Ralph de Stafford, 1st Earl of Stafford
Ralph de Stafford, 1st Earl of Stafford KG (born September 24, 1301 , † August 31, 1372 in Tonbridge , Kent ) was an English military man and nobleman.
Life
He was the only son of Edmund de Stafford, 1st Baron Stafford and his wife Margaret Basset, sister of Ralph Basset, 2nd Baron Basset of Drayton . As a minor, he inherited his father's title of nobility as Baron Stafford and his possessions including Stafford Castle and Madeley Castle in Staffordshire when his father died on August 12, 1308 .
On January 20, 1327 he was beaten to the Knight of the Bath and Knight Banneret . He served in the wars against Scotland in 1327 and 1336-1337 and took part in the 1340 Naval Battle of Sluis . From 1331 to 1332 he held the office of Justice of the Peace for Staffordshire, in 1341 the court office of the Steward of the King's Household and in 1342 the state office of the Keeper of the Great Seal . Around 1342 he served in Brittany , 1343 in Scotland and 1344 in Guyenne . From 1345 to 1346 he was Seneschal of Aquitaine and in 1346 he fought in the Battle of Crécy . In 1348 he was accepted as a founding member of the Order of the Garter. In 1350 he took part in the Battle of Winchelsea . On March 5, 1351 he was raised to Earl of Stafford . He served again in France from 1352 to 1360 and in Ireland from 1361 to 1362 .
He died in Tonbridge Castle in 1372 and was buried in the grave of his second wife's family in Tonbridge Priory .
Marriages and offspring
His first marriage was around 1326 Katherine Hastings, daughter of Sir John Hastings, lord of Chebsey in Staffordshire. With her he had two daughters:
- Margaret Stafford, ⚭ Sir John de Stafford, squire of Bramshall in Staffordshire and Amblecote in Worcestershire;
- Joan Stafford, ⚭ Sir Nicholas de Beke.
In his second marriage he married Margaret de Audley in July 1336, suo jure Baroness Audley († after 1347, before 1351), heir daughter of Hugh de Audley, 1st Earl of Gloucester . From this marriage he had six children:
- Lady Catherine de Stafford († 1361), ⚭ Sir John de Sutton;
- Lady Beatrice de Stafford († 1415), ⚭ (1) Maurice FitzGerald, 2nd Earl of Desmond , ⚭ (2) Thomas de Ros, 4th Baron de Ros , ⚭ (3) Sir Richard Burley;
- Lady Elizabeth de Stafford (c. 1334–1376), ⚭ (1) Fulk Lestrange, 3rd Baron Strange of Blackmere , ⚭ (2) John de Ferrers, 4th Baron Ferrers of Chartley , ⚭ (3) Reginald de Cobham, 2. Baron Cobham ;
- Lady Joan de Stafford (1336 – before 1397), ⚭ (1) John Cherleton, 3rd Baron Cherleton , ⚭ (2) Gilbert Talbot, 3rd Baron Talbot ;
- Hugh de Stafford, 2nd Earl of Stafford (about 1342-1386);
- Sir Ralph de Stafford (before 1344 – before 1347), ⚭ Matilda of Lancaster, Countess of Leicester .
Individual proof
- ^ William Arthur Shaw: The Knights of England. Volume 1, Sherratt and Hughes, London 1906, p. 124.
Web links
- Ralph de Stafford, 1st Earl of Stafford on thepeerage.com
- Stafford, Earl of (E, 1351-1521) at Cracroft's Peerage
| predecessor | Office | successor |
|---|---|---|
| Edmund de Stafford |
Baron Stafford 1308-1372 |
Hugh de Stafford |
| New title created |
Earl of Stafford 1351-1372 |
Hugh de Stafford |
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Stafford, Ralph de, 1st Earl of Stafford |
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES | Stafford, Ralph de, 2nd Baron Stafford |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | English military and nobleman |
| DATE OF BIRTH | September 24, 1301 |
| DATE OF DEATH | August 31, 1372 |
| Place of death | Tonbridge , Kent |