Five Roberts
First Robert Ogle, before 1295-1350, 7th generation:
In 1305 Sir Robert Ogle was gifted land in Ogle from his father John. It is thought that the land
was a wedding gift, because he married Margaret Gubium and the witnesses to
the transaction were Hugh and Roger Gubium. The date suggests that Robert
was of age or at least nearing adulthood. The land was called Northstrother
and was located in Ogle. Hugh Gubium was the Sheriff of Northumberland
around 1284.
Sir Robert Ogle was the first in a succession of five Roberts leading up to
Robert, First Lord Ogle. This Robert had an illustrious Military career,
mostly defending England from Scottish invaders. In 1319, King Edward II
officially thanked Robert for his services.
In 1345, Robert killed Scottish commander Sir Alexander Staghan. In 1346 the
Scots, under the command of David II invaded Durham. Lords Neville and
Percy, Sir Robert Ogle, and Sir Robert Bertram defeated them at Neville's Cross. David II was taken prisoner and held
for a time in Ogle castle.
Robert died in 1350. He and Margaret Gubium Ogle had two children, Sir
Robert Ogle, 1306-1362, and Sir Alexander Ogle, died 1355.
Second Robert Ogle, 1306-1362, 8th generation:
In 1346, Robert and his father were both at the battle of Neville's Cross,
where 12,000 Scots led by David Bruce II were defeated by 7,000 English
soldiers led by Ralph Neville. Scots William Douglas and Malcolm Fleming
were captured,and commanded to be held in the Tower of London. After either
releasing or losing custody of Fleming, Sir Robert Ogle and twenty-nine
other knights were arrested and taken into custody, and their properties
seized, by the king's orders. By the following year, all of Robert's
properties were restored to him and he was rewarded for the capture of
William Douglas. Robert's brother, Sir Alexander Ogle, was killed when
Berwick was captured in 1355.
Around 1331 Robert married Joan Hepple and received gifts of land from his
father in law, Sir Robert Hepple. Children of Robert and Joan were Sir
Robert Ogle, 1351-1395, Joan Ogle of Swinburne, married to William Swinburne
of Capheaton, Thomas Ogle, 1352-1366. Joan and William Swinburne's son William Swinburne became a major land owner in
Northumberland and represented the area with an appointment to the House of
Commons in Parliament in 1395.
Third Robert Ogle, died 1355, 9th generation:
Sir Robert Ogle, knight married Elena Bertram who was the sole heiress to
the Bothal estate and Bothal castle. Bothal was a barony and for many
generations thereafter, their descendant heirs were known as "baron of Ogle
and Bothal". Robert died before his father, leaving his minor son with his
wife and his grandfather, Sir Robert Ogle, who died in 1362.
After Robert's death, Elena married twice more, first to John Hatfield, then
to David Holgrave. Robert was the only child of Robert and Elena. in 1377,
Blanche, the widow of Elena's father, Sir Robert Bertram, granted a lease to
the castle of Bothal to Elena and her husband David Holgrave. David Holgrave
died shortly before Elena, and her son was bequeathed the barony of Ogle and
Bothal. The Ogle chapel in Hexham Abbey, lost in the 19th century, had a
stone burial slab with the names of Robert Ogle and Elena Ogle.(1)
Fourth Robert Ogle, 1351-1409, 10th generation:
The son of Robert and Elena, Robert was born the eighth of December, 1351.
By 1372, Robert had already married Joan Heton. His father had died when he
was three years old. Robert had inherited the baronies of Ogle, Bothal, and
Hepple. Robert was raised by his grandparents,Robert and Joan, until his
grandfather's death in 1362. While a minor, Robert was the ward of John
Phillipot and his wife, Joan.(2)
On 10 July, 1386, Robert was appointed conservator of a truce with Scotland.
In 1388, Sir Robert Ogle, Sir Henry Percy, and many others attacked Scottish
forces in Otterburn, but were taken captive. Sir Robert Ogle was knighted
during the reign of Richard II. In 1391, Robert was witness to a quit-claim
deed to David Holgrave and his wife Elena, Robert's mother. Elena died the
year after her husband's death in 1405. In 1406, Robert became indebted for
10,000 marks to his son John, who had taken the surname Bertram after his
grandmother. Robert promised John possession of Bothal castle as part of the
deal, while willing to his other son Robert the family possessions of Ogle,
Shilvington, Saltwick, Twysell, Seaton, Woodhorne, Sharperton, Shipbanks,
Newhall, Hepple, and Lorbottle.
