Sir Henry Fitzhugh, Knt., KG, 3rd Baron Fitzhugh, (1364 - January 11 1424) was a high ranking English Baron who was on intimate terms with King Henry IV and King Henry V and was a guardian of the infant Henry VI.
Family
editHenry Fitzhugh was born in 1364 at Ravensworth Castle in the Richmondshire district of North Yorkshire, England. He was the son of Henry Fitzhugh, 2nd Baron Fitzhugh, and Joane, daughter of Henry, 1st Baron Scrope of Masham (granddaughter of Geoffrey le Scrope) whose manors in Masham, Clifton, and Burton Constable he inherited. He married Elizabeth, daughter and heir of Sir Robert Grey, Knt. (son of Lord John Grey of Rotherfield, by Avice, sister and co-heir of Lord Robert Marmion), and had issue:
- William, 4th Baron Fitzhugh, (c.1399-1452) m. Margery de Eresby (daughter of William Willoughby, 5th Baron Willoughby de Eresby)
- Robert, Bishop of London 1431
- Ralph, died in France
- Geoffrey
- Herbert
- John, died young
- Henry, died young
- Joane, m. Sir Robert Willoughby, Knt.
- Eleanor, m. first to Lord Philip D’Arcy, secondly to Thomas Tunstall, and thirdly to Sir Henry Bromflete, Lord of Vescy in 1449
- Maud, m. Sir William Eure, Knt.
- Elizabeth, m. Sir Ralph Grey, Knt. of Northumberland
- Laura, m. Sir Maurice Berkeley, Knt. (grandson of Thomas de Berkeley, 3rd Baron Berkeley through Thomas' son, Sir John de Berkeley)
Politics
editHe was summoned to Parliament from December 17, 1387 - September 1, 1423.
In 1407, Henry was charged with an important mission to Denmark to escort Philippa of Englandand to negotiate her dowry and conclude the treaty of alliance between England and Denmark (see Religion below). In 1412 he was appointed a commissioner on the affairs of Scotland where he assisted in negotiating a truce with the Scots and afterwards helped maintain the peace. Upon the Coronation of Henry V in 1413 he was pronounced Constable of England and the next year was named Lord Chamberlain and given an annual grant of ₤100 from the crown.
Religion
editOn the 14th of August, 1406, Phillipa, daughter of Henry IV, was sent under the protection of Henry FitzHugh, among others, to Lund, Sweden to marry King Eric of Pomerania in a journey taking over two months and consisting of ten ships and four barges. During the trip, the Bridgettine Order caught his attention when he went on a journey to visit their motherhouse, Vadstena Abbey. The abbey chronicles record on Nov. 28, 1406 that Henry was so inspired by what he saw that he volunteered to found a branch of the Order in England. He offered his manor at "Hinton" or "Hintim", near Cambridge under the condition that some of the Order take possession of it within ten years. Whether or not Henry's offer was ever taken up by the Bridgettines is not recorded, but it is undoubtable that it was his influence that convinced Henry V to found Syon Abbey in Isleworth to which he donated much of his own wealth to support.
He assisted at the Council of Constance (c. 1414-1418).
Military
editHe traveled twice to Jerusalem and beyond to Cairo where "the Sultan had his residence" and in return Henry fought against the Saracens and the Turks. As part of his campaign in the Middle East, he helped construct St. Peter's Castle in southwest Turkey with the Knights of Rhodes. It is recorded that in the autumn of 1409, Henry purchased and exported bows, arrows, and bowstrings for the armament of the castle. His Coat of Arms resides over the gateway of one of the towers, known as the English Tower, among 26 others who helped found the fortress.
From 1418 - 1422 Henry was uninterruptedly involved in the French wars during which time he was present at the Seige of Roan with the Duke of Exeter and was given the towns of %% to govern.