Dear Will and John,
Comments interspersed.
wjhonson wrote:
Following up on this family yet more. I now present the primary
evidence that Elizabeth Ferrers, wife to Sir William Chetwyn "of
Alspath" was the daughter, not of John Ferrers II and Dorothy Harpur
but yet of John Ferrers I and Maud Stanley.
Great find, Will!
From: "John Higgins" <jthiggins@sbcglobal.net
[In another post that didn't make it onto SGM, so apologies for any
double-posting.]
This is an intriguing find, especially in light of Brad Verity's note of
just a week ago that attibuted another daughter (Jane, wife of Sir Walter
Griffith) to John Ferrers I and Maud Stanley instead of John Ferrers II and
Dorothy Harpur. Brad's note also mentioned that Maud Stanley survived her
husband, as this latest item implies (since John Ferrers I is said to have
d. in 1485, possibly at Bosworth).
Maud Stanley, it turns out did indeed survive her husband, married secondly
(as his second wife), John Agard, of Foston, Derbyshire, and seems to have
died by 1515/6, if the following document in the National Archives is an IPM
for her.
C 142/30/26 Ferrers, alias Agard, Maud: Essex 7 Hen. VIII.
The two notes together raise questions about the supposed second marriage
of
John Ferrers I, to Margaret Hungerford of Down Ampney (see posts in the
archives from Alex Stewart), by whom there was a daughter Catherine m. Sir
Anthony Babington of Dethick. I wonder if perhaps the Hungerford marriage
should instead be ascribed to the son John Ferrers II, perhaps as a 1st
marriage before the one to Dorothy Harpur.
Alex Stewart is doing thorough research into sorting out how the Margaret
Hungerford/John Ferrers marriage originated, and I'll let him share it with
the newsgroup when he's ready.
BTW this new item (if correct) represents a correction to Paget's ancestry
of Prince Charles.
Below is the information I've compiled so far on the Ferrers of Tamworth
line. As there doesn't seem to be a ready reference for them handy, I hope
this can help all of us, and be added to as more evidence is discovered.
Cheers, --------Brad
FERRERS of TAMWORTH LINE - TO 1500
******************************************************
THOMAS FERRERS I, esquire, of Tamworth Castle
Born: about 1405 Died: 6 Jan. 1459
Married 1418/9, Elizabeth Freville (born about 1394; died unknown)
[From 'A Gentry Community: Leicestershire in the Fifteenth Century,
c.1422-c.1485' by Eric Acheson]
"Thomas Ferrers I, esquire, was second son and heir male of William, lord
Ferrers of Groby ('Complete Peerage', v, p. 357). By his marriage in 1419
to Elizabeth, sister and coheir of Baldwin Freville, he acquired Tamworth
Castle in Staffordshire. On the death of his father in 1445, Thomas
inherited six manors including the manor of Flecknoe in Warwickshire. Hithe
in Oxfordshire and Woodham Ferrers in Essex but, apart from parcels of land
worth f20 per year in the hundreds of Sparkenhoe, Gartree and Guthlaxton,
most of the family's Leicestershire estate devolved to Thomas's niece,
Elizabeth Grey (C139/174/34; 'Calendar of Close Rolls, 1454-61', p. 324;
'Complete Peerage, v, p. 357 n. a). Nevertheless, Thomas was well provided
for; even before his father's death his declared annual income was f100
(E179/192/59)."
Issue:
[Note: Neither Tudor Place, nor stirnet, nor PA3, give Thomas Ferrers I any
further issue than the following two sons]
1) Sir Thomas Ferrers II of Tamworth - see below
2) Sir Henry Ferrers of East Peckham, Kent
Born: about 1425/30 Died: 28 Dec. 1500
Married 1st: unknown
Married 2nd, about 1467[but see death date Wedgwood gives William Whetenhall
below], Margaret Hextall (born: unknown; died before 1500)
[From 'History of Parliament 1439-1509' by Josiah C. Wedgwood, 1936]
"Ferrers, Sir Henry (c.1440-1500); of Peckham [footnote: Pardon Roll, 27
Feb. 1484--of East Peckham, alias late sheriff of Kent, alias Ferys.];
King's servant. M.P. Kent 1472-5.
