Henry de Aldithley [b], Sheriff of Shropshire and Staffordshire, b abt 1172, of Heleigh, Staffordshire, England, d sh bef Nov 1246. He md Bertrade de Mainwaring 1217, daughter of Sir Ralph de Mainwaring, Seneschal of Chester, and Amicia le Meschin. She was b abt 1198, d aft 1249.
Children of Henry de Aldithley and Bertrade de Mainwaring were:

• James de Audley, Justiciar of Ireland, b abt 1220.
• Alice de Aldithley b abt 1224, of Heleigh, Staffordshire, England, d aft Aug 1265. She md Sir Piers de Montfort abt 1238, son of Thurstan de Montfort and Daughter de Cantelou.
• Emma de Aldithley b abt 1226, of Heleigh, Staffordshire, England. She md Sir Gruffydd ap Madog, Lord of Bromfield, abt 1244, son of Madog ap Gruffydd-Maelor and Gwladys verch Ithel.

• James de Audley b 1250; d s.p. 1273; md Maud Deivill.
• Henry de Audley b 1251, d s.p. 1276; md Lucy.
• William de Audley b 18 Oct 1253, d s.p. 1282.
• Nicholas de Audley b bef 1258. See LINE A
• Sir Hugh de Audley, Baron of Audley, b 1267. See LINE B

Sir Nicholas de Audley [e], Lord Audley, b 11 Nov 1289, Heleigh, Staffordshire, England, d Dec 1316. He md Joane Martin abt 1312, Staffordshire, England, daughter of Sir William Martin, Lord Martin, and Eleanor Fitz Piers.
Children of Nicholas de Audley and Joan Martin were:

• Sir James de Audley, Knight of the Garter, Baron Audley, b 8 Jan 1312/13.
• Alice de Audley b abt 1315, prob Heleigh, Staffordshire, England, d bef 1359; md Ralph Basset 22 May 1334.

Joan de Audley b abt 1332, Heleigh, Staffordshire, England, d 1392. She md Sir John Tuchet, Knight, abt 1345, son of Thomas Tuchet and Joan.

• Sir Hugh de Audley, Earl of Gloucester, b abt 1289.
• Alice de Audley b abt 1302, Stratton Audley, Oxfordshire, England, d 11 Jan 1373/74, Stratton Audley, Staffordshire, England; md [1] Ralph Fitz Ralph, Lord Greystoke, abt 1318,
  [2] Sir Ralph de Neville, Lord Neville, Jan 1326/27, Stratton Audley, Oxfordshire, England, son of Randolf de Neville and Euphemia de Clavering.

Margaret de Audley b abt 1318, of Stratton Audley, Oxfordshire, England, d 7 Sep 1349. She md Sir Ralph de Stafford, Earl of Stafford, Knight of the Garter, bef 6 Jul 1336, Staffordshire, England, son of Sir Edmund de Stafford, Lord Stafford, and Margaret Basset.

NOTES:
a. He appears to have been the son of one Liulf, who, during Stephen's reign, had a grant from Nicholas de Verdun of the manors of Aldithley, Talke, and others in Staffordshire.

b. With his father, he was witness to a charter of Hervey Bagot in 1194. He bought large estates from Eleanor Malbank in 1214, and in 1227 acquired the manors of Edgmund and Newport, and in 1230, the manor in Ford, all located in Shropshire and all held by him of the Crown. He was under-Sheriff of Salop and Stafford 1217-20, and Sheriff 1227-32, and was in command of the Welsh Marches 1223-46. He built the castle of Heleigh in Stafford, as well as Red Castle in Salop, and in 1223, founded Hulton Abbey. Upon the extinction of the earldom of Chester, he was appointed Custodian of Chester in Jun 1237. He died in 1246, shortly before Nov, and his widow, Bertrade, was still living in 1249.

c. As one of the King's sworn Council, he witnessed the confirmation by Henry III of the Provisions of Oxford in 1258, and was Lord Marcher, Sheriff of Salop and Staffordshire 1261-62 and 1270-71. He was an adherent of the King, taking his side against the Barons and engaging in the Evesham campaign in 1265. He was Justiciar of Ireland 1270-72, and died there, it is said of a broken neck. By his marriage to Ela, daughter of William Longespee, he received, in frank marriage, the manors of Stratton (later Stratton Audley) and Wretchwick in Oxon. Ela died shortly before 22 Nov 1299.

d. Summoned to attend the King at Salisbury 26 Jan 1296/97, he married Catherine, daughter of John Giffard, first Lord Giffard of Brimpsfield, by Maud, widow of William Longespee and daughter of Walter de Clifford. He died in Aug 1299; his widow Maud was living in 1322 as a nun at Ledbury.

e. His elder brother, Thomas, having died s.p. and still a minor, Nicholas had seizen of his brother's lands, having proved his age, 27 Mar 1313/14. He was summoned to Parliament from 8 Jan 1312/13 to 25 Aug 1318, whereby he is held to have become Lord Audley. He married, without license, Joan, widow of Henry, Earl of Lincoln, and daughter of William, Lord Martin by Eleanor Fitz Piers. He died at the age of 27 years.

