30422828.
Earl Ralph de Stafford & 30422829. Countess Margaret de Audley
& 5910475. Lady Katherine de Hastang
9/24/1301,
Ralph de Stafford born in Stafford, England, heir & s/o 60845656. Edmund de Stafford &
60845657. Margaret Basset.
2/25/1308,
Edward II crowned king of England.
8/26/1308,
Ralph 9 years old when his father Edmund died.
~1305,
Katherine born in England, [proposed] natural d/o §§Humphrey de Hastang, archdeacon. [Humphrey held lands in Bradley in
the 1324 grant. 6/14/1327, that the marriage is by command of the king.
10/17/1343, Ralph and Humphrey jointly found a house of Austin Friars, which
licence of 6/25/1344 refers to “heirs” of both. Also see (S) Hist. of Stafford,
V3, 1970, The Austin Friars of Stafford.]
~1320,
Margaret born in England, heiress & d/o 60845658. Hugh de Audley & 60845659. Margaret de Clare.
4/6/1323,
Ralph son and heir of Edmund de Stafford made proof of age. Stafford: William
de Stafford, aged 60, says that the said Ralph, born at Amynton by Tamwurthe
and baptized in the church of St. Edith in Tamwurthe, was 21 years of age on 24
September last, and this he knows because he lifted him from the sacred font. …
(S) CIsPM.
12/6/1323,
Order to cause Ralph de Stafford, son and heir of Edmund de Stafford, … to have
seisin of his father’s lands, as he proved his age … . (S)CCRs.
[––Ralph & Katherine––]
1324, Ralph
married 1st to Katherine. (S) Transactions – Bristol and Gloucester
Arch. Soc., V72, 1954, P79.
1324, Ralph
de Stafford, knight, to grant land in Bradley, with the advowson of the church
there, to Humphrey de Hastang, retaining the manors of le Hide and Norton. (S)
Lists & Indexes, V17, 1904, P331.
1325,
Margaret heir to her half-sister Joan Gaveston, d/o Piers, Earl of Cornwall;
and became sole heir to her mother and here extensive lands in England, Wales
and Ireland.
4/16/1326,
Order to supersede … king’s writ … to place in exigent … Ralph de Stafford and
Richard his brother, John son of Thomas de Stafford, … who were indicted for
unlawful assemblies, alliances, and confederations, … (S) CCRs.
1/20/1327,
Ralph created a knight-banneret.
2/1/1327 at
Westminster, Edward III, age 14, crowned king of England.
2/9/1327, Licence
for Ralph de Stafford to enfeoff Humphrey de Hastang of the manors of La Hide,
co. Stafford, and Calilond, co. Cornwall, held in chief, and for the said
Humphrey to grant the same to the aforesaid Ralph and Katherine, his wife, in
tail, with remainder, if they die without issue, to the right heirs of the said
Ralph. (S) CPRs.
3/17/1337, Ralph’s mother died.
3/18/1337, Writ for IPM of Margaret late the wife of Edmund
de Stafford. Warwick: Tisho. The manor held for her life of the king in chief,
as a member of the barony of Stafford, … Ralph de Stafford, knight, is son and
next heir of the said Edmund, and did homage and fealty to the king for the
whole barony during the lifetime of the said Margaret. (S) CIsPM.
6/14/1327, Ralph
de Stafford' and Katherine, his wife, querents, …, and Humphrey de Hastang,
deforciant. The manor of Calilond' in the county of Cornwall and the manor of
la Hide in the county of Stafford. Humphrey has granted to Ralph and Katherine
the manors and has rendered them to them in the court, to hold to Ralph and
Katherine and the heirs of their bodies, of the lord king and his heirs for
ever. In default of such heirs, remainder to the right heirs of Ralph. This
agreement was made by the command of the lord king. (S) Feet of Fines, CP
25/1/286/35, number 4. [Katherine represented by king’s appointee.]
10/18/1329,
Thomas Hasting’, Ralph de Stafford, an John Murdak, knights, … owe to
Scolastica de Melsa 300 marks … (S) CCRs.
10/19/1330
in Nottingham castle, Ralph, 1 of 9 helping young King Edward III and fellow
knights, took Roger de Mortimore and his mother Queen Isbella [widow of Edward
II] prisoner.
