Emma de Harcourt Lady of Swallowfield ¹

  General Notes:

In 1253, Emma Despencer was appointed Lady in charge of Princess Katherine, the youngest daughter of King Henry III, who was born on 25th November of that year. At the Feast of the Circumcision, we find the Queen presented her with a brooch and, later on, with a girdle to the value of 21s-2d; and to Dionisia, Damsel of Emma Despencer, also a brooch.
The little Princess was deaf and dumb, but of great beauty and idolized by her Royal parents. She was christened with much pomp by Boniface, Archbishop of Canterbury, the Queen's uncle, who stood as godfather. The infant princess received the name of Katherine because she had been born on that saint's feast day. The King held a great banquet in honour of the christening on St. Edward's Day (5th January) 1254, to which he invited all the nobility, including "Emma de St. John of Swalefeld and her son." Amongst the provisions on this occasion were "fourteen wild boars, twenty-four swans, one hundred and thirty-five rabbits, two hundred and fifty partridges, fifty hares, two hundred and fifty wild duck, sixteen hundred and fifty fowls, thirty-six female geese and sixty-one thousand eggs." ²

Emma married Sir John de St. John of Stanton St. John in Oxfordshire and Swallowfield in Berkshire. (Sir John de St. John of Stanton St. John in Oxfordshire and Swallowfield in Berkshire. was born about 1196, died before 29 Dec 1229 in Stanton Manor, Oxfordshire, England and was buried in Oseney Abbey in Oxford, England.)

Emma next married Galfridus "Geoffrey" le Despencer Lord Marcheley, son of Thomas le Despencer and Rohaise de Foix, on 29 Dec 1229. (Galfridus "Geoffrey" le Despencer Lord Marcheley was born about 1185 in Defford, Worcestershire, England and died between 1242 and 1251 in Defford, Worcestershire, England.)