Genealogy Record for Castle Hedingham - Home of John de Vere I and Elizabeth Howard

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Castle Hedingham

Home of John de Vere and Elizabeth Howard

"Aubrey de Vere was one of William the Conqueror's most favoured knights. After the Battle of Hastings he was given land in many counties including Middlesex where he owned Kensington and Earls Court. His son Aubrey II built a huge castle at Hedingham c.1140 using the Archbishop of Canterbury as his architect. Aubrey III was created Ist Earl of Oxford by Queen Matilda and the castle remained the stronghold of the de Veres for 550 years and is still owned by a descendant. The Norman keep with its magnificent banqueting hall and minstrels' gallery is now the only remaining evidence of this great medieval castle and its later extensive Tudor buildings.
The immensely rich and powerful de Veres were one of the most important medieval families who, as Lord Great Chamberlains, gave loyal service and military leadership to their kings and queens for over 500 years. Hedingham had many royal visitors including King Henry VII, King Henry VIII and Queen Elizabeth I.
The Earls of Oxford were great crusaders and Aubrey, 2nd Earl fought with Richard Coeur de Lion and Robert, 3rd Earl was one of the barons who forced King John to sign the Magna Carta in 1215. The following year Hedingham Castle was besieged by King John, and again by the Dauphin of France in 1217.

The de Veres were commanders throughout history and featured at the Siege of Caerlaverock and the famous battles of Crecy, Poitiers, Agincourt and Bosworth. John, 15th Earl took part in the Battle of the Spurs and accompanied King Henry VIII at the Field of the Cloth of Gold, and as Lord Great Chamberlain bore the crown at Anne Boleyn's coronation. John, 16th Earl escorted young Elizabeth from Hatfield to London for her coronation in 1559 and his wife Margery became her maid of honour. In 1561 Queen Elizabeth I aged twenty-eight stayed at Hedingham from August 14th-19th, and Edward,17th Earl, became one of her favourites and was acclaimed to be the best of the courtier poets."

From the official website of Hedingham Castle.

