Biography.guide
Home › People › Feudatory › Walter Espec
Portrait of Walter Espec

Walter Espec

1074 – 1155

English judge and soldier

Don't just read it — keep itBiographies to ownE-book · Audio · Video From $7 →

About Walter Espec

Lived 1074 – 1155 (aged 80–81). Walter Espec was a feudatory.

Walter Espec (died 1155 ) was a prominent military and judicial figure of the reign of Henry I of England. Walter Espec (left, with beard) swears to conquer or be killed by the Scots, while shaking the hand of William of Albemarle, just before the Battle of the Standard.

His father was probably William Speche (William Espec), who joined William the Conqueror in the Norman conquest of England. The senior Speche is believed to have become the feudal baron of Old Warden by 1086.

In the years up to 1120, Espec controlled northern England, alongside Eustace fitz John. He was the builder of Helmsley Castle; he built also Wark Castle. As an old man, when High Sheriff of Yorkshire, he fought against the Scots at the Battle of the Standard in 1138. He was the founder of Kirkham Priory (Augustinians) and later Rievaulx Abbey (Cistercians). Kirkham Priory was founded around 1130. He then donated to Rievaulx, where building started in 1132, and is largely credited for the arrival of the Cistercians in England. By 1135 he also founded Warden Abbey (Wardon) in Bedfordshire, a daughter house of Rievaulx. Walter Espec later became a Cistercian monk himself.

Biography shop

Don’t just read it —
keep it.

Full-length biographies made to live with: read them, listen on the way to work, watch them tonight.

  • E-book
  • Audio
  • Video
Browse the shop — from $7

Instant download · yours to keep · every purchase keeps this site free

Important facts

Born
1074
Birth century
Died
1155
Occupation
Positions held
Justiciar, Sheriff

People in Walter Espec's life

Named in this biography and alive at the same time

Contemporaries

People whose lives overlapped Walter Espec's

Frequently asked questions

Who was Walter Espec?

English judge and soldier

When was Walter Espec born?

Walter Espec was born in 1074.

When did Walter Espec die?

Walter Espec died in 1155.

What was Walter Espec's occupation?

Walter Espec was a feudatory.

Sources & further reading

· Wikipedia: Walter Espec

· Wikidata: Q3565758

· DBpedia: Walter Espec

Cite this page

APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Walter Espec. https://biography.guide/walter-espec/

MLA: "Walter Espec." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/walter-espec/.

Chicago: "Walter Espec." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/walter-espec/.

Data last updated: 2026-09-20 · Spot an error? Report a correction.

Page generated 2026-09-27 05:10 UTC