"Second s. of Sir Thomas Ferrers of Tamworth (1415-98) by Anne sis. of
William, lord Hastings, and yr. bro. of Sir John Ferrers M.P. (1438-84) [sic
- Wedgwood is incorrect here. The will of Sir Thomas Ferrers II of
Tamworth shows he had no son named Henry. 'Complete Peerage' states that
Henry was the second son of Thomas Ferrers I and Elizabeth Freville, and
this appears to be the case.] M. (2) Margaret, widow of William Whetenhall
(d. 1468) and da. and coh. of William Hextall of Peckham, M.P.
"King's servant from Apr. 1461; steward of Cheylesmore, Warw., 1461;
exempted as "our welbeloved sqier" 1464 [footnote: 'Rot. Parl.' v. 534];
granted Hameldon, Rutd., 1467; in which grant he was joined by his wife
Margaret, 14 Nov. 1468; sheriff, Kent, 1468-9, and pardoned arrears; kntd.
at Tewkesbury with his bro. John [sic - John was his nephew], 4 May 1471;
J.P. Kent, 27 June 1471 to 5 Dec. 1483, and on Kent comns., including the
subsidy of 18 Feb. 1484. He carried the banner of the Trinity at the
funeral of Edward IV [footnote: Gairdner, 'L. and P.', 5]; sheriff, Kent, 13
May-6 Nov. 1483; pardoned 27 Feb. 1484. Under Henry VII he was again
sheriff, 1487-8, with a f100 "reward"; J.P. Kent, 4 Dec. 1490 to 10 Sept.
1498; a comnr. 1488-96; but he had ceased to hold the stewardship of
Cheylesmore.
"D. 28 Dec. 1499, when Edward, aged 36, was his s. and h.; lands--Hameldon,
Rutland, held jointly with his wife Margaret. Will of Sir Henry Ferrers,
knt., dat. 22 Dec. 1499, pr. 20 Aug. 1500 [footnote: to be bur. beside his
wife at Peckham. All his ungilt silver to his da. Elizabeth, but to remain
in hands of son Edward till her marriage. Exor.:--his son Edward (P.C.C. 4
Moone).] He is ancestor of Mr. Ferrers of Baddesley-Clinton, the commoner
who to-day represents in the male line the Domesday commissioner, Henry de
Ferrers."
Issue of Sir Henry Ferrers and Margaret Hextall: 2 sons & 1 dau [Note: PA3
states there were 4 sons & 5 daus, but gives no names or further
information.]
2A) Sir Edward Ferrers of Baddesley Clinton, Warwickshire
Born: by 1468 Died: 29 Aug. 1535
Married, 1497, Constance Brome (born: unknown, died 1551)
[From 'History of Parliament, 1509-1558', 1982]
"MP Warwickshire 1529
"b. by 1468, 1st s. of Sir Henry Ferrers of Hambleton, Rutland and East
Peckham, Kent by 2nd w. Margaret, da. and coh. of William Hextall of East
Peckham and Gerrard's Bromley, Staffs., wid. of William Whetenhall. m.
settlement 1497, Constance (d. 1551), da. and coh. of Nicholas Brome (d. 10
Oct. 1517) of Baddesley Clinton, 4s. 6da. suc. fa. 28 Dec. 1500. Kntd. 25
Sept. 1513 [footnote: Date of birth estimated from age at fa.'s i.p.m.]
"Esquire of the body by 1509; bailiff, manors of Snitterfield and Warwick,
Warws. 1509-d.; sewer by 1511; j.p. Warws. 1511-d.; commr. subsidy 1512,
1514, 1515, 1523, 1524, musters 1522; other commissions 1519-d.; sheriff,
Warws. and Leics. 1513-14, 1518-19, Worcs. 1528-35; steward, manor of
Knowle, Warws. at d.
"Edward Ferrers's father was a younger son of the family of Tamworth,
Staffordshire, who made his career at court and in his second wife's county
of Kent, the shire for which he sat in Parliament and of which he was three
times sheriff. His wife's manor of Hextalls Court in East Peckham passed,
however, on her death to her son by an earlier marriage, and although Edward
Ferrers retained some interest in Kent--as late as 1506 he was described as
of Peckham and he died holding lands in Brenchley and Hadlow--and inherited
Hambleton in Rutland, it was on his wife's estate at Baddesley Clinton in
Warwickshire that he was to settle. His father had evidently introduced him
into the service of the crown and as early as September 1500 he was among
the witnesses to the surrender of the great seal by the executors of
Cardinal Morton. In 1509 he attended the funeral of Henry VII and two years
later the infant Prince Henry's. He had already received his first reward
of the reign, the bailiwick of Warwick and Snitterfield and in the years
that followed he was to obtain several grants of wardships. He was knighted
at Tournai, having led a band of 100 men on the campaign, he attended the
Greenwich banquet in 1517, and three years later he was a commissioner to
oversee footmen at the Field of the Cloth of Gold and afterwards served at
the meeting with Charles V at Gravelines.
