MANNY, SIR WALTER DE MANNY, BARON DE (d. 1372), soldier of fortune and founder of the Charterhouse (q.v.), was a native of Hainaut, from whose counts he claimed descent. He was a patron and friend of Froissart, in whose chronicles his exploits have a conspicuous and probably an exaggerated place. He appears to have come to England as an esquire of Queen Philippa in 1327, and he took a distinguished part in the Scottish wars of Edward III. In 1337 he was placed in command of an English fleet, and in the following years proved himself an able military commander. He was summoned to parliament as a baron by writ from Nov. 1347 to Jan. 1371. In 1359 he was made a knight of the Garter, and at various times received extensive lands both in England and in France. He was frequently employed by King Edward in the conduct of diplomatic negotiations as well as in military commands. He was one of those charged with the safe custody of the French king John when a prisoner at Calais in 1360; in 1369 he was second in command under John of Gaunt.
Manny is remembered for his share in the foundation of the Charterhouse in London. In 1349 he bought some land near Smithfield and built a chapel, afterwards sold to the bishop of London, Michael de Northburgh, who died in 1361 and bequeathed a large sum of money to found there a Carthusian convent. It is
not clear whether this direction was carried out; for in 1371 Manny obtained letters patent from Edward III. permitting him to found, apparently on the same site, a Carthusian monastery called "La Salutation Mere Dieu," where the monks were to pray for the soul of Northburgh as well as for the soul of Manny him self. The bishop's bequest may have contributed to the building and endowment of the house; or possibly, as seems to be im plied by a bull granted by Urban VI., in 1378, there were originally two kindred establishments owing their foundation to North burgh and Manny respectively. At all events, Manny who died early in 5372 left instructions that he was to be buried in the church of the Carthusian monastery founded by himself. About 1335 he married Margaret, daughter and heiress of Thomas Plan tagenet, earl of Norfolk, son of King Edward I.
See Oeuvres de Froissart, I. Chroniques, ed. by Baron Kervyn de Lettenhove (Brussels, 1867-77), and the Globe edition of Froissart's Chronicles (Eng. trans., 1895) ; G. F. Beltz, Memorials of the Most Noble Order of the Garter (1841) ; Chronicon Angliae 1323-1388, ed. by E. Maunde Thompson (Rolls series 64, 1874) ; P. Bearcroft, An Historical Account of Thomas Sutton and of his Foundation in Char terhouse (1737).