| History |
Magna Carta Surety, Crusader
BIOGRAPHY
Saher de Quincy was born about 1155, the son of Robert de Quency and his wife Orable. Before 1173 he married Margaret \'FitzPernel\' de Beaumont, daughter of Robert III \'Blanchemains\' de Beaumont, 3rd earl of Leicester, steward of England, and Peronelle de Grandmesnil. They had six children of whom two sons and three daughters would have progeny.
Saher was active with kings Richard and John in Normandy between 1197 and 1199, and witnessed the pact between John and the count of Boulogne at Château Gaillard on 18 August 1199. On 30 October 1200 he was appointed to conduct William I \'the Lion\', king of Scots to meet King John; and he was present at Lincoln on 22 November 1200 when William did homage to John.
In 1203 he was captured by the French when he and his cousin Robert FitzWalter surrendered the castle of Vaudreuil to King Philippe August without a fight. He is recorded as having returned to England before 5 May 1204. In his wife\'s right, following the death of her only brother Robert, he became 4th earl of Leicester, co-heir to half of the vast estates of the honours of Leicester and Grandmesnil, and he was given custody of them on 30 March 1205. He was most likely recognised as earl of Winchester by 15 February 1197/8.
In 1209 he served in Scotland and in 1210 in Ireland. In 1212 he was sent as ambassador to Emperor Otto IV. He witnessed the charter by which, on 15 May 1213, King John surrendered the crown to the pope. And in the following year he was among those who were to ensure that the king continued payment to Rome after the pope\'s interdict was removed.
In 1215 Saher was with the confederate barons against the king at Stamford; and in June 1215 he was one of the 25 men chosen to enforce obedience to the Magna Carta. With the other baronial leaders he was excommunicated by the pope in December 1215. In early 1216 he went with Robert FitzWalter to invite Prince Louis (the future Louis VIII) to England. His lands were therefore seized by the Crown and later granted to William Marshal. He saved the town of St.Albans from being sacked by Louis\' army in December 1216. Saher led an expedition from London, in the spring of 1217, to bring relief to the castle of Mountsorrel in county Leicester. He was defeated and captured by the forces of Henry III at Lincoln on 20 May 1217.
Six months later he returned to his allegiance and his lands were restored to him on 29 September 1217. He was present at Worcester in March 1218 when peace was made between Llywelyn ab Iorwerth and Henry III. His rights to the honour of Leicester were confirmed to him on 25 May 1218.
In 1219 he joined the crusaders. He died at the siege of Damietta on 3 November 1219 and was buried at Acre. His widow probably died on 12 January 1235. [1] |
Ellie Wood Keith Genealogy
1155 - 1219 (64 years)
