Eustace fitz John
Encyclopedia
Eustace fitz John was a powerful magnate
in northern England
during the reigns of Henry I
, Stephen
and Henry II
. From a relatively humble background in the south-east of England, Eustace made his career serving Henry I, and was elevated by the king through marriage and office into one of the most important figures in the north of England. Eustace acquired a great deal of property in the region, controlled Bamburgh Castle
, and served jointly with Walter Espec
as justiciar
of the North.
After Henry I's death in 1135, Eustace became involved in the warfare between the supporters of Stephen and his rival the Empress Matilda
, the latter led by Matilda's uncle David
, King of Scotland. He lost Alnwick Castle
temporarily to David, while Bamburgh was taken by Stephen. Eustace became a supporter of David, fighting and suffering defeat at the Battle of the Standard
in 1138. He maintained most of his lands in the north however, and from c. 1144 became one of the main followers of Ranulf II, Earl of Chester, through whom he gained even more land. Eustace subsequently founded three religious houses, and died on campaign with Henry II in 1157.
owning estates in Essex and Norfolk. The family was not of exalted origin, representing the middle rank of society. Eustace had two known sisters, Agnes and Alice. He also had two brothers, Pain
(Payne) and William, and it is thought that Pain—whose career was as successful as Eustace's— was probably the eldest. Eustace probably did not inherit much from his father, but instead depended on success as a royal servant.
Eustace is witnessing royal charters from at least 1119, but may have been at Henry's court as early as 1114. Through Henry's patronage, Eustace married two heiresses, bringing him on both occasions much landed honour. Beatrix, daughter and heiress of Ivo de Vescy, brought him control of Alnwick Castle
and the barony of Alnwick
in Northumberland. He probably received, in addition, land in Lincolnshire as well as five and a half knight's fee
s in Yorkshire previously belonging to Ranulf de Mortimer (died 1104). Although it has often been claimed that this marriage brought Eustace the lordship of Old Malton
, a former royal manor in the North Riding of Yorkshire
, this was probably a separate gift from the king. This marriage occurred some time before 1130.
Another marriage, which also occurred before 1130, was to Agnes daughter of the constable
of Chester
William FitzNigel, and this eventually brought him more land in Yorkshire (Bridlington
) as well as in Northamptonshire
(Loddington
), both held of the earl of Chester
. Eustace would gain control of many other sub-tenancies, held of various lords from the Archbishop of York
and the Bishop of Durham to Nigel d'Aubigny
and the count of Aumale, and in Henry's reign he held lands at Aldborough
, Tickhill
and Knaresborough
from the king in farm.
Eustace had thus emerged as one of the key players in Henry's reordering of Northumbrian society following the destruction of the earldom of Northumbria in the late 11th-century. According to historian William Kapelle, Eustace was one of the "three mainstays of Henry's new regime in the North", the other two being Walter Espec and King David of Scotland
. In Northumberland he is known to have commanded authority over at least ten local notables, including John FitzOdard lord of Embleton
and Robert II de Umfraville lord of Redesdale
. Signicant was Eustace's barony of Alnwick, which stretched across the potential Scottish invasion routes of the Tweed
basin, and was one of the two largest baronies in the county (the other being the Balliol
barony of Bywell
), holding between 14 and 17 knight's fees by 1166, nearly three times the size of the average lordship in the county.
Henry I's only surviving pipe roll, for 1129–30, shows that Eustace was serving jointly as justiciar
of the north along with Walter Espec
, and had custody of the former capital of the Northumbrian earldom, Bamburgh Castle
. Allowances made to Eustace for the repair of the gate of Bamburgh Castle and the construction of fortifications at Tickhill
and Knaresborough
in Yorkshire
are also recorded in this pipe roll. This and evidence of royal writs show that Eustace and Walter Espec had justiciar responsibility for the counties of Cumberland
, Northumberland (with Durham
) and Yorkshire, a role that involved hearing plea
s and conveying instructions from central government.
, to whom Eustace submitted. Stephen's seizure of the throne was contested by Henry I's daughter, the Empress Matilda
, who had been Henry's designated heir. The Gesta Stephani claimed that certain "very intimate friends of Henry" had been against Stephen from the beginning because of loyalty for Henry's daughter Matilda, and names Eustace's brother Pain as one of these, making it quite possible that Eustace had likewise never been on Stephen's side. However, they, just like Eustace, did swear fealty to Stephen after a short time. This capitulation meant that Stephen let them keep the honours and positions they had held under Henry, and Stephen is even found confirming the grants of Eustace's family between 1136 and 1138.
