Sir John le Marshall Knight

  Information about this person:

• Background Information. ¹⁴¹
John Marshal, the founder of this family, owed his political advancement to his near relationship to William Marshal, Earl of Pembroke (*1), and his feudal position to his marriage with Aline, eldest daughter and coheir, and afterwards sole heir, of Hubert IV de Rye, lord of the barony of Rye (*2). John Marshal first appears on the page of history in 1197, as one of the knights, under command of William Marshal, sent by Richard I to assist the Counts of Flanders and Boulogne against France. In 1203 he was in Normandy with King John, and in the following year went to Ireland in the service of the Earl Marshal, while the Earl went to Normandy in the service of the King. On 12 Nov 1207 he was made Marshal of Ireland. He accompanied King John on his Irish expedition, 1210. From 1213 to the end of the reign he was constantly occupicd in the King's service in England; in 1215 he was with King John at Runnymede, and one of those by whose advice the King gave his assent to Magna Carta; later in the year he was one of the embassy to the court of Rome. Returning, he accompanied the King on his march to the North, and attended him at his death at Newark, 19 Oct 1216. Nine days later he was present at the Coronation of Henry III at Gloucester, and was a member of the council of his uncle, guardian of the young King. He was among the "barons" in the Earl Marshal's forces in the relief of Lincoln Castle. From this time till his death he was continually occupied in the public service in England, Ireland, or abroad.

John Marshal married, about 1200, Aline, eldest daughter and coheir of Hubert de Rye, by Margaret, daughter of William FitzRocelin. He died before 27 June 1235. His widow did homage on 6 July for the lands she held in chief. She died between June 1266 and Sept 1267.

*1 - John Marshal gave land in Foulsham, Norfolk, to the priory of Walsingham, for the souls of himself and his wife Aline, for John and Alice, his father and mother, for William, Marshal the Earl, and Isabel, his wife, and for Hubert and Margaret de Rye. William Marshal's elder brother John (whose heir he was) died in 1194, leaving a widow, daughter of Adam de Port. John is described in a charter of King John as 'nepos Willelmi Marescalli comitis de Pembroc' [nephew of William Marshal Earl of Pembroke]. The very detailed biography of the Earl Marshal (Guillaume le Marechal) cited above makes no mention of a second brother John, and the Earl's nephew appears to have had no patrimony; it is therefore probable that he was an illegitimate son of the Earl's elder brother.

*2 - The caput of the barony of Rye, which took its name from its owners, descendants of Hubert de Rye (Ryes, near Bayeux), was at this date at Hingham, though Hingham was only held at farm from the Crown. Later Hockering became the caput of the barony, though Hingham was still in possession.

Cokayne's The Complet Peerage, Vol. VIII, pp. 526-527

John married Aline de Rye, daughter of Hubert de Rye and Margaret Fitz William.¹⁴¹ (Aline de Rye was born about 1185 in Hingham, Forehoe, Norfolk, England and died before Sep 1267 in Hockering, Mitford, Norfolk.)