Hugh Le Despenser _the Elder_, son of Hugh Le Despenser, Justiciary of
England, and Alina Basset: _born_ March 1-8, 1261 (_Inq. Post Mortem
Alinae La Dispensere_, 9 Edward the First, 9.); sponsor of Edward the
Third, 1312; created Earl of Winchester, 1322; _beheaded_ at Bristol,
October 27 (Harl. Ms. 6124), 1326. [This is not improbably the true
date: that of Froissart, October 8, is certainly a mistake, as the Queen
had only reached Wallingford, on her way to Bristol, by the 15th.] As
his body was cast to the dogs, he had _no burial_. _Married_ Isabel,
daughter of William de Beauchamp, Earl of Warwick, and Maud Fitz John;
_widow_ of Patrick de Chaworth (by whom she was mother of Maud, wife of
Henry Duke of Lancaster): _married_ 1281-2 (fine 2000 marks); _died_
before July 22, 1306. _Issue_:--1. Hugh, _the Younger_, _born_
probably about 1283; created Earl of Gloucester in right of wife;
_hanged_ and afterwards beheaded (but after death) at Hereford, November
24, 1326; quarters of body sent to Dover, Bristol, York, and Newcastle,
and head set on London Bridge; finally _buried_ in Tewkesbury Abbey.
The Abbot and Chapter had granted to Hugh and Alianora, March 24, 1325,
in consideration of benefits received, that four masses per annum should
be said for them during life, at the four chief feasts, and 300 per
annum for either or both after death, for ever; on the anniversary of
Hugh, the Abbot bound himself to feed the poor with bread, beer,
pottage, and one mess from the kitchen, for ever. (_Rot. Pat._, 20
Edward the Second) In the Appendix to the companion volume, _In All Time
of our Tribulation_, will be found an account of the petitions of the
two Despensers, with the curious list of their goods destroyed by the
partisans of Lancaster. Hugh the Younger _married_ Alianora, eldest
daughter of Gilbert de Clare, The Red, Earl of Gloucester, and the
Princess Joan of Acre, (daughter of Edward the First), _born_ at
Caerphilly Castle, November, 1292; _married_ May 20, 1306, with a dowry
of 2000 pounds from the Crown, in part payment of which the custody of
Philip Paynel was granted to Hugh the Elder, June 3, 1304 (_Rot.
Claus._, 1 Edward the Second). Her youngest child was born at
Northampton, in December, 1326, and she sent William de Culpho with the
news to the King, who gave him a silver-gilt cup in reward (Wardrobe
Accounts, 25/1 and 31/19). On the 19th of April, 1326, and for 49 days
afterwards, she was in charge of Prince John of Eltham, who was ill at
Kenilworth in April. She left that place on May 22, arriving at Shene
in four days, and in June she was at Rochester and Ledes Castle. Three
interesting Wardrobe Accounts are extant, showing her expenses at this
time (31/17 to 31/19); but the last is almost illegible. "Divers
decoctions and recipes" made up at Northampton for the young Prince,
came to 6 shillings, 9 pence. "Litter for my Lady's bed" (to put under
the feather bed in the box-like bedstead) cost 6 pence. Either her
Ladyship or her royal charge must have entertained a strong predilection
for "shrimpis," judging from the frequency with which that entry occurs.
Four quarters of wheat, we are told, made 1200 loaves. There is
evidence of a good deal of company, the principal guests beside Priors
and Canons being the Lady of Montzone, the Lady of Hastings (Julian,
mother of Lawrence Earl of Pembroke), Eneas de Bohun (son of Princess
Elizabeth), Sir John Neville (one of the captors of Mortimer), and John
de Bentley (probably the ex-gaoler of Elizabeth Queen of Scotland, who
appears in the companion volume). Sundry young people seem to have been
also in Lady La Despenser's care, as companions to the Prince:--Earl
Lawrence of Pembroke; Margery de Verdon, step-daughter of Alianora's
sister Elizabeth; and Joan Jeremy, or Jermyn, sister of Alice wife of
Prince Thomas de Brotherton. The provision for April 30, the vigil of
Saint Philip, and therefore a fast-day, is as follows (a few words are
illegible): _Pantry_:--60 loaves of the King's bread at 5 and 4 to the
penny, 13 and a half pence. _Buttery_:--One pitcher of wine from the
King's stores at Kenilworth; 22 gallons of beer, at 1 and a half pence
per gallon, 2 shillings 6 pence. _Wardrobe_: ... lights, a farthing; a
halfpennyworth of candles of cotton ... _Kitchen_:--50 herrings, 2 and
a half pence; 3 codfish, 9 and three-quarter pence; 4 stockfish...