Matilda was supported by her uncle King David of Scotland
, and he did not accept Stephen's succession peacefully. Thus Eustace was placed in the front line
of a new war, and when David invaded northern England Eustace's castle of Alnwick was among those captured by David in the first two months of the year (though it was returned in March). Stephen relieved Eustace of control of Bamburgh Castle when he returned from his punitive invasion of Lothian early in 1138. It has been claimed that Eustace must have gone over to David's side by the end of 1137, when David invaded northern England. There is no proof however that Eustace had switched allegiance at this point.
After David crossed back into Northumberland in April 1138, Eustace became one of David's active supporters, and during David's siege of Wark Castle in May, Eustace tried to persuade him to besiege Bamburgh Castle
instead. Eustace had had a long association with the Scottish king, or at least with his Norman follower Robert I de Brus, as Eustace's name appears as witness to David's charter recording the grant of Annandale to Robert, issued at Scone
in 1124.
Eustace fought at the Battle of the Standard
in August 1138, fighting for David in the second line with the men of Cumbria and Teviotdale. The battle ended in defeat, and Eustace was wounded and fled to Alnwick in its aftermath, leaving his castle at Malton
to be captured soon after. Despite the defeat for David, peace the following year brought David victory, his son Henry becoming Earl of Northumbria and Huntingdon, and under the rule of Earl Henry, Eustace regained many of his Northumberland possessions and received other lands in the earldom of Huntingdon. When a succession dispute for the bishopric of Durham erupted in 1141, Eustace supported the pro-David William Cumin
against William de Ste Barbara; and in 1143, Eustace helped negotiate a truce between the two claimants.
Eustace's number of known associations with David and Henry after 1144 is small, appearing only as witness to one charter of Earl Henry issued at Corbridge
at some point between 1150 and 1152. Around 1144 Eustace seems to have entered a beneficial relationship with Ranulf II, Earl of Chester. Eustace was married to the sister of Ranulf's constable, William fitz William, and in 1143 or 1144 William died. This made Eustace's wife and her sister Matilda joint heiress to the lands and offices of William, who was childless.
In either 1144 or 1145 Eustace obtained from Ranulf a large honour with lands mostly in Cheshire, Lancashire and Yorkshire, and gained the office of constable of Chester along with the status as chief counselor in Ranulf's dominions. Earl Ranulf's patronage also seems to have gained Eustace a grant by Roger de Mowbray (the earl's captive from the Battle of Lincoln
) of fourteen knight fees worth of estates in Yorkshire and Lincolnshire, with townships along the river Humber. This was probably part of the attempts of the earl and his half-brother the Earl of Lincoln William de Roumare
to tighten their family's grip on the region. Eustace's position vis-a-vis Stephen probably mirrored that of Ranulf, and like other pro-Matildans there was probably no permanent stabilisation of relations until the settlement between Stephen and Matilda in the winter of 1153. In the following year, Eustace attested a charter King Stephen issued at York
in favour of Pontefract Priory
.
, and the latter seems to have regarded Eustace as one of his supporters. Henry confirmed Eustace's gifts to his son William de Vescy, and would recognise the latters succession to his father's lands. After Henry accession in 1154, Eustace attested the new king's charters. Eustace died in July 1157 near Basingwerk in Flintshire
, where on campaign with Henry against the Welsh he was ambushed and killed.
Eustace fitz John was remembered as a great monastic patron. He patronised Gloucester Abbey
, a Benedictine
house, as well as the Augustinian Priory of Bridlington. In 1147, he founded his own abbey, Alnwick Abbey
, as a daughter-house of England's first Premonstratensian
monastery, Newhouse Abbey
in Lincolnshire
. Two years later, Eustace turned his favours to the order of Gilbert of Sempringham
, in 1150 founding a Gilbertine priory at Malton in Yorkshire and another (with a nunnery) at Watton
(also Yorkshire) around the same time. Later tradition held that Eustace founded these houses in penance for fighting with the Scots, but this has no basis in fact.
Watton, scene of Ailred of Rievaulx
's De Sanctimoniali de Wattun
, was founded jointly with Eustace's landlord William Fossard. Probably Eustace's patronage of the Gilbertines was influenced by the policies and inclinations of William, Earl of York
and Henry Murdac
, Archbishop of York. Eustace had become closely associated with the Earl of York. He witnessed two of Earl William's charters, between 1150 and 1153, and obtained land from him. And Eustace's name appears on coins minted at York, a city under the control of the earl.
