Edmund Crouchback, 1st Earl of Lancaster

From Includipedia, the inclusionist encyclopedia

This article does not cite any references or sources. (October 2007)
Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unverifiable material may be challenged and removed.

Image:BodleianDouce231Fol1rEdCrouchbackAndStGeorge.jpg

Edmund Crouchback and St. George, each wearing their arms.

Edmund Crouchback, 1st Earl of Lancaster (January 16, 1245 – June 5, 1296) was the second surviving son of Eleanor of Provence and King Henry III of England.

1 Childhood
2 Political Career
3 Family
4 References
5 External links

[edit] Childhood

Edmund was born in London. He was a younger brother of Edward I of England, Margaret of England, and Beatrice of England, and an older brother of Katherine of England.

In 1253 he was invested by Pope Innocent IV in the Kingdom of Sicily and Apulia. At about this time he was also made Earl of Chester. These were of little value as Conrad IV of Germany, the real King of Sicily, was still living and the Earldom of Chester was transferred to his elder brother Edward.

[edit] Political Career

Edmund soon obtained, however, important possessions and dignities, for soon after the forfeiture of Simon de Montfort, 6th Earl of Leicester in 1265, Edmund received the Earldom of Leicester and of Lancaster and also the honour of the Stewardship of England and the lands of Nicolas de Segrave. In 1267 he was granted the lordship of Builth Wells in opposition to the then holder, Llywelyn ap Gruffydd. To help him conquer the land he was also granted his elder brother's lordships of the Trilateral of Skenfrith, Grosmont and White Castle together with Monmouth.

In 1271 he accompanied his elder brother Edward on the Ninth Crusade to Palestine. Some historians, including the authors of the Encyclopedia Britannica article on him, state that it was because of this that he received the nickname Crouchback (which they say means "cross back") indicating that he was entitled to wear a cross on his back.

On his return from the Crusade he seems to have made Grosmont Castle his favoured home and undertook much rebuilding there. His son Henry Plantagenet, 3rd Earl of Lancaster was apparently born there in 1281.

[edit] Family

He was married twice, first to Aveline de Forz, Countess of Albemarle (20 January 1259 Burstwick - 10 November 1274 Stockwell), on 8 April 1269, at Westminster Abbey. She died just 4 years after the marriage, at the age of 15, and was buried at Westminster Abbey. The couple had no children, though some sources believe she may have died in childbirth or shortly after a miscarriage.

He married a second time in Paris, on February 3, 1276, Blanche of Artois. That same year he became the Count of Champagne and Brie in France. With Blanche he had four children:

English Royalty
House of Plantagenet
Image:Edmund Crouchback Arms.svg Armorial of Plantagenet
Henry III
Edward I Longshanks
Margaret, Queen of Scots
Beatrice, Duchess of Brittany
Edmund, Earl of Lancaster

Thomas Plantagenet, Second Earl of Lancaster (b. 1278)
Henry Plantagenet, 3rd Earl of Lancaster (b. 1281)
John Plantagenet, Lord of Beaufort, (c. 1282 - 1327)
Mary Plantagenet (c. 1284 - c. 1289)

He died while besieging [Bordeaux]] for his brother on June 5, 1296 in Bayonne, and was interred on July 15, 1296 at Westminster Abbey, London, England.