- Sir Hugh Luttrell of Dunster Castle
- 1406-1408: Member of Parliament for Devon
- 1414-1415: Member of Parliament for Somerset
- 1419-1421: Seneschal of Normandy
- Veteran soldier of the Hundred Years' War
- Advisor to his cousin King Richard II of England
- Esquire of John of Gaunt, 1st Duke of Lancaster
Hugh Luttrell was born circa 1364 in Dunster Castle, Somerset, England to Andrew Luttrell (c1325-1395) and Elizabeth Courtenay (c1333-1395) and died 24 March 1428 of unspecified causes. He married Katherine Beaumont (c1354-1435) 1384 JL .
Drawing circa 1909 of alabaster effigies in Dunster Church thought (by Maxwell-Lyte (1909)) to represent of Sir Hugh Luttrell (c.1364-1428) of Dunster Castle and his wife Catherine Beaumont (d.1435)
Arms of Luttrell: Or, a bend between six martlets sable
Biography
Sir Hugh Luttrell, a prominent figure in medieval England during King Richard II's reign (1377–1399), was a key member of the influential Luttrell family from Somerset. His life exemplified that of a knight and landowner of the era. Here's a different perspective on his life and times.[1][2]
Parentage
Sir Hugh Luttrell was born in Dunster, a son of Elizabeth Courtenay (c1333-1395), great-granddaughter of Edward I of England, and her second husband Sir Andrew Lutrell of Chilton. Sir Andrew was a direct descendant of an Irish noble family: the Luttrells, who were the original Earls of Carhampton. The family had strong ties with the Plantagenets, to which they were related. Given her loyal servitude to the royal family, Elizabeth received £200 from her close cousin, Richard II of England. Courtenay used this loan to buy large properties of land, which increased the family's wealth by leaps and bounds. This act would make Sir Hugh famous throughout England.
Dunster Castle
Acquisition and Enhancement of Dunster Castle: Around 1376, Sir Hugh came into possession of Dunster Castle. The castle, with its roots in the Norman era, was a symbol of the Luttrells' nobility. Under Sir Hugh, the castle likely saw renovations and expansions reflective of the architectural and defensive needs of the late 14th century.
Veteran of the Hundred Year's War
Role in the Hundred Years' War: During a time marked by the ongoing Hundred Years' War, it's probable that Sir Hugh was involved in military endeavors, a typical duty for someone of his knightly status during the turbulent reign of Richard II.
When Henry V of England ascended to the throne in 1415, Sir Hugh's popularity increased. He traveled to France with the English army, to re-incite the 100 Years' War. He proved to be a daring leader, and was one of the key commanders at the Siege of Harfleur, and at the Siege of Rouen. After the siege, he returned home to England, and in 1417, he entered the service of Henry V, becoming one of his most loyal retainers. Throughout the rest of his life, he would have a splendid relationship with the king.
In February 1417, he was appointed Lieutenant of Harfleur and embarked to France, where the war was still being fought, in the retinue of Thomas Montacute, 4th Earl of Salisbury. Luttrell had his own private battalion, consisting of 20 men-at-arms and 60 archers. After assuming command over the city of Harfleur in 1418, he was given orders by his superiors to manage the English garrison there, and hang any deserters.
During that same year, Sir Hugh negotiated the surrender of the French Captains of Montivilliers and Fécamp. In 1419, he also negotiated the surrender of the town of Montreuil, and many others. In July 1419, Luttrell was appointed the Royal Seneschal of Normandy by Henry V, a position he held for two years (1419–1421).
Sir Hugh thus became the ruler of one of the most important places in medieval France. Luttrell was thrilled with governing his new domain, describing himself as the "gret Seneschal of Normandie." Sir Hugh kept Normandy under the mighty fist of the English, which Henry V of England benefited from greatly. In 1420, Luttrell corresponded with the king many times, praising Henry's marriage to Catherine of Valois, saying in a letter that it caused him: "the gretest gladnesse and consolation that ever came unto my herte." He also reported to King Henry about the state of the country, saying: "ther ys no steryng of none evyl doers (there is no stirring of none evil-doers)", and also informed the king of the poverty of the country.
Local Contributions
- Local and National Influence: As a knight and estate owner, Sir Hugh's responsibilities would have extended to local governance, possibly influencing wider political dynamics in England. His roles might have included judicial duties or other administrative tasks.
- Estate Management: Overseeing his lands, Sir Hugh would have been tasked with agricultural oversight and maintaining the economic stability of his estates, a crucial aspect of a landowner’s responsibilities during this period.
- Cultural and Religious Contributions: Sir Hugh, as was customary for noblemen of his time, likely engaged in patronage of the arts, literature, or religious institutions. Such endeavors were not only a display of wealth and piety but also significantly contributed to the era's cultural and religious fabric.