Eustace is known to have had two sons, one by each wife. William de Vesci
, his son by Beatrix, served as sheriff
of Northumberland between 1157 and 1170, and would become the ancestor of the Northumberland de Vescy family. Robert FitzEustace
, his son by Agnes, is known to have married Aubrey de Lisours, daughter of Aubrey de Lacy and niece of Ilbert II de Lacy (another baron captured by Earl Ranulf at the Battle of Lincoln). He became ancestor of a second line of de Lacys.
Several sources, including Roger of Howden, report that Eustace had only one eye.
Magnate
Magnate, from the Late Latin magnas, a great man, itself from Latin magnus 'great', designates a noble or other man in a high social position, by birth, wealth or other qualities...
in northern England
Northern England
Northern England, also known as the North of England, the North or the North Country, is a cultural region of England. It is not an official government region, but rather an informal amalgamation of counties. The southern extent of the region is roughly the River Trent, while the North is bordered...
during the reigns of Henry I
Henry I of England
Henry I was the fourth son of William I of England. He succeeded his elder brother William II as King of England in 1100 and defeated his eldest brother, Robert Curthose, to become Duke of Normandy in 1106...
, Stephen
Stephen of England
Stephen , often referred to as Stephen of Blois , was a grandson of William the Conqueror. He was King of England from 1135 to his death, and also the Count of Boulogne by right of his wife. Stephen's reign was marked by the Anarchy, a civil war with his cousin and rival, the Empress Matilda...
and Henry II
Henry II of England
Henry II ruled as King of England , Count of Anjou, Count of Maine, Duke of Normandy, Duke of Aquitaine, Duke of Gascony, Count of Nantes, Lord of Ireland and, at various times, controlled parts of Wales, Scotland and western France. Henry, the great-grandson of William the Conqueror, was the...
. From a relatively humble background in the south-east of England, Eustace made his career serving Henry I, and was elevated by the king through marriage and office into one of the most important figures in the north of England. Eustace acquired a great deal of property in the region, controlled Bamburgh Castle
Bamburgh Castle
Bamburgh Castle is an imposing castle located on the coast at Bamburgh in Northumberland, England. It is a Grade I listed building.-History:...
, and served jointly with Walter Espec
Walter Espec
Walter Espec was a prominent military and judicial figure of the reign of Henry I of England.His father was probably William Speche, a follower of William I of England In the years up to 1120 he with Eustace Fitz John controlled northern England. He was the builder of Helmsley Castle; he built...
as justiciar
Justiciar
In medieval England and Ireland the Chief Justiciar was roughly equivalent to a modern Prime Minister as the monarch's chief minister. Similar positions existed on the Continent, particularly in Norman Italy. The term is the English form of the medieval Latin justiciarius or justitiarius In...
of the North.
After Henry I's death in 1135, Eustace became involved in the warfare between the supporters of Stephen and his rival the Empress Matilda
Empress Matilda
Empress Matilda , also known as Matilda of England or Maude, was the daughter and heir of King Henry I of England. Matilda and her younger brother, William Adelin, were the only legitimate children of King Henry to survive to adulthood...
, the latter led by Matilda's uncle David
David I of Scotland
David I or Dabíd mac Maíl Choluim was a 12th-century ruler who was Prince of the Cumbrians and later King of the Scots...
, King of Scotland. He lost Alnwick Castle
Alnwick Castle
Alnwick Castle is a castle and stately home in the town of the same name in the English county of Northumberland. It is the residence of the Duke of Northumberland, built following the Norman conquest, and renovated and remodelled a number of times. It is a Grade I listed building.-History:Alnwick...
temporarily to David, while Bamburgh was taken by Stephen. Eustace became a supporter of David, fighting and suffering defeat at the Battle of the Standard
Battle of the Standard
The Battle of the Standard, sometimes called the Battle of Northallerton, in which English forces repelled a Scottish army, took place on 22 August 1138 on Cowton Moor near Northallerton in Yorkshire. The Scottish forces were led by King David I of Scotland...
in 1138. He maintained most of his lands in the north however, and from c. 1144 became one of the main followers of Ranulf II, Earl of Chester, through whom he gained even more land. Eustace subsequently founded three religious houses, and died on campaign with Henry II in 1157.
Origins and early career
Eustace's family came from the south-east of England. His father John fitz Richard was a tenant-in-chief who appeared in the Domesday BookDomesday Book
Domesday Book , now held at The National Archives, Kew, Richmond upon Thames in South West London, is the record of the great survey of much of England and parts of Wales completed in 1086...
owning estates in Essex and Norfolk. The family was not of exalted origin, representing the middle rank of society. Eustace had two known sisters, Agnes and Alice. He also had two brothers, Pain
Pain fitzJohn
Pain fitzJohn was an Anglo-Norman nobleman and administrator, and one of King Henry I of England's "new men". The son of a minor nobleman, Pain, along with his brothers, rose through their ability to become important royal officials during the reign of King Henry...
