Alberic de Vere 1st Earl of Oxford

  Noted events in his life were:

• Background Information. ¹⁴¹
Aubrey de Vere, Earl of Oxford, Hereditary Master Chamberlain of England, first son and heir, born sometime around 1110. Sometime before 1136, he was given land at Hintlesham, Suffolk, and elsewhere by Alan son of Ralph and his mother Agnes, the grant being confirmed by Henry I and Count Stephen of Brittany as Lord of Richmond. Stephen's successor, Alan, Earl of Richmond, gave Aubrey and his heirs the lordship of Spains Hall in Finchingfield, Essex.

In or shortly before 1139 the Count and Countess of Guisnes selected him as husband for their granddaughter and heiress, and he married Beatrice in England. On the death of her grandfather, Count Manasses, at the end of 1139, Aubrey hastened to Guisnes and, after doing homage to Thierry, Count of Flanders, became Count of Guisnes. Upon returning to England, be obtained from King Stephen, his wife's English inheritance, a part of the barony of Folkestone. He remained in England, and in 1140 or early in 1141, as Count Aubrey, be confirmed his father's gifts to Hatfield; and Ording, Abbot of St. Edmunds, granted to him as Count of Guisnes the fees and service of his uncle Roger de Vere and of Alan Fitz Frodon, and 100 shillings per annum.

Aubrey succeeded his father, sometime in May 1141, and he continued to reside chiefly in England. From Stephen he probably obtained a charter confirming him in all his father's holdings; after which he turned to the Empress Maud, who gave him a general charter of confirmation, in particular of the office of Master Chamberlain.

In 1142, Aubrey joined the plot of his brother-in-law, Geoffrey de Mandeville, first Earl of Essex, against Stephen, and in July 1142 the Empress granted him a charter, as Earl or Count Aubrey, by which she conceded that he should be Earl of Cambridgeshire, with the third penny, unless that county were held by the King of Scots; in which case, if she could not obtain it by exchange, Aubrey should be Earl Of Oxfordshire, Berkshire, Wiltshire, or Dorsetshire at his option. She also confirmed the abovementioned charters and granted him inter alia all the land of William d'Avranches with the inheritance which he claimed jure uxoris and the tower and castle of Colchester. Evidently the King of Scots regarded Cambridge as an appendage of his Earldom of Huntingdon, for Aubrey took the title of Earl of Oxford, and so styled himself in a charter granted to Colne Priory for the soul of his father, probably soon afterwards and certainly not later than 1147.

In 1143 Stephen crushed the plot against him by arresting Earls Geoffrey and Aubrey at St. Albans. Aubrey had to surrender Canfield Castle to regain his freedom. In that year he is styled "Comes Albericus" in three documents relating to Hatfield Priory. Meanwhile Aubrey refused to return to his wife; and finally her father, the Constable of Bourbourg, arranged a divorce, with the consent of Aubrey, who thus ceased to be Count of Guisnes, within the years 1144-46.

Evidently Stephen did not recognize his Earldom, for in 1150 Aubrey attested a royal charter at Winchester without the style of comes. A rapprochement with Stephen was probably connected with Aubrey's second marriage, for the King and Queen gave the bride the manor of Ickleton (Cambs) in free marriage. On 3 May 1152 Queen Maud died at the Earl's castle of Hedingham.

In the winter of 1152-53 he was with Stephen, who now appears to have recognized him as Earl, for at the siege of Wallingford he attested a royal charter as Earl Aubrey, and on 6 November 1153 at Westminster he attested the treaty between Stephen and Henry with the same Style. After the accession of Henry II he paid 500 marks for having the chamberlainship which his father held; and early in 1156 (2-10 January) the King granted him as Earl Aubrey the third penny of the pleas of Oxfordshire in order that he might be Earl thereof.

As Earl Aubrey he attested royal charters at Newcastle and Colchester in 1158 and at Le Mans probably about Christmas 1160. After 1160 his name does not appear as a witness to royal charters for some 16 years. At the inquest of 1166 his return showed that 30 tenants held between them 29 fees under Aubrey. From about 1176 his name again appears as a witness to charters.