salmon, 12 pence, 3 tench, 9 pence, 1 pikerel, 12 roach and perch, half
a gallon of loaches, 13 and a half pence; one large eel... One and a
half quarters pimpernel, 7 and a half pence; one piece of sturgeon, 6
pence. _Poultry_--100 eggs, 5 pence; cheese and butter, 3 and
three-quarter pence... milk, one and a quarter pence; drink, 1 penny;
_Saltry_:--half a quarter; mustard, a halfpenny; half a quarter of
vinegar, three-quarters pence; ... parsley, a farthing. For May 1st,
Saint Philip's and a feast-day: _Pantry_: 100 loaves, 22 and a half
pence. _Buttery_: one sextarius, 3 and a half pitchers of wine from the
King's stores at Kenilworth; 27 gallons of beer, 2 shillings, 8 and a
half pence, being 17 at 1 penny, and 12 at 1 and a half pence. One
quarter of hanaps, 12 pence. _Wardrobe_:--3 pounds wax, 15 pence;
lights, 1 halfpenny; half a pound of candles of Paris, 1 penny.
_Kitchen_:--12 messes of powdered beef, 18 pence; 3 messes of fresh
beef, 9 pence; one piece of bacon, 12 pence; half a mutton, powdered, 9
pence; one quarter of fresh mutton, 3 pence; one pestle of pork, 3 and a
half pence; half a veal, 14 pence. _Poultry_--One purcel, 4 and a half
pence; 2 hens, 15 pence; one bird (_oisoux_), 12 pence; 15 ponce, 7 and
a half pence; 8 pigeons, 9 and a half pence; 100 eggs, 5 pence; 3
gallons milk, 3 pence... _Saltry_:--half a quarter of mustard, one
halfpenny... 1 quarter verjuice, 1 and a half pence; garlic, a farthing;
parsley, 1 penny. Wages of Richard Attegrove (keeper of the horses) and
the laundress, 4 pence; of 18 grooms and two pages, 2 shillings, 5
pence. (Wardrobe Accounts, 19 Edward the Second, 31/17). When King
Edward left London for the West, on October 2nd, he committed to Lady La
Despenser the custody of his son, and of the Tower. On the 16th, the
citizens captured the Tower, brought out the Prince and the Chatelaine,
and conveyed them to the Wardrobe. On November 17th she was brought a
prisoner to the Tower, with her children and her damsel Joan (Issue
Roll, _Michs._, 20 Edward the Second; Close Roll, 20 Edward the Second),
their expenses being calculated at the rate of 10 shillings per day.
Alianora and her children were delivered from the Tower, with all her
goods and chattels, on February 25, 1328, and on the 26th of November
following, her "rights and rents, according to her right and heritage,"
were ordered to be restored to her. (_Rot. Claus._, 2 Edward the
Third.) She was not, however, granted full liberty, or else she
forfeited it again very quickly; for on February 5, 1329, William Lord
Zouche of Haringworth was summoned to Court, and commanded to "bring
with him quickly our cousin Alianora, who is in his company," with a
hint that unpleasant consequences would follow neglect of the order.
(_Rot. Pat._, 3 Edward the Third, Part 1.) A further entry on December
30 tells us that Alianora, wife of William La Zouche of Mortimer (so
that her marriage with her gaoler's cousin had occurred in the interim),
had been impeached by the Crown concerning certain jewels, florins, and
other goods of the King, to a large amount, which had been "_esloignez_"
from the Tower of London: doubtless by the citizens when they seized the
fortress, and the impeachment was of course, like many other things, an
outcome of Queen Isabelle's private spite. "The said William and
Alianora, for pardon of all hindrances, actions, quarrels, and demands,
until the present date, have granted, of their will and without
coercion, for themselves and the heirs of the said Alianora, all
castles, manors, towns, honours, and other lands and tenements, being of
her heritage, in the county of Glamorgan and Morgannon, in Wales, the
manor of Hanley, the town of Worcester, and the manor of Tewkesbury, for
ever, to the King." The King, on his part, undertook to restore the
lands, in the hour that the original owners should pay him 10,000 pounds
in one day. The real nature of this non-coercive and voluntary
agreement was shown in November, 1330, when (one month after the arrest
of Mortimer) at the petition of Parliament itself, one half of this
10,000 pounds was remitted. Alianora _died_ June 30, 1337, and was
_buried_ in Tewkesbury Abbey.
2. Philip, _died_ before April 22, 1214. _Married_ Margaret, daughter
of Ralph de Goushill; _born_ July 25, 1296; _married_ before 1313;
_died_ July 29, 1349. (She _married_, secondly, John de Ros.)
3. Isabel, _married_ (1) John Lord Hastings (2) about 1319, Ralph de
Monthermer; _died_ December 4 or 5, 1335. Left issue by first marriage.
The daughters of Edward the Second were brought up in her care.
4. Aveline, _married_ before 1329, Edward Lord Burnel; _died_ in May or
June, 1363. No issue.
5. Elizabeth, _married_ before 1321 Ralph Lord Camoys; living 1370.
Left issue.
6. Joan, _married_ Almaric Lord Saint Amand. [Doubtful if of this
family.]