Geoffrey Luttrell facts for kids

Sir Geoffrey Luttrell, riding his horse, with his wife and daughter-in-law helping him. This picture is from a very old book called the Luttrell Psalter.

A close-up picture of Sir Geoffrey Luttrell from the Luttrell Psalter.

The special shield design (called 'arms') of the Luttrell family from Irnham.

Sir Geoffrey Luttrell III (born in 1276, died in 1345) was an important knight from the Middle Ages. He was the lord of a place called Irnham in Lincolnshire, England. Today, he is mostly remembered because he asked for a very special and beautiful book to be made. This book is called the Luttrell Psalter, and it's full of amazing pictures. You can see it now at the British Library in London.

Who Was Sir Geoffrey Luttrell?

Geoffrey Luttrell was born in 1276. His father was Robert Luttrell, and Geoffrey took over his father's lands and title in 1297. He was part of a long line of important people, tracing back to Sir Geoffrey de Luterel. People sometimes called him the second Lord of Irnham.

The Luttrell Family Shield

The Luttrell family had a special design on their shield, known as their 'arms'. It looked like this: Azure, a bend between six martlets argent. This means a blue shield with a silver stripe going diagonally across it, and six silver birds (called martlets) around the stripe. Another part of the Luttrell family had a similar shield but with different colors. They later owned a famous castle called Dunster Castle in Somerset.

Sir Geoffrey's Life and Work

Sir Geoffrey Luttrell lived a busy life. One of his most famous actions was asking for the Luttrell Psalter to be created. This happened in the last five years before he passed away in 1345. The book has many illustrations, including a picture of him, his wife, and his daughter-in-law. You can also see his family's shield design shown off in the book's artwork.

A Medieval Dispute

Even though Sir Geoffrey is known for supporting art, like many important people in the Middle Ages, he sometimes got into disagreements. For example, he was involved in a dispute with the monks of Sempringham Priory. This conflict was serious enough that the King's officials had to investigate it in 1312. Some people believe that his friend, Roger de Birthorpe, was more to blame, and Sir Geoffrey only supported him. It seems Sir Geoffrey didn't face much punishment for this event.

Sir Geoffrey's Family

Sir Geoffrey Luttrell married a woman named Agnes, who was the daughter of Sir Richard of Sutton. Agnes passed away around 1339 or 1340.

Sir Geoffrey's Children

Sir Geoffrey and Agnes had several children:

• Robert, who died in 1320.
• Andrew, who became his heir and took over after him.
• Sir Geoffrey, who married Constance, the daughter of Geoffrey Scrope.
• Robert, who became a Knight of the Hospital of St. John of Jerusalem, a religious and military order.
• Isabel, who became a nun in a religious group called the Gilbertine order.
• Elizabeth, who married Walter, the son of Sir Walter Gloucester.