Ralph Stafford, 1st Earl of Stafford facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Ralph de Stafford
|
|
|---|---|
| 1st Earl of Stafford 2nd Baron Stafford |
|
Ralph de Stafford, 1st Earl of Stafford, KG. Illustration from the Bruges Garter Book, c. 1430. He displays the arms of Stafford on his tunic.
|
|
| Born | 24 September 1301 |
| Died | 31 August 1372 (aged 70) |
| Buried | Tonbridge Priory, Kent |
| Noble family | Stafford |
| Spouse(s) | Katherine de Hastang Margaret de Audley (m. 1336) |
| Issue | Margaret Stafford Joan Stafford Ralph de Stafford Hugh de Stafford, 2nd Earl of Stafford Katherine Stafford Elizabeth Stafford Beatrice Stafford Joan Stafford |
| Father | Edmund de Stafford, 1st Baron Stafford |
| Mother | Margaret Bassett |
Ralph de Stafford (born September 24, 1301 – died August 31, 1372) was an important English nobleman and a brave soldier. He held the titles of the 1st Earl of Stafford and the 2nd Baron Stafford. He was also a founding member of the Order of the Garter, a special group of knights. Ralph de Stafford lived at Stafford Castle and Madeley Castle in Staffordshire, England. He played a big part in the Hundred Years' War, a long conflict between England and France.
Contents
Who Was Ralph de Stafford?
Ralph was born on September 24, 1301. His father was Edmund de Stafford, 1st Baron Stafford, and his mother was Margaret Basset. Ralph's father passed away when he was only seven years old. He grew up in the middle of England with his mother's family. His stepfather, Thomas Pipe, also helped raise him. Ralph first started working for the king when he joined the group of Ralph, 2nd Lord Basset.
Ralph's Military and Royal Career
Ralph de Stafford became a Knight banneret in 1327. This was a special title for a knight who could lead his own soldiers under his own flag. Soon after, he fought against the Scots. He also helped Edward III of England become free from the control of Roger Mortimer, 1st Earl of March. King Edward III was very thankful for Ralph's help.
Early Service and Battles
By 1332, Ralph was a peace commissioner in Staffordshire. This meant he helped keep law and order. He also traveled abroad for the king, going with Hugh de Audley, 1st Earl of Gloucester. Ralph continued to fight the Scots. He led archers at the Battle of Dupplin Moor in August 1332. He fought in three more campaigns against the Scots.
Ralph was first called to join Parliament as Lord Stafford in November 1336. He continued to attend these meetings until 1350.
Fighting in France
Ralph's military career kept going strong. In 1338, he went to France with King Edward as an advisor. He was there for the big naval battle of Sluys in June 1340. He also fought to help the city of Brest and at the siege of Morlaix. He was captured at Vannes but was quickly traded for another prisoner. This allowed him to help make a peace agreement at Malestroit.
Important Roles and Victories
On January 6, 1341, Ralph became the Steward of the Royal Household. This was a very important job, managing the king's home. He left this job in 1345 to become the Seneschal of Aquitaine. Aquitaine was an English territory in France. He stayed there for about a year.
Ralph took part in the Gascon campaign of 1345. This included battles like Bergerac and Auberoche. He was also at the siege of Aiguillon. He managed to escape before the siege ended. He then took part in a raid on Barfleur. Ralph was also present at the famous English victory at the Battle of Crecy on August 26, 1346.
In 1348, Ralph became one of the first twenty-six members of the Order of the Garter. He was the fifth knight chosen for this special group.
Becoming an Earl
In November 1347, Ralph's second wife's father passed away. They were able to take over his lands without paying a special tax to the king. This showed how good Ralph's relationship was with King Edward III. Ralph became a very rich man from his lands and from the many valuable things captured during the war with France.
King Edward III created new noble titles to honor his best war leaders. Ralph was made the 1st Earl of Stafford on March 5, 1350. He also received a yearly payment of 1000 marks. He then took over from Henry of Grosmont, 1st Duke of Lancaster as the king's main representative in Gascony. He promised to serve with 200 men at his own cost. Later, the king agreed to pay for double that number of men. These campaigns led to several enemy leaders being captured and ransomed. However, the campaigns were not fully successful. This led to Edward, Prince of Wales taking command.
Even when he was sixty years old, Ralph de Stafford continued to lead troops. He also worked as a royal messenger. He went to France and Ireland in 1361. He traveled with Lionel of Antwerp, 1st Duke of Clarence to help England regain control there.
Ralph de Stafford's Family Life
Around 1326, Ralph de Stafford married his first wife, Katherine de Hastang. Katherine was the daughter of Sir John de Hastang from Chebsey, Staffordshire. Ralph and Katherine had two daughters:
- Margaret Stafford, who married Sir John de Stafford. Their family lines became important in places like Hooke, Southwick, and Grafton.
- Joan Stafford, who married Sir Nicholas de Beke.
Later, Ralph married Margaret de Audley, 2nd Baroness Audley. Margaret was the daughter of Hugh de Audley, 1st Earl of Gloucester. She was very wealthy, owning lands worth much more than Ralph's own estates. Margaret's parents complained to King Edward III because Ralph had taken her without their full permission. However, the King supported Ralph's actions. To make Margaret's parents happy, the King made her father, Hugh, the 1st Earl of Gloucester.
Margaret de Audley and Ralph de Stafford married before July 6, 1336. They had two sons and four daughters:
- Ralph de Stafford (died 1347), who married Maud of Lancaster in 1344.
- Hugh de Stafford, 2nd Earl of Stafford, born around 1336. He married Philippa de Beauchamp. Their descendants later became the Dukes of Buckingham.
- Elizabeth de Stafford, born around 1340. She married three times: first to Fulk le Strange, then to John de Ferrers, 4th Baron Ferrers of Chartley, and finally to Reginald de Cobham.
- Beatrice de Stafford, born around 1341. She married three times: first to Maurice FitzGerald, 2nd Earl of Desmond, then to Thomas de Ros, 4th Baron de Ros, and finally to Sir Richard Burley.
- Joan de Stafford, born in 1344. She married twice: first to John Charleton, 3rd Baron Cherleton, and then to Gilbert Talbot.
- Katherine de Stafford, born around 1348. She married Sir John Sutton III in 1357.
When Did Ralph de Stafford Die?
Ralph de Stafford passed away on August 31, 1372. He died at Tonbridge Castle in Kent, England. He was buried at Tonbridge Priory, next to his second wife and her parents.
