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Birth:          ABT 1115 
Death:          26 Dec 1194 

Notes
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aubrey_de_Vere,_1st_Earl_of_Oxford
Aubrey de Vere, 1st Earl of Oxford (c. 1115 – 26 December 1194) was a noble 
involved in the succession conflict between King Stephen and Empress Matilda in the 
mid-twelfth century.

He was the son of Aubrey de Vere, master chamberlain, and Alice (died c. 1163), a 
daughter of Gilbert de Clare.

In 1136 or 1137 Aubrey de Vere married Beatrice, the daughter of Henry, Constable of 
Bourbourg, and the granddaughter and heiress of Manasses, Count of Guînes in the 
Pas de Calais. After the death of Manasses late in 1138, Aubrey travelled to Guînes, 
did homage to Thierry, Count of Flanders, and was made Count of Guînes by right of 
his wife.[1] The marriage, however, may not have been consummated, due to the poor 
health of Beatrice.

Aubrey de Vere succeeded on 15 May 1141, after his father had been slain by a mob 
in London[2] at a time of civil war between King Stephen and the Empress Matilda 
over the succession to the crown. King Stephen had been captured at the Battle of 
Lincoln in February 1141, so Aubrey did homage to the Empress. His brother-in-law, 
the Earl of Essex, appears to have negotiated the grant of an earldom to Aubrey in 
July 1141, which grant was confirmed by Henry fitz Empress in Normandy. The latter 
charter provided that Aubrey de Vere would be Earl of Cambridgeshire, with the third 
penny, unless that county were held by the King of Scots, in which case he was to 
have a choice of four other titles. In the event, de Vere took the title of Earl of 
Oxford.[3] Earl Geoffrey made his peace with King Stephen when the king regained his 
freedom late in 1141 and most likely Aubrey de Vere did as well.

In 1143, however, the King arrested Essex and Oxford at St. Albans. Both were forced 
to surrender their castles to the King in order to regain their liberty. The earl of Essex 
retaliated by rebelling against the king; it appears that Oxford did not actively or 
openly support his brother-in-law.

At some time between 1144 and 1146 the Constable of Bourbourg, arranged a divorce 
for his daughter Countess Beatrice with Earl Aubrey's consent, after which Oxford 
ceased to be Count of Guînes.[4] In or before 1151 Oxford married Euphemia. King 
Stephen and his wife, Queen Maud, gave the manor of Ickleton, Cambridgeshire, as 
Euphemia's marriage portion. The marriage was short-lived; Euphemia was dead by 
1154, leaving no known issue. She was buried at Colne Priory.

On 3 May 1152 Queen Maud died at Oxford's seat of Castle Hedingham, [5] and in the 
winter of 1152-3 Oxford was with the King at the siege of Wallingford, attesting 
important charters in 1153 as "earl Aubrey."

In 1162 or 1163 Earl Aubrey took as his third wife Agnes, the daughter of Henry of 
Essex, lord of Rayleigh. At the time of the marriage Agnes was probably aged twelve. 
Soon after their marriage, Aubrey's father-in-law was accused of treason and fought 
(and lost) a judicial duel. By 1165 he attempted to have the marriage annulled, 
allegedly because Agnes had been betrothed to his brother, Geoffrey de Vere, but 
probably in reality because her father had been disgraced and ruined. Oxford 
reportedly 'kept his wife shut up and did not allow her to attend church or go out, and 
refused to cohabit with her', according to the letter the bishop of London wrote to the 
Pope about the case when the young countess appealed to the Roman Curia. The 
pope sided with Agnes and declared the marriage valid, but the earl continued to 
refuse to take her back as his wife. Agnes's friends appealed to the Bishop of London, 
and ultimately to Pope Alexander III, who in 1171 or 1172 directed the bishop to order 
Oxford to restore her to her conjugal rights or to suffer interdiction and 
excommunication.[6] By Agnes Oxford eventually had four sons, Aubrey de Vere, 2nd 
Earl of Oxford, Ralph, Robert de Vere, 3rd Earl of Oxford, and Henry, and a daughter, 
Alice.[7]

In 1184 Oxford obtained the wardship of the person of Isabel de Bolebec, daughter of 
Walter de Bolebec,[8] but not the custody of her lands. In 1190 he paid 500 marks for 
the right to marry her to his eldest son and heir, Aubrey de Vere, later 2nd Earl of 
Oxford.[9]

Oxford served during the civil war of 1173–4, helping to repel a force under Robert de 
Beaumont, 3rd Earl of Leicester, which landed in Suffolk on 29 September 1173.[10] 
He was present on 3 September 1189 at the coronation of King Richard I.[11]

Oxford died 26 December 1194, and was buried at Colne Priory. His third wife survived 
him, and later was buried by his side.[12]

Oxford was a benefactor to several religious houses, including Colne Priory, and 
Hatfield Regis Priory. He and his wife founded a small nunnery at Castle Hedingham in 
Essex.

Parents
DE VERE Aubrey II (ABT 1082 - 15 May 1141)
DE CLARE Adeliza (ABT 1079 - ABT 1163)

Siblings
DE VERE Juliana (ABT 1108 - 1200)
DE VERE Rohese (ABT 1110 - AFT 21 Oct 1166)
DE VERE Aubrey (ABT 1115 - 26 Dec 1194)
DE VERE Robert (ABT 1124 - 26 Dec 1194)
DE VERE Alice (ABT 1125 - AFT 1185)

Marriage To OF ESSEX Agnes (ABT 1150 - AFT 1212)
    m. 1163 

Notes

Parents
DE ESSEX Henry (ABT 1121 - ABT 1170)
DE MONTFORT Alice (ABT 1125 - )

Children by OF ESSEX Agnes ABT 1150 - AFT 1212
DE VERE Robert (ABT 1166 - 25 Oct 1221)

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