Page:Dictionary of National Biography volume 47.djvu/120

 court. But the prior complained to Innocent III, who issued a bull appointing commissioners to investigate the matter (Registrum Prioratus S. Andreæ, p. 352). Saer accompanied King John to Ireland in the summer of 1210 (Historia Anglorum, ii. 243), was much with him, and joined the king at play (Rotuli de Liberate, &c. pp. 152, 162, 183; cf. p. 240). From 1211 to 1214 he acted as a justiciar, sitting at the exchequer in 1212 (, Judges, ii. 111), when he was also sent as ambassador to the emperor, Otto IV (Fœdera, i. 104; cf. p. 108).

But Quincy was soon alienated from the king, who held him, in common with Robert Fitzwalter and the archbishop of Canterbury, in special detestation (ib. p. 565). In May 1213 he was a witness of John's surrender of his crown to the pope (ib. p. 112), and became one of the sureties for the repayment of the sums that the king had seized from the revenues of the church (, ii. 574). In January 1215 he witnessed the reissue of John's charter of freedom to the church, and on 4 March, in common with the king and many others, took the cross (, ii. 109). He attended the meeting of the barons at Stamford, entered into their confederation to enforce reforms, and was one of the twenty-five barons chosen to compel the observance of the great charter. When the barons saw that John was raising forces against them, each of the twenty-five took a special part of the kingdom to secure against him, and the counties of Cambridge and Huntingdon were allotted to the Earl of Winchester. They also considered the election of another king. In October John declared the earl's estates forfeited, and granted them to his servants (Close Rolls, i. 230). As one of the chiefs of the baronial party the earl, with others, was sent to Philip of France to offer the crown to Philip's son Louis and hasten his coming. With his fellow ambassadors he took a solemn oath that they would never hold their lands of John ( ii. 226–7). On 16 Dec. he was excommunicated by the pope. He and his companions returned to England on 9 Jan. 1216, bringing with them forty-two ships laden with French knights and their followers (, p. 178). At the accession of Henry III Saer adhered to Louis, and on 21 Dec. persuaded him to spare St. Albans Abbey, which Louis threatened to burn (Gesta Abbatum S. Albani, i. 259). In the spring of 1217 the garrison of Mountsorrell Castle, Leicestershire, which was in his keeping, and was besieged by the royal army, sent to him for help. He hastened to Louis, then in London, and on 30 April Louis sent an army led by the Count of Perche, Saer, and Robert Fitzwalter to the relief of the place [see under ]. Having joined Fitzwalter in reconnoitring at Lincoln, he advised that their army should advance to the attack. In the battle that ensued on 20 May he was taken prisoner ( iv. 20, 23); he regained his liberty after peace was made in September.

The war being over, Saer determined to fulfil his crusader's vow. In April 1218 he caused the consecration of the abbey church of Garendon, Leicestershire, of which he was patron in right of his wife, and in 1219 sailed with Robert Fitzwalter and others for the Holy Land, arriving at Damietta during its siege by the crusaders. Shortly after his arrival he fell sick, and commanded that after his death his heart and vitals should be burnt, and the ashes carried to England and buried at Garendon, which was done. He died on 3 Nov., and was buried at Acre (Annals of Waverley, an. 1219). He is described as an accomplished and strenuous warrior (Historia Anglorum, ii. 243). A drawing of his arms is given in the works of Matthew Paris (vi. Additamenta, 477; compare the engraving from his seal in, Official Baronage). He gave many gifts to Garendon Abbey, and was a benefactor to the canons of Leicester. He died heavily in debt to the king (Rotuli Finium, i. 50). His wife Margaret died in 1235.

He had four sons: Robert, Roger (see below), Reginald, and a second Robert. Saer also left a daughter Hawyse, who married Hugh de Vere, earl of Oxford, about 1223, and possibly a daughter named Arabella, married to Sir Richard Harcourt (, Leicestershire, iii. 66).

Robert, the eldest son, may perhaps have been the crusader of 1191 (Gesta Henrici II, &c. ii. 185, 187), who is found in attendance on King Richard in 1194 (Addit. MS. 31939, f. 122), though this Robert is generally said to have been Saer's elder brother (, Baronage, i. 686). He is said to have survived his father, and to have been supplanted by his younger brother Roger (, Baronage, u.s.;, Leicestershire, iii. 66). It is, however, certain that he died in 1217 (Annals of Waverley, sub an.; ; Speculum Ecclesiæ ap. Opera, iv. 174–5). On his death Henry III ordered that a daily payment of 3d. should be made to the hospitallers in England for the souls of King John, his predecessors, and Robert de Quincy until such payment should be exchanged for land of an equal value (Close Rolls, i. 342). Robert's wife Hawyse (1180?–1243), fourth daughter of Hugh, earl of Chester, and sister and