Admiral Sir William de Leybourne, (abt. 1242-1310) was an English

Knight A knight is a person granted an honorary title of 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. Knighthood finds origins in the Gr ...

and

Military Commander The commanding officer (CO) or sometimes, if the incumbent is a general officer, commanding general (CG), is the officer in command of a military unit. The commanding officer has ultimate authority over the unit, and is usually given wide latitud ...

Personal

William de Leybourne, first Lord Leybourne, was the eldest son of Roger de Leybourne from his marriage to Eleanor Ferrers. He married Juliana de Sandwich (1245-1327) on 16 October 1265; she was the daughter of Sir Henry de Sandwich. Juliana inherited all his estates and money in

Kent Kent is a county in South East England and one of the home counties. It borders Greater London to the north-west, Surrey to the west and East Sussex to the south-west, and Essex to the north across the estuary of the River Thames; it faces ...

. She was only four years old when her father died. William had three sons with Juliana, Thomas de Leybourne, Henry de Leybourne, John de Leybourne and three daughters, Idonea, Katherine and Joan. After his marriage William lived at his wife's manor of Preston-next-Wingham, Kent. In 1275 he was involved in a dispute with a Jewish moneylender, involving a large loan supposedly made to his father. In 1278 he decided to sell the manor and

Leeds Castle Leeds Castle is a castle in Kent, England, southeast of Maidstone. It is built on islands in a lake formed by the River Len to the east of the village of Leeds. A castle has existed on the site since 857. In the 13th century, it came into th ...

to Queen Eleanor, who took over his financial debts, she cancelled all of the arrears that he inherited from his father, and payment for Castle Leeds. In the period leading up-to the death of his first son Thomas in 1307 he bequeathed him and his wife, Alice, who was the sister of

Guy de Beauchamp, 10th Earl of Warwick Guy de Beauchamp, 10th Earl of Warwick (c. 127212 August 1315) was an English magnate, and one of the principal opponents of King Edward II and his favourite, Piers Gaveston. Guy was the son of William de Beauchamp, the first Beauchamp earl ...

, with the Manor of Leybourne. His second son, Henry, fought for the

Earl of Lancaster The title of Earl of Lancaster was created in the Peerage of England in 1267. It was succeeded by the title Duke of Lancaster in 1351, which expired in 1361. (The most recent creation of the ducal title merged with the Crown in 1413.) King Henry ...

Battle of Boroughbridge The Battle of Boroughbridge was fought on 16 March 1322 in England between a group of rebellious barons and the forces of King Edward II, near Boroughbridge, north-west of York. The culmination of a long period of antagonism between the King a ...

, where he was taken prisoner and been outlawed. William de Leybourne died in 1310 leaving his grand daughter Juliana Leybourne (1303-1367) as his heir. Juliana Leybourne was to marry three times.

Career

Sir William de Leybourne served as a

military commander The commanding officer (CO) or sometimes, if the incumbent is a general officer, commanding general (CG), is the officer in command of a military unit. The commanding officer has ultimate authority over the unit, and is usually given wide latitud ...

under 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 vas ...

and

Edward II of England Edward II (25 April 1284 – 21 September 1327), also called Edward of Caernarfon, was King of England and Lord of Ireland from 1307 until he was deposed in January 1327. The fourth son of Edward I, Edward became the heir apparent to t ...

. In 1265, for his services 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 fu ...

, he was given lands taken from Simon de Montforts rebels. In 1266 he was left in command of

Sandwich A sandwich is a food typically consisting of vegetables, sliced cheese or meat, placed on or between slices of bread, or more generally any dish wherein bread serves as a container or wrapper for another food type. The sandwich began as a po ...

by his father, and joined the Siege of

Winchelsea Winchelsea () is a small town in the non-metropolitan county of East Sussex, within the historic county of Sussex, England, located between the High Weald and the Romney Marsh, approximately south west of Rye and north east of Hastings. The ...

. He then served in Wales in 1277, and in 1282 he was appointed Constable of

Pevensey Castle Pevensey Castle is a medieval castle and former Roman Saxon Shore fort at Pevensey in the English county of East Sussex. The site is a scheduled monument in the care of English Heritage and is open to visitors. Built around 290 AD and known to ...

. His first naval appointment came on 8 March 1287 when Edward I conferred on him the title of "Admirallus Maris Angliae," or "Admiral of the English Sea's" as ''Commander-in-Chief of the English Navy'' this was possibly the forerunner of the office of the

Lord High Admiral of England Lord is an appellation for a person or deity who has authority, control, or power over others, acting as a master, chief, or ruler. The appellation can also denote certain persons who hold a title of the peerage in the United Kingdom, or are ...

. In 1294 he was appointed captain of the Kings Fleet gathered at Portsmouth styled as ''

Admiral of the South The Admiral of the South also known as Admiral of the Southern Fleet was a senior English Navy appointment. The post holder was chiefly responsible for the command of the navy's fleet that operated in the English Channel out of Portsmouth from ...

'' the fleet was assembled to convoy Prince Edmund during the siege of Bayonne in Gascony, France. In the same year he was also appointed

Admiral of the West The Admiral of the West, also known as Admiral of the Western Seas or Admiral of the Western Fleet, was formerly an English Navy appointment. The postholder was chiefly responsible for the command of the English navy's fleet based at Portsmouth, ...

and Admiral of the Irish Sea he held both titles concurrently until 1306. In 1299 he also served in Scotland at the head of 5 knights and 59 esquires, and in 1300 he was in attendance at the

Siege of Caerlaverock Caerlaverock Castle is a moated triangular castle first built in the 13th century. It is located on the southern coast of Scotland, south of Dumfries, on the edge of the Caerlaverock National Nature Reserve. Caerlaverock was a stronghold o ...

Offices held

* Constable of

, 1282-1287. * Admiral of the English Seas, 1286-1298. *

, 1294-1306. *

, 1294-1306. * Admiral of the Irish Sea, 1294-1306.

References

Citations Sources * Brown, R.A.; Colvin, H.M.; Taylor, A.J. (1976). ''The History of the King's Works: The Middle Ages''. H.M. Stationery Office. * Everingham, Kimball G. ed. ''Plantagenet Ancestry: A Study In Colonial And Medieval Families'', 2nd Edition. Douglas Richardson. . * Everingham, Kimbal G. ed. (2011). ''Magna Carta Ancestry'': Vol 3 (2 ed.). Douglas Richardson. . * Hamilton, Sir Richard Vesey (1896). ''The Constitution, Character, and Functions of the Board of Admiralty, and of the Civil Departments It Directs''. London: George Bell & Sons. {{ISBN, 9781150465000. * "History - A Royal Castle"
www.leeds-castle.com
Leeds Castle Foundation, 2017. Retrieved 26 August 2017. * Planché, James Robinson (1864). ''A Corner of Kent: Or, Some Account of the Parish of Ash-next-Sandwich, Its Historical Sites and Existing Antiquities''. R. Hardwicke. The United Service Magazine. H. Colburn. England. * Houbraken, Jacobus; Thoyras, Paul de Rapin; Vertue, George (1747). ''The History of England, A List of Admirals of England, 1228-1745''. J. and P. Knapton. * Wurts, John S. (1945). ''Pedigrees of the Barons''. Brookfield Publishing Company. Great Britain. 1242 births 1310 deaths 13th-century English people 13th-century English Navy personnel 14th-century English people 14th-century English Navy personnel People of the Barons' Wars English admirals People from Tonbridge and Malling (district) Military personnel from Kent

Personal

Career

Offices held

See also

References