Individual

Go to List of Family Names Go to List of People    < Previous Next >

Birth:          ABT 1162 of Walden, Essex, England
Death:          14 Oct 1213 

Notes
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geoffrey_Fitz_Peter,_1st_Earl_of_Essex
Geoffrey Fitz Peter, Earl of Essex (c. 1162–1213) was a prominent member of the 
government of England during the reigns of Richard I and John. The patronymic is 
sometimes rendered Fitz Piers, for he was the son of Piers de Lutegareshale, forester 
of Ludgershall.
Life[edit]

He was from a modest landowning family that had a tradition of service in mid-ranking 
posts under Henry II. Geoffrey's elder brother Simon Fitz Peter was at various times 
High Sheriff of Northamptonshire, Buckinghamshire, and Bedfordshire. Geoffrey, too, 
got his start in this way, as High Sheriff of Northamptonshire for the last five years of 
Henry II's reign.

Around this time Geoffrey married Beatrice de Say, daughter and eventual co-heiress 
of William de Say II. This William was the elder son of William de Say I and Beatrice, 
sister of Geoffrey de Mandeville, 1st Earl of Essex. This connection with the 
Mandeville family was later to prove unexpectedly important. In 1184 Geoffrey's 
father-in-law died, and he received a share of the de Say inheritance by right of his 
wife, co-heiress to her father. He also eventually gained the title of earl of Essex by 
right of his wife, becoming the 4th earl.

When Richard I left on crusade, he appointed Geoffrey one of the five judges of the 
king's court, and thus a principal advisor to Hugh de Puiset, Bishop of Durham, who, 
as Chief Justiciar, was one of the regents during the king's absence. Late in 1189, 
Geoffrey's wife's cousin William de Mandeville, 3rd Earl of Essex died, leaving no 
direct heirs. His wife's inheritance was disputed between Geoffrey and Beatrice's 
uncle, Geoffrey de Say, but Geoffrey Fitz Peter used his political influence to 
eventually obtain the Mandeville lands (although not the earldom, which was left 
open) for himself.

He served as Constable of the Tower of London from 1198 to 1205.

He served as High Sheriff of Yorkshire from 1198 to 1201 and again in 1203 and as 
High Sheriff of Bedfordshire and Buckinghamshire from 1200 to 1205.[1] On 11 July 
1198, King Richard appointed Geoffrey Chief Justiciar, which at that time effectively 
made him the king's principal minister. On his coronation day the new king ennobled 
Geoffrey as Earl of Essex.

King John granted Berkhamsted Castle to Geoffrey; the castle had previously been 
granted as a jointure palace to Queen Isabel prior to the annulment of the royal 
marriage. Geoffrey founded two hospitals in Berkhamsted, one dedicated to St John 
the Baptist and one to St John the Evangelist; the latter is still commemorated in the 
town with the name St John's Well Lane.[2]

After the accession of King John, Geoffrey continued in his capacity as the king's 
principal minister until his death on 14 October 1213.[3]

Marriage and issue[edit]

Spouses[edit]
m1. Beatrice de Say, daughter of William de Say and heiress of the Mandeville Earls 
of Essex.
m2. Aveline, daughter of Roger de Clare, 2nd Earl of Hertford.

Children of Beatrice[edit]

Note that his sons by this marriage took the de Mandeville surname.
Geoffrey FitzGeoffrey de Mandeville, 2nd Earl of Essex.
William FitzGeoffrey de Mandeville, 3rd Earl of Essex.
Henry, Dean of Wolverhampton.
Maud Fitzgeoffrey, who married Henry de Bohun, 1st Earl of Hereford.

Children of Aveline[edit]
John Fitzgeoffrey, Lord of Shere and Justiciar of Ireland.
Cecily Fitzgeoffrey.
Hawise Fitzgeoffrey.

Geoffrey's first two sons died without issue. The earldom had been associated with 
their mother's Mandeville heritage, and the earldom was next granted to the son of 
their sister Maud and her husband Henry De Bohun instead of their half-brother John.

Parents
DE LUTEGARESHALE PIERS (ABT 1134 - )
DE MANDEVILLE Maud (ABT 1138 - )

Siblings
FITZ PIERS [FITZ PETER] Geoffrey (ABT 1162 - 14 Oct 1213)

Marriage To DE SAYE Beatrice (ABT 1163 - BEF 19 Apr 1197)
    m.  

Notes

Parents
DE SAYE William (ABT 1133 - BEF 1 Aug 1177)
OF HUNTINGDON Aufrica (ABT 1140 - )

Children by DE SAYE Beatrice ABT 1163 - BEF 19 Apr 1197
FITZ GEOFFREY Maud (BEF 1177 - 27 Aug 1236)
DE MANDEVILLE William (ABT 1186 - 1227)

Marriage To DE CLARE Eveline (Aveline) (ABT 1172 - ABT 4 Jun 1225)
    m.  

Notes

Parents
DE CLARE Roger (1116 - 1173)
DE ST. HILARY Maud (Matilda) (1132 - 24 Dec 1193)

Children by DE CLARE Eveline (Aveline) ABT 1172 - ABT 4 Jun 1225
FITZ GEOFFREY John (ABT 1211 - 23 Nov 1258)
FITZ PIERS Reginald (ABT 1212 - ABT 4 May 1286)
FITZ GEOFFREY Hawise (ABT 1213 - BEF 8 Aug 1247)

Produced by Fzip 1.7 6/20/2017