THE MAGNA CARTA, Part 2

Our British Ancestors

THE MAGNA CARTA, Part 2

The first chapter covered our direct ancestors who were Magna Carta Sureties.  They were Robert de Vere and Saer de Quincy.  Time now to fill in the gaps between these gentlemen and those "Gateway" relatives I included in a spread sheet in an earlier chapter titled "THE COLONISTS: Forward To The Past." It starts with a son of Robert and a daughter of Saer.

22nd Great Grandparents

Robert's son and heir was Hugh de Vere, 4th Earl of Oxford (1210-1263) who married Hawise de Quincy (After 1185-After 1240).   You may notice that it did not take long for those the de Vere and the de Quincy branches to merge.  Hawise was the sixth child and third daughter of Saer de Quincy and Margaret de Beaumont.  The Beaumont line will be significant in future chapters but not here.  Hugh is thought to have participated in the 7th Crusade (1248-54).  The son of Hugh and Hawise was,

21st Great Grandparents

Robert, 5th Earl of Oxford (1240-Before 1296) who married Alice de Sanford (?-Before 1312) (Julie, any relationship here?).  Robert was on the losing side in the Second Baron's War, and, as a result, his title and lands were forfeit.  Not, however, for long.  Robert apparently made nice and his lands and title were restored by the "Dictum of Kenilworth."  Sorry, I have not found a reliable source for information on Alice. The daughter of Robert and Alice was,

20th Great Grandparents

Joan de Vere (?-1293)who married William de Warenne, almost 7th Earl of Surrey (1256-1286).  I say almost because William would have been the 7th Earl had he not been, regrettably, killed accidentally at a tournament on 12/15/1286.  Happily he and Joan had a daughter, and sole heir

19th Great Grandparents

Alice de Warenne  (?-Before 1338) who, in 1305, married Edmund FitzAlan, 9th Earl of Arundel (1285-1326).  As the fates turned, her brother John, who inherited the Earldom was estranged from his childless wife and they never reconciled.  This left Alice as the presumptive heir to the Surrey estates and title.  Edmund did not fare so well.  In 1306 he was named  Earl of Arundel, and served under Edward I in the Scottish Wars, for which he was richly rewarded.
After Edward I's death, Arundel became part of the opposition to the new king Edward II, and his favorite Piers Gaveston.  In 1311 he was one of the so-called Lords Ordainers who assumed control of government from the king.  Together with Thomas, Earl of Lancaster, he was responsible for the death of Gaveston in 1312.  From this point on, however, his relationship to the king became more friendly. This was to a large extent due to his association with the king's new favorite Hugh le Despenser the Younger [NOTE:  Hugh, a 1st cousin many times removed, was voted by BBC History Magazine as the 14th century's worst Briton.  Follow this link Hugh Despenser the Younger - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia for a really detailed description of his execution], whose daughter was married to Arundel's son. Arundel supported the king in suppressing rebellions by Roger Mortimer and other Marcher Lords, and eventually also Thomas of Lancaster. For this he was awarded with land and offices.

His fortune changed, however, when the country was invaded in 1326 by Mortimer, who had made common cause with the king's wife, Queen Isabella (for you Brave Heart fans, this was the Isabella who was sent by Edward I to meet with William Wallace.  There is more on her to be said in future chapters).  Immediately after the capture of Edward II, the queen, Edward III's regent, ordered Arundel executed (he was beheaded), his title forfeit and his property confiscated.  Arundel's son and heir Richard only recovered the title and lands in 1331, after Edward III had taken power from the regency of Isabella and Mortimer. In the 1390s, a cult emerged around the late earl. He was venerated as a martyr, though he was never canonised.  Edmund and Alice had 9 children.  One of them was

18th Great Grandparents

Mary Isabel FitzAlan (1323-1396) who married John Le Strange, 4th Baron Strange of Blackmere (1322-1361).  Mary, according to many accounts, was the daughter of Sir Richard FitzAlan and Isabel Le Despencer and many sources continue to show it that way.  More careful research favors the conclusion that Richard was her brother not her father.  Therefore, I have recorded in this account that Mary is the daughter of Edmund FitzAlan and Alice de Warenne.  I have yet to come across any biographical information on John but there is a rich history to be found in the lineage of the Le Strange family.  Mary and John had a daughter

