26TH GENERATION

48526500. William D'ALBINI M.C. Baron was buried in 1236 in Newstead. He died on 1 May 1236 in Offington. Magna Carta Baron. (MCB, 1898, chart, p. 432). (Weis 89-29-w.g.f.).

"The Surety, lord of Belvoir Castle, third feudal baron of this family. When his father died, he was ward to King Hery II., and in 1194 he was in the army of Richard I., in Normandy. In the following year he was constituted sheriff of the counies of Warwick and Leicester, and also held the same office for those of Ruthland, Bedford, and Buckingham, between 1196 and 1199. Upon the accession of John to the throne, he received several valuable grants, being already wealthy. In 1201, when the barons refused to attend King John into France, he demamded that their castles should be given up to him as securety for their allegiance, beginning with William d"Albini, of whom he claimed Belvoir Castle, instead of which he gave him his son, William, as a hostage.
He appears to have remained longer faithful to King John, as well as more moderate in his opposition to him, than most of the barons, and did not join the insurgents until he could no longer, with safety, either remain neutral, or adher to the king, for so late as January, 1214-15, he was one of King John's commissioners appointed for the safe-conduct of such as were travelling to his court, at Northamton.
After he joined the baron's party, he entered with great spirit into their cause and was elected one of the Sureties for the observance of the Magna Charta, and was excommunicated; but, after having gained their point, he was looked upon with suspicion by the other Sureties because he did not attend the grand tournament in Staine's Woods, on 29 June, 1215, to celebrate the victory, and it was not until after other barons had alarmed him, that he fortifified his castle at Belvoir, and joined them at London. But the sequel proves their suspicions were not well grounded. He was placed as governor of Rochester Castle, when, though he found it so utterly destitute of provisions as almost to induce his men to abandon it, he recuited and held it until famine, weakness, and watching obliged them to surrender to the king. The siege having lasted three months, and his army being attended with considerable loss, King John ordered that all the nobles in the castle should be hanged; but his sentence being resolutely opposed by his chief counselors, William d"Albini and his son Odenel, with several other barons, were only committed to the custody of Peter de Mauley, and sent prisoners to Corfe and Nottingham Castles.
Wilst d"Albini remained at Corfe, the king marched on Christmas morning, 1216, from Nottingham to Langar, near Belvoir Castle, and sent a summons to surrender. Upon this, Nicholas d'Albini, one of the baron's sons, and a clerk in orders, delivered the keys to the king, asking only that his father should be mercifully treated. The fortress was then committed to the custody of Geoffrey and Oliver de Buteville. His liberty was gained only by William d'Albini paying a fine to the king of six thousand marks (over four thousand pounds), th sum being raised from his own lands by his wife, on being delivered to her for that express purpose. After King John's death, though he submitted himself to King Henry III., William d'Albini was forced to give his wife and son Nicholas as hostages for his allegiance; but in 1217 he was one of the king's commanders at the battle of Lincoln. He died at Offington, 1 May, 1236, and his body was buried at Newstead, and "his heart under the wall, opposite the high-alter", at Belvoir Castle. He m. first Margery, dau. of Odonel, Baron d'Umpfraville, and had by her Robert, Nicholas, and Odonel d'Albini all o.s.p.". (MCB, 1915, pp.85-86).
He was married to MARGERY.

48526501. MARGERY. dau. of Odonel. (MCB, 1915, p. 86).
Children were:

2936914 i. William D'ALBINI.