Robert died on 31 October, 1409 and was buried in Hexham Abbey under a black marble slab. Robert and
Joan had four children, Sir Robert Ogle, 1380, Joan Ogle, 1374, Sir John
Bertram, baron of Bothal, married to Joan Loudham. John took the surname
Bertram in deference to his grandmother, returning Bothal to the Bertram
name. John's son, William Bertram, appears to have been the baron of Bothal
after John's death in 1449. John was a knight and had many occasions to
fight alongside his Ogle kin. Joan may have died very young. Marjery married
Robert Raymes.
Fifth Sir Robert Ogle, 1380-1436, 11th generation:
The earliest record of Sir Robert Ogle was in 1400 when he was taken
prisoner by the Scots and 100 marks was paid as ransom to effect his
release.(3) In 1401 he was summoned to attend the king's council at
Westminster. By 1403, he had been appointed constable, justice, seneschal,
excheator, and sheriff in Northamshire and Islandshire.
Although Robert had inherited much of his father's Ogle estate and other
land holdings, he was jealous of his brother, John Bertram's inheritance of
Bothal castle. On 1 November, 1409, the day after his father's death, Robert
brought two hundred men to seize Bothal casle and after four days of heavy
battle, he evicted his brother.(4) On 13 February, 1410, John Bertram
petitioned the House of Commons to request that the king restore his
rightful property, which was granted. The sheriff of Bothal removed Robert
and his soldiers and issued a proclamation that Robert should appear before
the king to answer to the charges, and be imprisoned until payment of fines
and financial amends made with John for damages to the property. By May,
Robert had satisfied all of the judgements and his own lands and properties
had been officially restored.(2)
After participating in more skirmishes between the Scots and English, in
1411, Robert was fighting alongside John, son of king Henry IV and Sheriff
of England, at Berwick castle against the Scots. In 1413, he and Robert
Umfreville were empowered to negotiate a truce by sea.(6) By 1415, Robert
was known to own six castles and towers, and after his mother's death he
inherited the Heton family's Ellingham estates. Also in 1415, king Henry V
commissioned Sir Robert Ogle and Richard, Lord Grey to negotiate a truce
with the Duke of Albany. He became a representative to Parliament in 1415.
In 1416 he was high Sheriff.
In 1419, William Halliburton and his army took the castle of Wark and
executed the guards. Sir Robert Ogle led a troop of soldiers into the castle
through a drain which terminate at the river Tweed, and regained control,
executing the Scottish invaders. The Scots complained that the English
troops had invaded during negotiations of a truce and had slaughtered
Scottish officials.
In 1399, Robert married Matilda (Maud) Grey, the daughter of Sir Thomas Grey
of Heton and Joan Mowbray Grey. Maud Grey may have descended from king
Edward I (Plantagenet) of England, born in 1289 as follows: Edward I, with
his second wife Margaret had a son, Thomas of Brotherton, 1st Earl of
Pembroke, born in 1300, who married Alice de Hales. Their daughter,
Margaret, Duchess of Norfolk, born 1322, married John Segrave, 4th Baron
Segrave. Their daughter, Elizabeth Segrave, born 1338, married John de
Mowbray, who died in 1410. Their daughter Joan de Mowbray married Thomas de
Grey, Baron of Hilton. Their daughter was Matilda Grey.(2)
Sir Robert and Maud had eleven children. Their son Robert, 1406, Lord Ogle of Ogle and Redesdale married
Elizabeth Kirkby. Margery Ogle married R. Harbottle. Agnes Ogle married M.
Whitfield. John married Margaret Booth. Elizabeth Ogle married William
Heron. Jennett Ogle married John Lilburne. Constance Ogle married John
Mitford. the others were Anne Ogle Lisle, Margaret Ogle Grey, Joan Ogle
manners and William Ogle, 1412. William was given land in Choppington and
became the progenitor of the Ogles of Choppington and Eglingham.
(1) "A History of Northumberland, Volume III", The
Northumberland County History Committee, 1896, page 193
(2) "Ogle and Bothal", Sir Henry A. Ogle, 1902
(3) "A History of Northumberland in Three Parts, Part II,
Vol. I", John Hodgson, page 128
(4) "A History of Northumberland in Three Parts, Part II,
Vol. II", John Hodgson, page 154
(5) "A History of Northumberland in Three Parts,
Part II, Vol. I", John Hodgson, page 52