John de Macclesfield de Hanmer

John de Macclesfield de Hanmer is my 21^st great grandfather. He was the s/o Thomas de Macclesfield in the County Palatine of Cheshire, England.  John de Macclesfield, (1277-1308) was the constable of Carnarvon Castle in the reign of Edward I.  He assumed the named Hannemere, from the surrounding locale.  He  married Hawise verch (ferch) Einion, (1280-1300). She was born in Monmouthshire, Wales.  Her grandfather, Gryffydd ap Gwenwynwyn was a Prince of Powys. Their youngest son and sole heir, Philip de Hanmer, (1200-1328) married Agnes verch Daffydd (1305-?). They had at least 5 children, Daffydd (David) being the oldest and the line I’m following.

David (c.1330-1383) married Angharad (Agnes) ferch Llywelyn about 1355. 

Sir David became a justice of the Kings’ Bench in 1383. They had at least 4  children, one of whom was Margaret Hanmer. She married Owain Glyndwr about 1380 and they had eleven children. In 1413, Margaret, her daughter, Catherine  de Mortimer and her three small children were imprisoned in the Tower of London. It is believed that Margaret was pardoned but Catherine and her children perished there.

The line continues with Alice Glyndwr (1371-1433). Alice married John Scudamore, Sheriff of Herefordshire. It is suggested that this was a secret marriage, possibly for political reasons. Alice’s father, Owain Glydwr, rebelled against King Henry IV, in 1401 and declared himself Prince of Wales. He continued to fight for Welsh Independence until his death and is, even today, considered a National Hero. It is believed that he was secretly hidden with his daughter, Alice Scudamore, and her family in a secluded area of Kentchurch near the Welsh border. Owain Glyndwr is my 18^th gt. grandfather. His date of death and burial place are unknown.

Alice and John Scudamore had 11 children. I have descent from two of them.

*John Scudamore (1396-1461) m. Joan verch John ap Harry (or Joan           Parry/Perry)

*Elizabeth (1398-?)  m. John Pye

John                       m. Margaret Brut

Henry

Ann                        m. Roger Cecil

Thomas

Jonette

Catherine                m. Richard Monington

Joan                       m. Griffin Donne (Dunn)

Philip                      m. Agnes Huntercombe

Alice 

*John and Joan Parry Scudamore had 8 children. Their son, Richard Scudamore, married Jane Monington and had two children (all that I’ve found). Richard and Jane had a son also named Richard who married Maud Allen. From this marriage there were 4 children, one of which was Joan (Jonet, Jonette). Joan married Philip ap Rhys (Philpot Price) and had two daughters. One was Margaret who married Walter Pye of the Mynde and her sister, Catherine, who married Thomas Gilbert of Ewyas Harold. In her will, Margaret calls Roger Pye her grandson and Walter Pye, her son-in-law, was one of the witnesses. Roger is my 12^th gt. grandfather.

                                       The Mynde   Much DewChurch    Then

                                            The Mynde   Much DewChurch    Now

*Elizabeth Scudamore and Walter John Pye, c 1398. For many years, family history has said this husband of Elizabeth was John Pye. Now, with so many more documents available and accessible on-line, it has become apparent that John is also called Walter. There is no definitive explanation unless Elizabeth married two different Pye men, a John and then a Walter. This doesn’t seem to be the case and remains supposition. What appears more likely, but still not verified, is that Elizabeth’s husband’s name was John Walter or Walter John. Perhaps one day another document will come to light that will solve the name mystery. Elizabeth and Walter/John had at least 3 sons, one of whom was John Tregos Pye who married Agnes Andrews, daughter of Roger Andrews. Of their 7 children, the most infamous was John Pye [brother of the Walter Pye who married Margaret Price], who had 3 wives and 43 children, plus some 22 from extramarital associations. His epitaph is still found in books, but it was removed from the church at Much Dewchurch, as it greatly offended the sensibilities of some of the local women. I don’t have an exact date for the removal but it was during the Victorian Era. A further note on John Tregoz Pye, who is my 15^th gt. grandfather, is that Tregoz appears to be where he was born. This is apparently a locality associated with Ewyas Harold and may even have been the name of a manor house.