"Ferrers was concurrently establishing himself in the government of his
adopted shire, only being employed elsewhere, apart from his activities as a
courtier, in two searches of London in 1519 and 1524. He evidently proved
his worth for in July 1528 he was chosen to serve out the shrieval term in
Worcestershire of his fellow-courtier and Warwickshire landowner Sir William
Compton; moreover, although he seems to have been a stranger to the shire,
he was retained in the office until his death, an arrangement which if not
unprecedented, for it had obtained under Compton himself, was certainly
unusual. He was thus a sheriff in 1529 when returned as junior knight for
his own shire of Warwickshire. This is the only occasion on which Ferrers,
then in or approaching his sixties, is known to have sat, but he may have
done so earlier, the names of the Warwickshire knights being unknown for the
four previous Henrician Parliaments. Nothing is known of his role in the
Commons and there is no indication that he shared the strong Catholic views
of his fellow-knight Sir George Throckmorton, with whose father he had been
associated as early as 1504. Outside the House he was involved as sheriff
of Worcestershire in a dispute over election expenses with the knights for
that shire, John Russell I and Sir Gilbert Talbot. He evidently remained in
favour until his death. On 24 June 1535 he wrote from Baddesley Clinton to
thank Cromwell for the pains the minister had taken in a dispute between
Ferrers's son-in-law and one Mr. Wyott or Wyatt. He was then too ill to
visit Cromwell himself but sent a message to a Mr. Wigston, presumably Roger
Wigston, a Member for Coventry in this Parliament, who was soon to be
involved in the electioneering following Ferrers's death, of which the
outcome is unknown.
"Ferrers died on 29 Aug. 1535 and was buried at Baddesley, where his wife
later set up a window to his and her own memory. In the will which he had
made on 10 July and added to on 24 Aug., and which was later to be contested
by his surviving sons, he listed lands in Cambridgeshire, Hertfordshire,
Kent, Rutland, Staffordshire and Warwickshire, as well as some tenements
beside London Wall. His wife was sole executrix and his overseers a
serjeant-at-law, Sir Thomas Willoughby, his 'cousin' Thomas Marrow (the
father of the Member of that name), and Thomas Holte. His eldest son had
died in 1526 and the heir was his grandson, Edward Ferrers. Ferrers's wife
survived him by some 16 years and, according to the tenor of her will, the
administration of her husband's was committed in 1546 to Richard Mountney,
one of his creditors."
2B) Richard Ferrers
Born: unknown Died: unknown
No further information.
2C) Elizabeth Ferrers
Born: unknown Died: unknown
Married: 1501-8, James Clerke, esquire, of Forde Hall, Kent (born: unknown;
died 20 September 1553, Wrotham, Kent). Issue.
******************************************************************
Sir THOMAS FERRERS II of Tamworth Castle
Born: about 1422 Died: 22 Aug. 1498
Married: 1448, Anne Hastings (born: unknown; died: before 1498)
[From 'A Gentry Community: Leicestershire in the Fifteenth Century,
c.1422-c.1485' by Eric Acheson]
"Thomas I's elder son and heir, Thomas II, married Anne, daughter of Sir
Leonard Hastings in 1448. The parents were obviously keen on the match for
Hastings provided Anne with a marriage portion of f300 while Thomas I
transferred to the couple land valued at 40 marks yearly with the promise of
an additional grant valued at 20 marks (H.M.C., 'Hastings', I, p. 300). On
two occasions, Thomas II was pricked as sheriff for Warwickshire and
Leicestershire, first, in 1460 when he was referred to as esquire, and again
in 1468 by which time he had been knighted (Lists and Indexes, IX, p. 145).
According to Wedgwood, he died in 1498 ('Biographies', p. 318)."