(Payne) and William, and it is thought that Pain—whose career was as successful as Eustace's— was probably the eldest. Eustace probably did not inherit much from his father, but instead depended on success as a royal servant.
Eustace is witnessing royal charters from at least 1119, but may have been at Henry's court as early as 1114. Through Henry's patronage, Eustace married two heiresses, bringing him on both occasions much landed honour. Beatrix, daughter and heiress of Ivo de Vescy, brought him control of Alnwick Castle
Alnwick Castle
Alnwick Castle is a castle and stately home in the town of the same name in the English county of Northumberland. It is the residence of the Duke of Northumberland, built following the Norman conquest, and renovated and remodelled a number of times. It is a Grade I listed building.-History:Alnwick...
and the barony of Alnwick
Alnwick
Alnwick is a small market town in north Northumberland, England. The town's population was just over 8000 at the time of the 2001 census and Alnwick's district population was 31,029....
in Northumberland. He probably received, in addition, land in Lincolnshire as well as five and a half knight's fee
Knight's fee
In feudal Anglo-Norman England and Ireland, a knight's fee was a measure of a unit of land deemed sufficient from which a knight could derive not only sustenance for himself and his esquires, but also the means to furnish himself and his equipage with horses and armour to fight for his overlord in...
s in Yorkshire previously belonging to Ranulf de Mortimer (died 1104). Although it has often been claimed that this marriage brought Eustace the lordship of Old Malton
Malton, North Yorkshire
Malton is a market town and civil parish in North Yorkshire, England. The town is the location of the offices of Ryedale District Council and has a population of around 4,000 people....
, a former royal manor in the North Riding of Yorkshire
North Riding of Yorkshire
The North Riding of Yorkshire was one of the three historic subdivisions of the English county of Yorkshire, alongside the East and West Ridings. From the Restoration it was used as a Lieutenancy area. The three ridings were treated as three counties for many purposes, such as having separate...
, this was probably a separate gift from the king. This marriage occurred some time before 1130.
Another marriage, which also occurred before 1130, was to Agnes daughter of the constable
Constable
A constable is a person holding a particular office, most commonly in law enforcement. The office of constable can vary significantly in different jurisdictions.-Etymology:...
of Chester
Chester
Chester is a city in Cheshire, England. Lying on the River Dee, close to the border with Wales, it is home to 77,040 inhabitants, and is the largest and most populous settlement of the wider unitary authority area of Cheshire West and Chester, which had a population of 328,100 according to the...
William FitzNigel, and this eventually brought him more land in Yorkshire (Bridlington
Bridlington
Bridlington is a seaside resort, minor sea fishing port and civil parish on the Holderness Coast of the North Sea, in the East Riding of Yorkshire, England. It has a static population of over 33,000, which rises considerably during the tourist season...
) as well as in Northamptonshire
Northamptonshire
Northamptonshire is a landlocked county in the English East Midlands, with a population of 629,676 as at the 2001 census. It has boundaries with the ceremonial counties of Warwickshire to the west, Leicestershire and Rutland to the north, Cambridgeshire to the east, Bedfordshire to the south-east,...
(Loddington
Loddington
Loddington is a small village and civil parish north of Market Harborough and east of Leicester in the county of Leicestershire. It has a population of 77....
), both held of the earl of Chester
Earl of Chester
The Earldom of Chester was one of the most powerful earldoms in medieval England. Since 1301 the title has generally been granted to heirs-apparent to the English throne, and from the late 14th century it has been given only in conjunction with that of Prince of Wales.- Honour of Chester :The...
. Eustace would gain control of many other sub-tenancies, held of various lords from the Archbishop of York
Archbishop of York
The Archbishop of York is a high-ranking cleric in the Church of England, second only to the Archbishop of Canterbury. He is the diocesan bishop of the Diocese of York and metropolitan of the Province of York, which covers the northern portion of England as well as the Isle of Man...
and the Bishop of Durham to Nigel d'Aubigny
Nigel d'Aubigny
Nigel d'Aubigny was a Norman nobleman, and supporter of Henry I of England. He is described as "one of the most favoured of Henry’s 'new men'", and after the Battle of Tinchebrai in 1106 was largely rewarded by Henry with the lands of Robert de Stuteville, who had followed Robert...
and the count of Aumale, and in Henry's reign he held lands at Aldborough
Aldborough
Aldborough is the name of four English places*Aldbrough, East Riding of Yorkshire*Aldborough Hatch, in the London Borough of Redbridge*Aldborough, Norfolk*Aldborough, North Yorkshire, formerly a parliamentary borough-See also:*Earl of Aldborough...