3/1331,
Assizes taken at Lychfeld. Henry de Kerswall of co. Stafford appeared in Court
and complained, that whereas he had come into Court to execute a certain fine,
one Ralph de Stafford Chivaler, Humfrey Hastang, … with malice aforethought,
had insulted, beaten and ill-treated him in the Court in the presence of the
Justices. (S) Staffordshire Historical Collections, V11, 1890, Plea Rolls.
1331, Ralph
de Stafford, knight, acknowledges that he owes to Richard de Stafford, his
brother, 80 marks … (S) CCRs.
4/23/1332,
Protection with clause … for Hugh de Audele going behound the seas on the
king’s service. … Ralph de Stafford going with him. [14 others also named after
Ralph.] (S) CPRs.
9/25/1334,
Licence for Ralph de Stafford to enfeoff William de Shareshull and Dionisia his
wife, in fee tail, of a knight’s fee and a half in Sharshull and Coven, co.
Stafford, … (S) CPRs.
3/27/1335,
Ralph de Stafford, Philip de Chetewynde, and Philip de Somerville appointed to
array 60 hobelars and 200 archers in co. Stafford. (S) Collections for a
History of Staffordshire, V8, P53.
Bef.
2/28/1336, Hugh’s daughter Margaret was abducted in co. Essex by, and married
to, Ralph de Stafford. They filed a complaint, but King Edward III supported
Ralph. (S) CPRs.
10/20/1336,
Letters of attorney for John de Stafford, knight, going to Scotland with Ralph
de Stafford, …. (S) Cal. of Doc’s Relating to Scotland.
1/10/1337,
Ralph appointed Steward of the Royal Household.
1/14/1337,
“Radulpho Baroni de Stafford”, 2nd Baron Stafford, summoned to
Parliament.
1/8/1339,
Hugh de Audele, earl of Gloucester and Ralph de Stafford, knight, acknowledge
they owe … 320 marks … (S) CCRs.
1339–1340,
Ralph fought at sites in Flanders. King Edward, unable to provoke a battle with
Philip VI of France by his various invasions of France, decided to attack
Flanders, which was economically tied to England through the wool market.
11/1339,
King Edward and the forces of King Philip neared each other at Brabant;
however, King Philip retreated without engaging in battle.
2/1340,
Having wintered in Hainault, King Edward was forced to return to England.
6/24/1340,
Ralph fought at the sea battle of Sluys in France.
6/24/1340, Battle of Sluys, France. A sea battle –
one of the opening conflicts of the Hundred Years' War. During the battle the
French navy was devasted, giving the English fleet mastery over the channel. In
a 9-hour battle the English attacked 166 French ships at their moorings.
5/13/1341,
Ralph, steward of the king’s household, granted a market and fair at Madeley,
Staffordshire. (S) Gaz. of Markets and Fairs.
[––Ralph & Margaret––]
By 1340, Ralph
married Margaret.
10/1341,
Ralph was captured during the Siege of Nantes in Brittany. English supporting a French noble John de Montfort.
The siege lasted less than a week, the town surrendering.
4/9/1342, Margaret’s mother died.
4/15/1342, IPM of Margaret, late the wife of Hugh de Audele,
earl of Gloucester. … Essex: Neweport. The manor and town … Margaret the wife
of Ralph de Stafford, daughter of the said Margaret, … aged 18 years and more, is
her next heir in blood. (S) CIsPM.
12/5/1342,
The Earl of Arundel lead the English siege (4th of the year, others
were by opposing French forces) of Vannes in Brittany. The siege ended with a
truce on 1/19/1343. [9/1343, the English retook the town through internal
support by the citizens.] Ralph took
part in the seige of Vannes where he was taken prisoner. He was exchanged for
Olivier de Clisson.
7/6/1343,
Commission of oyer and terminer to William Scot, Ralph de Stafford, Robert de
Burghcher, … (S) CPRs.
10/17/1343,
By jury inquiry permission granted to Ralph, earl of Stafford, and Margaret his
wife, and Humphrey de Hastang, Archdeacon of Lichfield, for their souls when
they departed from this life, … souls of the faithful departed … to found a
house of Austin Friars at Forbrigge, near Stafford. (S) The Reliquary, V20,
1880, P24.
3/1/1344,
Hugh de Audele earl of Gloucester and Ralph baron of Stafford acknowledge that
they owe to Adam de Veryngham of Rockele £500. (S) CCRs.
6/22/1344,
Ralph, baron Stafford, with earls and the king in the new chamber at
Westminster, before the ninth hour, when the king sealed certain letters. (S)
CPRs.
