff of Hertfordshire and

Essex Essex ( ) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in the East of England, and one of the home counties. It is bordered by Cambridgeshire and Suffolk to the north, the North Sea to the east, Kent across the Thames Estuary to the ...

, from 1222 to 1224 as

High Sheriff of Lincolnshire This is a list of High Sheriffs of Lincolnshire. The High Sheriff is the oldest secular office under the Crown. Formerly the High Sheriff was the principal law enforcement officer in the county but over the centuries most of the responsibilit ...

, from 1228 to 1234 as High Sheriff of Bedfordshire and Buckinghamshire and from 1229 to 1234 as High Sheriff of Warwickshire,

and

Northamptonshire Northamptonshire ( ; abbreviated Northants.) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in the East Midlands of England. It is bordered by Leicestershire, Rutland and Lincolnshire to the north, Cambridgeshire to the east, Bedfordshi ...

. In 1236, he became castellan of Beeston Castle and Chester Castle, jointly with Hugh de Spencer and Henry de Aldithley. He was given the manor where Caludon Castle was built, at Wyken near

Coventry Coventry ( or rarely ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands (county), West Midlands county, in England, on the River Sherbourne. Coventry had been a large settlement for centurie ...

in 1232 or earlier, by Ranulph de Blondeville, 4th Earl of Chester. Ranulph also granted him Bretby in 1209. In 1232, he succeeded Hubert de Burgh as chief justiciar of England.Powicke ''Handbook of British Chronology'' p. 70 He officiated at the trial of de Burgh, in November 1232, which has been called the "first state trial" in England. As an active coadjutor of

Peter des Roches Peter des Roches (died 9 June 1238) (List of Latinised names, Latinised as ''Petrus de Rupibus'' ("Peter from the rocks")) was bishop of Winchester in the reigns of King John of England and his son Henry III of England, Henry III. He was not an ...

bishop of Winchester The Bishop of Winchester is the diocesan bishop of the Diocese of Winchester in the Church of England. The bishop's seat (''cathedra'') is at Winchester Cathedral in Hampshire. The Bishop of Winchester has always held ''ex officio'' the offic ...

, Segrave incurred some share of the opprobrium which was lavished on the Poitevin royal favourites of

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 John, King of England, King John and Isabella of Ang ...

. In 1234, he was deprived of his office as Justiciar. Soon, however, he was again occupying an influential position at Henry's court, and he retained this until his death. However, uncertain about his personal safety, he became a canon at Leicester Abbey, where he died on 9 November 1241, and was buried.

Family

He married twice; firstly to Rohese le Despencer, daughter of Thomas Despenser, who bore him three sons and a daughter, and secondly to Ida de Hastings, daughter of William de Hastings and Margery Bigod of Norfolk. Gilbert died at

Pons The pons (from Latin , "bridge") is part of the brainstem that in humans and other mammals, lies inferior to the midbrain, superior to the medulla oblongata and anterior to the cerebellum. The pons is also called the pons Varolii ("bridge of ...

in the Prerogative County of Poitiers (''Comte apanage de Poitiers (de Poitou)''), in the province of Saintonge, in a region controlled by the

Kingdom of France The Kingdom of France is the historiographical name or umbrella term given to various political entities of France in the Middle Ages, medieval and Early modern France, early modern period. It was one of the most powerful states in Europe from th ...

, on 8 October 1254, following his capture during a campaign in

Gascony Gascony (; ) 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 of the combined Province of Guyenne and Gascon ...

. Issue from marriage to Rohese le Despencer: * Sir Gilbert de Segrave II (1202 - 1254): Husband of Amabilia de Chaucombe, Lady Segrave. Father of Alice de Segrave, Margaret de Vere and

Nicholas de Segrave, 1st Baron Segrave Nicholas Segrave, 1st Baron Segrave (also Seagrave; c. 1238 – bef. 12 November 1295) was an England, English baronial leader. Nicholas was grandson of Stephen de Segrave. Segrave was one of the most prominent baronial leaders during the reign of ...

. *Stephen de Segrave (1204 - 1229) *Eleonor de Segrave (1206): Wife of Robert Hovell. *John de Segrave (1207 - 1230): Husband of Emma de Cauz. His grandson

Nicholas Nicholas is a male name, the Anglophone version of an ancient Greek name in use since antiquity, and cognate with the modern Greek , . It originally derived from a combination of two Ancient Greek, Greek words meaning 'victory' and 'people'. In ...

was 1st Baron Segrave, a peerage now united with Baron Mowbray. Stourton, A.J. (1876) ''5 papers relating to ... Mowbray and Segrave'' Oxford University pg 17 (vi
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Notes

References

British History Online: Caludon
Retrieved 7 September 2007

Retrieved 7 September 2007

Retrieved 7 September 2007 * Powicke, F. Maurice and E. B. Fryde ''Handbook of British Chronology'' 2nd. ed. London:Royal Historical Society 1961
The Saint-Amand Connection Lines
Retrieved 7 September 2007
PDF South Derbyshire site – Grant of Bretby
Retrieved 7 September 2007 {{DEFAULTSORT:Segrave, Stephen de 1170s births 1241 deaths People from Leicestershire Justiciars of England High sheriffs of Hertfordshire High sheriffs of Essex High sheriffs of Lincolnshire High sheriffs of Bedfordshire High sheriffs of Buckinghamshire High sheriffs of Leicestershire High sheriffs of Warwickshire High sheriffs of Northamptonshire Sheriffs of Warwickshire