At this point my family lines part company with the Hanmers and Scudamores (AKA Skidmore, Skydmore and others).  I will leave this line of exploration for the time being and pick up other threads which also lead back to these fairly prominent Marcher Lords.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Hanmer

Hanmer Family in Flintshire, John Lord Hanmer, 1877

http://www.oxford-shakespeare.com/Probate/PROB_11-75-180.pdf

http://cupboardworld.blogspot.ca/2014/10/queen-elizabeths-two-blanches.html

http://www.moonrakers.com/genealogy/baskerville/baskerville_family_history.htm

http://www.skidmorefamilyhistory.com/Thruxton,%20Abenhall,%20Gallatin,%20Prince%20George's.pdf

.

Simon Milbourne

                                                                                                                                                                  

          Simon (John², Piers¹⁾ Milbourne (Milborne), b. 1435, Tillignton, Herefordshire, England is my 16^th gt. grandfather. He married Joan Baskerville, daughter of Ralph and Anne Blackett (or Blakett) Baskerville.  The Baskervilles had held Eardisley, at one point in their history, which is in the NW section of Herefordshire and very close to the border of Wales. Simon and Jane had the dubious honor of having 13 daughters. Some reports I’ve read claim they had a son, John.  John was mentioned as the son of Simon in 1469 in a land grant. [PROCAT record (C 146/751]Apparently this son died without issue and during the life of his father.

The ladies were:

Blanche        m. James Whitney

Elizabeth       m1. Thomas Mornington (Monington); m2. John Whittington

Sybil             m1. Richard Hacklyut; m2. John Breynton

Alice             m1. Harry Parry; m2. Thomas Baskerville

Katherine      m. Thomas Barton

*Anne           m. William Rudhall

Agnes           m. Thomas Walwyn

Jane             m. Richard Cornwall

Joyce           m. Thomas Hyett

Margaret       m. John Bishop

Julianne        unmarried

Elinor            m. James More (Moore)

Joan             unmarried

          During the course of researching this family, I discovered an abundance of conflicting birth dates for the daughters. Since there seemed to be no specific place to find dates, which didn’t involve international travel, I have decided to present these women in random order. In a day when arranged marriages was the norm, Simon must have had his hands full arranging suitable marriages and then providing a dower for each girl. He did have some land, but still, it must have been a struggle for him.

          Anne Milbourne m. William Rudhall and from this couple I have two lines of descent.  They had at least 6 children, 2 sons and 4 daughters. Their son (a.) John, (1498-1530) married Isabella Whittington. Their daughter Joan (b.), (c 1510-?) married John Scudamore, 4^th gt. grandson of Owain Glyndwr, National Hero of Wales and a descendant of the Princes of Powys.

          John (a.) and Isabella Whittington Rudhall had at least 5 children, one of which was another John. This second John was married to Mary Fettiplace. They had a son, William*.

          Mary’s parents were Richard and Elizabeth Bessiles Fettiplace. Richard’s parents were John and Jane (possibly Joan) Fabian Fettiplace. John Fettiplace was a member of King Henry VI’s household and his father was Thomas Fettiplace who married Beatrice de Portugal, the illegitimate d/o Lopo Dias de Sousa and Elizabeth Plantagenet.  Elizabeth was the d/o John of Gaunt and Blanch Plantagenet. John of Gaunt was the s/o Edward III, (Edward II, Edward I). Blanche was the 2x great granddaughter of King Henry III.

[Rudhall Coat of Arms]

Now, back to John and Mary Fettiplace Rudhall.

       Their son, William*, married Margaret Croft.

William and Margaret’s daughter, Joanne, married Sir Walter Pye, Knight Attorney General, court of Wards and Liveries.

