Sir Eustace de Vescy Knight, Lord of Alnwick

  Information about this person:

• Background Information. ¹⁴¹
Eustace de Vescy, 1^st son and heir, was born 1169-71. He attended Richard's 2^nd Coronation at Winchester, 17 Apr 1194, and was with him at Chinon, in France, 12 December following. In 1199 he was one of the guarantors of the treaty between John and Reinald, Count of Boulogne, sealed at La Roche d'Andely, 18 August, and in the same year, probably later, he was sent to William the Lion of Scotland to promise him satisfaction of his rights in England and to secure his fidelity to John. On 22 Novr 1200 he was one of the witnesses of William's homage at Lincoln. In April 1209 he was deputed, with others, to meet William the Lion on his visit to King John, and in the following year he was with the King in Ireland. In 1212, being one of the first of the barons to incur John's suspicions of his fidelity, he fled to Scotland and was outlawed, his property being seized. After John's submission to the Pope he had to invite Eustace back, 27 May 1213, although on the same day orders were sent to Philip de Ulecot to destroy his castle at Alnwick. On 18 July following he and others received John's pledge to abide by the Pope's decision concerning his excommunication. Eustace's lands were restored on the next day and the warrant for slighting Alnwick Castle was revoked. In November 1214 he was warned by the Pope not to trouble the King by reason of John's previous disputes with the barons; and in the following spring he was pleading the barons' cause at the papal court. He was among the leaders of the barons who wrung the charter from John, 15 June 1215, and was one of those appointed to see its provisions carried out. On 16 December 1215 he and other magnates were excommunicated by the Pope.

Eustace de Vescy married, in 1193, at Roxburgh, Margaret, illegitimate daughter of William the Lion, King of Scotland by______, daughter of Adam de Hythus. While marching from the north to do homage to Louis of France at Dover, he was killed at Barnard Castle, August 1216. His widow was living, 13 November 1218, and probably in 1226.

Footnote (h) Louis of France landed at Thanet, 21 May 1216, at the invitation of the baronial party. In marching to meet him, Alexander II of Scotland and his brother-in-law, Eustace de Vescy, "virum nobilem et potentum", laid siege to Barnard Castle, which was held by Hugh de Balliol for the King. During an assault on the castle Eustace was shot through the head by an arrow and killed.

~Cokayne's Complete Peerage, 2nd Edition, Vol. XIIB, pp. 275-276

Eustace married Margaret of Scotland, daughter of William I "The Lion" King of Scotland and Daughter of Adam de Hythus.¹⁴¹ (Margaret of Scotland was born in Scotland and died after 1226 ¹⁴¹.)