An old Yorkshire family restored to part of its lands after 1106, and one of John's chief agents in the North: William de Stuteville has kept Knaresborough for the crown since 1173, helped capture William the Lion at Alnwick in 1174, served John in 1193 against Archbishop Geoffrey, and at John's accession was given charge of Northumberland and Cumberland.
His own barony is in the East and North Ridings: Cottingham near Hull, Kirkbymoorside and Buttercrambe. He claims the Mowbray barony as the heir of the dispossessed Stutevilles.
Who he is
- Name
- William de Stuteville
- Title
- Baron of Cottingham; royal keeper and sheriff in the North
- Since
- His father Robert de Stuteville's death (1183 or soon after: not pinned)
- Born
- Not pinned (active since the 1170s)
- Family
- Eldest son of Robert de Stuteville and Helewise Murdac. Married Berta, niece of Ranulf de Glanville. His son Robert is a minor (dies 1205); his brother Nicholas will be the heir. His sister Helewise married William de Greystoke, whose wardship William held.
- Confidence
- high
Wikipedia (William de Stuteville). He held Knaresborough and Aldborough castles from Easter 1173 (see Knaresborough (royal keeper)).
Overlord
King John
What it holds
- Cottingham (later Baynard castle)
- Kirkbymoorside
- Buttercrambe on the Derwent
- The Stuteville claim to the Mowbray honour
- The border barony of Liddel in Cumberland (family holding: see Liddel)
- Custody of Knaresborough and Aldborough castles (Knaresborough (royal keeper))
- The shrievalties of Northumberland and Cumberland (see the provinces)
How it was acquired
Inheritance; offices by royal grant.
Allies and rivals
John's trusted man in the North; rival of William de Mowbray; he married his sister to William de Greystoke.
How things stand that morning
Holds his barony and his royal charges. John will visit him at Cottingham in January 1201 and license him to fortify Cottingham and Buttercrambe in 1201.
Wealth
His East Riding manors and the profits of royal office.
Military
Knaresborough and Aldborough (royal), the northern sheriffs' castles of Newcastle, Bamburgh and Carlisle in his charge as sheriff; his own houses unfortified until 1201.
Threats
- Age (he dies in 1203); a minor heir
What the year holds
What happened next, if nothing in play changes it. Each event carries what it depends on and what would stop it.
- 1200 to 1201Presses the claim against Mowbray, settled by compromise in 1201.Depends on: The king's favour Stopped by: Death or disgrace
- By Michaelmas 1200Accounts as sheriff of Northumberland, Cumberland and Westmorland (Pipe Roll of 2 John, per the county lists); sheriff of Yorkshire from 1201.Depends on: John keeping him in office Stopped by: A change of sheriffs
Places of note
- Cottingham: Caput (crenellation licensed 1201)
- Kirkbymoorside: Stuteville castle
- Buttercrambe: Manor on the Derwent
Where the sources disagree
Evidence: Wikipedia (from the old DNB) for his career; the exact dates of his shrievalties differ between the county lists.
On the map: Main manors only.
Primary sources for England
Chronicles, registers, sagas and inscriptions written in or near 1200 that cover this entry. Each has its own page with editions, translations and where to read it.
- Chronicle of Jocelin of Brakelond, Jocelin of Brakelond (about 1198 to 1203). An inside account of Bury St Edmunds under Abbot Samson, written while the events were fresh. Read online
- Chronicle of Melrose, Anonymous (monks of Melrose abbey) (about 1173 to 1270, in many hands; the 1200 entries are near contemporary). The main Scottish annal for the year, kept at a Cistercian house on the Tweed. Read online
- Chronicle of Roger of Howden, Roger of Howden (about 1192 to 1201). The fullest single narrative for the year. Read online
- Chronicle of the Princes, Anonymous (Welsh translation of a lost Latin chronicle kept at Strata Florida) (Latin original to about 1282, compiled from contemporary annals; Welsh versions about 1300 and later). The native Welsh record of the year. Read online
- Chronicle; Deeds of the Kings, Gervase of Canterbury (Chronica about 1188 to 1199; Gesta Regum about 1199 to 1210). The Chronica stops in 1199, so for 1200 the witness is the briefer Gesta Regum, which notes John's peace with Philip, the coronation of Isabella at Westminster on 8 October 1200, and matters touching Canterbury: the archbishop Hubert Walter as chancellor, the cathedral priory's quarrel with him, and the Lambeth college dispute lately settled by the pope. Read online
- English Chronicle of Ralph of Coggeshall, Ralph of Coggeshall (about 1200 to 1224, in stages). Short but independent entries for 1200 from a Cistercian house in Essex: John's levy on the Cistercians and the carucage, the peace with Philip, the king's new marriage and the queen's coronation, and the death of Hugh of Lincoln. Read online
- Flowers of History, Roger of Wendover (about 1220 to 1235 at St Albans). For 1200 Wendover is mostly Howden rewritten, so he is a second witness only where he adds St Albans material: a long account of Hugh of Lincoln's last months, death and funeral, and anecdotes about John's conduct toward the Cistercians and his new queen. Read online
- Images of History, Ralph de Diceto (about 1188 to 1202). A London view of the year from the dean of St Paul's, who knew the justiciar and the bishops personally. Read online
22 more in the sources library for The British Isles.
Sources and studies
Last revised 4 November 2026. Published 4 November 2026. Suggest a correction on the OMNIA Discord.