General Notes

Sir Simon de Montacute, 1st Baron de Montacute, who was in several expeditions into Wales, particularly in that of 10th of Edward I, 1282, when Llewellyn lost his territory and his life. He obtained from Edward I, confirmation of the Manor of Shipton Montague in Somerset, with the woods thereunto belonging in the forest of Selwood and a grant of several Manors in the same county, and in those of Dorset, Devon and Oxford. This same Lord Montacute made several campaigns with reputation both in France and Scotland, in the reign of Edward I, in which he was also Governor of Corffe Castle in Devonshire. In the reign of Edward II he served again in Scotland, and was Governor of the Castle of Beaumaris in the Isle of Anglesly, and Admiral of the King's Fleet. In that reign he also obtained a grant for a weekly market on Tuesday at his Manor of Yardlington, County Somerset. In the 7th of Edward II, 1314, he obtained a license of the king to fortify his Manor at Yardlington. This Manor was very beautifully situated in a picturesque locality upon a very fine lawn, and remained in this family through many descents, until through the last Countess of Salisbury, who was beheaded at the age of seventy by Henry VIII, it passed to the Poles, and thence to Henry Stafford, Duke of Buckingham. He bore his Coat of Arms the original shield of his ancestor Drogo I, as did his father and each of his ancestors. However this Sir Simon later changed the Arms to Argent, three fusils in fess gules. Illustration opposite page 15 in Montague Genealogy, and is taken from his seal appended to his signature to the letter of the Barons of England to Pope Boniface VIII, in the reign of Edward I, 1301, a duplicate of which is preserved in the chapter house at Westminster. These arms, with some modifications for differences in family, have been the arms of all the succeeding families of Montague. Sir Simon married Aufricia, daughter of Fergusius, King of the Isle of Man, who was descended from Orry, King of Denmark. The historian records that Aufricia, having fled to King Edward, when dispossessed by Alexander III, of Scotland. Edward bestowed her in marriage on Simon, Lord Montague, who by the king's assistance recovered the Island and enjoyed it in her right for many years. Sir Simon was summoned to Parliament from 28 of Edward I to 8 of Edward II, 1300-1315, soon after which, in 1316, he died, leaving two sons, William and Simon.