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A minor at his father's death, Longespé e was knighted by his cousin He n r y I I I a t Gloucester at Whitsuntide 1233, but he must have attained hi s m a j o r ity before that since Henry had intended to knight him at Easter 1 2 3 0 . M o reover, in March 1230 Countess Ela was instructed to surrender t o W i l l i am all the lands she held of inheritance as the wife of William ( I ) L o n g espé e, along with other propertie s granted to her son by Henry i n 1 2 2 8 ? 9; and in November 1230 Willilliam paid homage for the lands cla im e d b y h i s wife, Idonea, as of heredit ary right. Earlier that year, h e h a d a c c ompanied Henry III on his ill- fated expedition to Brittany. T hi s w a s h i s first taste of military action, and for the rest of his sho r t l i f e h e was to be closely associated with his royal cousin, largely i n a m i l i t ary capacity. In the autumn of 1233, during the rebellion of R icha r d M a r shal, earl of Pembroke , he was at Henry's side in the operat ion s a g a i nst the Welslsh and other supporters of the earl. In 1234 he w as e n g a g ed in the pursuit and ar rest of Peter des Rivaux. After return ing f r o m h i s first crusade, he played a leading role in Henry III's exp edit i o n t o G a scony in 1242?3. The number of royal charters he attested t h e r e , a nd the fact that he generally heads the list of lay witnesses, i n d i c a tes his high standing in the king's regard and counsels. He fought a t t h e b a t t le of Saintes (July 1242), and was appointed captain of a nu mb e r o f s u bsequent operations, including the siege of Garro in 1243. Ba c k i n E n g land, Longespé e went in royal service to Wales in June 1245, i n r e s p o nse to the Welsh rising o f 1244/5 under Dafydd ap Llywelyn." (R ef : O x f o rd Dictionary of National Biography)
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Bef 1205 - 1249 (> 43 years)
