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Birth:          ABT 1285 of Cassington, Oxfordshire, England
Death:          18 Oct 1319 Gascony

Notes
d 1319/20
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Montagu,_2nd_Baron_Montagu
William Montagu, 2nd Baron Montagu (c. 1285 – 18 October 1319) (alias de Montagu, 
de Montacute, Latinized to de Monte Acuto ("from the sharp mountain")), was an 
English peer, and an eminent soldier and courtier during the reigns of Edward I and 
Edward II. He played a significant role in the wars in Scotland and Wales, and was 
appointed steward of the household to Edward II. Perhaps as a result of the influence 
of his enemy, Thomas, 2nd Earl of Lancaster, Edward II sent him to Gascony as 
Seneschal in 1318. He died there in October of the following year.
Origins[edit]

William Montagu was born in about 1285, the son and heir of Simon de Montagu, 1st 
Baron Montagu (d. 26 September 1316), by either his first wife, Hawise de St Amand 
(died 1287), daughter of Amaury de St Amand, or his second wife, Isabel, whose 
parentage is unknown.[2] The Montagu family was of Norman origin, later prominent in 
the West Country of England.[3] They held extensive lands in Somerset, Dorset and 
Devon.[4] From his father's inquisition post mortem, he is known to have had two 
brothers, John Montagu and Simon Montagu.[2]

Career[edit]

Montagu spent a great part of his life serving in the wars in Scotland, Wales and on 
the continent. He distinguished himself in the First War of Scottish Independence,[2] 
having been summoned for feudal military service in 1301 and placed in charge of 
shipping for the war in March 1303.[2][5] In 1304 he was with King Edward I at the 
Siege of Stirling Castle.[2] In the same year he and his uncle, Amaury de St Amand, 
were imprisoned in the Tower of London for an alleged offence for which he was soon 
acquitted.[2] On 22 May 1306 he and others were knighted by King Edward I (1272–
1307), together with the king's son the Prince of Wales and future King Edward II 
(1307–1327).[2][5] In February 1307 he and his father served together in Scotland,[2] 
and in 1309 he took part in the first tournament at Dunstable in which he bore the 
arms Argent, three fusils conjoined in fess gules, as recorded in the Dunstable Roll.
[6][2] In 1311 he was appointed to survey the defences of Hastings Castle and other 
castles,[2] and on 29 September 1311 was placed in charge of Berkhamstead Castle.
[2] In 1314 he was appointed Keeper of Berwick Castle.[5]

In May 1313 he attended King Edward II and his wife Isabella of France when they 
travelled to France to attend the coronation of King Louis X, and in the same year and 
in 1314 served again in Scotland. In February 1316 he played a leading part in 
suppressing a rebellion in Glamorgan by Llywelyn Bren (died 1318),[5][7] and in July 
1316 was sent to Bristol to settle grievances between the town's burgesses and 
Bartholomew de Badlesmere, 1st Baron Badlesmere (died 1322), Constable of Bristol 
Castle.[7][5] In reward for his services, in August 1316 he was granted the marriage of 
the king's ward Joan de Verdun, daughter and heiress of Theobald de Verdun,[7] 
whom he married-off the following year to his younger son, John Montagu (d. August 
1317).[7][5] In November 1316 he was appointed Steward of the Household to King 
Edward II, a position which was accompanied by the grant, on 13 January 1317, of an 
annuity of 200 marks which he received until June 1317, when in lieu of the annuity 
the king granted him for life, as "King's Bachelor", several manors, including 
Gravesend in Kent and Kingsbury in Somerset. On 26 September 1317 the King 
granted him licence to crenellate his mansion house at Cassington in Oxfordshire.[7] 
He was summoned by writ to Parliament from 20 November 1317, where he was one of 
the majores barones in the king's party.[7]

In August 1318 he was appointed Keeper of Abingdon Abbey.[7] However, on 20 
November 1318 Edward II sent him to Gascony as Seneschal, [8] and he was replaced 
as Steward of the Household by Bartholomew de Badlesmere.[5] According to Gross, 
"this was almost certainly a concession to Thomas of Lancaster, who had accused 
Montagu of combining with Roger Damory to plot against his life, a factor which 
delayed his reconciliation with the King".[5]

Marriage and children[edit]

