James Audley († 1272)

James Audley (also James of Aldithley ) (* around 1220, † around June 11, 1272 ) was an English magnate . From 1270 to 1272 he was Justiciar of Ireland .

Origin and heritage

James Audley came from the English aristocratic Audley family , who were based in the Welsh Marche . He was a son of Henry Audley and Bertred, a daughter of Judge Ralph Mainwaring. After his father's death in the autumn of 1246, he inherited his estates, which were mainly in Staffordshire and Shropshire and whose center was Heighley Castle . On November 19, 1246 he paid homage to King Henry III.

Rise in the service of the crown

In 1244 Audley had married Ela Longespée , daughter of William II Longespée and cousin of King Henry III. His wife brought the Stratton estate in Oxfordshire with her as a dowry . Audley entered the service of the Crown in 1250 when he was appointed administrator of Newcastle-under-Lyme town and castle . In the same year he was supposed to settle a dispute between Fulk Fitzwarine and Thomas Corbet in the Welsh Marches . In the next few years he received other, similar commissions. On 29 April 1257 he accompanied Richard of Cornwall , the king's brother, than this in Aachen for Roman-German king was crowned. In his absence, the Welsh plundered his estate at Nantwich and other possessions, whereupon he retaliated when he returned in late September 1257 and launched an attack on Wales.

Role in the war of the barons

Because of his closeness to the royal family and because of his local power in the Welsh Marches, Audley played an important role when a noble opposition rebelled against the king from April 1258 and seized power. As a candidate for the king, he was a member of the 15-member Council of State, which had taken power in England from 1258 after the Provisions of Oxford . Audley was one of the witnesses when the King confirmed the powers of the State Council on October 18, 1258. In November 1259 he was to perform a court trip to Northamptonshire , Buckinghamshire and Bedfordshire with Giles of Erdington , but was replaced by Philip Marmion after visiting Northamptonshire . The reason for this was the worsening situation in the Welsh Marches, where there were increasing conflicts with the Welsh princes. Audley had previously agreed a truce with Lord Llywelyn ap Gruffydd , which he was to extend in June 1259. Now he should not only negotiate a truce with the Welsh, but a peace treaty. Audley was unable to reach a peace treaty, but his mandate was renewed in 1260, 1262, 1263, and 1265.

When the work of the Council of State stalled over internal disputes and the king regained power in the spring of 1261, Audley remained a leading supporter of the king in the Welsh Marches. In May 1261 he was administrator of the castles of Bridgnorth and Shrewsbury , in addition he was sheriff of Shropshire and Staffordshire in July . As a representative of the king, he was particularly unpopular with younger barons who were on the side of the aristocratic opposition. In 1262 his possessions were sacked by rebels. There was resistance to his office as sheriff, but after he had confirmed compliance with the Provisions of Oxford, he was initially able to keep his offices. After power returned to the aristocratic opposition in the summer of 1263, Audley was deposed as sheriff by the government of the barons in August, whereupon the king appointed him the keeper of peace in the two counties in December. On December 16, 1263, he swore to recognize the arbitration ruling of the French king on the validity of the Provisions of Oxford, the so-called Mise of Amiens . When it came to the open war of the barons in the spring of 1264 , Audley took part on the side of the king in early April in the conquest of Northampton and in May in the Battle of Lewes . In the battle, which became a decisive victory for the barons, he was captured. Like many other Marcher Lords , he was quickly released on condition that he answer before a parliament . Nevertheless, he refused to appear before the parliament convened for July. Thereupon Simon de Montfort, 6th Earl of Leicester , the leader of the barons, undertook a campaign in the Welsh Marches in August. Audley had to surrender and on August 25, 1264 hold his son Nicholas hostage. Audley remained on the king's side, however, and opposition to the barons' government continued in the Welsh Marches. When the heir to the throne, Lord Edward , was able to escape the guard of the barons in the spring of 1265, Audley supported him. He recruited reinforcements for Lord Eduard in Lancashire , so that he presumably did not participate in the Battle of Evesham . After the decisive victory of the royal party in the battle, Lord Eduard appointed Audley as legal counsel of Chester , which he remained until 1267.

Justiciar of Ireland

Audley wanted to participate in Prince Edward's crusade , but Lord Edward wanted Audley to co-administer his possessions while he was away on the crusade. Most likely Audley made a pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela in 1268 , which was supposed to serve as a replacement for the crusade that was not undertaken. On August 8, 1270 Audley was appointed Justiciar of Ireland . The costs Audley incurred in this position far exceeded the salary he was receiving, which is why Audley had to go into debt. Eventually he died in Ireland of a broken neck after a riding accident.

Marriage and offspring

Audley probably lived separately from his wife Ela Longespée from 1266 onwards. He had at least five sons and a daughter with her, including:

• James Audley (1250-1273)
• Henry Audley (1251-1276)
• William Audley (1253-1282)
• Nicholas Audley (before 1258-1299)
• Hugh Audley (around 1267 - around 1325)

His main heir was his son James, after whose early death he was followed by his younger sons Henry and William. Eventually, in late 1282, Nicholas Audley inherited his father's estates. Hugh Audley, the youngest son, inherited Stratton, Oxfordshire, which his mother had brought into the marriage.

Web links

• Simon Lloyd: Audley, James (d.1272). In: Henry Colin Gray Matthew, Brian Harrison (Eds.): Oxford Dictionary of National Biography , from the earliest times to the year 2000 (ODNB). Oxford University Press, Oxford 2004, ISBN 0-19-861411-X , ( oxforddnb.com license required ), as of 2004
• James of Aldithley on thepeerage.com , accessed April 15, 2016.
• Cracroft's Peerage: Audley of Heleigh, Baron (E, 1313 - abeyant 1997)

Individual evidence

1. ^ Thelma W. Lancaster: The barons Audley of Heley Castle and Hulton Abbey . In: Transactions of the North Staffordshire Field Club, new ser., 19 (1993/1994), p. 15
2. ^ Thelma W. Lancaster: The barons Audley of Heley Castle and Hulton Abbey . In: Transactions of the North Staffordshire Field Club, new ser., 19 (1993/1994), p. 15