6/25/1344,
Licence for Ralph, baron of Stafford, steward of the household, to found a
house of Austin Friars for the good estate of him, Margaret his wife, and their
children, and Humphrey de Hastang, archdeacon of Coventre, for the souls of
their ancestors and heirs, … (S) CPRs.
9/1344,
Ralph participated in the tournament at Hereford.
2/23/1345,
Ralph became Seneschal of Aquitaine, in France.
7/12/1346,
King Edward landed an invasion force of 10000 in Normandy, which marched north
plundering the countryside. King Philip VI, with 8000 horsemen and 4000 Genoese
crossbowmen pursued.
8/26/1346,
Ralph fought as a knight banneret in the King’s Division at the Battle of Crecy
(S) Crecy & Calais, 1898, P35.
8/26/1346, The Battle of Crecy, north of Paris.
Edward III vs. Philip VI, heralded the rise of the longbow as the dominant
weapon, and also saw the use of the ribauldequin, an early cannon, by the
English. The English longbowmen could fire much more quickly than the Genoese,
with a killing range of 250 yards. A decisive victory, a third of the French
forces lost [mainly to arrows] to less than 100 Englishmen, this started the
decline in importance of the mounted knight, and the rise of England as a
European power.
2/1347, Ralph and the Earl of Oxford destroyed a French fleet bringing
food to Calais.
3/11/1347 at London, John Lestraunge (30422828) of
Whitchirch arranged marriage of his son Fulk with Elizabeth, the daughter of
Sir Ralph, Baron of Stafford … and John shall enfeoff Fouk and Elizabeth with
200 marks of land … lands with the fees and advowsons which John holds whether
jointly with Enkarette his wife or alone … Ralph for the said marriage shall give John £1,000
… Ralph grants that if Elizabeth live to the age of 13 years … Witnesses: Sir
William de Clynton, earl of Huntingdon, Sir William de Shareshull, Sir Richard
de Stafford, Sir Thomas de Ferers … (S) CCRs.
9/4/1346, The English began the year-long siege of
the port of Calais.
1347, Ralph
at the siege of Calais, with 205 men in his contingent. (S) English Historical Doc’s
1327-1485, Myers, 1996, P497. [Calais fell 8/4/1347.]
11/10/1347,
Margaret’s father died.
11/16/1347,
Whereas the king of special grace has lately surrendered to Ralph de Stafford
and Margaret his wife, daughter and heir of Hugh Daudele, earl of Gloucester,
who is of full age, the lands of Hugh … (S) CPRs.
1348, The
Black Death entered the west countryside of England [likely entering through
Bristol].
4/23/1348,
Ralph a founding Knight of the Order of the Garter. (S) Plantagenet Ancestry,
Faris, 1999.
9/7/1349,
Margaret died.
8/1350,
Ralph was present at the naval battle of Winchelsea.
8/1350,
English navy in battle with the Spanish near Winchelsea. Using grappling hooks and bording tactics, the
English destroyed most of the Spanish vessels. King Edward’s ship was sunk.
3/1/1351, By
letters patent, the king lately granted licence for Ralph, baron of Stafford,
and Margaret his wife, to enfeoff … before this latter feoffment could be made
Margaret depated this life … for them to grant to Ralph the manor of
Thornebury, co. Gloucester … with remainder to Hugh, his son, and Philippa
daughter of Thomas de Bello Campo, earl of Warwick, … (S) CPRs.
3/5/1351,
Ralph named the 1st Earl of Stafford by King Edward III.
7/21/1352,
Ralph, earl of Stafford arrived at Bordeaux, France, and organized an army,
short of archers, that marched up the Garoone valley. (S) The Hundred Years
War, V2, Sumption, 2001, P96. [The army of 3800 had 144
bannerets and knights, 117 men-at-arms, 1328 mounted infantry, 30 archers, and
1096 foot soldiers.]
8/15/1352,
Ralph and his army arrived outside Agen, which was held by Amaury de Craon. A
few days later a French contingent from the town was engaged and defeated, with
multiple French knights captured.
9/1352,
Ralph returned his forces to Bordeaux. Soon after he took forces and marched
north to engage French forces besieging the fortress of Taillebourg.
1353 at
Chester, Ralph assigned to protect the Prince of Wales.
11/3/1354,
Enrolment of release by George Selymon for his life to Sir Ralph, earl of Stafford,
… lands in the town of Attewarde, co. Wilts, … (S) CCRs.