In about 1292 he married Elizabeth de Montfort (died August 1354), daughter of Peter 
de Montfort (died before 4 March 1287) (son of Peter de Montfort of Beaudesert Castle 
by Alice Audley[5]) by his wife Maud de la Mare, daughter and heiress of Sir Henry de 
la Mare (died 1257), of Ashtead, Surrey, Hinton (in Hurst), Diddenham (in Shinfield), 
Farley Hill, and Sheepbridge (in Swallowfield), Berkshire, Justice and Seneschal to 
William Longespée, 2nd Earl of Salisbury, by his wife Joan Neville (daughter of Sir 
John Neville of Essex by his wife Hawise de Courtenay, daughter of Robert de 
Courtenay (died 1242),[10] feudal baron of Okehampton in Devon]).[11][12][13]

Elizabeth de Montfort survived her husband and remarried to Sir Thomas Furnivall (d. 
before 18 April 1332) of Sheffield, who was pardoned and fined £200 on 8 June 1322 
for marrying her, a widow of a tenant-in-chief, without royal licence.[14][15] Furnivall's 
son, Thomas Furnivall (d. October 1339), had married Joan de Verdun (d. 2 October 
1334), widow of Elizabeth's eldest son, John Montagu.[16][5] Elizabeth died in August 
1354, and was buried in the Priory of St Frideswide, Oxford (now Christ Church 
Cathedral, Oxford), where her tomb still exists in the Latin chapel.[15]

By his wife Montagu had four sons and seven daughters:[5]
Sons[edit]
John Montagu (died 1317), eldest son and heir apparent, who predeceased his father. 
In 1317 in the royal chapel at Windsor Castle he married his father's ward, Joan de 
Verdun (d. 2 October 1334), daughter and heiress of Theobald de Verdun by Maud 
Mortimer, daughter of Edmund Mortimer, 2nd Baron Mortimer. The marriage was 
childless.[7][17] He died in 1317 having predeceased his father, and was buried at 
Lincoln Cathedral on 14 August 1317. His widow, Joan de Verdun, remarried, on 24 
February 1318,to Sir Thomas Furnivall (d. October 1339), by whom she had three sons 
and two daughters.[16][7][5][17]
William Montagu, 1st Earl of Salisbury (1301–1344), eldest surviving son and heir, who 
succeeded his father as 3rd Baron Montagu, and later became 1st Earl of Salisbury. 
[5][18]
Simon Montacute (died 1345), who was successively Bishop of Worcester and Bishop 
of Ely.[5]
Edward Montagu, 1st Baron Montagu (died 14 July 1361), who married twice: Firstly, 
before 29 August 1338, Alice of Norfolk (died before 30 January 1352), daughter and 
co-heiress of Thomas of Brotherton, 1st Earl of Norfolk (1300–1338), a younger son of 
King Edward I,[19][20][21] by whom he had a son and four daughters.[22] Alice of 
Norfolk is said to have died as the result of an assault by her husband and his 
retainers.[22][23]
Secondly he married a wife named Joan, whose parentage is unknown, by whom he 
had a son and two daughters.[22]


Daughters[edit]
Alice Montagu, eldest daughter, who married, before 27 January 1333, as his first 
wife, Sir Ralph Daubeney (3 March 1305 – c.1378), by whom she was the mother of Sir 
Giles Daubeney (d. 24 June 1386).[24][13]
Katherine Montagu, who married Sir William Carrington.[25][26][27]
Mary Montagu, who married Sir Richard Cogan (died 1368), feudal baron of Bampton, 
in Devon.[25][28][13]
Elizabeth Montagu, Prioress of Holywell Priory.[25][29][13]
Hawise Montagu, who married Sir Roger Bavent (d. 23 April 1355), by whom she had a 
daughter, Joan Bavent, who married Sir John Dauntsey (died 1391).[25][30][31][32]
[33][34][35][36][13]
Maud Montagu, Abbess of Barking Abbey from 1341-1352.[25][29][13]

Death and burial[edit]

Montagu died in Gascony on 18 October 1319. His place of burial is unknown.[15][37]

Succession[edit]

Montagu was succeeded by his second son, William Montagu, 1st Earl of Salisbury, 
who was closely associated with King Edward III, and was created Earl of Salisbury.
[18]

Parents
DE MONTAGU Simon (1250 - 26 Sep 1316)
DE ST. AMAND Hawaise (ABT 1252 - 1287)

Siblings
DE MONTAGU (MONTACUTE) William (ABT 1285 - 18 Oct 1319)

Marriage To DE MONTFORT Elizabeth (1275 - Aug 1345)
    m. ABT 1292 

Notes

Parents
DE MONTFORD Peter (ABT 1240 - BEF 4 Mar 1287)
DE LA MARE Matilda (Maud) (ABT 1242 - )

Children by DE MONTFORT Elizabeth 1275 - Aug 1345
DE MONTAGU (MONTACUTE) William (1301 - 30 Jan 1344)

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