John St John (died 1302) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Sir John St John
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Arms of John St John: Argent, on a chief gules two mullets or
Born	1230s
Died	6 September 1302 Lochmaben, Dumfriesshire, Scotland
Buried	Old Basing, Hampshire, England
Spouse(s)	Alice FitzPiers
Issue	John St John, 1st Baron St John Edward St John Agnes St John
Father	Robert St John
Mother	Agnes Cantilupe

Sir John St John (died 1302) was an important English nobleman. He lived in a place called Old Basing in Hampshire. John St John was a soldier, a manager, and a diplomat. He was a very trusted friend of King Edward I. He helped the King in many different ways.

Who Was John St John?

John St John was born in the 1230s. His father was Robert St John, who passed away in 1267. His mother was likely Agnes Cantilupe. Her father was William Cantilupe. John's grandfather, William de Port, changed his family name to St John.

John St John's Early Career

When his father died in 1267, John inherited many lands. These lands were in places like Berkshire, Hampshire, Herefordshire, Kent, Sussex, and Warwickshire. He was also in charge of Porchester Castle in Hampshire. He was loyal to King Henry III during a time of civil war. In 1269, he received a special pardon for anything he might have done wrong during the fighting.

Helping the New King

After King Henry III died in 1272, John St John was part of a group. This group sent news to the new king, Edward I. King Edward was away on a crusade in Palestine at the time.

In 1276, John St John was present at a big meeting. At this meeting, a decision was made against Llywelyn ap Gruffudd, a Welsh prince. John also joined King Edward's armies when they invaded Wales in 1277 and 1282. In 1283, he attended a meeting in Shrewsbury. This meeting put Dafydd ap Gruffydd on trial.

Diplomatic Missions

King Edward I traveled in France and Aquitaine from 1286 to 1289. During this time, John St John helped with important talks. He worked to make peace between King Alfonso III of Aragon and King Charles II of Naples. John (or maybe his son, also named John) was even given as a hostage in 1288. This was to help free Charles, Prince of Salerno.

He came back to England in early 1289. He then attended Parliament in May 1290. From 1290 to 1292, he went on more diplomatic trips. One trip was to Tarascon to continue peace talks. Another was to Pope Nicholas IV in Rome. There, he discussed a new crusade and King Edward's decision about who should be the next king of Scotland. In December 1292, when John Balliol became King of Scotland, John St John helped with the ceremony.

War in Aquitaine

In 1293, relations between King Edward and King Philip IV of France became tense. John St John was sent to Aquitaine as the King's Lieutenant of the Duchy of Aquitaine. His job was to quickly make castles stronger and gather supplies and soldiers.

Difficult Negotiations

King Edward's younger brother, Edmund, Earl of Lancaster, had agreed to let the French take some strongholds. John St John did not know this. When French messengers arrived, he first refused to see them. He then sent them away without what they wanted. Only after getting clear orders from Edmund did he sell his supplies. He then handed over the agreed places and returned to England.

Fighting in France

In 1294, war broke out between England and France. An English army was sent to take back the strongholds in Aquitaine. John St John was made the Seneschal (a military governor) of the region. His fleet sailed up the Gironde river. They captured Macau, Bourg, and Blaye. But Bordeaux was too strong to capture.

They continued up the Garonne river and took Rions. From there, John St John led a force to attack Bayonne. On January 1, 1295, he captured the town. He forced out the French soldiers. He also arrested the town council members who supported France. They were sent to England as prisoners.

Capture and Ransom

French armies fought back in 1295 and 1296. They took back much of Aquitaine. The war then slowed down to smaller attacks. On January 5, 1297, John St John and Henry Lacy, Earl of Lincoln were taking supplies to a besieged town. They were ambushed by the French.

John St John was captured with ten other knights. He was taken as a prisoner to Paris. His ransom was set at 5,000 pounds. This was a huge amount of money, about 4.67 million pounds in today's money. He could not pay it himself. His son John, who was fighting with him, raised some money. Monks from Westminster Abbey also helped. But most of the money had to be borrowed from Italian banks. He had to promise four of his family's estates to pay back the loans.

Later Years and Death

John St John was freed in 1299. He was immediately called to a war meeting in Rochester. They planned to invade Flanders. After this, he spent most of his time helping England in Scotland. In January 1300, he was made the king's representative in several areas. These included Annandale, Cumberland, Lancashire, Westmorland, and the Scottish borders.

Protecting the Prince

During the siege of Caerlaverock in 1300, John St John and his son John had an important job. They were trusted with looking after Prince Edward, King Edward I's son. This was the prince's first military campaign.

As a senior knight, John St John received regular payments and gifts from the king. He also got money for horses lost or killed in battle. His son John received 40 pounds (about 34,000 pounds today) for a valuable warhorse he lost. The money he lost and the interest on his ransom loans were partly covered. He received land and jobs in Scotland and the border areas. However, these places were often war-torn and hard to control.

In September 1300, he was granted 667 pounds a year for life from English lands. This is about 562,000 pounds today. He also received income for life from Cockermouth and Skipton. He was also in charge of Galloway and sheriff of Dumfriesshire. He was made captain of Lochmaben Castle.

Final Years

In January 1301, he was at Parliament in Lincoln. In February, as lord of Halnaker, he signed the Barons' Letter of 1301 to the Pope. In March, he was one of the English messengers. They were negotiating for peace between England and France. They also worked for a truce between England and Scotland.

After being with the king in Westminster in July 1302, he went back to his command on the border. He died on September 6, 1302, at Lochmaben. His body was buried in St Mary's Church at Old Basing in Hampshire. His family's coat of arms was silver, with a red band across the top. On the red band were two gold stars. His crest was a lion walking between two palm branches.

John St John's Family

Before January 29, 1256, John St John married Alice FitzPiers. She was the daughter of Reginald FitzPiers. Their children included:

• John St John, 1st Baron St John (died 1329), who married Isabel Courtenay.
• Edward St John (died 1347), who was King Edward I's godson. He married Eve Dawtrey (died 1354).
• Agnes St John (died 1345), who married Hugh Courtenay, Earl of Devon.