Roger de Montbegon, Surety of the Magna Carta

ROGER de MONTBEGON, the Surety, was the successor of Adam de Monte Begonis, whose principal lands were in Lincolnshire. Roger was apparently the son of this Adam by his wife Maud FitzSwaine. During the imprisonment of Richard I in Germany, Roger de Montbegon seems to have favored Prince John's designs on the throne, since he was one of those who held the Castle of Nottingham against the Bishop of Durham. When, however, the King on his return advanced to besiege that fortress, he came out and submitted himself without shooting an arrow. He was one of the most adamant in refusing to pay the levy assessed to those who did not supply the King with soldiers, and must have been more mercurial than most of the Barons. Whenever he was in one of his periodic lapses of disgrace, the King would reclaim some of the lands he had previously granted. In the Barons' proceedings to procure the Charter of Liberty from King John, he took a prominent part and was one of the parties to the covenant for surrendering the City and Tower of London into the hands of the Barons, although several lordships were granted or confirmed to him by King John as late as 1215/6. There is, however, no reason to doubt his original loyalty to the cause of the Barons for when he took up arms against the King, his possessions were seized and given to Oliver d'Albini, while he himself was excommunicated with the other Barons. Roger de Montbegon had no issue by his wife Olivia, whom he married about 1200, widow of Robert St. John. When he died in 1225/6 his Castle of Horneby in Lancashire was given by the King to John de Warren, Earl of Surrey; but when Henry de Montbegon became heir to Roger, he recovered it. Nevertheless Roger deserted the Barons before Magna Charta was confirmed a year and Roger de Mowbray was substituted for him among the Sureties.