Geoffrey Fitz Peter, Earl of Essex (c. 1162–1213) was a prominent member of the government of England during the reigns of

Richard I Richard I (8 September 1157 – 6 April 1199), known as Richard the Lionheart or Richard Cœur de Lion () because of his reputation as a great military leader and warrior, was King of England from 1189 until his death in 1199. He also ru ...

and

John John is a common English name and surname: * John (given name) * John (surname) John may also refer to: New Testament Works * Gospel of John, a title often shortened to John * First Epistle of John, often shortened to 1 John * Second E ...

. The

patronymic A patronymic, or patronym, is a component of a personal name based on the given name of one's father, grandfather (more specifically an avonymic), or an earlier male ancestor. It is the male equivalent of a matronymic. Patronymics are used, b ...

is sometimes rendered Fitz Piers, for he was the son of Piers de Lutegareshale (born 1134, Cherhill, Wiltshire, died 14 January 1179, Pleshy, Essex), a forester of Ludgershall and Maud de Manderville (born 1138, Rycott, Oxford, England).

Life

He was from a modest landowning family that had a tradition of service in mid-ranking posts under

Henry II Henry II may refer to: Kings * Saint Henry II, Holy Roman Emperor (972–1024), crowned King of Germany in 1002, of Italy in 1004 and Emperor in 1014 *Henry II of England (1133–89), reigned from 1154 *Henry II of Jerusalem and Cyprus (1271–1 ...

. Geoffrey's elder brother, Simon Fitz Peter, was at various times High Sheriff of Northamptonshire, Buckinghamshire, and Bedfordshire. Geoffrey, too, got his start in this way, as

High Sheriff of Northamptonshire This is a list of the High Sheriffs of Northamptonshire. 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 respon ...

for the last five years of Henry II's reign. Around this time Geoffrey married Beatrice de Say, daughter and eventual co-heiress of William de Say II. This William was the elder son of William de Say I and Beatrice, sister of Geoffrey de Mandeville, 1st Earl of Essex. This connection with the Mandeville family was later to prove unexpectedly important. In 1184, Geoffrey's father-in-law died, and he received a share of the de Say inheritance by right of his wife, co-heiress to her father. He also eventually gained the title of earl of Essex by right of his wife, becoming the 4th earl. When Richard I left on crusade, he appointed Geoffrey one of the five judges of the king's court, and thus a principal advisor to Hugh de Puiset,

Bishop of Durham The bishop of Durham is head of the diocese of Durham in the province of York. The diocese is one of the oldest in England and its bishop is a member of the House of Lords. Paul Butler (bishop), Paul Butler was the most recent bishop of Durham u ...

, who, as Chief Justiciar, was one of the regents during the king's absence. Late in 1189, Geoffrey's wife's cousin

William de Mandeville, 3rd Earl of Essex William de Mandeville, 3rd Earl of Essex (1st Creation) (died 14 November 1189) was a loyal councillor of Henry II and Richard I of England. William was the second son of Geoffrey de Mandeville, 1st Earl of Essex and Rohese de Vere, Countess ...

died, leaving no direct heirs. His wife's inheritance was disputed between Geoffrey and Beatrice's uncle, Geoffrey de Say, but Geoffrey Fitz Peter used his political influence to eventually obtain the Mandeville lands (although not the earldom, which was left open) for himself. He served as Constable of the Tower of London from 1198 to 1205. He served as High Sheriff of Yorkshire from 1198 to 1201, and again in 1203, and as

High Sheriff of Bedfordshire and Buckinghamshire This is a list of Sheriffs of Bedfordshire and Buckinghamshire. One sheriff was appointed for both counties from 1125 until the end of 1575 (except for 1165–1166), after which separate sheriffs were appointed. See High Sheriff of Bedfordshire a ...

from 1200 to 1205. On 11 July 1198, King Richard appointed Geoffrey Chief Justiciar, which at that time effectively made him the king's principal minister. On his coronation day the new king ennobled Geoffrey as

Earl of Essex Earl of Essex is a title in the Peerage of England which was first created in the 12th century by King Stephen of England. The title has been recreated eight times from its original inception, beginning with a new first Earl upon each new cre ...

