John de Courcy
Encyclopedia
John de Courcy (1160–1219) was a Anglo-Norman
knight who arrived in Ireland
in 1176. From then until his expulsion in 1204, he conquered a considerable territory, endowed religious establishments, built abbeys for both the Benedictine
s and the Cistercians and built strongholds at Dundrum Castle
in County Down
and Carrickfergus Castle
in County Antrim
.
from the River Bann to the Irish Sea. After conquering eastern Ulster he established his caput at Carrickfergus, where he built an impressive stone castle. He married Affreca, daughter of Godred II Olafsson, King of Mann
and Findguala MacLochlainn, in c. 1180. A castle at Dundrum was established in the 1180s, although the stone tower is likely the work of Hugh de Lacy II, Earl of Ulster.
Inch Abbey
, near Downpatrick
, County Down, was established as a Cistercian house by John de Courcy in c.1180/88 (the date is disputed). Inch, or Iniscourcy, was founded as an act of repentance for the destruction of the Abbey at Erinagh (or Erenagh) (3 miles (4.8km) to the south) by de Courcy in 1177. It was colonised directly by monks from Furness Abbey
in Lancashire
, along with some of the monks from Erinagh.
In 1183, John de Courcy provided for the establishment of a priory at the cathedral of Down with generous endowments to the Benedictine
s from Chester
in England
(free from all subjugation to Chester Cathedral). This building was destroyed by an earthquake
in 1245. He also created a cell for Benedictines at St. Andres in Ards (Black Abbey) for the houses of Stoke Courcy
in Somerset
and Lonlay in France
, which was near Inishargy, Kircubbin
, in present-day County Down. The early Irish monastery of Nendrum was given to the Benedictine house of St Bees
in Cumberland
in order that they might also establish a cell. His wife, Affreca, founded the Cistercian monastery of Grey, Co. Down, as a daughter house of Holm Cultram
(Cumberland) in 1193.
He also made incursions into the west in order to increase his territory and lordship. In 1188 he invaded Connacht
, but was repulsed and the next year he plundered Armagh
. He was born in 1160
and most of Donegal
was at his mercy. Two years later he returned to devastate Inishowen
and on his way destroyed churches at Ardstraw
, County Tyrone
and Raphoe
, County Donegal.
In 1199, because of his separatist tendencies, King John authorized Hugh de Lacy
, younger son of Hugh de Lacy
Lord of Meath, to wage war on John de Courcy. Hugh captured John de Courcy in 1203. An account of his capture appears in the Book of Howth. This passage helps explain why John had a reputation as a strong, God-fearing warrior:
In May 1205, King John
made Hugh Earl of Ulster, granting him all the land of the province "as John de Courcy held it on the day when Hugh defeated him". John de Courcy returned, sailing across the Irish sea from the Isle of Man
in July 1205 with Norse soldiers and a hundred boats supplied by his brother-in-law, Ragnold, King of Mann
. John and his army landed at Strangford
and laid siege to Dundrum Castle in vain, because the defenses he himself had made were too strong.
King John then had John de Courcy imprisoned and he spent the rest of his life in poverty. He was subsequently released when he "crossed himself" to go on a pilgrimage to the Holy Land.
's The Prince and the Pauper
(1).
In his book Saint Patrick
's Town, Anthony M. Wilson said about John de Courcy:
| |
| |
Baudri the German Vigor
=niece of Godfrey (?) of Brionne
|
|________________________________________________________________________________________________
| | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | |
Nicholas Fulk Robert Richard Baudri Vigor Elizabeth daughters
de Bacqueville de Alnou de Courcy of Neville of Bocquence of Apulia =Fulk of Bonneval
issue issue =Hebrea issue issue
|
|
Richard
=Wandelmode
|
__________________________|
| | |
| | |
Robert Richard William, died c. 1130.
