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Segrave

1911 Encyclopedia Britannica

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the name of an English baronial family. Stephen de Segrave, or Sedgrave (d. 1241), the son of a certain Gilbert de Segrave of Segrave in Leicestershire, became a knight and was made constable of the Tower of London in 1203. He obtained lands and held various positions under Henry III., and in 1232 he succeeded Hubert de Burgh as chief justiciar of England. As an active coadjutor of Peter des Roches, bishop of Winchester, Segrave incurred some share of the opprobrium which was lavished on the royal favourites, and in 1234 he was deprived of his office. Soon, however, he was again occupying an influential position at Henry's court, and he retained this until his death on the 9th of November 1241. His son and heir, Gilbert de Segrave (d. 1254), who was also a judge, died in prison at Pons in France, whither he had gone to fight for Henry III.

Gilbert was the father of Nicholas De Segrave, 1st Baron Segrave (c. 1238-1295), who was one of the partisans of Simon de Montfort; he led the Londoners at the battle of Lewes, and was a member of Earl Simon's famous parliament of 1265. He was wounded at the battle of Evesham, and was afterwards among those who defied the royal authority in the isle of Ely. Soon, however, he obtained terms of peace, and went to the Holy Land with his future sovereign, Edward I. In 1283 he was summoned to parliament as a baron, and he served the king in various ways. He had six sons, three of whom, John (who succeeded him), Nicholas and Gilbert (bishop of London from 1313 until his death in December 1316), were men of note. Nicholas the younger (c. 1260-1322) was summoned to parliament in 1295, and was present at the battle of Falkirk and at the siege of Carlaverock Castle. In 1305 he was found worthy of death for deserting the English army in Scotland and for crossing over to France in order to fight a duel with Sir John de Cromwell; he was, however, pardoned, and again served Edward I. in Scotland. Under Edward II., Nicholas, who was one of Piers Gaveston's few friends, was made marshal of England, but lost this office definitely in 1316. Later he associated himself with Thomas, earl of Lancaster. Through marriage he obtained the manor of Stowe in Northamptonshire, and he is generally called lord of Stowe.

John De Segrave, 2nd Baron Segrave (c. 1256-1325), was one of those who supported the earls of Norfolk and of Hereford in their refusal to serve Edward I. in Gascony in 12 9 7. He took part in campaigns in Scotland, and like his brother Nicholas he signed the letter which was sent in 1301 by the barons at Lincoln to Pope Boniface VIII. repudiating the papal claim to the suzerainty of Scotland. Having been appointed warden of Scotland, Segrave was defeated at Roslin in February 1303; after the capture of Stirling he was again left in charge of this country and was responsible for the capture of Sir William Wallace, whom he conveyed to London. He was also warden of Scotland under Edward II., and was taken prisoner at Bannockburn, being quickly released, and dying whilst on active service in Aquitaine. His grandson and heir, another John (c. 1295-1353), married Margaret, daughter and heiress of Thomas of Brotherton, earl of Norfolk, a son of Edward I. Their daughter Elizabeth married John de Mowbray, and the barony of Segrave was united with, and shared the fate of, that of Mowbray (q.v.).

Other celebrated members of the Segrave family are Sir Hugh Segrave (d. c. 1386), treasurer of England from 1381 until his death, and Stephen de Segrave (d. 1333), a noted pluralist, who was archbishop of Armagh from 1323 until his death on the 27th of October 1333.