          Returning to Anne Milbourne and William Rudhall we pick up the second descent through their daughter Joan Rudhall (b.) who married John Scudamore, of Holme Lacy in Herefordshire.

a.)  Their daughter Elizabeth Scudamore married Humphrey Baskerville. They had 8   children. One was named Bridget.

b.)  Bridget Baskerville Married Roger Bodenham and they had at least 4 children. They had        a daughter named Blanche.

c.)  Blanche Bodenham married Edward Lingen. There were 8 children from this                         marriage, including a daughter named Blanche.

d.)  Blanche Lingen married John Pye, a son of Sir Walter and Joanne Rudhall Pye, as                mentioned above. It is said they had 23 children but I’ve only discovered the names of          6.

Curiously, Blanche’s older brother, Henry Lingen, who was greatly distinguished in his service to Charles I, married John Pye’s sister, Alice. Henry and Alice Pye Lingen had 15 daughters and 2 sons, but only 2 of this numerous family left issue and both sons died without issue. Henry was MP (Member of Parliament) for 1661.

          It is said that all the Pyes of Herefordshire were Catholic and Loyalists. They supported the Stewart’s financially, raised troops and fought in their armies. Walter, a s/o Sir Walter and Joan Rudhall Pye, went into exile with the Stewart’s in France and remained there.  Sir Walter was an investor in the West Country Adventures and helped to finance Lord Baltimore’s settlement in Newfoundland. Eventually that colony moved to the Chesapeake Bay area of Maryland, where a grandson of Sir Walter became a land owner. This Edward Pye settled in the Port Tobacco, La Plata area of Charles County.  He is my 9^th gt. grandfather.

http://our-royal-titled-noble-and-commonerancestors.com/surname_index.htm#ci69

http://wc.rootsweb.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?op=DESC&db=olney&id=I63100

http://www.kateemersonhistoricals.com/TudorWomenW-Wh.htm

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fettiplace

Visitation of Herefordshire, Robert Cooke, 1569

A2A

Miles of Gloucester (? – Dec 24 1143) AKA Miles FitzWalter; Miles de Pitres

Miles of Gloucester (? – Dec 24 1143)

          AKA Miles FitzWalter; Miles de Pitres

Miles is my 25^th great grandfather and is known as the 1^st Earl of Hereford. He was the son of Walter of Gloucester and therefore is also known as Miles FitzWalter of Gloucester.  Walter’s wife was known as Berta. Some references refer to her as a relative of Hamelin de Balun, Lord of Abergavenny, but does not confirm de Balun as her family name. Walter’s father was Roger de Pitres, who was the Sheriff of Gloucester, from about 1071 to about 1083. At that time Roger’s brother became Sheriff and remained so until about 1096. The title then passed to Walter, Roger’s son, who had the favor of King Henry I.

A charter dated to (1123) records that "Walt de Gloec" gave Little Hereford in fee to "Willo de Mara nepoti suo".  "Walter de Gloecestria, Milo fili ei…Willelm de Mara" witnessed the charter dated to (1127) (Round: Ancient Charters. Part 1, 11 p.19)  This charter establishes that Walter of Gloucester gave Little Hereford to his nephew (nepoti suo), William de Mara or William de la Mare, whose mother was Walter’s sister. This does establish a family connection, yet “nepot suo” could mean grandson. However the dates are more in line with William being Walter’s nephew. There are other, earlier, charters (1101) that mention Walter and his wife Bertha donated Westwode in Jerchenfeldf (Erchenfeld), for the memory of Walter’s mother and father and for his brother, Herbert.

Walter’s son, Miles married Sybil de Neufmarché, daughter of Bernard de Neufmarché. Sybil was the great granddaughter of Gruffydd ap Llywelyn, King of Wales and his wife Edith of Mercia.  King Stephen of England granted to Miles  the honor of Gloucester and Brecknock in 1136 and appointed him Constable of Gloucester Castle. Miles met Empress Matilda on her arrival in England in 1139, acting as her Constable. He was created Earl of Hereford at Oxford 25 Jul 1141, by Empress Matilda. He was also granted the castle of Abergavenny.