=Rohesia de Grandesmil =Emma de Falise
| |
| |
William Robert, died c. 1151.
| |
de Courcy de Courcy
of France of England and Ireland
Corbutonis de Falise
=? =Ameline
| |
| |_________________________________________
| | | | |
| | | | |
Martin = Geva de Burci = William de Falise Roger Gaufridus Galterus
| |
| |_____________________________
| | |
| | |
Robert fitz Martin
Emma = William de Courcy Sibil = Baldwin de Bullers
|
___________________________|______________
| | |
| | |
William, died c. 1151. Robert Jordan
=Avice de Rumelly =?
| |
|____________________ |___________
| | | | |
| | | | |
William Robert Richard John Jordan
|
|
Baron Kingsale
Anglo-Norman
The Anglo-Normans were mainly the descendants of the Normans who ruled England following the Norman conquest by William the Conqueror in 1066. A small number of Normans were already settled in England prior to the conquest...
knight who arrived in Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
in 1176. From then until his expulsion in 1204, he conquered a considerable territory, endowed religious establishments, built abbeys for both the 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...
s and the Cistercians and built strongholds at Dundrum Castle
Dundrum Castle
Dundrum Castle is a castle, situated above the town of Dundrum, County Down, Northern Ireland. It was constructed by John de Courcy, sometime near the beginning of the 13th century, following his invasion of Ulster...
in County Down
County Down
-Cities:*Belfast *Newry -Large towns:*Dundonald*Newtownards*Bangor-Medium towns:...
and Carrickfergus Castle
Carrickfergus Castle
Carrickfergus Castle is a Norman castle in Northern Ireland, situated in the town of Carrickfergus in County Antrim, on the northern shore of Belfast Lough. Besieged in turn by the Scots, Irish, English and French, the castle played an important military role until 1928 and remains one of the best...
in County Antrim
County Antrim
County Antrim is one of six counties that form Northern Ireland, situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland. Adjoined to the north-east shore of Lough Neagh, the county covers an area of 2,844 km², with a population of approximately 616,000...
.
Early career in Ireland
John de Courcy marched north from Dublin in 1176 with a small contingent of knights and footmen and conquered eastern UlsterUlster
Ulster is one of the four provinces of Ireland, located in the north of the island. In ancient Ireland, it was one of the fifths ruled by a "king of over-kings" . Following the Norman invasion of Ireland, the ancient kingdoms were shired into a number of counties for administrative and judicial...
from the River Bann to the Irish Sea. After conquering eastern Ulster he established his caput at Carrickfergus, where he built an impressive stone castle. He married Affreca, daughter of Godred II Olafsson, King of Mann
King of Mann
The King of Mann was the title taken between 1237 and 1504 by the various rulers, both sovereign and suzerain, over the Kingdom of Mann – the Isle of Man which is located in the Irish Sea, at the centre of the British Isles....
and Findguala MacLochlainn, in c. 1180. A castle at Dundrum was established in the 1180s, although the stone tower is likely the work of Hugh de Lacy II, Earl of Ulster.
Inch Abbey
Inch Abbey
Inch Abbey is a large, ruined monastic site 0.75 miles north-west of Downpatrick, County Down, Northern Ireland, on the north bank of the River Quoile in a hollow between two drumlins and featuring early Gothic architecture...
, near Downpatrick
Downpatrick
Downpatrick is a medium-sized town about 33 km south of Belfast in County Down, Northern Ireland. It is the county town of Down with a rich history and strong connection to Saint Patrick. It had a population of 10,316 at the 2001 Census...
, County Down, was established as a Cistercian house by John de Courcy in c.1180/88 (the date is disputed). Inch, or Iniscourcy, was founded as an act of repentance for the destruction of the Abbey at Erinagh (or Erenagh) (3 miles (4.8km) to the south) by de Courcy in 1177. It was colonised directly by monks from Furness Abbey
Furness Abbey
Furness Abbey, or St. Mary of Furness is a former monastery situated on the outskirts of the English town of Barrow-in-Furness, Cumbria. The abbey dates back to 1123 and was once the second wealthiest and most powerful Cistercian monastery in the country, behind only Fountains Abbey in North...
in Lancashire
Lancashire
Lancashire is a non-metropolitan county of historic origin in the North West of England. It takes its name from the city of Lancaster, and is sometimes known as the County of Lancaster. Although Lancaster is still considered to be the county town, Lancashire County Council is based in Preston...
, along with some of the monks from Erinagh.
In 1183, John de Courcy provided for the establishment of a priory at the cathedral of Down with generous endowments to the 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...
s from 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...
in England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
(free from all subjugation to Chester Cathedral). This building was destroyed by an earthquake
Earthquake
An earthquake is the result of a sudden release of energy in the Earth's crust that creates seismic waves. The seismicity, seismism or seismic activity of an area refers to the frequency, type and size of earthquakes experienced over a period of time...
in 1245. He also created a cell for Benedictines at St. Andres in Ards (Black Abbey) for the houses of Stoke Courcy
Stogursey
Stogursey is the name of a small village and civil parish in the Quantock Hills in Somerset, England. It is situated from Nether Stowey, and west of Bridgwater...
in Somerset
Somerset
The ceremonial and non-metropolitan county of Somerset in South West England borders Bristol and Gloucestershire to the north, Wiltshire to the east, Dorset to the south-east, and Devon to the south-west. It is partly bounded to the north and west by the Bristol Channel and the estuary of the...
and Lonlay in France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, which was near Inishargy, Kircubbin
Kircubbin, County Down
Kircubbin is a village and townland in County Down, Northern Ireland. It is on the shores of Strangford Lough, between Newtownards and Portaferry. The population is roughly 2,000. The village harbour contains leisure craft, yachts, and a sailing club...
