John de Warenne 6th Earl of Surrey Archives - The History JarThe History Jar

Last week I posted that Surrey was married twice. Except Surrey only had one wife – Alice de Lusigan. May thanks goes to Sharon Bennett Connolly who kindly explained that the theory of a second wife comes from the suggestion that Isabella, Surrey’s daughter, was only a girl when she married John Balliol but that was a mistake made by a chronicler who wrote the account. The same chronicler also said Balliol was a mere boy at the time of the marriage, which he wasn’t – all of which scuppers the evidence of a second wife. There no mention of another anywhere in the primary sources – which is inconvenient to put it mildly. Once upon a time I might well have panicked but now I think it just goes to demonstrate what a tricky business it can be identifying wives and daughters!

The chronicle in question was written by Thomas Wykes who thought that Balliol was Edward I’s ward and then he described Isabella de Warenne as a young girl – though as a daughter of Alice de Lusigan she would have been considerably older. And voila – the mystery of the two wives is solved – it all rests on the age of Isabella when she married.

Happily while I was digging around I came across the fact that the de Warennes owned Wakefield Manor from about 1100 onwards and there was an enquiry in 1280/1281 about Surrey’s ownership of lands in and around Halifax. Surrey claimed hunting rights and free warren among his possessions there – a charter dating from Henry III confirmed his rights.

Surrey’s grandson, also named John, inherited the title but had no lawful issue, thanks to a life time of trying to get out of his marriage to Joan of Bar. His mistress, Maud of Nerford, did have children and John later married to Isabel Holland (Joan was still inconveniently very much alive if I’ve got my dates right.) The 7th earl surrendered his estates to Edward III in 1316 in return for a land settlement made to his sons by Maud.

When Isabel Holland died Wakefield Manor reverted to the crown – and Edward III gave it to his son the Earl of Cambridge. For those of you, who like me enjoy making connections, Cambridge’s son, Edward, Earl of Rutland was killed at the Battle of Agincourt in 1415. He was, in turn, succeeded by his nephew – Richard Duke of York – who of course ‘gave battle in vain’ and was killed at the Battle of Wakefield in 1460. When his son, Edward, ascended the throne as Edward IV, the manor was once again Crown land.

If you wish to know more about the de Warenne Earls of Surrey I recommend Sharon’s blog History – the interesting bits – they are and it is! Her new book is just out as well – Princesses of the Early Middle Ages: Royal Daughters of the Conquest.

Turner, Joseph Horsfall, The History of Brighouse, Rastrick, and Hpperholm: With Manorial Notes on Coley, Lightcliffe, Northowram, Shelf, Fixby, Clifton and Kirklees. (1893) – which is freely available via Google books.

Surrey was appointed Viceroy of Scotland after the defeat of the Scots at Dunbar in 1296 but their association was of long standing. He had been earl since 1240 and was married, during his wardship to the Crown, to Alice de Lusignan, the half sister of Henry III. She died in 1256 having given birth to John’s heir – William.

About four years older than Edward he was raised with the royal family at Guildford Castle and in 1254 accompanied Edward to Spain to claim his bride, Eleanor of Castile. He was still part of Edward’s household in Gascony in 1260-1261. His guardian was Peter of Savoy who was the queen, Eleanor of Province’s uncle.

During the Second Barons’ War he was largely supportive of Prince Edward, except during the year 1262-1263 when he supported Simon de Montfort. Effectively both the barons and the Royalist knew that war was coming after the Provisions of Oxford broke down. In London, the barons were commanded by Simon de Montfort and the Earl of Gloucester.

In 1264 Surrey defended Rochester Castle which was besieged by the barons until it was relieved by Edward who then marched on Tonbridge Castle. Their next stop was Lewes, which was Surrey’s ancestral home. Following the Battle of Lewis which saw de Montfort and the barons victorious- the earl escaped to France via Pevensey – recognising that he would not be treated sympathetically by de Montfort.

In 1265 he landed at Pembroke with Edward’s uncle William de Valence, and Surrey’s brother-in-law. He immediately petitioned the barons for the return of his estates which had been granted, for the main, to the Earl of Gloucester – who was a cousin both of them being part of the extended Marshal family. De Montfort refused to return them – and Surrey took part in the Battle of Evesham on 4 August, 1265. he was at the Battle of Chesterfield the following year with Henry of Almaine.

He was, it appears, a man with a very bad temper – certainly not someone you would wish to cross. In 1268 he fell out with Alan de la Zouche and his son over properties in Northamptonshire. Encountering them at Westminster, in 1270, there was a fight that left Alan seriously injured, dying from them. In the aftermath, he took himself off to Reigate Castle which he intended to defend against the Crown. It was Henry of Almaine, and the self-same Earl of Gloucester, who persuaded him to submit and pay a fine rather than rebelling against the king.

In 1278 he had a falling out with Edward I who held a Parliament in Gloucester to identify lords who had impinged on royal rights of justice and to reclaim them for the Crown. Surrey was served with a writ of quo warranto – or by what warrant he held some of his rights – it is said that Surrey drew a rusty old sword exclaiming that it was his warrant since he’d arrived on English shores with William the Conqueror.

He held Wakefield and Conisborough under royal grant, fought agains the Welsh, and the Scots but was defeated by William Wallace at the Battle of Stirling Bridge in 1297. Surrey had been reluctant to return to Scotland after 1296 and he now fled all the way back to York. Surrey’s initial interest in Scotland, aside from his long service to Edward I, was the fact that his daughter Isabel, by his second wife, was married to one of the prospective king’s of Scotland – John Baliol. After the defeat Surrey did return to Scotland the following year.

By that time his only son, William, had been killed in a tournament held in 1285 at Croydon. In time Surrey was succeeded by his grandson, another John, who had been an infant when his father died in 1285. The 7th Earl was still a minor when the 6th Earl died in 1304 and was buried at the Cluniac priory in Lewes. He was raised alongside the future Edward II and married to Joan of Bar – who was Edward I’s granddaughter. It wasn’t a happy marriage. The descriptions of the 7th earl are not flattering and he claimed to be pre contracted to Maud of Nerford.