, Tickhill
Tickhill
Tickhill is a small, wealthy town and civil parish in the Metropolitan Borough of Doncaster in South Yorkshire, England, on the border with Nottinghamshire. It has a population of 5,301.-Geography:...
and Knaresborough
Knaresborough
Knaresborough is an old and historic market town, spa town and civil parish in the Borough of Harrogate, North Yorkshire, England, located on the River Nidd, four miles east of the centre of Harrogate.-History:...
from the king in farm.
Eustace had thus emerged as one of the key players in Henry's reordering of Northumbrian society following the destruction of the earldom of Northumbria in the late 11th-century. According to historian William Kapelle, Eustace was one of the "three mainstays of Henry's new regime in the North", the other two being Walter Espec and King David of Scotland
David I of Scotland
David I or Dabíd mac Maíl Choluim was a 12th-century ruler who was Prince of the Cumbrians and later King of the Scots...
. In Northumberland he is known to have commanded authority over at least ten local notables, including John FitzOdard lord of Embleton
Embleton, Northumberland
Embleton village in the English county of Northumberland is about half-a-mile from the bay that carries its name. The sandy beach is backed by dunes where a variety of flowers bloom: bluebells, cowslips, burnet roses and, to give it its common name, bloody cranesbill, amongst others. Dunstanburgh...
and Robert II de Umfraville lord of Redesdale
Redesdale
Redesdale is a valley iin the western part of the county of Northumberland, in northeast England. This area contains the valley of the River Rede, a tributary of the North Tyne River. Redesdale includes the settlements of Elsdon, Otterburn, Rochester, Byrness and Carter Bar.Historically this...
. Signicant was Eustace's barony of Alnwick, which stretched across the potential Scottish invasion routes of the Tweed
River Tweed
The River Tweed, or Tweed Water, is long and flows primarily through the Borders region of Great Britain. It rises on Tweedsmuir at Tweed's Well near where the Clyde, draining northwest, and the Annan draining south also rise. "Annan, Tweed and Clyde rise oot the ae hillside" as the Border saying...
basin, and was one of the two largest baronies in the county (the other being the Balliol
House of Balliol
The House of Balliol was a Picard and Anglo-Norman family who began to rule some estates in England in the reign of William Rufus. In the late 13th and 14th centuries, two members of the house were kings of Scotland....
barony of Bywell
Bywell
Bywell is a village in Northumberland, in England. It is situated on the north bank of the River Tyne opposite Stocksfield, between Hexham and Newcastle.-Governance:Bywell is in the parliamentary constituency of Hexham.- Landmarks :...
), holding between 14 and 17 knight's fees by 1166, nearly three times the size of the average lordship in the county.
Henry I's only surviving pipe roll, for 1129–30, shows that Eustace was serving jointly as justiciar
Justiciar
In medieval England and Ireland the Chief Justiciar was roughly equivalent to a modern Prime Minister as the monarch's chief minister. Similar positions existed on the Continent, particularly in Norman Italy. The term is the English form of the medieval Latin justiciarius or justitiarius In...
of the north along with Walter Espec
Walter Espec
Walter Espec was a prominent military and judicial figure of the reign of Henry I of England.His father was probably William Speche, a follower of William I of England In the years up to 1120 he with Eustace Fitz John controlled northern England. He was the builder of Helmsley Castle; he built...
, and had custody of the former capital of the Northumbrian earldom, Bamburgh Castle
Bamburgh Castle
Bamburgh Castle is an imposing castle located on the coast at Bamburgh in Northumberland, England. It is a Grade I listed building.-History:...
. Allowances made to Eustace for the repair of the gate of Bamburgh Castle and the construction of fortifications at Tickhill
Tickhill
Tickhill is a small, wealthy town and civil parish in the Metropolitan Borough of Doncaster in South Yorkshire, England, on the border with Nottinghamshire. It has a population of 5,301.-Geography:...
and Knaresborough
Knaresborough
Knaresborough is an old and historic market town, spa town and civil parish in the Borough of Harrogate, North Yorkshire, England, located on the River Nidd, four miles east of the centre of Harrogate.-History:...
in Yorkshire
Yorkshire
Yorkshire is a historic county of northern England and the largest in the United Kingdom. Because of its great size in comparison to other English counties, functions have been increasingly undertaken over time by its subdivisions, which have also been subject to periodic reform...
are also recorded in this pipe roll. This and evidence of royal writs show that Eustace and Walter Espec had justiciar responsibility for the counties 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....
