William Ferrers, 5th Baron Ferrers of Groby

William Ferrers, 5th Baron Ferrers of Groby (also William Ferrers IV ) (born April 25, 1372 in Luton Hoo , Bedfordshire , † May 18, 1445 in Woodham Ferrers , Essex ) was an English nobleman.

William Ferrers came from the old noble Ferrers family . He was the eldest and probably only son of Henry Ferrers, 4th Baron Ferrers of Groby and his wife Joan Hoo, and was born in Luton Hoo , the seat of his maternal grandfather. When his father died in 1388, he was still a minor, so William became the king's ward. The right to manage his estates and guardianship over him was sold to Roger de Clifford, 5th Baron de Clifford . Clifford married Ferrers with his daughter Philippa, but died himself in 1389. In 1394 Ferrers finally came of age and took over his father's inheritance.

From his holdings in Leicestershire and other parts of England, he and his son Thomas received annual income of over £ 766 in 1436. In 1395 he took part in King Richard II's campaign in Ireland. When Richard II was overthrown in 1399, Ferrers joined his opponent Henry Bolingbroke, who became Henry IV's new king. In 1401 Ferrers was one of the barons who posthumously condemned Thomas and John Holland , two killed relatives of the overthrown king, as traitors. As Baron Ferrers of Groby , he continued to take part in parliaments , but did not play a major political role. He became a Justice of the Peace in Leicestershire, where he also served on numerous committees and held various local offices. In his will he wished to be buried like his ancestors in Ulverscroft Priory .

Family, descendants and inheritance

With his first wife, Philippa de Clifford, Ferrers had several children including:

• Sir Henry Ferrers († around 1423) ∞ Isabel de Mowbray
• Sir Thomas Ferrers († 1459)
• Margaret Ferrers († 1452)

1. ∞ Richard Gray, 6th Baron Gray de Wilton
2. ∞ Thomas Gray, 1st Baron of Richemount Gray

• Elizabeth Ferrers († 1460) ∞ Sir William Colepeper of Aylesford, Kent

After the death of his first wife Philippa de Clifford, Ferrers married Margaret Montagu († before October 1416), a daughter of John Montagu, 3rd Earl of Salisbury . Margaret died before October 1416, in third marriage, Ferrers married Elizabeth Standisshe († before 1445), a daughter of Sir Robert Standisshe from Lancashire, who was already twice widowed . Ferrers' second and third marriages were childless.

After his death, the title Baron Ferrers of Groby with the Honor Ferrers fell to his granddaughter Elizabeth , the daughter of his eldest son Henry Ferrers, who had already died. A smaller part of his property was inherited by his second son Thomas Ferrers, who founded the Ferrers of Tamworth family .

Web links

• Eric Acheson: William Ferrers [iv], fifth Baron Ferrers of Groby (1372-1445). In: Henry Colin Gray Matthew, Brian Harrison (Eds.): Oxford Dictionary of National Biography , from the earliest times to the year 2000 (ODNB). Oxford University Press, Oxford 2004, ISBN 0-19-861411-X , ( oxforddnb.com license required ), as of 2004
• William Ferrers, 5th Lord Ferrers (of Groby) on thepeerage.com , accessed July 7, 2016.
• Cracroft's Peerage Ferrers of Groby, Baron (E, 1299 - forfeited 1554)

predecessor	Office	successor
Henry Ferrers	Baron Ferrers of Groby 1388-1445	Elizabeth Ferrers