Robert de Eglesfield
Encyclopedia
The Queen's College, Oxford
The Queen's College, founded 1341, is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England. Queen's is centrally situated on the High Street, and is renowned for its 18th-century architecture...
, and a chaplain of Queen Philippa of Hainault
Philippa of Hainault
Philippa of Hainault, or, Philippe de Hainaut was the Queen consort of King Edward III of England. Edward, Duke of Guyenne, her future husband, promised in 1326 to marry her within the following two years...
in whose honour he named the college.
Robert was the third son of John of Eglesfield and Beatrix. John was himself third son of Thomas of Eglesfield and Hawisa. Their family held lands in and near Eglesfield
Eaglesfield, Cumbria
Eaglesfield is a small settlement in West Cumbria, England. It is near the A5086 road and is four kilometres southwest of the town of Cockermouth....
, near Cockermouth
Cockermouth
-History:The Romans created a fort at Derventio, now the adjoining village of Papcastle, to protect the river crossing, which had become located on a major route for troops heading towards Hadrian's Wall....
in Cumberland
Cumberland
Cumberland is a historic county of North West England, on the border with Scotland, from the 12th century until 1974. It formed an administrative county from 1889 to 1974 and now forms part of Cumbria....
. Robert is recorded, aged about 21, as a valettus or yeoman in the service of Sir Anthony Lucy
Anthony de Luci
Anthony de Luci , Warden of Carlisle Castle, was Chief Justiciar of Ireland in 1331.-Biography:He was the son of Thomas de Luci of Papcastle , Cumberland....
, lord of Cockermouth.
In the next few years he acquired lands in Middlesex which, in February 1328, he exchanged for the manor of Renwick
Renwick, Cumbria
Renwick, formerly known as Ravenwick, is a small village in the English county of Cumbria. It forms part of the civil parish of Kirkoswald in the District of Eden...
, Cumberland
Cumberland
Cumberland is a historic county of North West England, on the border with Scotland, from the 12th century until 1974. It formed an administrative county from 1889 to 1974 and now forms part of Cumbria....
.
King's clerk
He appears in April 1328 serving as member for CumberlandCumberland
Cumberland is a historic county of North West England, on the border with Scotland, from the 12th century until 1974. It formed an administrative county from 1889 to 1974 and now forms part of Cumbria....
in the parliament
Parliament of England
The Parliament of England was the legislature of the Kingdom of England. In 1066, William of Normandy introduced a feudal system, by which he sought the advice of a council of tenants-in-chief and ecclesiastics before making laws...
which met at Northampton. By 1331 he is recorded as a king's clerk and thereafter remained in royal service but only on minor administrative duties. There is no record of a marriage or children.
Ordination
There is no evidence that he took a degree or studied anywhere. To provide income he had been admitted to the rectory of BroughBrough, Cumbria
Brough, sometimes known as Brough under Stainmore, is a village and civil parish in the Eden district of Cumbria, England, on the western fringe of the Pennines near Stainmore. The village is on the A66 trans-Pennine road, and the Swindale Beck, and is about south east of Appleby-in-Westmorland...
, Westmorland
Westmorland
Westmorland is an area of North West England and one of the 39 historic counties of England. It formed an administrative county from 1889 to 1974, after which the entirety of the county was absorbed into the new county of Cumbria.-Early history:...
in July 1332 though he was not ordained a priest until February 1333 and did not permanently reside in his parish.
Hall of the Queen's scholars of Oxford
Robert was one of Queen Philippa'sPhilippa of Hainault
Philippa of Hainault, or, Philippe de Hainaut was the Queen consort of King Edward III of England. Edward, Duke of Guyenne, her future husband, promised in 1326 to marry her within the following two years...
chaplains in 1340 and next year founded what became known as The Queen's College, Oxford
The Queen's College, Oxford
The Queen's College, founded 1341, is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England. Queen's is centrally situated on the High Street, and is renowned for its 18th-century architecture...
, purchasing the site from his own funds and adding to that gift his manor of Renwick. Having taken on the headship, he is named as Provost in deeds dated January and September 1347, he is known to have lived there during half of 1348 but he seems to have died elsewhere on 31 May 1349. His remains were interred in the chapel as he requested, but interment may not have taken place until some years after his death. The Queen
Philippa of Hainault
Philippa of Hainault, or, Philippe de Hainaut was the Queen consort of King Edward III of England. Edward, Duke of Guyenne, her future husband, promised in 1326 to marry her within the following two years...
and King
Edward III of England
Edward III was King of England from 1327 until his death and is noted for his military success. Restoring royal authority after the disastrous reign of his father, Edward II, Edward III went on to transform the Kingdom of England into one of the most formidable military powers in Europe...
assisted in the establishment of a modest endowment.
Not forgetting the 'devastated state, poverty and lack of letters' of the men of Cumberland
Cumberland
Cumberland is a historic county of North West England, on the border with Scotland, from the 12th century until 1974. It formed an administrative county from 1889 to 1974 and now forms part of Cumbria....
and Westmorland
Westmorland
Westmorland is an area of North West England and one of the 39 historic counties of England. It formed an administrative county from 1889 to 1974, after which the entirety of the county was absorbed into the new county of Cumbria.-Early history:...
from which he came, he asked for preference to be given to them, expecting few candidates, and to his own kin.