17th Great Grandparents

Ankaret Le Strange (Bef. 1361-1413) married as her first husband, before 1383, Richard Talbot (1361-1396), who, by virtue of the marriage, became Baron Talbot de Blackmere.  Richard was the son of Sir Gilbert Talbot and Petronilla Butler.  I will have much to say about Petronilla in a future chapter.  Ankaret and Richard had several children but the one we are most concerned with here is

16th Great Grandparents

 Sir John Talbot, 1st Earl of Shrewsbury, (1384-1453), who, in 1406, married Maude de Neville, Baroness of Furnivall (1392-1423).  Sir John was quite the soldier.  There is a lengthy description of his exploits if you follow this link:  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Talbot,_1st_Earl_of_Shrewsbury.  Regrettably, I have found little on Maude, but, not surprisingly, she comes from a long line of Nevilles.  John and Maude had five children, but we are most concerned with

15th Great Grandparents

Sir John Talbot, 2nd Earl of Shrewsbury, 2nd Earl of Waterford, 8th Baron Talbot, 11th Baron Strange of Blackmere and 7th Baron Furnivall (1417-1460), who between 1444 and 1448 married Elizabeth Butler (1420-1473).  John was knighted in 1426 at Leicester alongside King Henry VI. During his father's lifetime, he served as Lord Chancellor of Ireland. He was a Lancastrian, and served as Lord High Treasurer from 1456 to 1458, besides being created a Knight of the Garter in 1457. He was killed at the Battle of Northampton.  Elizabeth was daughter of James Butler, 4th Earl of Ormonde and Joan de Beauchamp.  Her maternal grandmother was Joan FitzAlan (name sound familiar?), and she in turn was the granddaughter, Richard FitzAlan and Eleanor of Lancaster.  All very prominent families with rich histories, but for now we will continue with John and Elizabeth's 4th (of seven) child

14th Great Grandparents

Sir Gilbert Talbot (1452-1518), who married Elizabeth Greystoke.  Richard preferred to rest on the laurels of his predecessors, nevertheless, he bacame a Knight of the Garter in 1495, Lord Deputy of Calais in 1509, and, impressively, Keeper of Feckenham Forest.  Eliabeth was the daughter of Ralph de Greystoke, 5th Baron Greystoke.  If I am not mistaken, the fictional Tarzan was a Greystoke.  More good history here.  Gilbert and Elizabeth had three children and among them was

13th Great Grandparents

Sir Gilbert Talbot (1468-1542), who was espoused to Anne Paston (1472-1542).  I have not turned up much on Gilbert and Anne.  I do know that Anne's parents were Sir William Paston and Lady Anne Beaufort, daughter of Edmund Beaufort, 2nd Earl of Somerset and Eleanor Beauchamp.  Still more rich history.  Gilbert and Anne had three children, the first of whom was

12th Great Grandparents

Elizabeth Talbot (1502-1581) who married Sir John Lyttleton (1502-1590).  He was made constable of Dudley Castle and keeper of the old and new parks there in 1553.  He was knighted by Queen Elizabeth I at Kenilworth in 1566. He was a member of the Council of Wales and the Marches, a Deputy Lieutenant and Justice of the Peace for Worcestershire.  Elizabeth and John had three sons including:

11th Great Grandparents

Robert (aka Roger) Lyttleton (also spelled Littleton) (1519-1601).  Robert appears to be the eldest son, but, for reasons I am still researching, his younger brother John inherited the lands and title.  This is apprently where a "fall from grace" ended our chances for lands and titles.  Robert married Elizabeth Stanley in 1534, and they had children including:

10th Great Grandparents

Bridgett Littleton (1545-1622) who married Henry James (1539-?).  Henry's parents were Edmund James and Ann Ramsay.  Bridget and Henry had a daughter

9th Great Grandparents

Dorothy James (1581-1613) who married in 1586, William Phelps (1560-1611).  His parents were James Phelps and Joan Coke, and that brings us to the

8th Great Grandparents

William Phelps who married Ann Dover, daughter of George Dover (sometimes Dyer) and Abigail Nee who settled in the new world and are shown on the list included with my earlier chapter.