Philip (Despenser) le Despenser (abt. 1365 - 1424)

Born about 1365 in England

Ancestors

Husband of Elizabeth (Tiptoft) le Despenser — married before 23 Nov 1385 in England

Descendants

Died 20 Jun 1424 at about age 59 in England

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Biography

Philip le Despencer, Knt., was the son and heir of Philip le Despenser, Lord Despenser, and Elizabeth _____. He was born about 1365^[1][2] (aged 36 or more at the death of his father in 1401).^[3] As no birth record has been found and his father held lands in several counties, Philip's birthplace is unknown.

Philip was knighted before 12 May 1385,^[3] when he appears as a knight in the patent rolls as being enfeoffed of the manor of Lymbergh with his father.^[4]

Philip married Elizabeth Tibetot (or Tybotot), daughter and co-heiress of Robert de Tibetot, Knt., 3rd Lord Tibetot and his wife Margaret Deincourt, before 23 November 1385,^[1] when the king took Philip's fealty for his wife's share of her father's lands.^[3][5] They had one daughter:

• Margery (or Margaret), born about 1398-1400, died 20 April 1478, married first John Roos, Knt., 7th Lord Roos of Helmsley, and second to Roger Wentworth^[1]

The Complete Peerage notes that Philip and Elizabeth may have had other children who died in their parents' lifetimes, without leaving issue: Philip, George and Elizabeth. These children are said to have been buried at Grey Friars, Ipswich.^[3]

In right of his wife, Philip held lands in Lindsell and Little Stambridge, Essex; Chatham, Kingston and Sibron, Kent; Nettlestead and Barrow, Suffolk; and Marston, Lincolnshire.^[1][3] Philip later inherited lands in Goxhill, Lincolnshire and Camoys, Essex.^[1] On 14 September 1401, Philip had livery of his father's lands and his fealty was ordered to be taken by the Abbot of Bury St. Edmunds.^[3][6]

Philip's father had been summoned to Parliament, on which basis Philip is described by modern writers as de jure 2nd Baron le Despenser. But it appears that Philip himself was never summoned to Parliament, nor were any of his heirs before Sir Thomas Wentworth ("de jure 6th Baron"). Sir Thomas adopted the style Baron Wentworth, and (perhaps for that reason) his summons by writ is regarded as having created a new title, rather than having revived the dormant title. On this basis, the two titles have descended together since then.^[3]

Richardson states that Philip's wife, Elizabeth, died 19 January, year unknown, and was buried at Grey Friars, Ipswich, Suffolk.^[1] The Complete Peerage states that she predeceased her husband.^[3] Sir Philip died on 20 June 1424,^[1] without a male heir.^[3] His property and hypothetical title passed to his only daughter, Margery, wife of Roger Wentworth, aged 24-26 and more.^[7]

Sources

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6} Douglas Richardson. Royal Ancestry: A Study in Colonial and Medieval Families, Vol. IV. Salt Lake City, UT: the author, 2013, pp. 216, NETTLESTEAD 14.
2. ↑ Douglas Richardson. Magna Carta Ancestry: A Study in Colonial and Medieval Families, 2nd ed., vol. III. Salt Lake City, UT: the author, 2011, p. 234, NETTLESTEAD 9. Google Books.
3. ↑ ^{3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 3.6 3.7 3.8} G.E. Cokayne and Vicary Gibbs eds. Complete Peerage of England, Scotland, Ireland, Great Britain and the United Kingdom, Vol. IV: Dacre - Dysart, 2nd ed. London, 1916, p. 290. Archive.org.
4. ↑ Calendar of the patent rolls preserved in the Public Record Office. 1381-1385: Richard II. London: HMSO, 1897, p. 562. HathiTrust.org.
5. ↑ Some Corrections and Additions to the Complete Peerage: Volume 4: Despenser at MedievalGenealogy.org.
6. ↑ Great Britain. Calendar of the Fine Rolls, vol. 12, Henry IV 1399-1405. London: HMSO, 1931, p. 135. Archive.org.
7. ↑ "Inquisitions Post Mortem for Philip le Despenser, knight 1424". #307-312. King's College London, 2014. Available at Mapping the Medieval Countryside.

• Gage, John. History & Antiquities of Suffolk, Thingoe Hundred. London: John Deck, 1838, pp. 4, 7-8. Google Books.
• "The heir(s) of William la Zouche, of Essex" 2003 posts in soc.genealogy.medieval newsgroup re: daughter Margery.
• Wikipedia: Philip le Despencer, 2nd Baron le Despencer.

Acknowledgements

Magna Carta Project

This profile was developed for the Magna Carta Project on 9 November 2022 by Thiessen-117 and reviewed for the Project the same day by Michael Cayley.

Philip (Despenser) le Despenser is a descendant of Magna Carta Surety Barons Hugh le Bigod, Roger le Bigod and William Malet and appears in badged trails to the following Gateway Ancestors:

• Marmaduke Beckwith: badged 2022, see trail HERE. Also see Jennings, below.
• Nathaniel Burrough (MCA I:375-376 BURROUGH): trail badged Nov 2022. See the trail HERE.
• William Clopton: badged 2022, see trail HERE.
• Anne Derehaugh (MCA II:62-63 DEREHAUGH): trail badged Nov 2022. See the trail HERE.
• William Farrar (MCA II:141-142 FARRER): trail badged Nov 2022. This trail is set out HERE.
• Henry Isham: trail badged Nov 2022. See trail HERE.
• Edmund Jennings: badged Nov 2022. See the trail HERE.
• Kempe Gateways (Richard, Edward, Edmund and Matthew) (MCA II:468-470 KEMPE): badged Nov 2022. See the trail HERE.
• Jemima Waldegrave (MCA I:354-355 BURES): trail badged Nov 2022. See the trail HERE.

See Base Camp for more information about identified Magna Carta trails and their status. See the project's glossary for project-specific terms, such as a "badged trail".