Stafford

The following history on the Stafford family is from various sources including
 "Medieval English Ancestors of Robert Abell"

01. Robert I De Stafford, ^[1] a younger son of Roger de Tonei I was born abt. 1031, probably died in 1088, and was no doubt buried at Evesham Abbey of Wrottesley and Loynton in Staffordshire.  He is said to have married an avice de Clare, but she has not been traced.

02. Nicholas De Stafford, ^[1] son of Robert was born abt. 1081, died in or after 1138 and was buried at Stone in Staffordshire.  His wife, known as Maude Moolte, was said to have been a daughter of an Earl of Chester, but no such pearson can be documented.

03. Robert II De Stafford, ^[1] son of Nicholas was born abt. 1107.  He last appeared in the Pipe Rolls in 24 Hen. II (1177-1178) and probably died between then and 31 Hen. II (1184-1185).  He was buried at stone with his wife.  He married Avice, who was buried with him.  There may have been another marriage.

04. Millicent De Stafford, ^[1] daughter of Robert and Avice was born abt. 1154, was dead in Jan. 1224/5, and was buried with her husband at Stone.  She married before 1193, Hervey Bagot, who assumed the name of de Stafford upon assuming the barony on his marriage to the heiress of the title.  He died before August 25, 1214, his wife surviving him.  He was certainly descended from Bagot, who in 1086 held Bramshall under Robert de Stafford.

05. Hervey De Stafford, ^[1] son of Millicent and Hervey was born abt. 1178 and died before May 12, 1237, and was buried at Stone.  He married Pernell De Ferrieres, daughter of William De Ferrieres (c1130) and Sybil De Braose.

06. Robert De Stafford, ^[1] son of Hervey and Pernell was born abt 1215.  He married Alice De Corbet, daughter of Sheriff Thomas De Corbet and Isabel De Valletourt.  (Note: There is no connection here to my other Corbet line yet.)  Baron Robert was summoned to serve against the Welsh in 1277 & 1282, and to the Council at Gloucester, July 15,1287.

07. Nicholas De Stafford, ^[1] son of Robert and Alice was born abt 1246 in Stafford.  He married Alionore Clinton.  Nicholas was Baron of Stafford and a Knight. He died in the siege of Drosselan. His manors included Offley, Schelbedon and Bradley, Staffordshire.  In 1272 a Staffordshire jury stated he had been given by the King in marriage to a daughter of Geoffrey de Langley, probably the de Langley who died in 1274.

08. Edmund De Stafford, ^[1] son of Nicholas and Alionore was born on July 15, 1272 in Clifton.  He married Margaret Basset, daughter of Baron Ralph Basset and Hawise in 1298.  Edmund was overlord of Horton Manor, Henleye (Henley) in Warwickshire, Halghton and Offeley Manors in Straffordshire and "a moiety of Ethelaston."  He was summoned to the coronation of King Edward II on 18 Jan 1308. He was first summoned as a Baron in 1299. He died about August 12, 1308.

09. Sir Ralph De Stafford, ^[1] son of Edmund and Margaret was born on September 24, 1301 in Tunbridge.  He married Margaret D'Audley, daughter of Hugh D'Audley and Margaret De Clare on October 10, 1336.  Margaret was also great-grandaughter of King Edward I.  Cokayne's "Complete Peerage" (STAFFORD, pp. 174-177) states that he had quite an illustrious career.  Highlights (in chronological order, but dates omitted for brevity's sake): knight bannerett, served against the Scots, sat in Parliament, with the King in France, at the Battle of Sluys, Steward of the King's Household, temporarily in possession of the Great Seal, took part in the siege of Vannes in Brittany where he was captured then exchanged, was part of a delegation to treat with the Pope, was among those sent to Scotland to raise the siege of Loochmaben, in command of 20 knights in Gascony, was one of the challengers of the Nobles at the tournement at Hereford in 1344, Seneschal of Aquitaine or Gascony where he successfully defended Alguillon against John the son of King Philip of France, fought in the King's division at Crecy, again Seneschal of Gascony, with the king before Calais, part of the peace delegation negotiating with Philip of Valois, was present at the naval battle off Winchelsea, created Earl of Stafford in 1351/2, in 1355 he was among the leaders of the King's new expedition against France, in 1360 he was in the vanguard of the army under Henry the Duke of Lancaster and was joint Marshal with Thomas de Beauchamp Earl of Warwick and was executor of Warwick's will, was one of the negotiators at the peace treaty with France in 1360 and over the title to the Duchy of Brittany, in 1369 he again crossed to France with the King.  Ralph died on August 31, 1372 in England.

10. Elizabeth De Stafford, ^[1] daughter of Ralph and Margaret was born abt 1337 in England.  Elizabeth married Sir John De Ferrers, son of Robert De Ferrers (1309-1350) and Margaret.  Elizabeth died on August 7, 1375.  I descend from their son Sir Robert De Ferrers (1359-1413) who married Margaret Le Despencer. 

AUDLEY

CORBET