"The Norman Castle keep at Hedingham is one of the best preserved in Europe. It was built by Aubrey de Vere in 1140. The castle was built as a stronghold for the family and its walls are 12 feet thick. The castle was a haunting reminder to the local population of their new Norman Lord's great wealth and power. The family name of de Vere is believed to have come from the small town of Ver, near Bayeaux in Normandy and the family was founded in England by Aubrey 'Albericus' de Vers, who obtained vast estates from William the Conqueror in 1066. The estates were previously the property of Ulwine, a great Saxon Thane and consisted of manors in the counties of Essex, Suffolk, Cambridgeshire, Huntingdonshire and Middlesex. Aubrey II, eldest son of Albericus, was his successor and was responsible for building the great keep at Hedingham, using the Archbishop of Canterbury, William de Corbeuil as his architect. The stone for the keep is Ashlar stone which had to be transported all the way from the quarries of Barnack in Northamptonshire. Very few Norman Castles were faced with stone like Hedingham, only a very few Nobles were as rich and powerful as the de Veres. He was killed in a riot in London in 1141, he had 3 sons and was succeeded by his eldest, Aubrey de Vere III. Aubrey de Vere, the third, was another Crusader who was known as Aubrey the Grim because of his height and stern appearance. He was made an Earl by Matilda and became the 1st Earl of Oxford, a title later confirmed by Henry II which was to continue for 20 generations. The new Earl was always a keen supporter of Matilda who came to Hedingham Castle to end her days. She died there on the 3rd May 1151. Aubrey, 2nd earl of Oxford, succeeded in 1194. He died childless and his brother Robert succeeded him as 3rd Earl of Oxford. By this time the Castle at Hedingham was complete. In keeping with the Lords social status, Hedingham was endowed with the largest Norman Arch in Europe. In the 15th year of King John's reign, Robert took up arms against the King and with 25 other Barons, forced John to sign the Magna Carta in 1215, and de Vere, like the others was excommunicated by the Pope for his actions. The Barons then offered the crown to Louis, son of the French King, a French force landed and established themselves at Colchester Castle but were soon attacked by John and surrendered. John then turned his attention to Hedingham which he immediately put under a seige and after long, fierce resistance it surrendered in 1216. In 1217, the Dauphin and his soldiers were back and soon laid seige again to Hedingham. After another long and desperate struggle it was finally re-taken. On the death of King John, peace was made with the Barons by Henry III and Robert de Vere was returned to favour with Hedingham and all his lands returned. Robert died on 25th October 1221. Hugh the 4th earl of Oxford was born in 1210. He died in 1263 and his son Robert, became the 6th Earl of Oxford. His only son, Thomas, pre-deceased him, so Robert left all his estates and titles to his brother's son John, who became the 7th Earl of Oxford. John was soon to become another of the fighting de Vere Earls of Oxford. He spent much of his time in the saddle fighting for his King, was one of the Flowers of English Chivalry and was the greatest of all the medieval de Veres. He died in January 1360 while at the siege of Rheims. His son, Thomas, became the 8th Earl, but died quite young in 1371 and his son, Robert de Vere became the 9th earl of Oxford and Hereditary Chamberlain of England. He was only nine when he succeeded his father. At 16 he married Philippa, daughter of the Earl of Bedford and Granddaughter of Edward III making him the King's cousin. He was to soon leave his wife, Philippa, and set up home with one of the Queen's maidens. This was to be the begining of his downfall. The Duke of Gloucester, Philippa's Uncle, was particularly annoyed with him, and the other barons conspired against him. This led to him being forced into exile after being impeached for High Treason. He never did return to England and in 1392 he was fatally injured by a boar while out hunting. Robert's title and estates were then granted to his Uncle, Aubrey de Vere who became the 10th Earl and he was another of the great fighting de Veres. He died in 1400 aged 60 and his son Richard succeeded him as the 11th Earl of Oxford. The next Earl of Oxford, John, became a prominent Lancastrian and remained loyal to Henry VI. On the accession of Edward IV he and his eldest son came under suspicion and were imprisoned in the Tower of London and in 1461 they were both beheaded on Tower Hill. His younger son, John, became the 13th Earl and was unfortunate in becoming involved in the struggles to become known as the Wars of the Roses. When Edward IV returned to the throne, John de Vere had to flee to France where he assembled a small fleet of ships and caused havoc with the Yorkists shipping. In 1473 he returned to England with 400 men and captured St Michael's Mount in Cornwall. In 1474, after a long seige, he was forced to surrender to the King. He was taken to Hammes Castle, near Calais, for 12 years and his wife, Margaret, the sister to the Earl of Warwick, was treated very badly. She was deprived of all her income and almost kept a prisoner as well. During all this trouble for the family, Hedingham was granted to Sir Thomas Montgomery, but he wasn't to keep it for long. In 1485, John de Vere escaped from Hammes castle after bribing the Governor and joined the Vanguard at the Battle of Bosworth Field under the Earl of Richmond. The Yorkists were put to flight with the death of King Richard III and Richmond was crowned King Henry VII. Shortly after, John de Vere had all his estates and titles returned and again the family were awarded the hereditary title of Lord Great Chamberlain. John de Vere, 12th Earl of Oxford was the last in a long line of the fighting medieval earls of Oxford. The de Veres were nearly always loyal to their King and as such gained vast estates and wealth. John,16th Earl of Oxford, and his son, another John, 17th earl of Oxford, both served with Henry VIII in England and in France. John, 16th earl, escorted Elizabeth from Hatfield to London when she beame Queen, officiating at her coronation in 1559. His wife Margery was appointed maid of Honour to the new Queen and Elizabeth was a frequent visitor to Hedingham Castle. He died in 1562 and his son, Edward, succeeded him at the age of 12 to became the 17th Earl. Edward was unfortunate in making some bad investments and lost considerable sums of money. He also liked to live in rather lavish style, although little is known of his later life. He had 3 sons and his eldest, Henry, became the 18th Earl of Oxford and was to be the last de Vere to live at Hedingham. The title then passed to his second cousin in 1626 and his son, Aubrey, was to become the last de Vere Earl of Oxford, the 20th in the line. After widow of the 18th Earl died, the castle reverted by family arrangement to the widow of the 17th Earl, Elizabeth Trentham. It was then sold for the first time in 550 years in 1713 to Sir William Ashhurst, MP and Lord Mayor of London. He soon built himself a new house to the east of the castle bailey which is a fine example from that period. They kept the castle in the family until it passed to the Majendie Family through marriage until 1870 when Lewis Ashhurst Majendie married Lady Margaret Lindsey, daughter of the 25th Earl of Crawford and Balcarres. Hedingham then passed onto the Lindsey family but through marriage, returned to the de Veres via the last Earls daughter's family, although the title of Earl of Oxford did not pass on."

Edited from the UK Travel Guide website.

