Simon Digby (died 1519) facts for kids
Simon Digby (who died in 1519) was an important person who owned land in a place called Coleshill in England. He lived during a time when England was going through big changes and wars.
Simon was the second son of Sir Everard Digby. His father and four of his brothers sadly died in a famous battle called the Battle of Towton in 1461. This battle was part of a long series of fights known as the Wars of the Roses, where two powerful families, the Yorks and the Lancasters, fought for the throne of England.
Simon Digby's Early Life and Knighthood
Simon Digby grew up during a time of conflict. In 1477, when he was older, he was made a knight by King Edward IV. King Edward was from the House of York, one of the families fighting in the Wars of the Roses. Being knighted was a big honor, showing that Simon was a respected and brave person.
Fighting in Key Battles
Even though he was knighted by a Yorkist king, Simon Digby later fought on the side of the House of Lancaster at the important Battle of Bosworth Field. This battle happened in 1485 and was a huge victory for the Lancastrians. Because of his help, Simon was given a lot of land in a place called Rutland.
He also fought in another battle, the Battle of Stoke Field, in 1487. For his bravery there, he received more land, a manor in Revesby, Lincolnshire. The next year, in 1488, he was given a job called "Comptroller to the petty customs in the port of London." This meant he helped manage taxes on goods coming into London by ship.
Lands and Family
In 1495, a man named Simon de Montford was put in prison and later executed. He was accused of helping someone named Perkin Warbeck, who was trying to take the throne from King Henry VII. While de Montford was in the Tower of London, King Henry VII gave his lands at Coleshill to Simon Digby. At that time, Simon Digby was the Deputy Constable of the Tower, which meant he helped manage the famous prison.
Simon Digby married a woman named Alice. She was the heir to a family from East Haddon, Devon. Together, they had two sons and three daughters.
Simon Digby passed away in 1519. His oldest son, Reginald, took over his lands and titles. Simon's wife, Alice, was still alive when he died. Today, some of Simon Digby's descendants, who use the name Wingfield-Digby, still hold these family titles.
