Sixth Generation  

14. 1st Earl Ralph de STAFFORD of Stafford [121973] (1st Baron Edmund STAFFORD Stafford¹², Eleanor de CLINTON⁸, Thomas⁶, Thomas of Coleshill (Sir)², Osbert III¹) was born on 24 Sep 1301 and died on 31 Aug 1372 at age 70.

General Notes: Wikipedia says.
Stafford was made a Knight banneret in 1327 and was fighting the Scots shortly afterwards. He supported the plot to free Edward III of England from the control of Roger Mortimer, which earned the king's gratitude. By the summer of 1332, he was a commissioner of the peace in Staffordshire and had served abroad on royal business, accompanying Hugh de Audley, 1st Earl of Gloucester. He was also still fighting the Scots, commanding archers at the Battle of Dupplin Moor on 11 Aug 1332 and on three further Scottish campaigns.[5]

He was first summoned to Parliament by writ as Lord Stafford on 29 November 1336 and continued to attend until 1350.

His military career continued, accompanying King Edward to France in 1338 as an advisor and being present at the naval battle of Sluys on 24 June 1340. He also fought at the relief of Brest and the siege of Morlaix. He was captured at Vannes but was exchanged in time to negotiate a truce at Malestroit.

On 6 January 1341, he was made Steward of the Royal Household but resigned that post on 29 March 1345 having assumed the office of Seneschal of Aquitaine, an English possession in France, where he stayed for about a year. He took part in the Gascon campaign of 1345 including the battles of Bergerac and Auberoche, the siege of Aiguillon, from where he escaped prior to its lifting, a raid on Barfleur and the English victory at the Battle of Crecy, on 26 August 1346. He became one of the twenty-six founding members and the fifth knight of the Order of the Garter in 1348.[5][6]

In November 1347, his wife's father died; they were able to take possession of his estates without paying the king's homage, an indication of the relationship between them. Ralph was now a very wealthy man, from his estates and from the many prizes from the French war.[5]

Edward III created a number of new peerage titles to honour his war captains and to mark his jubilee year. Ralph was created the 1st Earl of Stafford on 5 March 1350, with an annuity of 1000 marks. He now replaced Henry of Grosmont, 1st Duke of Lancaster as the king's lieutenant in Gascony. He committed to serve with 200 men at his own expense with the expectation of this being doubled in March 1353 at the king's expense. The campaigns provided several captives that were ransomed, but were ultimately unsuccessful, leading to the appointment of Edward, Prince of Wales to command.[5]

Even at the age of sixty, Stafford continued to command troops and act as a royal envoy, both in France and in Ireland in 1361, accompanying Lionel of Antwerp to try and restore English control.

Ralph married Katherine de HASTANG [122221] about 1326.

Children from this marriage were:

   19    i. Margaret STAFFORD [122223] .

Margaret married Sir John de STAFFORD of Bramshall [122224].

   20    ii. Joan de STAFFORD [122225] .

Joan married Sir Nicholas de BEKE [122226].

Ralph next married Countess Margaret AUDLEY de Stafford [121974]. Margaret was born in Jan 1305 in Stafford Staffordshire England, died on 7 Sep 1347 in Tonbridge Kent England at age 42, and was buried in Tonbridge Kent England.

Noted events in her life were:

• Birth: at Stafford Castle, Jan 1305, Stafford Staffordshire England.

Children from this marriage were:

   21    i. Ralph de STAFFORD [122232] died in 1347.

Ralph married Countess Maud de GROSMONT of Leicester [122229] in 1344. Maud was born on 4 Apr 1340 in Leicester Castle Leicester Leicestershire England and died on 10 Apr 1362 at age 22.

+ 22    ii. 2nd Earl Hugh STAFFORD of Stafford [120411] was born about 1336 and died on 16 Oct 1386 aged about 50.

+ 23    iii. Elizabeth STAFFORD [122051] was born about 1340 and died on 7 Aug 1375 aged about 35.