Marriage and progeny
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Arms of Beaumont of Shirwell: Barry of six vair and gules
Arms of Sir Hugh Luttrell (c.1364-1428) (Or, a bend between six martlets sable) impaling arms of Beaumont of Shirwell, Devon, (Barry of six vair and gules, here shown incorrectly as barry of eight), the family of his wife Catherine Beaumont (d. 1435). Detail from 19th century Luttrell heraldic stained-glass windows, south wall of Dunster Church
In 1384, Sir Hugh Luttrell married Catherine Beaumont (d. 28 August 1435),[3] a daughter of Sir John Beaumont (d.1379/80)[4] of Shirwell and Saunton in North Devon, MP for Devon 1376–80,[5] a substantial landowner in Devon, by his second wife Joan Crawthorne, granddaughter and heiress of Sir Robert Stockey, MP in 1318, of Crawthorne and Cranstone.[6] Alabaster effigies survive in Dunster Church of himself and his wife, badly mutilated.[7] The arms of Beaumont (Barry of six vair and gules) appear in Dunster Church and on the Luttrell Table Carpet, c.1520, now in the collection of the Burrell Collection in Glasgow, probably made in about 1520 to record the marriage of his descendant Sir Andrew Luttrell (1484–1538) of Dunster and his wife Margaret Wyndham (d.1580).
By his wife he had six children:
- John Luttrell (c1394-1460), eldest son and heir, of Dunster, who in about 1422 married Margaret Tuchet (d.1438), daughter of John Tuchet, 4th Baron Audley (1371-1408).[8] He was buried probably at Bruton Priory.
- William Luttrell, rector of Birch Parva in Essex from 1441 to 1443.[3]
- Margaret Luttrell, married John Cotes, esquire.[3]
- Elizabeth Luttrell (c1388-aft1439),[9] married, firstly about 1406,[9] William Harleston (d. 1416)[9] and secondly, after 1423,[9] John Stratton, esq. of Lye Hall, Weston, Norfolk.[9][3]
- Anne Luttrell, married William Godwyn the younger.[3]
- Joan Luttrell, a nun of Shaftesbury.[3]
Children
| Name | Birth | Death | Joined with |
| Elizabeth Luttrell (c1388-aft1439) | 1388 | 1439 | William Harleston (c1375-) John Stratton (c1388-aft1439) |
| Margaret Luttrell (c1390-) | |||
| John Luttrell (c1394-1460) | |||
| William Luttrell (c1395-) | |||
| Anne Luttrell (c1392-) | |||
| Joan Lutrell (c1393-) | |||
Siblings
| Name | Birth | Death | Joined with |
| Hugh Luttrell (c1364-1428) | 1364 Dunster Castle, Somerset, England | 24 March 1428 | Katherine Beaumont (c1354-1435) |
| Blanche Luttrell (c1366-) | |||
| John Luttrell (c1368-) | |||
| Elizabeth Luttrell (c1370-) | |||
See Also
- Hugh Luttrell
- Luttrell Family
- Luttrell in Somerset
External Links
- wikipedia:en:Hugh Luttrell (MP, died 1428)
- Sir Hugh Luttrell, MP, of Dunster Castle at thePeerage
- Sir Hugh Luttrell, MP, of Dunster Castle, Geni.com, https://www.geni.com/people/Sir-Hugh-Luttrell-MP-of-Dunster-Castle/6000000002244468441, retrieved 01 Jan 2024
- Luttrell Family Genealogy, TudorPlace.com.ar, http://www.tudorplace.com.ar/LUTTRELL.htm, retrieved 01 Jan 2024
- Sir Hugh Luttrell, MP, of Dunster Castle, History of Parliament Online, https://www.historyofparliamentonline.org/volume/1386-1421/member/luttrell-sir-hugh-1364-1428, retrieved 01 Jan 2024
- Sir Hugh Luttrell at Find A Grave
Notable Ancestors
- Edward I of England (1239-1307) - King of England, m. Eleanor of Castile (1202-1244) - See Plantagenet Family Line for a continuation of his ancestry.
- William I, King of England (1027-1087) - (aka: William the Conqueror) - In 1066 became first Norman king of England.
- Emporer Charlemagne (747-814) - King of the Franks and from 800 the first emperor in western Europe since the collapse of the Western Roman Empire three centuries earlier.
Notable Descendants
Sir Hugh Luttrell's famous descendants include:
- Robert Carter I: A wealthy Virginia colonist and slave-owner, one of the richest men in Virginia at his time.
- Benjamin Harrison V: A famed American revolutionary and founding father of the United States of America.
- William Henry Harrison (1773-1841): 9th President of the United States, American General during the War of 1812.
- Benjamin Harrison (1833-1901): 23rd President of the United States.
- Roger Ludlow (1590-1664) - Cofounder of the Colony of Connecticut, See Ludlow Family Ancestry.
