Hugh le Despencer, 1st Baron le Despencer

Hugh le Despencer

Arms of Despencer: Quarterly 1st & 4th: Argent; 2nd & 3rd: Gules, a fret or, over all a ribbon sable
Chief Justiciar
In office
1260  May 1261[1]
Monarch Henry III
Preceded by Hugh Bigod
Succeeded by Philip Basset[1]
Chief Justiciar
In office
July 1263  4 August 1265[1]
Monarch Henry III
Preceded by Philip Basset
Succeeded by none
Personal details
Born 1223
Died 4 August 1265
Evesham
Political party Barons
Spouse(s) Aline Bassett
Children Hugh le Despencer
Eleanor le Despencer

Hugh le Despencer, 1st Baron le Despencer (1223 – 4 August 1265) was an important ally of Simon de Montfort during the reign of Henry III. He served briefly as Justiciar of England in 1260 and as Constable of the Tower of London.

Hugh Le Despenser, chief justiciar of England, first played an important part in 1258, when he was prominent on the baronial side in the Mad Parliament of Oxford. In 1260 the barons chose him to succeed Hugh Bigod as Justiciar, and in 1263 the king was further compelled to put the Tower of London in his hands.

He was the son of Hugh le Despenser I and was summoned to Parliament by Simon de Montfort. Hugh was summoned as Lord Despencer Dec. 14, 1264 and was Chief Justiciar of England and a leader of the baronial party, and so might be deemed a baron, though the legality of that assembly is doubtful. He remained allied with Montfort to the end, and was present at the Battle of Lewes. He was killed fighting on de Montfort's side at the Battle of Evesham in August, 1265. He was slain by Roger Mortimer, 1st Baron Wigmore; this caused a feud to begin between the Despencer and the Mortimer families.

By his wife, Aline Bassett, he was father of Hugh the elder Despenser. She was the daughter of Philip Basset, who had also served as Justiciar.

References

  1. 1 2 3 Susan Higginbotham. "The Last Justiciar: Hugh le Despenser in the Thirteenth Century". Archived from the original on 2008-06-29. Retrieved 2008-02-15.
Preceded by
Hugh Bigod
Chief Justiciar
1260–1261
Succeeded by
Philip Basset
Preceded by
Philip Basset
Chief Justiciar
1263–1265
Succeeded by
none
Peerage of England
Preceded by
New Creation
Baron le Despencer Succeeded by
Hugh le Despencer
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