, in present-day County Down. The early Irish monastery of Nendrum was given to the Benedictine house of St Bees
St Bees
St Bees is a village and civil parish in the Copeland district of Cumbria, in the North of England, about five miles west southwest of Whitehaven. The parish had a population of 1,717 according to the 2001 census. Within the parish is St...
in 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....
in order that they might also establish a cell. His wife, Affreca, founded the Cistercian monastery of Grey, Co. Down, as a daughter house of Holm Cultram
Holmcultram Abbey
Holmcultram Abbey was a Cistercian monastery founded in 1150 in what is now the village of Abbeytown in Cumbria in England but at the time of foundation was in territory in the possession of David I of Scotland, who together with his son, Henry, founded it in 1150...
(Cumberland) in 1193.
He also made incursions into the west in order to increase his territory and lordship. In 1188 he invaded Connacht
Connacht
Connacht , formerly anglicised as Connaught, is one of the Provinces of Ireland situated in the west of Ireland. In Ancient Ireland, it was one of the fifths ruled by a "king of over-kings" . Following the Norman invasion of Ireland, the ancient kingdoms were shired into a number of counties for...
, but was repulsed and the next year he plundered Armagh
Armagh
Armagh is a large settlement in Northern Ireland, and the county town of County Armagh. It is a site of historical importance for both Celtic paganism and Christianity and is the seat, for both the Roman Catholic Church and the Church of Ireland, of the Archbishop of Armagh...
. He was born in 1160
Later career in Ireland
In 1196 he defeated the King of the Cenél ConaillCenél Conaill
The Cenél Conaill is the name of the "kindred" or descendants of Conall Gulban, son of Niall Noígiallach defined by oral and recorded history. They were also known in Scotland as the Kindred of Saint Columba....
and most of Donegal
County Donegal
County Donegal is a county in Ireland. It is part of the Border Region and is also located in the province of Ulster. It is named after the town of Donegal. Donegal County Council is the local authority for the county...
was at his mercy. Two years later he returned to devastate Inishowen
Inishowen
Inishowen is a peninsula in County Donegal, part of the Province of Ulster in the north of Ireland. It is also the largest peninsula in all of Ireland. Inishowen is a picturesque location with a rich history...
and on his way destroyed churches at Ardstraw
Ardstraw
Ardstraw is a small village in County Tyrone, Northern Ireland, three miles northwest of Newtownstewart. In the 2001 Census it had a population of 222 people....
, County Tyrone
County Tyrone
Historically Tyrone stretched as far north as Lough Foyle, and comprised part of modern day County Londonderry east of the River Foyle. The majority of County Londonderry was carved out of Tyrone between 1610-1620 when that land went to the Guilds of London to set up profit making schemes based on...
and Raphoe
Raphoe
Raphoe is a town in County Donegal, part of the province of Ulster in Ireland. It is the main town in the fertile district of East Donegal known as the Laggan, as well as giving its name to the Roman Catholic Diocese of Raphoe and the Church of Ireland Diocese of Derry and Raphoe.-Name:Raphoe,...
, County Donegal.
In 1199, because of his separatist tendencies, King John authorized Hugh de Lacy
Hugh de Lacy, 1st Earl of Ulster
125px|right|thumb|[[coat of arms|Arms]] of Hugh de LacyHugh de Lacy, 1st Earl of Ulster was the younger son of Hugh de Lacy, and founded the Earldom of Ulster....
, younger son of Hugh de Lacy
Hugh de Lacy, Lord of Meath
Hugh de Lacy, Lord of Meath was an Anglo-Norman magnate granted the lands of the Kingdom of Meath by Henry II in 1172, during the Norman Invasion of Ireland.-Early life:Hugh de Lacy was born before 1135...