[From 'Henry, Earl of Richmond' by George Grazebrook, p. 20]
"Sir Thomas Ferrers was then (17 August 1485), owner of Tamworth and did not
die till 22 August 1498. He had been on the Commission of the Peace up to
1483, but in no Commission issued in December in that year, four months
after Richard had seized the crown, his name disappears from that
honour--that is he had fallen under suspicion. Previous to that he had been
a staunch Yorkist. He had married Anna, daughter of Leonard Hastings of
Kirby and sister of William, Lord Hastings. He had inherited Tamworth from
his mother Elizabeth, daughter and heir of Sir Baldwin de Frevile. On 13
June 1483, ten days before his usurpation, Richard III had beheaded William,
Lord Hastings. Sir Thomas was suspect...He could not 'conspire,' for he
kept only a few retainers, and if Henry of Richmond failed (in the Bosworth
expedition) their fewness would show that he could not defend his castle
against so overwhelming a force. We do not know whether Ferrers was still a
Yorkist or not. Henry of Richmond knew that these cannon (at Tamworth
Castle) would be of value to them, and he sent an overwhelming force
accordingly, some miles out of their way, to seize them, and went himself
the next morning to be sure all was right."
[From 'Staffordshire Members of Parliament', 1917, pp. 262-263]
"The Will of Sir Thomas Ferrers, Kt., dated 10 February 1496/7, proved in
P.C.C. 20 October 1498. To be buried on the north side of the collegiate
church of Tamworth beside his wife Anne, and a marble slab with images of
himself and children to be erected. Makes gifts to the Church of Walton and
for repairing the Lady Bridge, the Bolle Bridge, Faseslaie Bridge and Hoppas
Bridge. Masses to be sung for the souls of his father and mother and son
John. Mentions and makes bequests to:--sons, Sir Thomas Gresley, Kt.,
Leonard Ferrers, Roger Ferrers, Sir Rafe Ferrers deyne of Thamworth, William
Ferrers and a daughter Margaret who is to have f40 from the Lord Ormonde.
To John Ferrers my heir f20 and my castle of Tamworth. Exors.:--Leonard and
Roger Ferrers. Overseers:--Sir Rafe -----------(?) [Longford], Kt., Sir
Thomas
Gresley, Kt., John Ferrers, my heir. (P.C.C. 25 Horne)"
Issue of Sir Thomas Ferrers II of Tamworth & Anne Hastings [Note: the
following may not be a complete list]
1) Sir John Ferrers I of Tamworth - see below
2) Leonard Ferrers
Born: unknown Died: after 1498
No further information.
3) Sir Roger Ferrers, dean of Tamworth
Born: unknown Died: after 1508
No further information.
4) William Ferrers
Born: unknown Died: after 1498
No further information.
5) Anne Ferrers
Born: unknown Died: unknown
Married: 1478, Sir Thomas Gresley (born 1455, died 1503), of Drakelow,
Derbyshire; sheriff of Staffordshire [Note: first cousin to Maud Stanley,
wife of John Ferrers I - Gresley's mother and Maud's father were siblings].
Issue.
6) Isabel Ferrers
Born: unknown Died: before 1511
Married: about 1481, Sir Ralph Longford (born about 1456, died 1 February
1513), of Longford, Derbyshire [See 'A Study of a Medieval Knightly Family:
The Longfords of Derbyshire - Part 2' by Rosie Bevan in 'Foundations',
Volume 1 No. 5 (January 2005), pp. 351-357.] Issue.
7) Margaret Ferrers
Born: unknown Died: after 1498
Unmarried in 1498. No further information.
*******************************************************
Sir JOHN FERRERS I of Tamworth
Born: about 1449 [Note: according to Acheson above, his parents were married
in 1448, so the HOP estimate of his birth as 1438 has to be incorrect. John
must have been a very young father, as his own son John was born about 1464]
Died: 1484
[From 'History of Parliament 1439-1509' by Josiah C. Wedgwood, 1936]
"Ferrers, Sir [footnote: He is certainly called 'esq.' on the Return, but
there is ample evidence that he was knt. before 1478] John (c.1438-84/5); of
Tamworth. ?Knt. of Body 1484. M.P. Staffordshire 1478.
"Eld. s. and h. appt. of Sir Thomas Ferrers of Tamworth castle (1415-98) by
Anne sister of William, lord Hastings--nephew therefore of the murdered Lord
Chamberlain. M. Maud da. of Sir John Stanley of Elford M.P. (1423-76), and
had John Ferrers M.P. (1463-1513) and their descendants represented Tamworth
continually until the 19th century.
"He is probably the John Ferrers employed as an attorney by Sir Richard
Cook, Just., in 1470 [footnote: 'Plea Rolls']; kntd., with his yr. bro.