Miles was Sheriff of Gloucester by about 1128 and Sheriff of Staffordshire by 1130. Together with Pain FitzJohn, who was Sheriff of Herefordshire and Shropshire, they ruled the entire Welsh border. By 1137 Miles had contributed property to Llanthony Abbey. When Miles was killed in a hunting accident on Dec. 24 1143, he was laid to rest at this abbey. His wife and others of his family were also buried there. 

                                                     Ruins of Llanthony Abbey

Miles and Sybil had 5 sons and three daughters. All five sons died without issue.

Of the three daughters, Margaret married Humphrey de Bohun III, Bertha married William de Braose and Lucy married Herbert FitzHerbert.

When Miles’ son Roger died (d.s.p.) in 1155, the Earldom became extinct. In 1200, Henry de Bohun (1176-1220), grand nephew and heir of Earl Roger FitzMiles, was granted the Earldom by King John.

Miles’ sister, Margaret, had a son, also named Humphrey (IV) after his father. This Humphrey married Margaret of Huntingdon, daughter of Henry of Scotland 3rd Earl of Huntingdon and granddaughter of David I, King of Scotland. 

Their son was Henry de Bohun who was restored to the Earldom in 1200. He married Maud de Mandeville and they had Humphrey (V). This Humphrey was married twice, first to Maud de Lusignan of Normandy, France and then later to Maud d’Avenbury.  Next the son of Humphrey (V) and his first wife, Maud of Lusignan, Humphrey (VI) married Eleanor de Braose. This marriage connects two of the daughters of Miles of Gloucester, Margaret and Bertha, as Humphrey (VI) is the 3^x gt. grandson of Miles and Eleanor is his 3x gt. granddaughter. This would make Humphrey and Eleanor 4^th cousins.

This continues on with the de Bohun’s who eventually married into the Plantagenet family, children of various Royal branches.

Bertha’s son, William de Braose (2^nd) has become a rather infamous historical figure. He lured three Welsh Princes to a Christmas feast at Abergavenny Castle, under the guise of peace, and then had the three men murdered. He was exonerated and then accompanied King Richard I to Normandy. When King Richard died, he then supported King John’s claim to the throne. Standing in the way was Arthur, the son of John’s older, deceased brother, Geoffrey. Prince Arthur disappeared when he was 16 and the mystery of who, how, what, when and where is still to be solved. William de Braose has been suspected of dealing the same fate to Arthur as he did to the three Welsh Princes, but nothing has ever been found to prove it. It is believed that, if nothing else, he was aware of the who, how and when. He received lands from King John and the speculation has been that these were rewards for his service and his silence. However, he fell out of favor and was soon being hunted, diligently, by King John’s men. William’s wife, Maud de St. Valery and their son, William, were starved to death in 1210, while being held prisoner, in Corfe Castle. In the dungeon, they were walled in, alive. William (the husband and father) died the following year in France. Although William and his mother died in the castle, William had been married and had four sons, John de Braose being the eldest son. John’s mother was Maude de Clare. John married Margaret ferch Llewelyn ap Iowerth, the  granddaughter of King John, by his daughter, Joan of England.

I have browsed many documents, books and other information concerning the de Braose family. It seems they became more obscure after the 1300’s and some lines may have daughtered out. To be sure there are descendants, but they may not carry the name de Braose. I have several lines to different de Braose families, most of whom are women. I will leave the sorting out to those who have the interest.

              Ruins of Abergavenny Castle

http://fmg.ac/Projects/MedLands/ENGLISH%20NOBILITY%20MEDIEVAL.htm#_Toc388773381

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henry_de_Bohun,_1st_Earl_of_Hereford

http://freespace.virgin.net/doug.thompson/BraoseWeb/family/home.html

http://washington.ancestryregister.com/BRAOSE00006.htm