Historical Documentation
Historical Documentation: The life and times of Sir Hugh Luttrell are pieced together through various historical documents, including property records, legal documentation, and narratives from the era, providing a glimpse into his role in 14th-century English society.
Priory Churchyard
- Location: Priory Churchyard of St George, Dunster, Somerset, England
- Sir Hugh Luttrell at Find A Grave
Grant of Heraldic Badges
In a volume at the College of Arms is a transcript of a French deed whereby Hugh Courtenay, Earl of Devon, granted his heraldic badges to his cousin Sir Hugh Luttrell on July 13, 1421:
A tous y ceux que cestes nos lettres verront on orront hugh Courtnay Count de Devon et Sr d'Ockhampton feiz et hair a Monsr l'honorable et tresnoble Sr Edward Courtney Count de Devon et Sr d'Okhampton que Dieu assoile saluz en Dieu, Sachez nous avon don et bon ame coseyn Hugh Lutrel Chr et Sr Donstarre nos Bages cest a savoire un Sengler Blanc arme d'or portans come nous portons avecque un difference dun doble rose dor sue lespald en dit sengler a avoir et tenoir le dites Bages de nostre don al dit Sr Hugh de Luttrell et ses hoires a tous jours En testmonance de quell chose a y cestes nos presentz lettres nous avons mis notre seale de nous Armes Donne a Plimmouth le 13 jour de Juell a temps que nous avons priz nostre voyage par Grace de Deux envers nostre tresouveraigne Roy en Normandie l'an du Raigne le dit nostre Sr le Roy Sr le Henri quint puis le Conquest 9e.
Partial Translation of Old French to Modern English:
To all those whom these our letters see we will send hugh Courtnay Count of Devon and Sr of Ockhampton feiz et hair to Monsr the honorable and very noble Sr Edward Courtney Count of Devon and Sr of Okhampton whom God assole salutes in God, Know we have gift and good soul coseyn Hugh Lutrel Chr and Sr Donstarre our Bags is to know a Sengler Blanc weapon of gold carried as we carry with that a difference of a double rose gold sue lespald in said sengler to have and hold the said Bags of ours don al said Sr Hugh of Luttrell and his hours every day In testimony of what there is in these our presentz letters we have put our seal of us Arms Given at Plimmouth on the 13th day of Juell at the time that we prayed our journey by Grace of Two towards our very sovereign King in Normandy in the year of Raigne the said our Sr the King Sr the Henry quint then the Conquest 9th.
Legacy
Enduring Legacy: Sir Hugh's legacy is intrinsically linked to Dunster Castle and the lasting influence of the Luttrell family in Somerset. His actions and status during his lifetime played a role in shaping the region's historical and cultural identity.
References
- Sir Bernard Burke, C.B. LL.D., A Genealogical History of the Dormant, Abeyant, Forfeited, and Extinct Peerages of the British Empire, new edition (1883; reprint, Baltimore, Maryland: Genealogical Publishing Company, 1978), page 591. Hereinafter cited as Burkes Extinct Peerage.
- ^ Richardson, Douglas; Everingham, Kimball G. (2004). Plantagenet Ancestry: A Study in Colonial And Medieval Families. Genealogical Publishing Com. p. 475. ISBN 9780806317502.
- ^ "Luttrell, Sir Hugh (c.1364–1428), of Dunster, Som.". The History of Parliament. http://www.historyofparliamentonline.org/volume/1386-1421/member/luttrell-sir-hugh-1364-1428. Retrieved 22 July 2012.
- ^ a b c d e f Maxwell Lyte, Sir Henry, A History of Dunster and of the Families of Mohun and Luttrell, Part I, London, 1909, pp. 105-108.
- ^ Beaumont, Edward T., The Beaumonts in History. A.D. 850-1850. Oxford, c. 1929, (privately published), Chapter 5, pp. 56–63, The Devonshire Family, pp. 62–3
- ^ Beaumont, Edward T, Chapter 5, p. 62, quoting: Transactions of the Devon Society, Vol.45, p. 263
- ^ Beaumont, Edward T, Chapter 5, p. 62, quoting: Transactions of the Devon Society, Vol.45, p. 262
- ^ Maxwell-Lyte, 1909, p. 103; see illustration between pp. 104–5
- ^ Burke's Genealogical and Heraldic History of the Landed Gentry, 15th Edition, ed. Pirie-Gordon, H., London, 1937, pp. 1437–9, Fownes-Luttrell of Dunster Castle
- ^ a b c d e Weis, Frederick Lewis (2004). Ancestral Roots of Certain American Colonists Who Came to America before 1700, 8th Edition. Baltimore, MD 21211-1953: Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc.. pp. 17. ISBN 978-0-8063-1752-6.
Footnotes (including sources)
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