3/6/1355,
The Pope sent letters to King Edward, Prince Edward, Henry duke of Lancaster,
Richard earl of Arundel … [Ralph] the earl of Stafford … requesting the
liberation of Charles, duke of Brittany. (S) Cal. of Papal Entries, V3, P617.
4/18/1355,
Order to pay Ralph earl of Stafford 250 marks for Easter term, last, as the
king granted to Ralph to stay with him for the term of his life with 100 men at
arms both in war and in peace, 1,000 marks to be received yearly for his life
of the customs in that port [Boston] and the port of London. (S) CCRs.
9/9/1355, King Edward and Henry, duke of Lancaster,
sail for Normandy from Plymouth, with the Black Prince who had been appointed
lieutenant in Gascony; to oppose raids by the count of Armagnac.
10/1/1355,
Ralph, landing in Calais with King Edward, proceeded on raids into Pas de
Calais, Artois and Picady.
2/1356,
Ralph with King Edward started a campaign in southern Scotland.
5/17/1357,
Licence for Brian de Cornubia, ‘chivaler,’ … remainder to Ralph, earl of
Stafford, Hugh, his son, and their heirs. (S) CPRs.
1357,
Margaret died.
[––Ralph––]
5/22/1357, Commitment
to Ralph, earl of Stafford, of the wardship of the manor of Styuecle, co. Buckingham,
late of Gilbert de Clare, late earl of Gloucester, which is in the king's hand
because of the minority of Hugh, son and heir of the said Ralph and Margaret,
late his wife, countess of Gloucester, deceased, kinswoman and one of the heirs
of the said earl of Gloucester, to hold until the lawful age of the said heir.
(S) CFRs. [Margaret, d/o Ralph, s/o Margaret de Clare (60845659), sister of
Gilbert de Clare.]
1359, Ralph
served in Gascony. [Ralph had left England with 414 horses in his service, and
returned with 486.] (S) The Organization of War Under Edward III, Hewitt, 1966,
P88.
1/14/1361,
Radulpho Baroni de Stafford summoned to Parliament.
1361, Ralph
accompanied Lionel on his excursion into Ireland.
11/25/1361,
Ralph, earl of Stafford, staying in England, has letters nominating John ap
Howell as his attorney in Ireland for 1 year. Hugh de Stafford has like
letters. (S) CPRs.
7/13/1363,
In consideration of the discords and debates which have arisen between the
lordships of Ralph, earl of Staffor, of Neuport and Walter de Mauny of Strogoil
and Chepstowe in Wales, … the king … to make a final agreement thereon in the
next Parliament … (S) CPRs.
7/29/1366,
Ralph, earl of Stafford, staying in England … attorney in Ireland … (S) CPRs.
5/1/1370,
Licence, for 10 marks … Ralph, earl of Stafford, for the alienation in mortmain
… to celebrate devine service daily … for the safe estate of the earl, and for
the souls of his relations and friends … (S) CPRs.
8/31/1372,
Ralph, 2nd Lord Stafford, Earl of Stafford, died; buried at
Tonbridge Castle, Kent, England, with Margaret, at the feet of her parents.
(S)
Plantagenet Ancestry, 2004. (S) DNB, 1891. (S) Magna Carta Ancestry, P764.
Family
notes:
·
Katherine de Hastangs’ ancestry is questionable.
Mostly given as d/o Sir John de Hastang, Knt., of Chebsey, Staffordshire &
Eve ?; there is minimal evidence to support this; while there is some minimal
evidence to support her being d/o Humphrey de Hastangs.
Children
of Ralph and Katherine:
i. Margaret de Stafford (2955237), born 1328 in
England.
ii. Joan de Stafford, born ~1330 in England.
Joan married
Sir Nicholas de Beke, Knt.
Children
of Ralph and Margaret:
i. Hugh de Stafford (15211414), born bef. 1342 in
England.
iv. Katherine de Stafford, born 1348
Katherine
married Sir John de Sutton, Knt., Baron of Dudley, Staffs.
1361,
Katherine died.
v. Elizabeth de Stafford, born 1342 in England.
1347,
Elizabeth married to Fulk le Strange, s/o 2955026. John le Strange & 2955027. Ankaret le
Boteler.
[No children
by Fulk.]
vi. Beatrice de Stafford (1477621), born ~1345 in
England.
vii. Joan de Stafford, born ? in England.
Joan married
John de Cherleton, s/o 7606062. Baron John de Cherleton & 7606063. Maud de
Mortimer.
1397, Joan
died.
