Elizabeth de Montfort, Baroness Montagu
English noble
Lady Elizabeth de Montfort, Baroness Montagu (died August 1354) was an English noblewoman.
Life
Elizabeth de Montfort was the daughter of Peter de Montfort (d. before 4 March 1287) of Beaudesert Castle in Warwickshire and his wife, Maud de la Mare. Her grandfather was Peter de Montfort (1205–1265), the first Speaker of the House of Commons, whose wife was Alice Audley.
Her marriage to William Montagu was arranged by Eleanor of Castile, the first wife of King Edward I of England. Edward was eager to make peace with the barons after the Second Barons' War, and things were fairly well patched up within a few years. His wife's role in arranging the marriage was part of an elaborate system of arranged marriages designed to reinforce the power of the King and his aristocracy.
Both Elizabeth and her husband came from wealthy families, and they donated some of their money to various causes. Elizabeth was a major benefactor of the Priory of St Frideswide, Oxford, now Christ Church Cathedral at Oxford University. Her tomb now lies between the Latin Chapel, whose construction she funded, and the Dean's Chapel, where she was originally buried under its magnificent painted ceiling (now faded by time).
The public source identifies “Elizabeth de Montfort, Baroness Montagu” as english noble. This brief keeps that definition visible, then builds a research path around Elizabeth, Montfort and Baroness.
Why this record matters
A short description can identify a subject without explaining its stakes. For “Elizabeth de Montfort, Baroness Montagu”, the useful work is to connect “english noble” to the records capable of establishing context and consequence.
Vocabulary and entity names are the principal evidence signals here, because they determine the precision of every later search. The source revision retrieved here is dated May 21, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q6470125. The first chronological checks are 1354, 1287, 1205 and 1265.
A concise general-reference account can conceal disagreements about scope, terminology or the weight assigned to individual sources. The lead is largely declarative, so disagreement and counter-evidence require a deliberate search beyond the opening account. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.
How to read it
Use the entry as an orientation point, then follow its citations and revision history. Names, dates and institutional relationships should be checked against the original record.
- Subject orientation
- Search vocabulary
- Locating named sources
The closest primary source, responsible institution and strongest cited specialist reference.
Three-step research path
- Establish the record: confirm the title “Elizabeth de Montfort, Baroness Montagu”, its source revision and the description used here.
- Expand the search: follow Elizabeth de Montfort, Baroness Montagu primary sources, Elizabeth de Montfort, Baroness Montagu archive and Elizabeth research across catalogues and specialist indexes.
- Test the account: compare the strongest cited source with the responsible institution’s current record and note any disagreement.
Questions for further research
- Which source most directly establishes the central claim about “Elizabeth de Montfort, Baroness Montagu”?
- What terminology or title could unlock a more precise catalogue search?
- Which institution is responsible for the underlying evidence?
Search terms from this dossier
This entry incorporates text from “Elizabeth de Montfort, Baroness Montagu” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.