John de Lacy, 2nd Earl of Lincoln

John de Lacy
Arms of John de Lacy, as Lord of Pontefract Castle, and at the sealing of Magna Charta
Born	c. 1192
Died	22 July 1240(1240-07-22)
Resting place	Cistercian Abbey of Stanlaw, in County Chester
Title	2nd Earl of Lincoln, of the fourth creation
Other titles	7th Baron of Halton Castle 5th Lord of Bowland
Nationality	English
Offices	Constable of Chester
Predecessor	Hawise of Chester, 1st Countess of Lincoln (suo jure)
Successor	Margaret de Quincy, Countess of Lincoln (suo jure)
Spouse(s)	Alice de Aquila Margaret de Quincy
Parents	Roger de Lacy Maud de Clere

John de Lacy (c. 1192 – 22 July 1240) was the 2nd Earl of Lincoln, of the fourth creation.

He was the eldest son and heir of Roger de Lacy and his wife, Maud or Matilda de Clere (not of the de Clare family).

He was hereditary constable of Chester and, in the 15th year of King John, undertook the payment of 7,000 marks to the crown, in the space of four years, for livery of the lands of his inheritance, and to be discharged of all his father's debts due to the exchequer, further obligating himself by oath, that in case he should ever swerve from his allegiance, and adhere to the king's enemies, all of his possessions should devolve upon the crown, promising also, that he would not marry without the king's licence. By this agreement it was arranged that the king should retain the castles of Pontefract and Dunnington, still in his own hands; and that he, the said John, should allow 40 pounds per year, for the custody of those fortresses. But the next year he had Dunnington restored to him, upon hostages.

John de Lacy, 7th Baron of Halton Castle, 5th Lord of Bowland and hereditary constable of Chester, was one of the earliest who took up arms at the time of the Magna Charta, and was appointed to see that the new statutes were properly carried into effect and observed in the counties of York and Nottingham. He was one of twenty-five barons charged with overseeing the observance of Magna Carta in 1215.

He was excommunicated by the Pope. Upon the accession of King Henry III, he joined a party of noblemen and made a pilgrimage to the Holy Land, and did good service at the siege of Damietta. In 1232 he was made Earl of Lincoln and in 1240, governor of Chester and Beeston Castles. In 1237, his lordship was one of those appointed to prohibit Oto, the pope's prelate, from establishing anything derogatory to the king's crown and dignity, in the council of prelates then assembled; and the same year he was appointed High Sheriff of Cheshire, being likewise constituted Governor of the castle of Chester.