Sir Nicholas de Segrave Knight, First Lord of Segrave

  Noted events in his life were:

• Background Information. ⁸⁴⁴
Nicholas de Segrave, first Baron Segrave, born about 1238, son of Gilbert de Segrave & Ambilia Chaucumb. His grandfather was the justiciar, Stephen de Segrave.

Nicholas was about sixteen or seventeen years of age [Calendarium Genealogicum, p. 65]. He came of age about the time when the trouble between Henry III and the barons culminated in Oxford parliament of 1258. He was a great Leicestershire land holder and he attached himself to Simon de Montfort. He was at parliament in 1262, when the king told the barons that he had obtained absolution from his oath to observe the previsions of Oxford. He was summoned to attend the king on 1 Aug 1263 at Worcester, and there to receive knighthood before engaging in the campaign against the Welsh, yet he was in active revolt against the king [Dunstable Annals, p. 222]. He was summoned to Montfort's parliament in Jan 1265. On 4 Aug 1265, he fought at Evesham, where he was wounded and taken prisoner. [Flores Hist. iii 6; London Annals, p. 69; Waverley Annals, p. 365]

Nicholas had his estates returned on the condition of paying the composition stipulated by the Dictum de Kenilworth. He received authorisation to levy special aid on his tenants to raise the fine, and Geoffrey of Genville became surety for his future conduct. He soon obtained the complete confidence of Edward, which continued once Edward took the throne.

Nicholas took part in the campaigns of 1277 and 1282 against Llywelyn of Wales [Parl. Writs, i. 832]. He was summoned to the Shrewsbury parliament of Aug 1283 [Parl. Writs, i. 832]. On 18 1288, he received grants of the custody of the land of William de Ferrars during his minority, paying a fine of one hundred marks for the privilege [Cal. Patent Rolls, p. 295].

Nicholas de Segrave was the first of his house to relinquish its lawyer traditions, and he taught his children "to imitate the brave and associate with the nobles" [Nicholas, Siege of Carlaverock, p. 12] He died late in 1295, being summoned to parliament in Aug of that year, and Nov to foreign service [Parl. Writs, i. 829]. He was married to Matilda de Lucy, who died in 1337, and they had five sons, all described as "valiant, bold and courageous knights" [Nicholas, Siege of Carlaverock, p. 12]. Three of these sons were Gilbert de Segrave, who died in 1216, John de Segrave and Nicholas de Segrave, lord of Stowe. Other sons included Simon, who was imprisoned in 1307, and Henry and Geoffrey, both of who were alive and of full age in the same year. There was also a daughter named Annabel who married John de Plessetis.
~The Dictionary of National Biography, Vol. 17, p. 1141

Nicholas married Maud de Lucy ¹⁶⁰.^,844 (Maud de Lucy died in 1337 in England ¹⁶⁰.)