DE VERE, Robert
1164 - 1221 (57 years)
Set As Default Person 
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Name DE VERE, Robert [1, 2] Birth 1164 Essex, England 
Gender Male Differentiator Magna Carta Baron Magna Carta 1215 Magna Carta Baron Royalty & Nobility 3rd Earl of Oxford Web Address https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_de_Vere,_3rd_Earl_of_Oxford Web Address https://frontlinestates.ltd.uk/robert-de-vere/ Web Address https://magnacarta800th.com/schools/biographies/the-25-barons-of-magna-carta/robert-de-vere/ Web Address https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/De_Vere-309 Residence Castle Hedingham, Essex, England Primary family property Death 25 Oct 1221 Hatfield Regis Priory, Hatfield Broad Oak, Essex, England Person ID I10333 My Genealogy | Laviolette Ancestry, Laviolette Ancestry Last Modified 4 Feb 2024
Father DE VERE, Aubrey, b. 1115 d. 26 Dec 1194 (Age 79 years) Relationship natural Mother ESSEX, Agnes of, b. 1151 d. Aft 1212 (Age > 62 years) Relationship natural Marriage 1162 Family ID F13538 Group Sheet | Family Chart
Family Living Children + 1. DE VERE, Hugh, b. 1210, Essex, England d. 23 Dec 1263 (Age 53 years) [Father: natural] [Mother: natural]Family ID F7346 Group Sheet | Family Chart Last Modified 4 Feb 2024
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Event Map 
Birth - 1164 - Essex, England 
Residence - Primary family property - - Castle Hedingham, Essex, England 
Death - 25 Oct 1221 - Hatfield Regis Priory, Hatfield Broad Oak, Essex, England = Link to Google Earth
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Photos 
Histories 
The Magna Carta A Descendant's Journey Through History
Albums 
Connections to the Magna Carta (6)
Imagine finding out you're not just linked to a pivotal slice of history, but directly descended from both sides of it. That's my story. I'm a 25th great-grandchild of King John of England and also connected to 12 of the 25 barons who played a key role in the Magna Carta. This isn't just a chapter from a history book for me; it's a personal journey through my family's past.
Few documents have resonated through the ages like the Magna Carta. The Magna Carta emerged from a period of tumult and tyranny. King John, my ancestor, often remembered more for his vices than virtues, was at the heart of this drama. His reign, marked by military failures, exorbitant taxation, and disputes with the Church, set the stage for a historic standoff between the crown and its subjects.
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Notes - Robert de Vere (d. 1221), the 3rd Earl of Oxford, was a significant figure in the early 13th-century English nobility and one of the twenty-five barons who enforced the Magna Carta. He was the third surviving son of Earl Aubrey de Vere and Agnes of Essex. Robert succeeded to the title on the death of his elder brother, Aubrey, in October 1214.
Before Michaelmas 1207, Robert married Isabel de Bolebec, the aunt and namesake of Earl Aubrey’s wife, who had died childless. This marriage was part of a strategy to retain control over the Bolebec lands, centered on Whitchurch in Buckinghamshire. The de Vere family, being one of the less well-endowed comital families, was keen to maintain their hold on valuable estates.
Robert's defection to the rebel side in 1215 is indicative of King John’s ability to alienate his natural allies. His predecessor had been a loyal intimate and administrator of the king. Robert's decision to join the rebellion was likely influenced by his resentment over the high relief charged for his entry into his inheritance and the king's failure to confirm him in the title of earl and in the office of court chamberlain, which the de Veres held by hereditary right.
He was present at the baronial muster at Stamford in April 1215 and was named by chronicler Roger Wendover as one of the principal promoters of discontent. He played a key role in the East Anglian group of rebels. Despite a royal letter issued on 23 June 1215, which implicitly recognized him as Earl of Oxford, Robert had already committed to the Twenty Five, a group of barons appointed to enforce the Magna Carta.
In March 1216, King John took possession of his castle at Hedingham after a siege. Robert, who was not present, sought the king’s forgiveness but soon defected to Louis of France. He did not re-enter royal allegiance until the general settlement of the rebellion in the autumn of 1217.
Robert de Vere died shortly before 25 October 1221 and was buried in Hatfield Broad Oak priory in Essex. A century after his death, a tomb effigy was commissioned in his memory, which was later moved to Hatfield Broad Oak parish church. His widow, Isabel, managed their son Hugh's estates until her death on 3 February 1245.
Robert de Vere's life and actions reflect the complex dynamics of loyalty, rebellion, and political maneuvering during King John's reign. His involvement in the Magna Carta and the baronial rebellion against King John highlights his significant role in the struggle for rights and governance in medieval England.
- Robert de Vere (d. 1221), the 3rd Earl of Oxford, was a significant figure in the early 13th-century English nobility and one of the twenty-five barons who enforced the Magna Carta. He was the third surviving son of Earl Aubrey de Vere and Agnes of Essex. Robert succeeded to the title on the death of his elder brother, Aubrey, in October 1214.
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Sources - [S1798] WikiTree: Thomas Dudley.
https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Dudley-129 - [S1802] WikiTree, Record of Robert de Vere (abt. 1240 - bef. 1296).
https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/De_Vere-307
- [S1798] WikiTree: Thomas Dudley.