, Northumberland (with Durham
County Durham
County Durham is a ceremonial county and unitary district in north east England. The county town is Durham. The largest settlement in the ceremonial county is the town of Darlington...
) and Yorkshire, a role that involved hearing plea
Plea
In legal terms, a plea is simply an answer to a claim made by someone in a civil or criminal case under common law using the adversary system. Colloquially, a plea has come to mean the assertion by a criminal defendant at arraignment, or otherwise in response to a criminal charge, whether that...
s and conveying instructions from central government.
The Anarchy
The death of Henry I on 1 December 1135 led to the accession of Stephen de BoisStephen of England
Stephen , often referred to as Stephen of Blois , was a grandson of William the Conqueror. He was King of England from 1135 to his death, and also the Count of Boulogne by right of his wife. Stephen's reign was marked by the Anarchy, a civil war with his cousin and rival, the Empress Matilda...
, to whom Eustace submitted. Stephen's seizure of the throne was contested by Henry I's daughter, the Empress Matilda
Empress Matilda
Empress Matilda , also known as Matilda of England or Maude, was the daughter and heir of King Henry I of England. Matilda and her younger brother, William Adelin, were the only legitimate children of King Henry to survive to adulthood...
, who had been Henry's designated heir. The Gesta Stephani claimed that certain "very intimate friends of Henry" had been against Stephen from the beginning because of loyalty for Henry's daughter Matilda, and names Eustace's brother Pain as one of these, making it quite possible that Eustace had likewise never been on Stephen's side. However, they, just like Eustace, did swear fealty to Stephen after a short time. This capitulation meant that Stephen let them keep the honours and positions they had held under Henry, and Stephen is even found confirming the grants of Eustace's family between 1136 and 1138.
Matilda was supported by her uncle King David of Scotland
David I of Scotland
David I or Dabíd mac Maíl Choluim was a 12th-century ruler who was Prince of the Cumbrians and later King of the Scots...
, and he did not accept Stephen's succession peacefully. Thus Eustace was placed in the front line
Front line
A front line is the farthest-most forward position of an armed force's personnel and equipment - generally in respect of maritime or land forces. Forward Line of Own Troops , or Forward Edge of Battle Area are technical terms used by all branches of the armed services...
of a new war, and when David invaded northern England Eustace's castle of Alnwick was among those captured by David in the first two months of the year (though it was returned in March). Stephen relieved Eustace of control of Bamburgh Castle when he returned from his punitive invasion of Lothian early in 1138. It has been claimed that Eustace must have gone over to David's side by the end of 1137, when David invaded northern England. There is no proof however that Eustace had switched allegiance at this point.
After David crossed back into Northumberland in April 1138, Eustace became one of David's active supporters, and during David's siege of Wark Castle in May, Eustace tried to persuade him to besiege Bamburgh Castle
Bamburgh Castle
Bamburgh Castle is an imposing castle located on the coast at Bamburgh in Northumberland, England. It is a Grade I listed building.-History:...
instead. Eustace had had a long association with the Scottish king, or at least with his Norman follower Robert I de Brus, as Eustace's name appears as witness to David's charter recording the grant of Annandale to Robert, issued at Scone
Scone, Scotland
Scone is a village in Perth and Kinross, Scotland. The medieval village of Scone, which grew up around the monastery and royal residence, was abandoned in the early 19th century when the residents were removed and a new palace was built on the site by the Earl of Mansfield...
in 1124.
Eustace fought at the Battle of the Standard
Battle of the Standard
The Battle of the Standard, sometimes called the Battle of Northallerton, in which English forces repelled a Scottish army, took place on 22 August 1138 on Cowton Moor near Northallerton in Yorkshire. The Scottish forces were led by King David I of Scotland...
in August 1138, fighting for David in the second line with the men of Cumbria and Teviotdale. The battle ended in defeat, and Eustace was wounded and fled to Alnwick in its aftermath, leaving his castle at Malton
Malton, North Yorkshire
Malton is a market town and civil parish in North Yorkshire, England. The town is the location of the offices of Ryedale District Council and has a population of around 4,000 people....
to be captured soon after. Despite the defeat for David, peace the following year brought David victory, his son Henry becoming Earl of Northumbria and Huntingdon, and under the rule of Earl Henry, Eustace regained many of his Northumberland possessions and received other lands in the earldom of Huntingdon. When a succession dispute for the bishopric of Durham erupted in 1141, Eustace supported the pro-David William Cumin
William Cumin (bishop)
William Cumin was a medieval Bishop of Durham elect.-Life:Cumin probably was related to a clerical family from near Rouen in Normandy. Several of Cumin's were clerks in the chanceries of King Henry I of England and King Henry II of England, as well as in the dioceses of Rouen and Bayeux...
against William de Ste Barbara; and in 1143, Eustace helped negotiate a truce between the two claimants.
