Engelard de Cigogné was a 13th-century French-born administrator from Touraine who served King John of England. He was born in the little village of Cigogné, just south of Tours in France, a relative (probably a nephew by marriage) of Gérard d'Athée, a trusted lieutenant of King John. John had paid a considerable ransom of between 1000m and 2000m to secure Gérard's freedom after he had been captured in the storming of Loches Castle in 1205, of which he was castellan. Gérard had then joined Engelard and other of his relatives in England and had been appointed High Sheriff of Gloucestershire and Herefordshire in 1208.