In 1184 or 1185 he obtained the wardship of Isabel, daughter and heir of Walter de Bolebec. He was present at the Coronation of Richard I on 3 September 1189; and in 1194 he was called on to pay £30 2s. 6d. towards the King's ransom. Aubrey probably founded the priories of Ickleton and Castle Hedingharn. He confirmed his father's foundation of Hatfield and gift to Colchester, and his mother's grant to St. Osyth; and he made gifts to St. Edmund and very many benefactions to Colne. He also confirmed a gift to Clerkenwell by Maud de Ros, daughter of Richard de Canville.

Aubrey married, as his first wife, in or before 1139, Beatrice (born after 1120), daughter of Henry, Constable of Bourbourg, by his first wife Sibyl (usually called Rose), daughter and in her issue sole heir of Manasses, comté de Guisnes, by Emma, daughter and coheir of William, vicomté de Arques and Lord of Folkestone, which marriage was dissolved in or before 1146. Beatrice married. as her second husband, Baldwin, Lord of Ardres, but died s.p., a few days later. She was buried in the Abbey of La Capelle.

Aubrey's second wife, whom he married in or before 1152, was Eufeme, said to be daughter of William de Cauntelo. She died s.p.m., almost certainly s.p., in 1153 or 1154, and was buried at Colne.

Aubrey's third wife, whom he married in 1162 or 1163 was Agnes, daughter of Henry de Essex, Lord of Rayleigh and Haughley, by his wife Cicely. This child, who was born in 1151 or 1152, the Earl tried to repudiate within a year. She appealed from the Bishop of London's court to Rome, and in 1171 or 1172 Alexander III directed the Bishop to order him to take his wife back. She was living with him in 1191, and survived her husband. Aubrey died 26 December 1194, and was buried at Colne. Agnes was buried by his side.

~Cokayne's Complete Peerage, 2nd Edition, (Oxford), Vol. X, pp. 199-207

• Background Information.
Aubrey de Vere, the third by that name was the first Earl of Oxvord, likely born around 1110, died 26 Dec 1194 and was buried along with other members of his family at Colne Priory, which was founded by his grandfather. Aubrey's first wife, and mother of his children was Agnes of Essex, who was a mere child at the time of their marriage,

Aubrey succeeded his father in May 1141, and joined the plot of Goffrey Manderville, 1st Earl of Essex, who was his brother-in-law, against King Stephen. In July 1142, he was granted a charter by the empress Maud as Earl or Count Aubrey. He was arrested and forced to surrender himself to Canfield Castle to reain his freedom. After Henry II came to power, he was given his father's position as Chamberlain. He attended the coronation of Richard I on 3 Sep 1189.

Children of Aubrey and Agnes were:
Aubrey IV, 2nd Earl of Oxford, b. 1163, d. Oct 1215, m. 1st Isabel de Bolbec, daughter and heir of Walter de Bolbec III, lord of Whitechurch; m. 2nd, Alice, said to be daughter of Roger le Bigod, 2nd Earl of Norfolk.
Rlaph, d. before his older brother Aubrey
Robert, d. before 25 Oct 1221; m. Isabel de Bolbec, who d. 2/3 Feb 1245
Henry, d. beofre 25 Oct 1221
Alice, M. Geoffrey de Say, widow of Alice Chesney

~Boyer's The Medieval English Ancestors of Certain Americans, pp. 252-253 ⁷²²

• Web Reference: Abrey de Vere, 1st Earl of Oxford from Wikipedia.

Hedingham Castle, Essex, seat of the Earls of Oxford

Alberic married Agnes of Essex, daughter of Henry of Essex Lord of Rayleigh and (Mrs.) Cicely *of Essex, 1162 or 1163 in Oxford, Oxfordshire, England.¹⁴¹ (Agnes of Essex was born 1151 or 1152 in England,¹⁴¹ died After 26 Dec 1194 & Bef 25 Oct 1221 in England and was buried in Colne Priory, Essex, England ¹⁴¹.)