General Notes

[ralphroberts.ged]

[roberts.GED]

[jerryc490.ged]

John FitzGeoffrey, son of Geoffrey FitzPiers, Earl of Essex, by Aveline, his 2nd wife, being next male heir of that family on the death of William FitzPiers, Earl of Essex, in 1227, paid a fine to the king of 300 marks for those lands which were his father's and did by hereditary right belong to him, where of this last Earl William died seised.  In the 19th of Henry III [1345], this John was constituted sheriff of Yorkshire; and in the 21st of the same reign, upon the treaty then made between the king and the barons, whereby, in consideration of the great charter and charters of the forest being confirmed, a thirtieth part of all men's movables was given to the king, this feudal lord was admitted one of the privy council; and the same year, there being a grand council held at London, he was one of these at the time sent to the Pope's legate to prohibit his attempting anything therein prejudicial to the interest of the king and religion.  In eight years afterward, John FitzGeoffrey was one of the commissioners sent from King Henry, with Roger Bigod, Earl of Norfok, and others, to the council at Lyons in order to complain of the great exactions made upon the realm by the holy see; and the next year he was constituted justice of Ireland where, for his services, he received a grant from the crow of the Isles of Thomond.  He m. Isabel, dau. of Sir Ralph Bigod, 3rd son of Hugh, Earl of Norfolk, sister of John Bigod, and widow of Gilbert De Laci, and dying in 1256, was s. by his son, John FitzJohn.  [Sir Bernard Burke, Dormant, Abeyant, Forfeited, and Extinct Peerages, Burke's Peerage, Ltd., London, 1883, p. 208, FitzJohn, Barons, FitzJohn][ralphroberts.ged]

[chaas2.ged]

1. WFT Volume 7, Tree #3325, Volume 10, Tree #3439, Volume 5, Tree #514, #1914, #1563, Volume 6, Tree #1556
2. Royal Ancestors of Some LDS Families compiled by Michel L. Call: Pg.127,#22,chart 212; Pg. 156,#1, chart 358
3. Justiciar of Ireland 1245-1256
4.  "Ancestors of Homer Beers"  Bigod Line (Earls of Norfolk) Ref; Crispin and Macary, "The Falaise Rolls". pg 98.; Burke, pg. 53:
       John FitzGeoffrey (FitzPiers?), Lord of Berkhampstead, Sheriff of Yorkshire, in 1234, Lord Justice of Ireland, in 1246, son of Geoffrey FitzPiers, Earl of Essex, by Aveline his 2nd wife. See Burke, pg. 208. John, being next male heir of that family on the death of William FitzPiers, Earl of Essex, in 1227, paid a fine to the king of 300 marks for those lands which were his father's and did by hereditary right belong to him, whereof this last Earl William died seised. In the 18th year of Henry III., this John was constituted Sheriff of Yorkshire; and in the 21st year of the same reign, upon the treaty then made between the king and the barons, whereby, in consideration of the great charter and charters of the forests being confirmed, a thirtieth part of all men's moveables were given to the king, this feudal lord was admitted one of the privy council held at London, he was one of those at the time sent to the Pope's legate, to prohibit his attempting anything therein prejudicial to the interests of the king and kingdom. In eight years afterwards, John Fitz Geoffrey was one of the commissioners sent from King Henry (with Roger Bigod, Earl of Norfolk, and others) to the council at Lyons, in order to complain of the great extractions made upon the realm by the holy see; and the next year, 1246, was constituted Justice of Ireland, where, for his services, he received a grant from the crown of the Isles of Thomond. John was the feudal lord of Berkhampstead and Kirtling manors, and of Shere, Fambridge and other estates. He died in November 1258. They had the following children:
1. John FitzJohn, married Margery Basset, daughter of Philip Basset, Justice of England. Joining Montfort, Earl of Leicester, and the other turbulent barons, this John Fitz-John had a chief command at the battle of Lewes; after which, marching towards Wales, he reduced Richard's Castle (the chief seat of Hugh De Mortimer), and the Castle of Ludlow. He was subsequently constituted, by grant of the barons, Sheriff of Westmoreland, and keeper of the castles in those parts; and likewise Governor of Windsor Castle; but sharing the fate of his party at the battle of Evesham, he became a prisoner in the hands of the royalists, when the inheritance of his lands appears to have been given, by the king, to Clare, Earl of Gloucester; but he had permission afterwards to compound for them under the "dictum of Kenilworth." He was summoned to parliament as a baron, December 14, 1264, but d.s.p. in 1276, when that dignity expired. He was succeeded in his estates by his brother, Richard.
2. Richard FitzJohn, who upon doing homage, and paying his relief, had livery of all his lands in the counties of Norfolk, Bucks, Devon, Surrey, Wilts, Southampton, Essex. and Northampton. In the 10th year of Edward I., he was in the Welsh wars, and was summoned to parliament as a baron, June 23, 1295, but d.s.p. in 1297, in Gascony during the wars of France, when the barony of Fitz-John became extinct, while his lands devolved upon his heirs: Maud, Countess of Warwick, his eldest sister, who died in 1300; Robert Clifford, son of Isabel Clifford, daughter of Isabel Fitz-John, who married Robert De Vipount, his 2nd sister, and Idonea Leyburne, another daughter of Isabel; Richard De Burgh, Earl of Ulster, son of Aveline, his 3rd sister; and Joane, wife of Theobald Le Boteler, his 4th sister. Richard married Emma _______, who died January 26, 1331-32.
3. Maud FitzJohn (FitzGeoffrey).
4. Isabel FitzGeoffrey, married Robert De Vipount
5. Aveline FitzGeoffrey
6. Joan FitzGeoffrey