Geoffrey FitzPiers, Earl of Essex

Other Events and Attributes:

• General Information: Geoffrey, the 4thd Earl of Essex, was a prominent member of the government of England during the reigns of Richard I and John and served as the the Justiciar of England.
• Offices Held: 1184 to 1189; He was the Sheriff of Northants. He served again as Sheriff from 1191 to Easter 1194. From 1190 to 1193, he was Sheriff of Essex and Herts.
• Offices Held: 1185 to 1189; He was the Justice of the Forest from 1185 to 1189.
• Heir or Heiress: 1189; Geoffrey de Say inherited the Mandeville lands and titles but had to pay 7,000 marks to the crown for his succession. He failed to do so, and was then disseized. At this point Geoffrey FitzPies paid a fine of 3,000 marks and obtained all the Mandeville lands and titles through right of his wife, Beatrice.
• Offices Held: 1198 to 1200, Yorkshire, England; Geoffrey FitzPiers served as the Sheriff of York from 1198 to 1200.
• Offices Held: 1198 to 1204, Staffordshire, England; He was the Sheriff of Staffordshire at the same time as York that is 1198 to 1204.
• Religion: 1198; In 1198 he founded Shouldham Priory where he was partially buried.
• Offices Held: 11 Jul 1198; On 11 July 1198 he was appointed the Justiciar of England.
• Title(s): 27 May 1199; On 27 May 1199 he was created the 4th Earl of Essex.
• Last Full Review: 9 Jul 2021

Notes:

Name:

Buried:
Part of his body was buried at Holy Trinity Priory in London, the rest in Shouldham Priory.

Geoffrey married Beatrice de Say, Countess Essex before 25 Jan 1184. Beatrice (daughter of William de Say) was born about 1160 in St Neots, Cambridgeshire, England; died on 19 Apr 1197 in Downham Market, Norfolk, England; was buried in Shouldham Priory, Shouldham, Norfolk, England. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

1. Geoffrey FitzGeoffrey de Mandeville, Earl of Essex died on 23 Feb 1216 in London, England; was buried in Holy Trinity Priory, Aldgate, London, England.
2. William de Mandeville, Earl of Essex died on 8 Jan 1226; was buried in Shouldham Priory, Shouldham, Norfolk, England.
3. Henry de Mandeville, Dean of Wolverhampton
4. Maud FitzGeoffrey de Mandeville, Countess of Essex died on 27 Aug 1236.

Geoffrey married Aveline de Clare, Countess of Essex before 29 May 1205. Aveline (daughter of Roger de Clare, Earl of Hertford and Clare and Maude de St. Hilaire) was born about 1178; died before 4 Jun 1225; was buried in Shouldham Priory, Shouldham, Norfolk, England. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

1. Sir John FitzGeoffrey, Justiciar of Ireland was born in 1205 in Shere, Surrey, England; died on 23 Nov 1258.
2. Cecily FitzGeoffrey died before 29 Jun 1253.
3. Hawise FitzGeoffrey, Lady of Steatley died before 8 Aug 1247.

Other Events and Attributes:

• General Information: He was a forester of Ludgershall.

Piers married Maud de Mandeville on yes date unknown. Maud (daughter of Geoffrey de Mandeville, Earl of Essex and Rohese de Vere) was born in 1138 in Rycote, Oxfordshire, England. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events and Attributes:

• History: birth to death

Notes:

History:
In 1140, he was created the first Earl of Essex.

In February 1141, he deserted the King and joined with the Empress Maud, and thereby received not only a confirmation as Earl of Essex, but a more extensive charter, and the hereditary Constableship of the Tower. However, within two months, he deserted the Empress and again went over to the King. In 1142, he drove the rebels from the Isle of Ely, but soon after the King took ill, and once more he received recognition from the Empress Maud.

In October 1143, he was accused of treason, which he denied, but he was soon arrested at St. Albans and imprisoned. To avoid being hanged, he forfeited all his castles. Upon release however, he revolted, seized and fortified the Abbey of Ramsey, sacked Cambridge, and ravaged the fen country. By August 1144, he was besieging Burwell Castle in Cambridgeshire. With the heat of the day, he removed his headpiece, and was mortally wounded by an arrow.

Buried:
The Knights Templers could not bury him after his death as he was under excommunication. Once he was absolved in 1163, they buried him in the church yard.

Died:
He was killed

Geoffrey married Rohese de Vere about 1119 in England. Rohese (daughter of Aubrey II de Vere, Justiciar of England and Alice de Clare) was buried in Chicksands Priory, Chicksands, Bedfordshire, England. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events and Attributes:

• Religion: say 1146, Chicksands Priory, Chicksands, Bedfordshire, England; Rohese and Payn founded the Chicksand Priory.

William married Margaret de Rie about 1083. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events and Attributes:

• Offices Held: From 1121 to 1125
• Offices Held: 1133

Notes:

Offices Held:
He was the sheriff of London and Middelsex.

Offices Held:
He was appointed the Master Chamberlain of England.

Died:
He was slain.

Aubrey married Alice de Clare. Alice (daughter of Gilbert FitzRichard de Clare, Lord of Clare and Adeliza de Claremont) died in 1163. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

Name:
She became a nun in later life.