John Russell (knight)

Arms of Russell of Kingston Russell & Dyrham: Argent, on a chief gules three bezants. These arms were adopted by John Russell c. 1215 at the start of the age of heraldry

Sir John Russell (died c. 1224) of Kingston Russell in Dorset, England, was a household knight of King John (1199–1216), and of the young King Henry III (1216–1272), to whom he also acted as steward. He served in this capacity as custodian of the royal castles of Corfe (1221 and 1224) and Sherborne (1224) in Dorset and of the castles of Peveril and Bolsover in Derbyshire. He served as Sheriff of Somerset in 1223-1224. He was granted the royal manor of Kingston Russell in Dorset under a feudal land tenure of grand serjeanty. Between 1212 and about 1215 he acquired a moiety of the feudal barony of Newmarch, (shared with John de Bottrel/Bottreaux) the caput of which was at North Cadbury, Somerset, in respect of which he received a summons for the military service of one knight in 1218.[1]

  1. ^ Sanders, Feudal Military Service, pp.150-1