The
De Lucy family took its surname from
Lucé in southern
Normandy, then still held by the English kings. Richard inherited from his father estates in Norfolk, Suffolk, Kent, and Normandy. His mother was Aveline, the niece and heiress of William Goth. In the charter for
Sées Cathedral in February 1130–31
Henry I refers to Richard de Lucy and his mother, Aveline. His brother,
Walter de Luci, was abbot of
Battle Abbey. De Lucy's wife, Rohese, who is named in several documents, was possibly a sister of
Faramus of Boulogne and a descendant of the
counts of Boulogne. An early reference to the family refers to the render by King
Henry I of the lordship of
Diss, Norfolk to Richard de Lucy, Governor of
Falaise,
Normandy, after defending it with great valour and heroic conduct when besieged by Count
Geoffrey V of Anjou. In 1153–4 De Lucy was granted
Chipping Ongar,
Essex by William, son of
King Stephen and his wife,
Matilda of Boulogne. He may have built the motte-and-bailey
Ongar Castle, although it is also attributed to Count
Eustace II of Boulogne (). Richard de Lucy was appointed
Sheriff of both Essex and
Hertfordshire for 1156. , in
Bexley, south-east London When King
Henry II came to the throne in 1154, De Lucy was made Chief
Justiciar of England jointly with
Robert de Beaumont, Earl of Leicester. When de Beaumont died in 1168, De Lucy continued to hold the office in his own right. One of the members of his household was
Roger fitzReinfrid, the brother of
Walter de Coutances. Roger became a royal judge and later donated land to
Lesnes Abbey in
Kent, which had been founded by De Lucy. During the
Revolt of 1173–74 Henry II made Richard de Lucy regent and him in charge of the kingdom's defence while Henry II campaigned in mainland Europe. He resigned his office between September 1178 and Easter of 1179, and retired to Lesnes Abbey, where, three months later on 14 July 1179, he died and was buried. ==Legacy==