A Note on William of Cassingham

• Published in: Speculum 1941-04, Vol.16 (2), p.216-223
• Main Author: Stephens, G. R.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: British history; Family names; Fees; Irish history; Molting; Nicknames; Patent rolls
• ISSN: 0038-7134; 2040-8072
• DOI: 10.2307/2853613

The publicity which would please or annoy any man instrumental in saving England from invasion to-day did not obtain six hundred years ago. The ‘certain William,’ who was partly responsible for turning the tide against the French invaders in the first quarter of the thirteenth century, aroused no great interest as a personality. Fortunately, although overlooked by the general public, William was mentioned very frequently in the official records of three kings of England. This fact alone would seem to indicate that he was one of the many neglected leaders who deserve to be named with Hubert de Burgh, Philip of Aubigny, and William Marshal, as bulwarks of the nation's defense. William of Cassingham, however, has received surprisingly little attention from the historians. The English writers of the time, perhaps doubtful as to his identity, dismissed him with a sentence or two. A score of later writers have mentioned him, but have added little to the accounts given by the monastic historians. Although recently some curiosity has been expressed concerning him, no satisfactory treatment of the man has been forthcoming.