William Ufford, 2nd Earl of Suffolk facts for kids

Quick facts for kids The Earl of Suffolk
William Ufford, from a stained glass window in St Andrews church in Wimpole
Born	30 May 1338
Died	15 February 1382(1382-02-15) (aged 43) Westminster Hall, London
Resting place	Campsey Priory, Campsea Ashe, Suffolk
Title	Earl of Suffolk
Tenure	1369–1382
Other titles	Lord Ufford
Years active	Bef. 1367–1382
Nationality	English
Residence	Orford Castle
Locality	East Anglia
Net worth	c. £2–3,000 p.a.
Wars and battles	Hundred Years' War • Battle of Poitiers Peasants' Revolt
Offices	Admiral of the North
Spouse(s)	(1) Joan Montagu (bef. 1361–bef. 1376) (2) Isabel Beauchamp (married bef. 1376)
Parents	Robert Ufford, 1st Earl of Suffolk Margaret Norwich
← Predecessor Robert Ufford, 1st Earl of Suffolk Successor Extinct →

William Ufford, 2nd Earl of Suffolk (born May 30, 1338 – died February 15, 1382) was an important English nobleman. He lived during the reigns of King Edward III and King Richard II. William was the son of Robert Ufford. His father was made an Earl by King Edward III in 1337.

William had three older brothers, but they all died before him. This meant that in 1369, William became the Earl of Suffolk after his father passed away. In the 1370s, he fought in several battles during the Hundred Years' War. However, this was a tough time for England in the war.

Suffolk was good friends with Thomas Beauchamp, Earl of Warwick and John of Gaunt, Duke of Lancaster. People valued his ability to help solve problems and bring people together in politics. He even helped settle a disagreement between John of Gaunt and the parliament during the Good Parliament meeting.

In 1381, Suffolk played a role in stopping the Peasants' Revolt in East Anglia. He barely escaped the rebels himself! He died suddenly in 1382 while attending a meeting of parliament. Since he didn't have any children who lived, his title of Earl ended, and his lands were divided up.

William Ufford: A Medieval English Nobleman

William Ufford's father, Robert, was the first Ufford to be called the Earl of Suffolk. Robert was a close friend of King Edward III. He was also a trusted military leader in the early parts of the Hundred Years' War. His military career included famous battles like the Battle of Crécy, the siege of Calais, and the Battle of Poitiers. He showed great bravery in these fights. In 1324, Robert married Margaret, whose father was a very important financial officer. This marriage helped Robert gain even more land in East Anglia.

Early Life and Family

We don't know much about William's early childhood. He was the fourth son in his family. For most of his early life, he had two older brothers who were still alive. Because of this, historians mostly guess about his early years.

We do know that he became important on his own through a good marriage. By 1361, he was married to Joan Montagu. She was the granddaughter of a younger son of King Edward I. This marriage gave William important land in Norfolk.

William's first recorded military action was in 1367. However, he probably joined his father in earlier campaigns in France. He likely fought alongside Thomas Beauchamp, who later became the Earl of Warwick. These two men became very close friends. Their lives were quite similar: they were born around the same time and likely became knights together in 1355. Neither was born to inherit their earldom, but they both became Earls after their older brothers died. Both also took over from their fathers in 1369.

Fighting in the Hundred Years' War

In late 1367, William Ufford and Thomas Beauchamp traveled overseas. They were probably going on a crusade to Prussia. On November 4, 1369, William's father died. This happened shortly after his oldest brother, Robert, who had no children, also passed away. William was now the family's heir. He officially became the Earl of Suffolk soon after.

As the Earl of Suffolk, he took part in several military campaigns. These were during a difficult time for England in the Hundred Years' War in the 1370s. He fought alongside Beauchamp, who had also recently become the Earl of Warwick. In 1370, they helped escort King Charles II of Navarre when he visited England. In 1372, King Edward III called them for a planned trip to France, which didn't happen.

From 1373 to 1374, they joined the king's son, John of Gaunt, Duke of Lancaster. They went on a long military raid, called a chevauchée, from Calais to Bordeaux. This trip didn't achieve much. Around 1375 or 1376, Suffolk was given the Order of the Garter. This is a very important award for knights.

At this time, the friendship between the Earls of Suffolk and Warwick grew even stronger. Suffolk's first wife, Joan, died sometime before 1376. He then married Isabel, who was Warwick's sister.

Suffolk also had a strong connection with John of Gaunt. This family link went back to his father's time. Suffolk's second wife, Isabel, had a daughter from a previous marriage. This daughter, Elizabeth, was under John of Gaunt's care. When Isabel married Suffolk, Elizabeth likely moved into their home. The two lords also shared some of the same personal assistants or retainers.

At the Good Parliament meeting in 1376, Suffolk was chosen for a special committee. This group would discuss the parliament's complaints about John of Gaunt's failed money and military plans. Even though Suffolk was connected to Gaunt, parliament trusted Suffolk to be fair. After the parliament meeting ended, Suffolk attended a big dinner hosted by the House of Commons. John of Gaunt was noticeably absent from this dinner.

Helping the King and Parliament

King Edward III died in 1377. His ten-year-old grandson, Richard II, became the new king. At Richard's coronation, Suffolk carried the new king's special staff, called a sceptre. He was later chosen to be part of Richard's special council. This council helped the young king rule.

Even after the council was no longer needed in January 1380, Suffolk remained an important person at court. He helped with talks for the king's marriage to Anne of Bohemia. He also helped settle a disagreement between John of Gaunt and Henry Percy, Earl of Northumberland.

Suffolk was the most powerful magnate (a rich and powerful noble) in the East Anglia region. When the region's peasants started a rebellion in 1381, known as the Peasants' Revolt, he became a key figure in stopping it.

The Peasants' Revolt and His Final Days

While in Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk was surprised by the rebels during dinner. The rebel leader, Geoffrey Litster, tried to force Suffolk to join their side. He hoped this would make the rebellion seem more legitimate. When Suffolk refused, Litster turned to other important men. Suffolk then escaped by dressing up as a groom (someone who takes care of horses). He reached London by traveling through St Albans.

He soon returned to Bury with 500 armed men. He faced very little resistance. Much of the work to stop the rebellion had already been done by Henry Despenser, the Bishop of Norwich. This left Suffolk to arrest the remaining rebels for trial. During the rebellion, Suffolk lost a lot of money. The peasants stole property worth about £1,000 from his castle at Mettingham.

On February 15, 1382, Suffolk was at a parliament meeting in Westminster Hall. As he walked up the stairs to the room where the lords were meeting, he suddenly fell down and died. According to a writer named Walsingham, Suffolk was a kind man. Everyone liked him, and people were very sad to hear about his death.

Politically, he was a person who helped bring people together. This skill helped solve problems, like the disagreements between John of Gaunt and parliament, or between Gaunt and Percy. He was buried in his family's traditional burial place, Campsey Priory. This was a nunnery in Campsea Ashe, Suffolk.

William Ufford's first marriage to Joan Montagu brought him important lands. He had at least five children with Joan, but none of them lived longer than he did. His second marriage to Isabel apparently did not result in any children. The lands he gained through Joan went back to the earldom of Norfolk. His own family lands went back to the crown (the king).

According to his will, much of the Suffolk lands went to the Willoughby family. They were connected to the Uffords through marriage. In 1385, the title of Earl of Suffolk was given to Michael de la Pole. He received a large part of Ufford's lands to help support his new title.

Images for kids

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  The arms of the Ufford family