Ralph Stafford

Other Events and Attributes:

• Alternate birth: Abt 1355, of Stafford, Staffordshire, England

Notes:

Knight of the shire for Worcestershire 1383, 1384, 1401; knight of the shire for Staffordshire 1404.

Ralph married Maud Hastang after 20 Aug 1373. Maud (daughter of John Hastang and Maud Trussell) was born on 2 Feb 1359 in Chebsey, Staffordshire, England; was christened on 2 Feb 1359 in Chebsey, Staffordshire, England; died before 1410. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

Knight of the shire for Worcestershire, 1415.

From Wikipedia:

Stafford's early life has been described by Carol Rawcliffe as being 'full of violent incident.' In early 1401, he was suspected of the murder of a Worcestershire man, but although the earl of Warwick was sent to arrest him, he appears to have avoided capture. His father entered into bonds to keep the peace with the victim's family, and within a coupe of years, Humphrey Stafford was a member of the Prince of Wales' retinue. He probably fought with him at the Battle of Shrewsbury (21 July 1403), and by 1404, he had received a Royal pardon for the murder and exoneration by the King's council. His father and uncle (Humphrey Stafford (died 1413) provided securities for him. However, he was soon further embroiled in law-breaking and violence. In 1405, William, Lord Abergavenny accused him of illegally entering Bergavenny's manor and forest of Feckenham, including illegally hunting and fishing, and beating up his reatiners. At least one of those servants succeeded in having Stafford bound over to keep the peace with him.

In 1410, Stafford was elected MP for Worcestershire, and a year later his father died, leaving him a patrimony based there, Staffordshire and Warwickshire. Following his father's death, he again agreed to join the Prince of Wales' army in Calais, although probably did not leave until early 1412. Rawcliffe notes that at some point around this time, Stafford had patched up relations with some of his earlier adversaries. For example, the earl of Warwick appointed him deputy Sheriff of Worcestershire in November 1411, and when he was elected MP in 1415 his running mate was the same retainer of Lord Bergavenny that had successfully had him bound-over ten years earlier.

Stafford joined the second royal campaign to France in 1417, during which campaign in Normandy he was appears to have been knighted. It also seems that it was on this campaign that Humphrey Stafford died on 20 February 1419.

Humphrey married Elizabeth Burdet before 1400. Elizabeth (daughter of John Burdet and Katherine Arderne) died before 1419. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

Knight of the shire for Worcestershire, 1423-24, 1426, 1447, 1449. Knight of the shire for Staffordshire 1427-28. Sheriff of Warwickshire and Leicestershire, 1423-24, 1430-01. Sheriff of Worcestershire, 1431-32. Sheriff of Bedfordshire and Buckinghamshire, 1437-38. Sheriff of Warwickshire and Leicestershire 1438-39. Sheriff of Herefordshire and the Welsh Marches, 1446-47.

With his brother William, he led a force of royal loyalists in an attempt to suppress the rebellion of Jack Cade. The royal contingent was ambushed by a larger group of rebels at Sevenoaks and he and his brother were both killed. Cade took the expensive clothing and armor of Humphrey Stafford as his own.

Humphrey married Eleanor Aylesbury after 2 Jan 1424. Eleanor (daughter of Thomas Aylesbury and Katherine Pabenham) was born about 1406; died after 1475. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Elizabeth married Richard Beauchamp on 27 Jan 1447 in Alcester, Warwickshire, England. Richard (son of John Beauchamp and Margaret Ferrers) was born about 1435 in of Powick, Worcestershire, England; died on 19 Jan 1503 in Broomhill, Kent, England. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Family/Spouse: William Berkeley. William (son of Maurice Berkeley and Ellen Montfort) was born about 1436 in of Weoley in Northfield, Worcestershire, England; died in 1501. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

From Wikipedia:

Sir Humphrey Stafford, and his brother Thomas Stafford, joined by Francis Lovell, 1st Viscount Lovell, led the inauspicious Stafford and Lovell Rebellion in 1486.

The conspirators hoped to restore the Yorkist monarchy. While Lord Lovell went to Yorkshire, the brothers Stafford went to the Midlands. On 23 April 1486, after a failed attempt to seize Henry VII in York, Lord Lovell escaped to Burgundy. In the meantime, the Stafford brothers's rebellion in Worcester had failed, in part due to lack of planning and in part due to the fact that King Henry had some support in that area.

During this time Henry was on a nationwide tour of the country. As soon as he advanced towards Worcester in order to eliminate Yorkist support, on 11 May 1486 the Stafford brothers again fled to sanctuary, this time at Culham.

Despite the fact that Stafford had sought sanctuary at the church in Culham, King Henry VII decided to force Stafford to kiss his feet. Stafford was forcibly removed from his sanctuary on the night of 13 May by John Barrowman and one follower. Henry then ordered the execution of Humphrey Stafford of Grafton, but pardoned the younger Thomas Stafford.

The arrest prompted a series of protests to Pope Innocent VIII over the breaking of sanctuary; these resulted in a Papal bull in August which severely limited the rights of sanctuary, excluding it completely in cases of treason, thereby vindicating the King's actions.

Humphrey was executed at Tyburn on 8 July 1486.

Humphrey married Katherine Fray after 1462. Katherine (daughter of John Fray and Agnes Danvers) was born about 1447; died on 12 May 1482. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]