Edward le Despenser
Encyclopedia
Edward le Despenser was the third eldest son of Hugh le Despenser the Younger by his wife Eleanor de Clare
Eleanor de Clare
Eleanor de Clare was the wife of the powerful Hugh Despenser the younger. She was born in 1292 at Caerphilly in Glamorgan, Wales. She was the eldest daughter of Gilbert de Clare, 6th Earl of Hertford and 7th Earl of Gloucester, and Joan of Acre, daughter of Edward I and Eleanor of Castile; thus...

.

His father is famous for being the favourite of Edward II of England
Edward II of England
Edward II , called Edward of Caernarfon, was King of England from 1307 until he was deposed by his wife Isabella in January 1327. He was the sixth Plantagenet king, in a line that began with the reign of Henry II...

, and consequently being executed for it. Through his mother, he was a great grandson of Edward I of England
Edward I of England
Edward I , also known as Edward Longshanks and the Hammer of the Scots, was King of England from 1272 to 1307. The first son of Henry III, Edward was involved early in the political intrigues of his father's reign, which included an outright rebellion by the English barons...

.

Early life

Although his exact whereabouts before the execution of his father are unknown, it is believed that he was among the children living with their mother Eleanor during her imprisonment in the Tower of London (November 1326 - February 1328). He was clearly too young to be seen as a threat to Queen Isabella
Isabella of France
Isabella of France , sometimes described as the She-wolf of France, was Queen consort of England as the wife of Edward II of England. She was the youngest surviving child and only surviving daughter of Philip IV of France and Joan I of Navarre...

 and her lover Roger Mortimer, unlike his older brother, Hugh
Hugh le Despencer, 2nd Baron le Despencer
Hugh le Despencer was the eldest son and heir of Hugh the younger Despenser, son of Hugh the elder Despenser. His father and grandfather both were executed in 1326. His mother was Eleanor de Clare, daughter of Gilbert de Clare, 6th Earl of Hertford and Joan of Acre...

 (who was imprisoned by the two in 1327).

Marriage and children

After coming into his estates in November 1334, he soon married Anne Ferrers of Groby, (sister of Henry, Lord Ferrers). They had four surviving sons:
  • Edward le Despencer, 1st Baron le Despencer
    Edward le Despencer, 1st Baron le Despencer
    Edward le Despencer, 1st Baron le Despencer, KG was the son of another Edward le Despenser and Anne, the sister of Henry, Lord Ferrers of Groby. He succeeded as Lord of Glamorgan in 1349.Le Despencer went with Edward the Black Prince to France, and was present at the Battle of Poitiers...

     - he inherited the Despenser estates from his paternal uncle Hugh
    Hugh le Despencer, 2nd Baron le Despencer
    Hugh le Despencer was the eldest son and heir of Hugh the younger Despenser, son of Hugh the elder Despenser. His father and grandfather both were executed in 1326. His mother was Eleanor de Clare, daughter of Gilbert de Clare, 6th Earl of Hertford and Joan of Acre...

    .
  • Hugh le Despenser
  • Thomas le Despenser
  • Henry le Despenser

Later life

Like a few of his brothers, Edward served in Edward III
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...

's military campaigns. In 1342, he accompanied his older brother Hugh to mainland Europe. Although they were originally heading for Gascony, they were diverted to Brest to aid King Edward's ally the Countess of Montfort
Joanna of Flanders
Joanna of Flanders , also known as, Countess Jeanne, Jehanne de Montfort, and Jeanne la Flamme, was consort Duchess of Brittany by her marriage to John IV, Duke of Brittany...

 in the Breton Civil War. On September 30, 1342, he and his brother's forces joined the English and helped achieve a victory against the French army at Morlaix
Morlaix
Morlaix is a commune in the Finistère department of Brittany in northwestern France. It is a sub-prefecture of the department.-Leisure and tourism:...

. Unfortunately, Edward died during the battle. He was the highest-ranking English casualty there.

Ancestry

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