Pictures from the Medyeval Times website.




	Castle Hedingham Home of John de Vere and Elizabeth Howard

	"Aubrey de Vere was one of William the Conqueror's most favoured knights. After the Battle of Hastings he was given land in many counties including Middlesex where he owned Kensington and Earls Court. His son Aubrey II built a huge castle at Hedingham c.1140 using the Archbishop of Canterbury as his architect. Aubrey III was created Ist Earl of Oxford by Queen Matilda and the castle remained the stronghold of the de Veres for 550 years and is still owned by a descendant. The Norman keep with its magnificent banqueting hall and minstrels' gallery is now the only remaining evidence of this great medieval castle and its later extensive Tudor buildings. The immensely rich and powerful de Veres were one of the most important medieval families who, as Lord Great Chamberlains, gave loyal service and military leadership to their kings and queens for over 500 years. Hedingham had many royal visitors including King Henry VII, King Henry VIII and Queen Elizabeth I. The Earls of Oxford were great crusaders and Aubrey, 2nd Earl fought with Richard Coeur de Lion and Robert, 3rd Earl was one of the barons who forced King John to sign the Magna Carta in 1215. The following year Hedingham Castle was besieged by King John, and again by the Dauphin of France in 1217. The de Veres were commanders throughout history and featured at the Siege of Caerlaverock and the famous battles of Crecy, Poitiers, Agincourt and Bosworth. John, 15th Earl took part in the Battle of the Spurs and accompanied King Henry VIII at the Field of the Cloth of Gold, and as Lord Great Chamberlain bore the crown at Anne Boleyn's coronation. John, 16th Earl escorted young Elizabeth from Hatfield to London for her coronation in 1559 and his wife Margery became her maid of honour. In 1561 Queen Elizabeth I aged twenty-eight stayed at Hedingham from August 14th-19th, and Edward,17th Earl, became one of her favourites and was acclaimed to be the best of the courtier poets." From the official website of Hedingham Castle.

