Guy de Bryan, 1st Baron Bryan

Guy de Bryan, 1st Baron Bryan, KG (born before 1319, died 17 August 1390) was an English military commander and Admiral.

Admiral Sir Guy de Bryan
Born1319
Walwyns Castle, Pembrokeshire, Wales
Died17 August 1390
Gloucestershire
Buried
Tewkesbury Abbey, Gloucestershire, England
Allegiance England
Service/branch Royal Navy
Years of service1337–1372
RankAdmiral
Commands heldAdmiral of the West
Battles/warsBattle of Crécy
Battle off Sluys
Arms of Sir Guy de Bryan, 1st Baron Bryan, KG: Or, three piles conjoined in point azure
Arms of Guy de Bryan on a chest made to hold the Treaty of Calais, signed in 1360 between Edward III of England and John II of France

Origins

He was the son of Sir Guy de Bryan (d.1349) (alias de Brienne), of Walwyn's Castle in Pembrokeshire and Torbryan in Devon he was sometime before 1319.

Career

He served on the English side in the Second War of Scottish Independence and in France and Flanders during the Hundred Years' War. In 1341, he was made Warden of the Forest of Dean, in Gloucestershire, and Governor of St Briavel's Castle, the seat of the Warden, which offices he held until his death.

On August 26, 1346, he was named a Knights Bachelor.[1]

In 1349, he was temporarily Keeper of the Great Seal of England, and in 1350 was granted an annuity of 200 marks for bearing the King's Standard against the French at Calais. From 25 November 1350, he was summoned to Parliament and may thereby be held to have been created Baron Bryan. On 1 March 1356 he was appointed Admiral of the West a post he held till 18 July 1360 under Edward III of England.[2] In 1361, he was Ambassador to Pope Innocent VI. Following the death of Sir John Chandos on 31 December 1369, he was made a Knight of the Garter. On 3 May 1370, he was once again appointed Admiral of the West until 6 October 1372.[3]

Marriages and children

He married twice and left children by his second wife only:

  • Firstly, before 1348, to Joan Carew, daughter of Sir John Carew of Carew Castle, Pembrokeshire; childless.
  • Secondly, before 10 July 1350, to Elizabeth Montagu (d. 31 May 1359), daughter of William Montagu, 1st Earl of Salisbury (by his wife Catherine Grandison), and widow of Hugh le Despencer, Baron le Despencer and of Giles de Badlesmere, 2nd Baron Badlesmere. By his second wife, he is known to have had at least five children, certainly three sons and a daughter, including:

Sons
  • Sir Guy de Bryan (d.1386), who predeceased his father by four years and married a certain Alice (still living 20 May 1409) and had children:
    • Phillipe de Bryan, wife firstly of John Devereux, 2nd Baron Devereux, and secondly of Sir Henry le Scrope; died childless, 8 Hen. IV
    • Elizabeth de Bryan, wife of Sir Robert Lovel (second son of John Lovel, 5th Baron Lovel), by whom she had an only daughter:
      • Maud Lovell, the wife firstly of Sir Richard Stafford and secondly of John FitzAlan, 14th Earl of Arundel, and had children by both husbands:
        • Avice Stafford (4 December 1423 – 3 June 1457), wife of James Butler, 5th Earl of Ormonde[4]
        • Humphrey FitzAlan, 15th Earl of Arundel (30 January 1429 – 24 April 1438)[5]
  • Sir William de Bryan (d.22 September 1395), married Joan FitzAlan and had a son, Thomas.
  • Philip de Bryan (d. pre-14 February 1388), died childless

Daughter
  • Margaret de Bryan, wife of Hugh de Courtenay (d.1374) (son of Sir Hugh Courtenay, KG, and grandson of Hugh de Courtenay, 2nd Earl of Devon); childless[6]

Death and burial

Bryan on 17 August 1390. Although he had a tomb in Tewkesbury Abbey, Gloucestershire, he was buried at Slapton Parish Church, Devon.[7]

Succession

His executrix was his daughter-in-law Alice and his co-heiresses were his granddaughters Phillipe (age 12) and Elizabeth (age 10). Any barony that may be held to have been created by the writ of 1350 fell (according to modern doctrine) into abeyance between these granddaughters.[8] Sir Thomas Bryan assumed his arms at a later date.

Offices held
  • Warden of the Forest of Dean, 1341.
  • Governor of St Briavel's Castle, 1341.
  • Keeper of the Great Seal of England, 1349.
  • Admiral of the West, 1 March 1356 – 18 July 1360.
  • Ambassador to the Holy See, 1361.
  • Admiral of the West, 3 May 1370 - 6 October 1372.
gollark: Chervil has offered me the code as long as I don't make it public. This defeats the point somewhat.
gollark: I can see "it does X in Y circumstances" but not "it will always do X".
gollark: Reverse-engineering does *not* create trust.
gollark: Can't be bothered.
gollark: Not that I'd have much idea regarding making an improvement, but they emulate ancient CPUs in order to run C and C-style code, and are slow/buggy/exploitable because of it.

References
  1. Shaw, Wm. A. (1971). The Knights of England: A Complete Record from the Earliest Time to the Present Day of the Knights of All the Orders of Chivalry in England, Scotland, and Ireland, and of the Knights Bachelors. 2. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Company. p. 5. OCLC 247620448.
  2. Connors, Michael (2008). John Hawley, merchant, mayor, and privateer : Chaucer's shipman of Dartmouth. Richard Webb. p. 67. ISBN 9780953636181.
  3. Beatson, Robert (1788). A Political Index to the Histories of Great Britain and Ireland: Or, A Complete Register of the Hereditary Honours, Public Offices, and Persons in Office, from the Earliest Periods to the Present Time. G. G. J. & J. Robinson. pp. 260-262. John de Norwich English Admiral.
  4. http://www.cracroftspeerage.co.uk/online/content/Ormond1328.htm
  5. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2011-09-28. Retrieved 2015-08-25.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  6. http://www.britannia.com/bios/lords/hcourtenay2.html
  7. "Sir Guy De Bryan (1309-1390) - Find A Grave Memorial".
  8. Complete Peerage, 2nd edition, Volume 2, PP 361-2
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