| Notes |
Simon was descended from Drogo de Montagu, a Norman who came to England w i t h W i l liam the Conqueror. Simon was the son of William de Montagu, a S o m e r s et landowner, and his wife, Berthe. He was under age at his father ' s d e a t h, in 1270, but fought in Edward I's wars in Wales in 1277 and 1 2 8 2 , a n d in 1283 was summoned to parliament at Shrewsbury. In 1290 he s u r r e n dered his lands in Dorset, Devon, Bucki nghamshire, and Oxfordshir e t o t h e k i ng, and was then regranted them with remainders to his sons W i ll i a m a nd Simon. He was summoned to fight in Gascony in 1294, where he s e r v e d a s marshal at Blaye. In 1296 he succeeded in breaking the French s i e g e o f B ourg-sur-Mer, taking a ship loaded with victuals through the l i n e o f F r ench galleys. He returned to Gascony with John Hastings on roy a l s e r v ice in 1302. It was in Scotland, however, that Montagu served th e c r o w n m ost. In 1298 he attended the parliament at York at which the S co t t i s h war was discussed, and may have been present on the Falkirk cam p a i g n l ater that year. He certainly took part in the Caerlaverock exped i t i o n o f 1300; the poet who described the army placed him at the rear o f t h e 3 r d d ivision. Montagu's particular contribution to the wars lay i n n a v a l w arfare in the Irish Sea and around the Western Isles. In 1300 h e p r o v i ded two substantial ships for the Scottish war, a galley and a b ar g e , m a nned by 100 men between them. In 1307 he was captain and govern o r o f t h e E nglish fl eet, and admiral in 1310. He continued to be summo n e d t o c a mpaign against the Scots until his death."
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1250 - 1316 (66 years)