	"The Norman Castle keep at Hedingham is one of the best preserved in Europe. It was built by Aubrey de Vere in 1140. The castle was built as a stronghold for the family and its walls are 12 feet thick. The castle was a haunting reminder to the local population of their new Norman Lord's great wealth and power. The family name of de Vere is believed to have come from the small town of Ver, near Bayeaux in Normandy and the family was founded in England by Aubrey 'Albericus' de Vers, who obtained vast estates from William the Conqueror in 1066. The estates were previously the property of Ulwine, a great Saxon Thane and consisted of manors in the counties of Essex, Suffolk, Cambridgeshire, Huntingdonshire and Middlesex. Aubrey II, eldest son of Albericus, was his successor and was responsible for building the great keep at Hedingham, using the Archbishop of Canterbury, William de Corbeuil as his architect. The stone for the keep is Ashlar stone which had to be transported all the way from the quarries of Barnack in Northamptonshire. Very few Norman Castles were faced with stone like Hedingham, only a very few Nobles were as rich and powerful as the de Veres. He was killed in a riot in London in 1141, he had 3 sons and was succeeded by his eldest, Aubrey de Vere III. Aubrey de Vere, the third, was another Crusader who was known as Aubrey the Grim because of his height and stern appearance. He was made an Earl by Matilda and became the 1st Earl of Oxford, a title later confirmed by Henry II which was to continue for 20 generations. The new Earl was always a keen supporter of Matilda who came to Hedingham Castle to end her days. She died there on the 3rd May 1151. Aubrey, 2nd earl of Oxford, succeeded in 1194. He died childless and his brother Robert succeeded him as 3rd Earl of Oxford. By this time the Castle at Hedingham was complete. In keeping with the Lords social status, Hedingham was endowed with the largest Norman Arch in Europe. In the 15th year of King John's reign, Robert took up arms against the King and with 25 other Barons, forced John to sign the Magna Carta in 1215, and de Vere, like the others was excommunicated by the Pope for his actions. The Barons then offered the crown to Louis, son of the French King, a French force landed and established themselves at Colchester Castle but were soon attacked by John and surrendered. John then turned his attention to Hedingham which he immediately put under a seige and after long, fierce resistance it surrendered in 1216. In 1217, the Dauphin and his soldiers were back and soon laid seige again to Hedingham. After another long and desperate struggle it was finally re-taken. On the death of King John, peace was made with the Barons by Henry III and Robert de Vere was returned to favour with Hedingham and all his lands returned. Robert died on 25th October 1221. Hugh the 4th earl of Oxford was born in 1210. He died in 1263 and his son Robert, became the 6th Earl of Oxford. His only son, Thomas, pre-deceased him, so Robert left all his estates and titles to his brother's son John, who became the 7th Earl of Oxford. John was soon to become another of the fighting de Vere Earls of Oxford. He spent much of his time in the saddle fighting for his King, was one of the Flowers of English Chivalry and was the greatest of all the medieval de Veres. He died in January 1360 while at the siege of Rheims. His son, Thomas, became the 8th Earl, but died quite young in 1371 and his son, Robert de Vere became the 9th earl of Oxford and Hereditary Chamberlain of England. He was only nine when he succeeded his father. At 16 he married Philippa, daughter of the Earl of Bedford and Granddaughter of Edward III making him the King's cousin. He was to soon leave his wife, Philippa, and set up home with one of the Queen's maidens. This was to be the begining of his downfall. The Duke of Gloucester, Philippa's Uncle, was particularly annoyed with him, and the other barons conspired against him. This led to him being forced into exile after being impeached for High Treason. He never did return to England and in 1392 he was fatally injured by a boar while out hunting. Robert's title and estates were then granted to his Uncle, Aubrey de Vere who became the 10th Earl and he was another of the great fighting de Veres. He died in 1400 aged 60 and his son Richard succeeded him as the 11th Earl of Oxford. The next Earl of Oxford, John, became a prominent Lancastrian and remained loyal to Henry VI. On the accession of Edward IV he and his eldest son came under suspicion and were imprisoned in the Tower of London and in 1461 they were both beheaded on Tower Hill. His younger son, John, became the 13th Earl and was unfortunate in becoming involved in the struggles to become known as the Wars of the Roses. When Edward IV returned to the throne, John de Vere had to flee to France where he assembled a small fleet of ships and caused havoc with the Yorkists shipping. In 1473 he returned to England with 400 men and captured St Michael's Mount in Cornwall. In 1474, after a long seige, he was forced to surrender to the King. He was taken to Hammes Castle, near Calais, for 12 years and his wife, Margaret, the sister to the Earl of Warwick, was treated very badly. She was deprived of all her income and almost kept a prisoner as well. During all this trouble for the family, Hedingham was granted to Sir Thomas Montgomery, but he wasn't to keep it for long. In 1485, John de Vere escaped from Hammes castle after bribing the Governor and joined the Vanguard at the Battle of Bosworth Field under the Earl of Richmond. The Yorkists were put to flight with the death of King Richard III and Richmond was crowned King Henry VII. Shortly after, John de Vere had all his estates and titles returned and again the family were awarded the hereditary title of Lord Great Chamberlain. John de Vere, 12th Earl of Oxford was the last in a long line of the fighting medieval earls of Oxford. The de Veres were nearly always loyal to their King and as such gained vast estates and wealth. John,16th Earl of Oxford, and his son, another John, 17th earl of Oxford, both served with Henry VIII in England and in France. John, 16th earl, escorted Elizabeth from Hatfield to London when she beame Queen, officiating at her coronation in 1559. His wife Margery was appointed maid of Honour to the new Queen and Elizabeth was a frequent visitor to Hedingham Castle. He died in 1562 and his son, Edward, succeeded him at the age of 12 to became the 17th Earl. Edward was unfortunate in making some bad investments and lost considerable sums of money. He also liked to live in rather lavish style, although little is known of his later life. He had 3 sons and his eldest, Henry, became the 18th Earl of Oxford and was to be the last de Vere to live at Hedingham. The title then passed to his second cousin in 1626 and his son, Aubrey, was to become the last de Vere Earl of Oxford, the 20th in the line. After widow of the 18th Earl died, the castle reverted by family arrangement to the widow of the 17th Earl, Elizabeth Trentham. It was then sold for the first time in 550 years in 1713 to Sir William Ashhurst, MP and Lord Mayor of London. He soon built himself a new house to the east of the castle bailey which is a fine example from that period. They kept the castle in the family until it passed to the Majendie Family through marriage until 1870 when Lewis Ashhurst Majendie married Lady Margaret Lindsey, daughter of the 25th Earl of Crawford and Balcarres. Hedingham then passed onto the Lindsey family but through marriage, returned to the de Veres via the last Earls daughter's family, although the title of Earl of Oxford did not pass on." Edited from the UK Travel Guide website.

	Pictures from the Medyeval Times website.