Page:Dictionary of National Biography volume 51.djvu/208

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manor of Overhall in Essex, to hold by the service of making ‘wafres,’ and attendance on the coronation (Foss). He also held an estate in Kempston, Bedfordshire. Conjointly with two others he had the custody of the great seal for a few weeks from 11 July 1382. A new treasurer was appointed on 17 Jan. 1386, in which year Segrave was dead.

[Foss's Judges, iv. 86–7; Rymer's Fœdera, vol. iii. pt. ii. p. 932, iv. 10, 113, 119, 123, Abbrev. Rot. Orig. ii. 304, Litt. Pat. p. 203, Devon's Issue Roll of T. de Brantingham, p. 89, Inquis. post mortem, iii. 84 (these five Record Publ.); Cal. of Patent Rolls, 1377–81, ed. 1895, passim; Rot. Parl. iii. 99, Chron. Angliæ, p. 334, T. Walsingham, ii. 30, Gesta Abb. S. Albani, iii. 322, 345 (these three Rolls Ser.); Bishop Stubbs's Const. Hist. ii. 460–1, ed. 1875).]

W. H.

SEGRAVE, JOHN de (1256?–1325), baron, born about 1256, was the eldest son and heir of Nicholas de Segrave, first baron Segrave [q. v.], and of his wife Matilda. In 1270 he married Christiana, the daughter of Sir Hugh de Plessetis [see under Plessis or Plessetis, John de, Earl of Warwick], and his wife Margaret, from whom he received in frank marriage the manor of Stottesdon. At the same time his sister Annabel was married to Hugh's son John. After his father-in-law's death John de Segrave had custody of his lands during the minority of his heir (Cal. Close Rolls, 1307–13, p. 381). In 1277 and 1282 he served in the two great campaigns against Llywelyn of Wales (Parl. Writs, i. 831). In October 1287 he went to Ireland, nominating proctors to represent him for one year (Cal. Patent Rolls, 1281–92, p. 278). On 6 Aug. 1291 he received at Berwick letters of protection for one year on staying in Scotland on the king's service (ib. p. 440; Hist. Doc. Scotl. i. 218). He was afterwards constantly employed in the Scots wars. On the death of his father in 1295 John, then thirty-nine years of age, entered as heir into the possession of his property (Calendarium Genealogicum, p. 523). He was first summoned to the Bury parliament of November 1296 (Parl. Writs, i. 831), and was henceforth regularly summoned until his death.

On 14 Jan. 1297 Segrave was one of the magnates attending the Hilarytide parliament at York, with the intention of proceeding against the Scots (Hemingburgh, ii. 156). But home troubles supervened, and the expedition was postponed. Segrave now closely attached himself to one of the leaders of the baronial opposition. In 1297 Segrave made an indenture with Roger Bigod, fifth earl of Norfolk and marshal of England [q. v.], by which he covenanted to serve the earl, with five other knights, in war and in peace, for the rest of his life in England, Wales, and Scotland. He was to receive in war 40s. a day for himself and his company, including twenty horses, and in return he obtained a grant of the earl's manor of Lodene in Norfolk (Dugdale, Baronage, p. 674). This intimate relation with the leader of the growing baronial opposition to Edward I determined Segrave's future policy. Nevertheless he was ordered to aid the sheriffs of Warwick and Leicester in coercing the recalcitrant clerks who followed Archbishop Winchelsea in refusing to aid in the national defence (Cal. Patent Roll, 1291–1301, p. 239). During the crisis of 1297 he was summoned on 1 July to appear in London to attend the king beyond sea, but he appeared as proxy for the earl marshal, who concealed his unwillingness to attend the king under the plea of sickness (Fœdera, i. 872). However, Segrave soon transferred his energy to Scotland. On 28 Dec. 1297 he received letters of protection for himself and his followers, on their proceeding to Scotland on the king's service (Gough, Scotland in 1298, pp. 17, 18, 25), and he subsequently fought in the Falkirk campaign. In 1299 he was again summoned to fight against the Scots. In 1300 he was once more in Scotland, taking a conspicuous part at the siege of Carlaverock, representing the earl marshal in this campaign as at the musters of 1297 (Siege of Carlaverock, p. 12; cf. Langtoft, ii., 322).

In 1301 Segrave attended the parliament at Lincoln, and was one of the signatories of the famous letter of the barons to the pope, dated 12 Feb. He is described as ‘John, lord of Segrave’ (Fœdera, i. 927). On 5 Aug. 1302 he was appointed to the custody of the castle of Berwick-on-Tweed (Hist. Doc. Scotl. ii. 444). On 29 Sept. he was ordered to execute in all haste a foray into Scotland as far as Stirling and Kirkintilloch (ib. ii. 448). After November the truce with the Scots ended, and Segrave was entrusted with the custody of Scotland (Rishanger, Chron. pp. 212–13). On the first Sunday in Lent 1303 Segrave, his followers being at the time scattered in three detachments, was suddenly attacked when near Edinburgh by some Scots in ambush, severely wounded, and taken prisoner with twenty other knights. He was, however, subsequently recaptured by the other portions of his army who had escaped the earlier surprise (Rishanger, p. 214; cf. Hemingburgh, ii. 222–3; Langtoft, ii. 344). Segrave continued in Scotland after Edward I arrived to prosecute the war in person. He was present at the siege of Stir-