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 garded as responsible for the final capture of Ely. One story makes his mother, whose second husband, Roger de Somery, was an active royalist, betray the path to the rebel camp at Ely to Edward, the king's son (Dunstable Annals, p. 246). Wykes (pp. 207–8) says, however, that Nicholas himself betrayed the island to Edward, and did not attempt to defend the post where he was stationed. In any case, Nicholas's surrender was included with that of the defenders of the island and received the same terms, getting back his estates on condition of paying the composition stipulated by the ‘Dictum de Kenilworth.’ He received authorisation to levy a special aid on his tenants to raise the fine, and Geoffrey of Genville became surety for his future conduct. He soon obtained the complete confidence of Edward, and, taking the cross within four years, he received letters of protection on his starting for Palestine in the train of his former enemy.

Segrave continued in Edward's favour after his accession to the throne. He took part in the campaigns of 1277 and 1282 against Llywelyn of Wales (Parl. Writs, i. 832). He was summoned to the Shrewsbury parliament of August 1283 (ib.) In 1877 the House of Lords referred the creation of the Segrave barony to this writ of summons (G. E. C. Complete Peerage, v. 411). In January 1285 he appears as engaged jointly with Richard de Burgh, earl of Ulster, in selling large amounts of Irish wool to merchants from Lucca (Cal. Doc. Ireland, 1285–92, p. 17). On 2 Jan. he nominated attorneys to represent him until Easter during his absence beyond sea (Cal. Patent Rolls, 1281–92, p. 149). This may refer to a visit to Ireland, but more probably to Segrave's intention of attending the king on a projected voyage to France that was soon afterwards abandoned. On 1 July Segrave again had letters of protection as about to go beyond sea (ib. p. 181). On 24 Oct. 1287 he took out letters of attorney for one year, being about to proceed by license to Ireland (ib. p. 191; Cal. Doc. Ireland, p. 160). On 18 May 1288 he received grants of the custody of the lands of William de Ferrars during his minority, paying a fine of one hundred marks for the privilege (Cal. Patent Rolls, p. 295). In September 1290 he acted as commissioner of oyer and terminer in Lincolnshire and Nottinghamshire (ib. pp. 466–7), and again in 1291 in Warwickshire (ib. p. 455). In April 1292 he received letters of protection on going to Scotland in the king's service (ib. p. 484). He was one of the judges of the great suit as to the Scottish succession (‘Ann. Regni Scotiæ’ in Chron. pp. 256–260). The Nicholas de Segrave who in 1290 and subsequently was guardian of Ayr and Dumbarton castles (Cal. Doc. Scotland, i. 207, 277) is probably Nicholas's son, from whom he is now commonly distinguished by being called Nicholas de Segrave senior. In July 1292 Segrave was appointed commissioner to hear plaints against the king's bailiffs in the Isle of Man (Cal. Patent Rolls, p. 519). He obtained a charter of free warren for all his demesne lands situated in the counties of Warwick, Derby, Huntingdon, Northampton, and Leicester, in which latter county his influence seems to have mainly centred. He got a charter to hold a fair and market at Mount Sorrel in Leicestershire. He remained at court until the very end of his life, attesting charters so late as 25 Nov. 1294 (Cal. Doc. Ireland, 1293–1301, p. 83). He died late in 1295, being summoned to parliament in the August of that year, and in November to foreign service (Parl. Writs, i. 832).

Nicholas de Segrave was the first of his house to relinquish its lawyer traditions, and taught his children ‘to imitate the brave and associate with the nobles’ (, Siege of Carlaverock, p. 12). He abandoned the old arms of his family, and took the arms, sable, a lion rampant, argent, described in the chronicle of the siege (ib. p. 125; cf., Leicestershire, iii. 407). By his wife Matilda de Lucy (d. 1337) he left five sons, all described as ‘valiant, bold, and courageous knights’ (Siege of Carlaverock, p. 12; cf., Barons Wars, p. 176, and the pedigree in Leicestershire, iii. 413, where the names are rather differently given). Three of these, Gilbert de Segrave (d. 1316), John de Segrave, and Nicholas de Segrave, lord of Stowe, are separately noticed. The others included Simon, who was imprisoned in 1307, and Henry and Geoffrey, both of whom were alive and of full age in the same year. There was also a daughter Annabel, who married John de Plessetis.

[Annales of Dunstaple, Waverley, and Worcester, and Chronicle of Wykes in Annales Monastici, vols. iii. and iv., Flores Historiarum, Ann. London. In Stubbs's Chron. of Edward I and Edward II, all in Rolls Ser.; Calendarium Genealogicum, Parl. Writs, vol. i., Rymer's Fœdera, vol. i., all in Record Commission, Stubbs's Select Charters; Calendar of Documents relating to Ireland, 1285–92; Calendar of Patent Rolls, 1285–92; Blaauw's Barons' Wars; Dugdale's Baronage, i. 673–4; Nicolas's Siege of Carlaverock.] 