Richard de Luci
Encyclopedia
Richard de Luci (also Richard de Lucy) was first noted as Sheriff
of the County of Essex, then he was made Chief Justiciar
of England.
came to the throne in 1154, he was made Chief Justiciar
of England
jointly with Robert de Beaumont, Earl of Leicester
. When de Beaumont died in 1168, Richard de Luci continued to hold the office in his own right.
He resigned his office between September 1178 and Easter of 1179, and retired to Lesnes Abbey
in Kent
, where Richard de Luci died and was buried three months later on 14 July 1179.
His brother Walter de Luci was abbot of Battle Abbey
. His second son was Godfrey de Luci (d. 1204), Bishop of Winchester
.
His mother was Aveline, the niece and heiress of William Goth. In February 1130/31, Henry I in the charter for Séez Cathedral
refers to Richard de Luci and his mother Aveline.
An early reference to the de Luci family refers to the render by Henry I
of the Lordship of Dice
, Norfolk
to Richard de Luci, Governor of Falaise
, Normandy
, after defending it with great valour and heroic conduct when besieged by Geoffrey, Earl of Anjou
.
In 1153–4 de Luci was granted Chipping Ongar
, Essex by William, son of King Stephen and his wife, Maud of Boulogne
, where be built Ongar Castle. He later became the Sheriff
of both Essex
and Hertfordshire
in 1156.
One of the members of his household was Roger fitzReinfrid
, the brother of Walter de Coutances
. Roger became a royal judge and later donated land to Lesnes Abbey, which had been founded by de Luci.
Sheriff
A sheriff is in principle a legal official with responsibility for a county. In practice, the specific combination of legal, political, and ceremonial duties of a sheriff varies greatly from country to country....
of the County of Essex, then he was made Chief Justiciar
Justiciar
In medieval England and Ireland the Chief Justiciar was roughly equivalent to a modern Prime Minister as the monarch's chief minister. Similar positions existed on the Continent, particularly in Norman Italy. The term is the English form of the medieval Latin justiciarius or justitiarius In...
of England.
Biography
His wife Rohese, who is named in several documents, was a sister of Faramus of Boulogne. When Henry IIHenry II of England
Henry II ruled as King of England , Count of Anjou, Count of Maine, Duke of Normandy, Duke of Aquitaine, Duke of Gascony, Count of Nantes, Lord of Ireland and, at various times, controlled parts of Wales, Scotland and western France. Henry, the great-grandson of William the Conqueror, was the...
came to the throne in 1154, he was made Chief Justiciar
Justiciar
In medieval England and Ireland the Chief Justiciar was roughly equivalent to a modern Prime Minister as the monarch's chief minister. Similar positions existed on the Continent, particularly in Norman Italy. The term is the English form of the medieval Latin justiciarius or justitiarius In...
of England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
jointly with Robert de Beaumont, Earl of Leicester
Robert de Beaumont, 2nd Earl of Leicester
Robert de Beaumont, 2nd Earl of Leicester was Justiciar of England 1155–1168.The surname "de Beaumont" is given him by genealogists. The only known contemporary surname applied to him is "Robert son of Count Robert"...
. When de Beaumont died in 1168, Richard de Luci continued to hold the office in his own right.
He resigned his office between September 1178 and Easter of 1179, and retired to Lesnes Abbey
Lesnes Abbey
Lesnes Abbey is a former abbey, now ruined, in Abbey Wood, in the London Borough of Bexley. It is a scheduled ancient monument and the adjacent park and heath are a Site of Special Scientific Interest...
in Kent
Kent
Kent is a county in southeast England, and is one of the home counties. It borders East Sussex, Surrey and Greater London and has a defined boundary with Essex in the middle of the Thames Estuary. The ceremonial county boundaries of Kent include the shire county of Kent and the unitary borough of...
, where Richard de Luci died and was buried three months later on 14 July 1179.
His brother Walter de Luci was abbot of Battle Abbey
Battle Abbey
Battle Abbey is a partially ruined abbey complex in the small town of Battle in East Sussex, England. The abbey was built on the scene of the Battle of Hastings and dedicated to St...