   24    iv. Beatrice de STAFFORD [122235] was born about 1341 in Staffordshire England and died in 1415 aged about 74.

Beatrice married 2nd Earl Maurice FITZGERALD of Desmond [122236] in 1350. Maurice died in Jun 1358.

Beatrice next married 4th Baron Thomas de ROS de Ros [122239]. Thomas was born on 13 Jan 1335 and died on 8 Jun 1384 at age 49.

General Notes: Wiklipedia says,
Thomas Ros, 4th Baron Ros of Helmsley (13 January 1335 \endash 8 June 1384) was the son of William Ros, 2nd Baron Ros and Margery de Badlesmere.

In 1364, he accompanied the king of Cyprus to the Holy Land; and was in the French wars, from 1369 to 1371. He was summoned to parliament by both King Edward III of England and King Richard II of England. He died at Uffington, Lincolnshire, 8 June 1384, and was buried at Rievaulx Abbey. His widow became the wife of Sir Richard Burley.

17. 1st Baron Richard STAFFORD Stafford of Clifton K.B. [122209] (1st Baron Edmund STAFFORD Stafford¹², Eleanor de CLINTON⁸, Thomas⁶, Thomas of Coleshill (Sir)², Osbert III¹) was born about 1305 in Tunbridge Newcastle-under-Lyme Staffordshire England and died on 31 Aug 1372 in Clifton Campville Staffordshire England aged about 67.

General Notes: Wikipedia says,
Stafford was involved in the French campaigns of King Edward III of England during the Hundred Years' War. His actions during the war are at times unclear, for the contemporary historian Jean Froissart often confused Richard with his brother Ralph. In 1337, Stafford was sent with others on an embassy to the courts of William II, Count of Hainaut and Reginald II, Count of Guelders, as well as Louis IV, Holy Roman Emperor.[2]

In November 1337, Richard participated in the victory at Cadzand and was in the king's army at present at the bloodless meeting of the English and French armies in October 1339 at Vironfosse. His brother held command of the English forces during the Gascon campaign of 1345, and Richard was among the prominent leaders of the campaign. During the campaign, Stafford participated in the siege of Bergerac, commanded the garrison at Libourne, and assisted in the relief of Auberoche, and the attack on La Réole. Stafford also participated in the Battle of Crécy in 1346; after the battle, Stafford and Reginald de Cobham, 1st Baron Cobham were tasked to count the slain. He was also at the Siege of Calais between 1346 and 1347.[2]

In 1355, Stafford followed the Edward the Black Prince to Gascony and participated in his expedition into France in 1355. He was sent to England with letters in December, but rejoined the prince's army afterwards and fought at the Battle of Poitiers on 19 September 1356. Stafford and his brother accompanied Edward III on his expedition to France in October 1359. He was appointed to the office of Seneschal of Gascony in 1361 and served until 8 June 1362. During 1366, Richard was appointed to go on an embassy, accompanied by his son Richard, to the papal court.[2] Summoned to parliament, as Baron Stafford of Clifton, on 8 January 1371, and regularly summoned until 1379. He died on 13 August 1380 and was buried at the St Andrew's Church, Clifton Campville, Staffordshire. A memorial brass is located within St Peter's Church, Elford, Staffordshire.

Richard married Isabel de VERNON [122210].

Children from this marriage were:

   25    i. Sir Richard STAFFORD [122213] died before 1380.

Richard married Alice BLOUNT [122214].

   26    ii. Bishop Edmund STAFFORD of Exeter [122215] was born in 1344 and died in 1419 at age 75.

   27    iii. Sir Thomas STAFFORD Marshall of Ireland [122216] died about 1397.

Thomas married Alice SULNEY [122217].

   28    iv. Maud STAFFORD [122218] . (Died young)

   29    v. Katherine STAFFORD [122219] .

Katherine married Sir Thomas de ADERNE of Elford [122220].