Eustace's number of known associations with David and Henry after 1144 is small, appearing only as witness to one charter of Earl Henry issued at Corbridge
Corbridge
Corbridge is a village in Northumberland, England, situated west of Newcastle and east of Hexham. Villages in the vicinity include Halton, Acomb, Aydon and Sandhoe.-Roman fort and town:...
at some point between 1150 and 1152. Around 1144 Eustace seems to have entered a beneficial relationship with Ranulf II, Earl of Chester. Eustace was married to the sister of Ranulf's constable, William fitz William, and in 1143 or 1144 William died. This made Eustace's wife and her sister Matilda joint heiress to the lands and offices of William, who was childless.
In either 1144 or 1145 Eustace obtained from Ranulf a large honour with lands mostly in Cheshire, Lancashire and Yorkshire, and gained the office of constable of Chester along with the status as chief counselor in Ranulf's dominions. Earl Ranulf's patronage also seems to have gained Eustace a grant by Roger de Mowbray (the earl's captive from the Battle of Lincoln
Battle of Lincoln (1141)
The Battle of Lincoln or First Battle of Lincoln occurred on 2 February 1141. In it Stephen of England was captured, imprisoned and effectively deposed while Empress Matilda ruled for a short time.-Account:...
) of fourteen knight fees worth of estates in Yorkshire and Lincolnshire, with townships along the river Humber. This was probably part of the attempts of the earl and his half-brother the Earl of Lincoln William de Roumare
William de Roumare, Earl of Lincoln
William de Romare , 1st Earl of Lincoln, 2nd Baron of Kendall, Lord of Bolingbroke....
to tighten their family's grip on the region. Eustace's position vis-a-vis Stephen probably mirrored that of Ranulf, and like other pro-Matildans there was probably no permanent stabilisation of relations until the settlement between Stephen and Matilda in the winter of 1153. In the following year, Eustace attested a charter King Stephen issued at York
York
York is a walled city, situated at the confluence of the Rivers Ouse and Foss in North Yorkshire, England. The city has a rich heritage and has provided the backdrop to major political events throughout much of its two millennia of existence...
in favour of Pontefract Priory
Pontefract Priory
Pontefract Priory was a Cluniac monastery dedicated to St. John the Evangelist, founded about 1090 by Robert de Lacy, and located in Yorkshire, England. It existed until the dissolution of the monasteries...
.
Death and legacy
Eustace had a good relationship with Stephen's successor Henry IIHenry II of England
Henry II ruled as King of England , Count of Anjou, Count of Maine, Duke of Normandy, Duke of Aquitaine, Duke of Gascony, Count of Nantes, Lord of Ireland and, at various times, controlled parts of Wales, Scotland and western France. Henry, the great-grandson of William the Conqueror, was the...
, and the latter seems to have regarded Eustace as one of his supporters. Henry confirmed Eustace's gifts to his son William de Vescy, and would recognise the latters succession to his father's lands. After Henry accession in 1154, Eustace attested the new king's charters. Eustace died in July 1157 near Basingwerk in Flintshire
Flintshire
Flintshire is a county in north-east Wales. It borders Denbighshire, Wrexham and the English county of Cheshire. It is named after the historic county of Flintshire, which had notably different borders...
, where on campaign with Henry against the Welsh he was ambushed and killed.
Eustace fitz John was remembered as a great monastic patron. He patronised Gloucester Abbey
Gloucester Abbey
Gloucester Abbey was a Benedictine abbey for monks in the city of Gloucester, England. The abbey was founded about 1022 and was dedicated to Saint Peter. It is recorded that the abbey lost about a quarter of its complement of monks in 1377 due to the Black Death.In 1540, the abbey was dissolved by...
, a Benedictine
Benedictine
Benedictine refers to the spirituality and consecrated life in accordance with the Rule of St Benedict, written by Benedict of Nursia in the sixth century for the cenobitic communities he founded in central Italy. The most notable of these is Monte Cassino, the first monastery founded by Benedict...
house, as well as the Augustinian Priory of Bridlington. In 1147, he founded his own abbey, Alnwick Abbey
Alnwick Abbey
Alnwick Abbey was founded as a Premonstratensian monastery in 1147 by Eustace fitz John near Alnwick, England, as a daughter house of Newhouse Abbey in Lincolnshire. It was dissolved in 1535, refounded in 1536 and finally suppressed in 1539. It was granted to the Sadler and Winnington...