. King John granted

Berkhamsted Castle Berkhamsted Castle is a Norman motte-and-bailey castle in Berkhamsted, Hertfordshire. The castle was built to obtain control of a key route between London and the Midlands during the Norman conquest of England in the 11th century. Robert of ...

to Geoffrey; the castle had previously been granted as a

jointure Jointure was a legal concept used largely in late mediaeval and early modern Britain, denoting the estate given to a married couple by the husband's family. One of its most important functions was providing a livelihood for the wife if she became ...

palace to Queen Isabel prior to the annulment of the royal marriage. Geoffrey founded two

hospitals A hospital is a healthcare institution providing patient treatment with specialized health science and auxiliary healthcare staff and medical equipment. The best-known type of hospital is the general hospital, which typically has an emergency ...

Berkhamsted Berkhamsted ( ) is a historic market town in Hertfordshire, England, in the River Bulbourne, Bulbourne valley, north-west of London. The town is a Civil parishes in England, civil parish with a town council within the borough of Dacorum which ...

, one dedicated to St John the Baptist and one to

St John the Evangelist John the Evangelist ( – ) is the name traditionally given to the author of the Gospel of John. Christians have traditionally identified him with John the Apostle, John of Patmos, and John the Presbyter, although there is no consensus on h ...

; the latter is still commemorated in the town with the name St John's Well Lane. After the accession of King John, Geoffrey continued in his capacity as the king's principal minister until his death on 14 October 1213.Powicke ''Handbook of British Chronology'', p. 70

Marriage and issue

Spouses

*m1. Beatrice de Say, daughter of William de Say and heiress of the Mandeville Earls of Essex. *m2. Aveline de Clare, daughter of Roger de Clare, 2nd Earl of Hertford.

Children of Beatrice

Note that his sons by this marriage took the de Mandeville surname. * Geoffrey FitzGeoffrey de Mandeville, 2nd Earl of Essex. * William FitzGeoffrey de Mandeville, 3rd Earl of Essex. *Henry Fitz Geoffrey, Dean of Wolverhampton. *Maud Fitzgeoffrey, who married

Henry de Bohun, 1st Earl of Hereford Henry de Bohun, 1st Earl of Hereford (1176 – 1 June 1220) of Pleshey Castle in Essex, was an Anglo-Normans, Anglo-Norman Nobility, nobleman who became Hereditary Constable of England from 1199. Origins Henry was the son and heir of Hum ...

Children of Aveline

* John Fitzgeoffrey, Lord of Shere and Justiciar of Ireland. *Cecily Fitzgeoffrey. *Hawise Fitzgeoffrey. Geoffrey's first two sons died without male issue. The earldom had been associated with their mother's Mandeville heritage, and the earldom was next granted to the son of their sister Maud and her husband Henry De Bohun instead of their half-brother

Notes

References

* Powicke, F. Maurice and E. B. Fryde ''Handbook of British Chronology'' 2nd. ed. London:Royal Historical Society 1961

External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Essex, Geoffrey Fitz Peter, 1st Earl of Essex, Geoffrey Fitzpeter, 1st Earl of Essex, Geoffrey Fitzpeter, 1st Earl of 12th-century English nobility 13th-century English nobility Essex, Geoffrey Fitzpeter, 1st Earl of Essex, Geoffrey Fitz Peter, 1st Earl of High sheriffs of Yorkshire High sheriffs of Northamptonshire High sheriffs of Bedfordshire High sheriffs of Buckinghamshire High sheriffs of Essex High sheriffs of Hertfordshire Geoffrey Year of birth uncertain