Robert of Ropsley was an important household knight who had a close relationship with

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 ...

, King of England

Origins

He was the leader of a minor knightly family in

Lincolnshire Lincolnshire (), abbreviated ''Lincs'', is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in the East Midlands and Yorkshire and the Humber regions of England. It is bordered by the East Riding of Yorkshire across the Humber estuary to th ...

owing fealty to

William d'Albini of Bevoir William is a masculine given name of Germanic origin. It became popular in England after the Norman conquest in 1066,All Things William"Meaning & Origin of the Name"/ref> and remained so throughout the Middle Ages and into the modern era. It is ...

Life and career

He was

constable A constable is a person holding a particular office, most commonly in law enforcement. The office of constable can vary significantly in different jurisdictions. ''Constable'' is commonly the rank of an officer within a police service. Other peo ...

Bristol castle Bristol Castle was a Norman castle established in the late 11th century on the north bank of the River Avon in Bristol. Remains can be seen today in Castle Park near the Broadmead Shopping Centre, including the sally port. Built during the ...

from August 1204 to March 1208. From July 1207 to sometime in 1210 he held the castle of

Kenilworth Castle Kenilworth Castle is a castle in the town of Kenilworth in Warwickshire, England, managed by English Heritage; much of it is in ruins. The castle was founded after the Norman Conquest of 1066; with development through to the Tudor period. It ...

, an extremely important castle as it controlled the trade routes to

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 ...

and was an important administrative center in

Warwickshire Warwickshire (; abbreviated Warks) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in the West Midlands (region), West Midlands of England. It is bordered by Staffordshire and Leicestershire to the north, Northamptonshire to the east, Ox ...

. In 1207 he was appointed itinerant justice in Warwickshire. It is known that he held the Honour (Barony) of

Leicester Leicester ( ) is a city status in the United Kingdom, city, Unitary authorities of England, unitary authority area, and the county town of Leicestershire in the East Midlands of England. It is the largest city in the East Midlands with a popula ...

as custodian in 1205-1209 along with the archdeacon of Staffordshire. He was sheriff of Warwickshire and

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 ...

between 1212 and 1215. It is likely that Robert had considerable control in Leicestershire given the fact that he was custodian between 1205 and 1209 and thus had the chance to establish himself as a powerful player within the

shire Shire () is a traditional term for an administrative division of land in Great Britain and some other English-speaking countries. It is generally synonymous with county (such as Cheshire and Worcestershire). British counties are among the oldes ...

. In 1215 he was among the representatives sent to Otto of Brunswick along with Robert of Burgate. During King John's reign Robert is recorded as having witnessed 20 charters, an indication that he was at the kings side in intervals and he was an important member of John's court. Shortly after June 14, 1215 he had defected to the

barons Barons may refer to: *Baron (plural), a rank of nobility *Barons (surname), a Latvian surname *Barons, Alberta, Canada * ''Barons'' (TV series), a 2022 Australian drama series * ''The Barons'', a 2009 Belgian film Sports * Birmingham Barons, a Min ...

side in the First Barons War despite his close relationship with king John. This was because he held some of his lands from or near rebels: William d'Albini of Belvoir and some lands in the

Honour of Richmond The Honour of Richmond (or Richmondshire) was a feudal barony in what is now mainly North Yorkshire, England. The honour was two tiers below Yorkshire, the middle tier being the North Riding. Before the honour was created, the land was held ...

. Despite four letters offering safe conduct to Robert if he would rejoin the royal cause, he was a rebel through and through after 1215.

Fiefs

From William d'Albini of Belvoir: Manor of Ropsley - Lincolnshire From The Barons of Richmond: Manor of Frampton - Lincolnshire Manor of Donington - Lincolnshire

Family

He married Mabel de Limsey daughter of Gerard de Limsey and widow of Hugh Bardulf. The marriage was almost certainly arranged by the king as a reward for his services.

References

Bibliography

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Robert, Ropsley de 12th-century births 1226 deaths 12th-century English military personnel 13th-century English people Anglo-Normans Norman warriors High sheriffs of Warwickshire High sheriffs of Leicestershire Medieval English knights People of the Barons' Wars