, as a daughter-house of England's first Premonstratensian
Premonstratensian
The Order of Canons Regular of Prémontré, also known as the Premonstratensians, the Norbertines, or in Britain and Ireland as the White Canons , are a Catholic religious order of canons regular founded at Prémontré near Laon in 1120 by Saint Norbert, who later became Archbishop of Magdeburg...
monastery, Newhouse Abbey
Newhouse Abbey
Newhouse Abbey, near Brocklesby, Lincolnshire, was the first Premonstratensian abbey in England, founded in 1143. The abbey was built in honour of Our Lady and St. Martial, Bishop of Limoges....
in Lincolnshire
Lincolnshire
Lincolnshire is a county in the east of England. It borders Norfolk to the south east, Cambridgeshire to the south, Rutland to the south west, Leicestershire and Nottinghamshire to the west, South Yorkshire to the north west, and the East Riding of Yorkshire to the north. It also borders...
. Two years later, Eustace turned his favours to the order of Gilbert of Sempringham
Gilbert of Sempringham
Saint Gilbert of Sempringham became the only Englishman to found a conventual order, mainly because the abbot of Cîteaux declined his request to assist him in helping a group of women living with lay brothers and sisters, in 1148...
, in 1150 founding a Gilbertine priory at Malton in Yorkshire and another (with a nunnery) at Watton
Watton, East Riding of Yorkshire
Watton is a village and civil parish in the East Riding of Yorkshire, England. The village is situated on the A164 road, about north of Beverley and south of Driffield. According to the 2001 UK census the civil parish of Watton had a population of 238....
(also Yorkshire) around the same time. Later tradition held that Eustace founded these houses in penance for fighting with the Scots, but this has no basis in fact.
Watton, scene of Ailred of Rievaulx
Ailred of Rievaulx
Aelred , also Aelred, Ælred, Æthelred, etc., was an English writer, abbot of Rievaulx , and saint.-Life:...
's De Sanctimoniali de Wattun
De Sanctimoniali de Wattun
De Sanctimoniali de Wattun or the On the Nun of Watton is a 12th century miracle story, describing events which took place in Yorkshire in the mid-12th century at the nunnery of Watton, East Riding of Yorkshire. It is also called A Certain Wonderful Miracle.De Sanctimoniali de Wattun survives in...
, was founded jointly with Eustace's landlord William Fossard. Probably Eustace's patronage of the Gilbertines was influenced by the policies and inclinations of William, Earl of York
William le Gros, 1st Earl of Albemarle
William le Gros was the Count of Aumale , Earl of York, and Lord of Holderness. He was the eldest son of Stephen, Count of Aumale, and his spouse, Hawise, daughter of Ralph de Mortimer of Wigmore....
and Henry Murdac
Henry Murdac
Henry Murdac was abbot of Fountains Abbey and Archbishop of York in medieval England,-Early life:Murdac was a native of Yorkshire. He was friendly with Archbishop Thurstan of York, who secured his promotion in the cathedral chapter of York Minster, however Murdac resigned soon afterwards when...
, Archbishop of York. Eustace had become closely associated with the Earl of York. He witnessed two of Earl William's charters, between 1150 and 1153, and obtained land from him. And Eustace's name appears on coins minted at York, a city under the control of the earl.
Eustace is known to have had two sons, one by each wife. William de Vesci
William de Vesci
William FitzEustace de Vesci was an Anglo-Norman feudal lord and Sheriff.He was born in Knaresborough castle, Yorkshire to Eustace Fitz John de Burgo, Lord of Knaresborough and Beatrice de Vesci....
, his son by Beatrix, served as sheriff
Sheriff
A sheriff is in principle a legal official with responsibility for a county. In practice, the specific combination of legal, political, and ceremonial duties of a sheriff varies greatly from country to country....
of Northumberland between 1157 and 1170, and would become the ancestor of the Northumberland de Vescy family. Robert FitzEustace
Robert FitzEustace
Sir Robert FitzEustace was an Irish landowner and politician.He was born at Coghlanstown, County Kildare, son of Sir Richard FitzEustace, briefly Lord Chancellor of Ireland, and Katherine Preston...
, his son by Agnes, is known to have married Aubrey de Lisours, daughter of Aubrey de Lacy and niece of Ilbert II de Lacy (another baron captured by Earl Ranulf at the Battle of Lincoln). He became ancestor of a second line of de Lacys.
Several sources, including Roger of Howden, report that Eustace had only one eye.