Hugh de Courtenay, 2nd Earl of Devon - Career

Career

On 20 January 1327 Courtenay was made a knight banneret. In 1333 both he and his father were at the Battle of Halidon Hill. He was summoned to Parliament on 23 April 1337 by writ directed to Hugoni de Courteney juniori, by which he is held to have become Baron Courtenay during the lifetime of his father. In 1339 he and his father were with the forces which repulsed a French invasion of Cornwall, driving the French back to their ships. The 9th Earl died 23 December 1340 at the age of 64. Courtenay succeeded to the earldom, and was granted livery of his lands on 11 January 1341.

In 1342 the Earl was with Edward III's expedition to Brittany. Richardson states that the Earl took part on 9 April 1347 in a tournament at Lichfield. However in 1347 he was excused on grounds of infirmity from accompanying the King on an expedition beyond the seas, and about that time was also excused from attending Parliament, suggesting the possibility that it was the Earl's eldest son and heir, Hugh Courtenay, who had fought at the Battle of Crecy on 26 August 1346, who took part in the tournament at Lichfield.

In 1350 the King granted the Earl permission to travel for a year, and in that year the house of the White Friars was built for him in London. In 1352 he was appointed Joint Warden of Devon and Cornwall, and returned to Devon. In 1361 he and his wife were legatees in the will of her brother, Humphrey de Bohun, 6th Earl of Hereford, which greatly increased his land holdings.