Lord of Meath, to wage war on John de Courcy. Hugh captured John de Courcy in 1203. An account of his capture appears in the Book of Howth. This passage helps explain why John had a reputation as a strong, God-fearing warrior:
In May 1205, King John
John of England
John , also known as John Lackland , was King of England from 6 April 1199 until his death...
made Hugh Earl of Ulster, granting him all the land of the province "as John de Courcy held it on the day when Hugh defeated him". John de Courcy returned, sailing across the Irish sea from the Isle of Man
Isle of Man
The Isle of Man , otherwise known simply as Mann , is a self-governing British Crown Dependency, located in the Irish Sea between the islands of Great Britain and Ireland, within the British Isles. The head of state is Queen Elizabeth II, who holds the title of Lord of Mann. The Lord of Mann is...
in July 1205 with Norse soldiers and a hundred boats supplied by his brother-in-law, Ragnold, King of Mann
King of Mann
The King of Mann was the title taken between 1237 and 1504 by the various rulers, both sovereign and suzerain, over the Kingdom of Mann – the Isle of Man which is located in the Irish Sea, at the centre of the British Isles....
. John and his army landed at Strangford
Strangford
Strangford is a small village at the mouth of Strangford Lough in County Down, Northern Ireland. It had a population of 475 people at the 2001 Census.On the other side of the lough is Portaferry and there is a ferry service between the two villages...
and laid siege to Dundrum Castle in vain, because the defenses he himself had made were too strong.
King John then had John de Courcy imprisoned and he spent the rest of his life in poverty. He was subsequently released when he "crossed himself" to go on a pilgrimage to the Holy Land.
Literary references
The story of John de Courcy's defeat of the French champion, and his winning the privilege to remain covered in the presence of the King, appears in Chapter 12 of Mark TwainMark Twain
Samuel Langhorne Clemens , better known by his pen name Mark Twain, was an American author and humorist...
's The Prince and the Pauper
The Prince and the Pauper
The Prince and the Pauper is an English-language novel by American author Mark Twain. It was first published in 1881 in Canada before its 1882 publication in the United States. The book represents Twain's first attempt at historical fiction...
(1).
In his book Saint Patrick
Saint Patrick
Saint Patrick was a Romano-Briton and Christian missionary, who is the most generally recognized patron saint of Ireland or the Apostle of Ireland, although Brigid of Kildare and Colmcille are also formally patron saints....
's Town, Anthony M. Wilson said about John de Courcy:
Family tree I
________________________________________| |
| |
Baudri the German Vigor
=niece of Godfrey (?) of Brionne
|
|________________________________________________________________________________________________
| | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | |
Nicholas Fulk Robert Richard Baudri Vigor Elizabeth daughters
de Bacqueville de Alnou de Courcy of Neville of Bocquence of Apulia =Fulk of Bonneval
issue issue =Hebrea issue issue
|
|
Richard
=Wandelmode
|
__________________________|
| | |
| | |
Robert Richard William, died c. 1130.
=Rohesia de Grandesmil =Emma de Falise
| |
| |
William Robert, died c. 1151.
| |
de Courcy de Courcy
of France of England and Ireland
Family tree II
Serlo de BurciSerlo de Burci
Serlo de Burci was a Norman of the eleventh century. After the Norman Conquest of England, he became a tenant-in-chief and major landowner in south-west England. His estate centred on Blagdon in Somerset...
Corbutonis de Falise
=? =Ameline
| |
| |_________________________________________
| | | | |
| | | | |
Martin = Geva de Burci = William de Falise Roger Gaufridus Galterus
| |
| |_____________________________
| | |
| | |
Robert fitz Martin
Robert fitz Martin
Robert fitz Martin was a Norman knight and first Lord of Cemais, Wales.-Family background:Robert fitz Martin was born some time in the late 11th century to Geva de Burci, heiress of Serlo de Burci, and an otherwise unknown man called Martin.Geva de Burci's second husband was William de Falaise,...
Emma = William de Courcy Sibil = Baldwin de Bullers
|
___________________________|______________
| | |
| | |
William, died c. 1151. Robert Jordan
=Avice de Rumelly =?
| |
|____________________ |___________
| | | | |
| | | | |
William Robert Richard John Jordan
|
|
Baron Kingsale
Baron Kingsale
The Barony of Kingsale is one of the most ancient peerage titles in Britain or Ireland. The Barony, in the Peerage of Ireland, dates to the thirteenth century, perhaps being created circa 1223, though other sources give different dates. The first creation was by writ. The title was officially...
- Derived from Flanders 2009, p. 177, 178, 180, 181.