Father Eudo la Zouche Mother Millicent de Cantilupe | Died 10 March 1352 Name William Zouche, | |
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Spouse(s) Maud LovellJoan Leybourne | ||
William la Zouche, 1st Baron Zouche (1276/86-1352) lord of the manor of Harringworth in Northamptonshire, was an English baron and soldier who fought in the Wars of Scottish Independence. He is referred to in history as "of Harringworth" to distinguish him from his first cousin (of the senior line) Alan la Zouche, 1st Baron la Zouche (1267–1314) of Ashby de la Zouche in Leicestershire.
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Ancestry
William was the son of Eudo la Zouch (d.1279) (uncle of Alan la Zouche, 1st Baron la Zouche of Ashby (1267–1314)) by his wife Millicent de Cantilupe (d.1299), widow of John de Mohaut (Latinized to de Monte Alto), daughter of William III de Cantilupe by his wife Eva de Braose, 3rd daughter and co-heiress of William de Braose, Baron Bergavenny. Millicent de Cantilupe was a great heiress, being a co-heir to her brother George de Cantilupe (d.1273), Baron Bergavenny, feudal baron of Totnes in Devon (formerly held by de Braose), she was heiress of the English feudal barony of Eaton Bray (formerly held by Cantilupe) and of the manor of Harringworth, amongst many other lands.
William's younger brother was Roger la Zouch, Lord of Lubbesthorpe (d.1303), father of Roger la Zouch the instigator of the murder of Roger de Beler in 1326. William's sister, Eva la Zouch, was married to the rebel Maurice de Berkeley, 2nd Baron Berkeley who was imprisoned in Wallingford Castle and died there also in 1326.
Career and life
William inherited the manor of Harringworth including a park and wood upon the death of his mother Millicent de Cantilupe in 1299.
He was summoned to Parliament by writ as Baron Zouche of Harringworth from 1308 to 1325 and to serve against the Scottish from 1314 (after the disastrous Battle of Bannockburn) to 1317.
He was pardoned for his role in the death of Piers Gaveston in October 1313 but made a Conservator of the Peace in Northamptonshire from 1317 to 1321 and ordered to suppress illegal meetings.
In February 1322 William was ordered to muster as many men-at-arms and foot soldiers as he could and to march to the King to aid in the suppression of the rebels of Thomas, 2nd Earl of Lancaster. William declined and sent two men-at-arms in June, claiming ill health as his excuse.
Later in 1322 he was summoned to serve against the Scots and against Lancaster's rebels. He was summoned to defend Aquitane in 1324, which was lost under the poor leadership of Hugh le Despenser, 1st Earl of Winchester, and to go to Gascony in 1325.
After Queen Isabella and Roger Mortimer, 1st Earl of March's successful overthrow of her husband, Edward II, Sir William la Zouch was summoned to the Parliament held in January 1327 which decided it had lost confidence in the rule of Edward and forced his abdication.
William died on 10 March 1352 and Inquisition post mortems found he held land in Shropshire, Wiltshire, Norfolk, Bedfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Rutland, Warwickshire, Leicestershire, Lincolnshire, Northamptonshire and Worcestershire.
Family
He married Maud Lovel (d. 1346), daughter of John Lovel, 1st Baron Lovel of Titchmarch, the builder of Wardour Castle. By his wife he had at least 10 children including:
Ivo/Eudo la Zouch was a member of the Folville Gang that assassinated the corrupt Baron of the Exchequer, Sir Roger de Beler in January 1326 shortly before the overthrow of Edward II by his wife, Isabella and her lover Roger Mortimer, 1st Earl of March. The Gang fled from England in March 1326 to Paris where Isabella and Mortimer were in court.