. His second son was Godfrey de Luci (d. 1204), Bishop of Winchester
Bishop of Winchester
The Bishop of Winchester is the head of the Church of England diocese of Winchester, with his cathedra at Winchester Cathedral in Hampshire.The bishop is one of five Church of England bishops to be among the Lords Spiritual regardless of their length of service. His diocese is one of the oldest and...
.
His mother was Aveline, the niece and heiress of William Goth. In February 1130/31, Henry I in the charter for Séez Cathedral
Sées Cathedral
Sées Cathedral is a Roman Catholic cathedral, and national monument of France, in Sées in Normandy.It is the seat of the Bishop of Sées....
refers to Richard de Luci and his mother Aveline.
An early reference to the de Luci family refers to the render by Henry I
Henry I of England
Henry I was the fourth son of William I of England. He succeeded his elder brother William II as King of England in 1100 and defeated his eldest brother, Robert Curthose, to become Duke of Normandy in 1106...
of the Lordship of Dice
Dice
A die is a small throwable object with multiple resting positions, used for generating random numbers...
, Norfolk
Norfolk
Norfolk is a low-lying county in the East of England. It has borders with Lincolnshire to the west, Cambridgeshire to the west and southwest and Suffolk to the south. Its northern and eastern boundaries are the North Sea coast and to the north-west the county is bordered by The Wash. The county...
to Richard de Luci, Governor of Falaise
Falaise, Calvados
Falaise is a commune in the Calvados department in the Basse-Normandie region in northwestern France.-History:The town was the birthplace of William I the Conqueror, first of the Norman Kings of England. The Château de Falaise , which overlooks the town from a high crag, was formerly the seat of...
, Normandy
Normandy
Normandy is a geographical region corresponding to the former Duchy of Normandy. It is in France.The continental territory covers 30,627 km² and forms the preponderant part of Normandy and roughly 5% of the territory of France. It is divided for administrative purposes into two régions:...
, after defending it with great valour and heroic conduct when besieged by Geoffrey, Earl of Anjou
Geoffrey V, Count of Anjou
Geoffrey V , called the Handsome and Plantagenet, was the Count of Anjou, Touraine, and Maine by inheritance from 1129 and then Duke of Normandy by conquest from 1144...
.
In 1153–4 de Luci was granted Chipping Ongar
Chipping Ongar
Chipping Ongar is a small market town, and a civil parish called Ongar, in the Epping Forest district of the county of Essex, England. It is located East of Epping, South-East of Harlow and North-West of Brentwood.-Geography:...
, Essex by William, son of King Stephen and his wife, Maud of Boulogne
Matilda of Boulogne
Matilda I was suo jure Countess of Boulogne. She was also queen consort of England as the wife of King Stephen.-Biography:...
, where be built Ongar Castle. He later became the Sheriff
Sheriff
A sheriff is in principle a legal official with responsibility for a county. In practice, the specific combination of legal, political, and ceremonial duties of a sheriff varies greatly from country to country....
of both Essex
Essex
Essex is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the East region of England, and one of the home counties. It is located to the northeast of Greater London. It borders with Cambridgeshire and Suffolk to the north, Hertfordshire to the west, Kent to the South and London to the south west...
and Hertfordshire
Hertfordshire
Hertfordshire is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the East region of England. The county town is Hertford.The county is one of the Home Counties and lies inland, bordered by Greater London , Buckinghamshire , Bedfordshire , Cambridgeshire and...
in 1156.
One of the members of his household was Roger fitzReinfrid
Roger fitzReinfrid
Roger fitzReinfrid was a medieval English sheriff and royal justice.Roger was the brother of Walter de Coutances, who was Archbishop of Rouen from 1184 to 1207. Another relative was John of Coutances, who was either the brother of Walter and Roger, or their nephew. John went on to become Bishop of...
, the brother of Walter de Coutances
Walter de Coutances
Walter de Coutances was a medieval English Bishop of Lincoln and Archbishop of Rouen. He began his royal service in the government of Henry II, serving as a vice-chancellor...
. Roger became a royal judge and later donated land to Lesnes Abbey, which had been founded by de Luci.
External links
- The Lucy & Lucey Family net
- Richard de Luci/de Lucy in 1911encyclopedia
- Knowles, Dom David The Monastic Order in England: From the Times of St. Dunstan to the Fourth Lateran Council Second Edition Cambridge: Cambridge University Press 1976 reprint ISBN 0-521-05479-6