William de Ferrers, 4th Earl of Derby

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Coat of arms of William de Ferrers, 4th Earl of Derby

William de Ferrers, 4th Earl of Derby (* around 1162 ; † September 22, 1247 ) was an English magnate .

Origin and heritage

William de Ferrers came from the Anglo-Norman Ferrers family . He was a son of his father of the same name William de Ferrers, 3rd Earl of Derby and his wife Sibyl de Braose. His father died in the Holy Land during the Third Crusade in 1190, after which Ferrers inherited his father's extensive estates, which were mostly in the Midlands , as well as the title of Earl of Derby .

Service under the kings Richard and Johann

In 1194 Derby served as sheriff of Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire . When Johann Ohneland , the younger brother of King Richard , rebelled while his brother was absent in 1194, Derby supported Justiciar Hubert Walter and besieged Nottingham Castle together with his brother-in-law, the Earl of Chester . When Richard the Lionheart was coronated again after his return from the crusade in 1194, Derby served as one of the king's four canopy carriers. Derby took part in the 1197 council meeting of Northampton , which John Ohneland appointed as King Richard's successor. In 1199 he took part in the coronation of John as king, after which the king girded Derby himself with the sword and thus confirmed him as Earl of Derby. This gave Ferrers a right to a third of the Derbyshire fines. As the eldest grandson of his grandmother Maud Peverel , he was awarded Higham , Newbottle and Blisworth in Northamptonshire in 1199 , which King Henry II had confiscated from their father William Peverel in 1155 .

Role during the war of the barons

During the First Barons' War , Derby, like his brother-in-law, the Earl of Chester, supported King John. After the death of King John, he took part in the coronation of the young Heinrich III in November 1216 . in Gloucester , a little later he witnessed the recognition of the Magna Carta by the regent William Marshal . The Regency Council for the minor king had already entrusted him with the administration of Castle of Peak and Bolsover Castle until the age of 14 on October 30, 1216 , with which he was also administrator of the Forest of Peak . In addition he received the estate of Melbourne in Derbyshire. During the ongoing Civil War, he conquered Mountsorrel Castle with the Earl of Chester in 1217 and took part in the Battle of Lincoln in May . Then Derby had to besiege Castle of Peak, whose previous Constable Brian de Lisle was also on the king's side, but did not want to hand over the castle to Derby. In addition, Derby captured Bolsover Castle, held by the rebels, in June 1217.

Magnate under Heinrich III.

After the end of the War of the Barons, Derby set out on the Damiette Crusade in 1218 with the Earl of Chester . Upon his return, he was requested by the king in June 1222 to return Bolsover and Castle of Peak to the crown. This had been agreed in 1216, but since Derby, as heir to William Peverel, had an inheritance claim to both castles, he therefore left the court with a snub. In contrast to other barons such as William de Forz , however, he did not start a rebellion, but was ultimately convinced to do without the castles. The king then gave them back to Brian de Lisle, who had to take the castles from the Derby by force in 1217. Derby also had to quarrel with previous owner Philip Mark over the property in Melbourne, which the king had given him . Nevertheless, Derby and numerous other magnates openly sided with the king when the Earl of Chester was on the brink of revolt against the king in late 1223. For this he was rewarded with the office of Sheriff of Lancashire and the administration of the Honor of Lancaster , which he remained until 1227 or 1228. In February 1225 he again attested to the recognition of the Magna Carta. In 1230 he took Henry III's unsuccessful campaign in France. part. In 1231 and 1232 he took part in the great council meetings in London. After the death of his brother-in-law Chester in 1232, he inherited part of his estates, including Chartley Castle in Staffordshire , the castle and estate of West Derby in Lancaster and Lancashire between the River Ribble and the River Mersey and the estate of Bugbrooke in Northamptonshire and the Well of Navenby in Lincolnshire . In 1244 he was called to the king's campaign in Scotland, which, however, was discontinued due to the lack of support from the magnates.

Marriage and offspring

In 1192 Derby Alice († 1247), a daughter of Hugh de Kevelioc, 3rd Earl of Chester and married by Bertrade de Montfort. After the childless death of her brother Ranulf de Blondeville, 4th Earl of Chester in 1232, his wife became one of his heirs.

He had several children with her:

His heir became his eldest son, William.

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Wilfred L. Warren: King John . University of California Press, Berkeley, 1978, ISBN 0-520-03494-5 , p. 231
  2. ^ David Carpenter: The minority of Henry III . University of California Press, Berkeley 1990. ISBN 0-520-07239-1 , p. 17
  3. ^ David Carpenter: The minority of Henry III . University of California Press, Berkeley 1990. ISBN 0-520-07239-1 , p. 124
  4. ^ David Carpenter: The minority of Henry III . University of California Press, Berkeley 1990. ISBN 0-520-07239-1 , p. 36
  5. ^ David Carpenter: The minority of Henry III . University of California Press, Berkeley 1990. ISBN 0-520-07239-1 , p. 41
  6. ^ David Carpenter: The minority of Henry III . University of California Press, Berkeley 1990. ISBN 0-520-07239-1 , p. 84
  7. ^ David Carpenter: The minority of Henry III . University of California Press, Berkeley 1990. ISBN 0-520-07239-1 , p. 285
  8. ^ David Carpenter: The minority of Henry III . University of California Press, Berkeley 1990. ISBN 0-520-07239-1 , p. 326
predecessor Office successor
William de Ferrers Earl of Derby
1190-1247 		William de Ferrers
personal data
SURNAME De Ferrers, William, 4th Earl of Derby
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Derby, William de Ferrers, 4th Earl of
BRIEF DESCRIPTION English magnate
DATE OF BIRTH around 1162
DATE OF DEATH September 22, 1247