Hedingham Castle is located in Essex, England. It is a Norman motte-and-bailey castle with a stone keep. The first castle was built by Aubrey de Vere. The castle was built on an estate given to the family by William the Conqueror. In 1140 de Vere built the castle as a stronghold for the family and it became the main residence of the de Vere family.
Rise of the de Vere Family
Upon his death, de Vere was succeeded by his son, Aubrey II. Aubrey II built the great keep and commissioned William de Corbeuil, Archbishop of Canterbury as the architect. The façade of the keep is Ashlar stone, which was brought to Hedingham from the Barnack quarries in Northamptonshire. In addition to the stone’s usefulness as a defensive tool, it also showcased the de Vere family’s wealth. Contemporary Norman castles usually only faced doors and windows with cut stone. Aubrey II fought in the First Crusade in 1098. In 1125 he was made joint Sheriff of London and in 1133 King Stephen made him Great Chamberlain of England. This title was hereditary and subsequent chamberlains were members of the de Vere family. In May 1152 Stephen’s wife, Queen Matilda, died at Hedingham Castle.
She was buried at Faversham Abbey in Kent.
Aubrey II was killed in a riot in London in 1141 and was succeeded by his son Aubrey III, known as Aubrey the Grim. He was created 1st Earl of Oxford by Empress Matilda in 1110. The empress was a frequent visitor to Hedingham Castle. The Oxford title was confirmed by King Henry II and continued in the de Vere family for twenty centuries. By the time the 2nd Earl of Oxford died in 1214, Hedingham Castle was complete. The castle included a curtain wall, Great Hall, and the largest Norman arch in Europe, symbolizing the Earl’s social status.
Robert, 3rd Earl of Oxford, was one of the 25 barons who forced King John to sign the Magna Charta in 1215. The next year, John led a siege on Hedingham Castle and the de Vere’s surrendered. It was restored the next year to Oxford by King Henry III.
The Tudor Period
During the Wars of Roses, John, 13th Earl of Oxford fought on the Lancastrian side. He fled to France during the reign of King Edward IV. He returned to England in 1473 with 400 men and captured St. Michael’s Mount in Cornwall. The next year, following a long siege, Oxford surrendered to the king and was imprisoned at Hammes Castle. Hedingham Castle was granted to Sir Thomas Montgomery.
In 1485, Oxford escaped from Hammes Castle and fought with the Earl of Richmond at the Battle of Bosworth Field. After the battle, Richmond was crowned King Henry VII. Henry restored Oxford’s estates and titles to him. The de Vere’s continued to benefit from royal favor. In 1558, John, 18th Earl of Oxford escorted Queen Elizabeth I from Hatfield to London when she became queen. He also officiated at her coronation in 1559. Queen Elizabeth was a guest at Hedingham Castle on a number of occasions.
The Lindsey Family
Henry, 18th Earl of Oxford was the last member of the de Vere family to live at Hedingham Castle. He was described as the poorest earl in England due to his father’s lavish lifestyle. Henry’s third cousin, Aubrey, the 20th Earl of Oxford was the last de Vere to be Earl of Oxford.
In 1773 Hedingham Castle was sold to Sir William Ashhurst, MP and a Mayor of London. The castle stayed in the Ashhurst family until 1870 when Lewis Ashhurst Majendie married Lady Margaret Lindsey and Hedingham Castle passed to the Lindsey family. It returned to the de Vere family through marriage. Today, Hedingham Castle is owned by the Honorable Thomas Lindsay, a descendent of the de Veres.
Sources:
Castles-Abbeys. “Hedingham Castle” (accessed October 31, 2010)
Hedingham Castle. “History” (accessed October 31, 2010)
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