Henry [sic -- Wedgwood is incorrect, this Henry was actually John's uncle],
at Tewkesbury, 4 May 1471; elector Herts., 1472; sailed with the King's
expedition to France, in command of 20 men-at-arms and 120 archers, 1475
[footnote: 'Foedera', V. iii. 56]; on comns. in Staffs. from 1477, including
the subsidy comns. of 27 Apr. and 1 Aug. 1483; J.P. Staffs., 11 Nov. 1480 to
5 Dec. 1483; acquired the custody of the lands and heir of Sir Walter
Griffith of Wichnor, Staffs., Oct. 1481.
"Richard III removed him from the bench Dec. 1483, but gave him a 40 marks
pension for life, 3 Mar. 1484 [footnote: 'Calendar of Patent Rolls'(1484),
390]; probably dead before the end of the year, since his name is absent
from the obvious comns.; certainly dead before the end of Bosworth Field.
There is an ingenious theory that when Henry Tudor "lost" his way on
Whittington Heath the night before Bosworth, he found his way unbeknown to
Tamworth castle, and exercised polite show of force to remove thence the
cannon which he employed next day--old Sir Thomas and his lady being anxious
yet afraid to help [footnote: Geo. Grazebrook, 'Henry, Earl of Richmond'].
Both Stanleys and Ferrers had feet in each camp, and straddled
successfully."
[From 'Staffordshire Members of Parliament', 1917, p. 262]
"His tomb is, or was, in Lichfield Cathedral with this inscription: 'Joh.
Ferrers miles fil Th... Ferrers et Annae ux .... filiae Hastinges miles et
Matilda filia ... Stanley ejus ux....'"
Issue of John Ferrers I and Maud Stanley [Note: By no means a complete list.
The stirnet website also gives this couple children named Richard, Maude,
Alice and Isabel, but no further information or source.]
1) Sir John Ferrers II of Tamworth - see below
2) Catherine Ferrers
Born: unknown Died: 1537
Married 1st: Thomas Cotton (born: unknown; died: about 1505) [Note: probably
son and heir of Richard Cotton, of Ridware, Staffordshire, and the Thomas
Cotton whose will of 15 November 1505 is in the National Archives database.
Richard Cotton's heirs were his daughters, so Thomas & Catherine Ferrers had
no surviving issue.]
Married 2nd: Sir Anthony Babington (born by 1476; died 23 August 1536,
Kingston-on-Soar, Nottinghamshire), of Dethick, Derbyshire. Issue.
3) Jane Ferrers
Born: unknown Died: after 1531
Married: after 1482, Sir Walter Griffith (born: 7 June 1473, Burton Agnes,
Yorkshire; died 1531), of Wichnor, Staffordshire and Burton Agnes,
Yorkshire. Issue.
4) Elizabeth Ferrers
Born: unknown Died: unknown
Married: 1490, William Chetwynd (born: unknown; died 1547), of Alspath and
Ingestre, Staffordshire. Issue.
*************************************************************
Sir JOHN FERRERS II of Tamworth
Born: about 1464 [aged 34 at his grandfather's death in 1498] Died:
16 July 1512
Married: Dorothy Harpur (born: unknown; died after 1513)
[From 'History of Parliament 1439-1509' by Josiah C. Wedgwood, 1936]
"Ferrers, Sir John (c.1463-1513); of Tamworth. M.P. Stafford boro' 1495.
"S. of Sir John Ferrers M.P. (1438-84) by Maud (Stanley); m. (1) by 1488
Maud, and (2) Dorothy da. of William Harpur of Rushall, Staffs. [footnote:
'Staffs. Colls.' 1917, pp. 282-3]
"He warranted a conveyance of land in Heref., 1495 [footnote: Shrewsbury
(Talbot) Colln. (7.

.]; kntd. at Blackheath, 17 June 1497; sheriff,
Staffs., 1499-1500; J.P. Staffs. and Warw. 1508 till death; subsidy comn.
1504 [footnote: 'Rot. Parl.' vi. 540]; at the funeral of Henry VII; pardoned
1509 [footnote: 'Letters & Papers Henry VIII', i. 438. (2 m.4).--"of
Tamworth and of London".] Died 1512. Will, dat. 6 Oct. 1508, pr. 13 May
1513 [footnote: Exors.:--his wife and Sir Walter Griffith of Wichnor
(P.C.C.).]."
Issue of Sir John Ferrers II of Tamworth & Dorothy Harper [Note: only child
given by Tudor Place]
1) Sir Humphrey Ferrers, born about 1497 - continued the line of Ferrers on
Tamworth into the 16th century.
_________________________________________________________________
Express yourself instantly with MSN Messenger! Download today - it's FREE!
http://messenger.msn.click-url.com/go/o ... direct/01/