f. He was aged 3 years at his father's death. Upon the death of his maternal uncle, William Martin, he was coheir to vast estates in Devon and Pembroke, and eventually, upon the death of his mother's sister, sole heir. He was first summoned to Parliament, though still a minor, as early as 25 Jan 1329/30, and continued to be so summoned until 8 Aug 1386 (shortly after his death). In Jul 1348, an order was issued for his arrest because he had not attended the King and Council when summoned. He firstly married Joan, daughter of Roger de Mortimer, Earl of March, and Joan, daughter of Piers de Joinville (who had been his guardian). After her death between 1337 and 1351, he secondly married Isabel, said to have been daughter of Roger le Strange. He styled himself as Lord of Rouge Chastel (Red Castle), and Lord of Heleigh. He and Joan left a son Nicholas, heir to his father, who died s.p. in 1391, when John Tuchet, great nephew of Nicholas, and grandson of his sister of the whole blood, Joan de Audley, was determined one of three coheirs and became recipient of the lordship of Audley.

g. Youngest son of James de Audley and Ela, he was enfeoffed the manor of Stratton Audley by his mother immediately following his father's death. He was in the French wars 1294 and later, and was a prisoner in France 2 Apr 1299. He also took part in the Scottish wars 1299-1302 and in 1313, and was in Gascony 1304/05. He was Justice of North Wales, 1306, and Governor of Montgomery Castle in 1309. He joined the insurrection of the Earl of Lancaster in 1321/22, but surrendered before the battle of Boroughbridge, 16 Mar 1321/22, and was confined at Wallingford Castle. By his marriage to Isolte, widow of Sir Walter de Balun and daughter of Sir Edmund de Mortimer, he received the manors of Eastington in Gloucester and Thornbbury in Hereford. He died between Nov 1325 and Mar 1325/26, probably while still a prisoner. His widow was still living in 1336.

h. Little is of known of him before his marriage to the great heiress, Margaret, widow of Piers de Gaveston, and daughter of Gilbert de Clare, Earl of Gloucester. Doubtless in consequence of this marriage, he was summoned to Parliament from 30 Nov 1317 to 15 May 1321, whereby he is held to have become Lord Audley. In Jul 1318, he accompanied the King in Parliament and accompanied him to Scotland the following year. Not long after, his quarrel with the Despensers began, and he joined the Earl of Lancaster against them. In Mar 1321, he was ordered to join the King at Gloucester on 6 Apr to show cause why his lands should not be taken into the King's hand, alleging that he had frequently disobeyed the King's orders. He apparently refused to go, as his lands were seized and Tonbridge Castle attacked, whereupon he was forced to surrender. Now in open rebellion, he brought a large force and joined with other Barons, who, lead by the Earl of Hereford, were determined to destroy the Despensers. The King vascillated but then yielded to their demands, and Hugh and his men had pardon 20 Aug 1321, although his lands were not restored to him. Before the end of that year, however, Hugh was again among the rebels being with Mortimer and others in waging a private war against the Despensers in South Wales. An order for his arrest was issued on 7 Dec. He fought on the side of the Earl of Lancaster at Boroughbridge 17 Mar 1321/22, where he was taken prisoner. In 1325 he was transferred from Berkhampstead to Nottingham Castle, from whence he escaped. After the execution of the Despensers, he returned to the King's allegiance, being summoned to Parliament again on 3 Dec 1326, and on 22 Feb folllowing was appointed a commissioner to arrange a truce with France. On 6 Mar 1326/76, the forfeiture of his lands was annulled by Parliament, and Oakham and other lands restored to he and his wife. But in the autumn of 1328, he joined the rebellion of Henry, Earl of Lancaster, but surrendered to the King at Bedford and was assessed a large fine (which fined was, however, eventually remitted). From this time until mid-1332, he was constantly in the service of the King, but in Aug of 1332, the dissentions between Hugh and William la Zouche of Mortimer in the Marches of Wales, having become quite violent, the King ordered them to keep the peace. From Dec 1334 to Apr 1335, he had summons to serve in Scotland, but in Jul was ordered to guard the Welsh ports against a feared attack by the Scots. He was appointed Guardian of the coast of Wales in Jun 1336, and on 16 Mar 1336/37, at the request of the prelates, nobles, and commons in Parliament, he was created Earl of Gloucester, to him and his heirs for ever. In Oct 1337, he received pardon for all offenses committed in the reign of Edward II or later, and on 2 Nov the debts due by he and his wife to the Crown of England and Ireland were reduced. He was appointed one of the Captains of the army against Scotland, and took part in the siege of Dunbar. In 1339, he was one of the Marshals of the English host in Flanders, and was with the King when the French declined battle, and present at the battle of Sluys 24 Jun 1340. In Apr and May of 1340/41, he was beyond seas to make a treaty with the King of France, and on 29 Jul 1342, was about to set out for Brittany with his banneret, 20 knights, 78 esquires, and 100 archers on horse. On 29 Nov 1343, he had license to surrender to Ralph de Stafford, and his wife Margaret, all manors in Ireland held by him in right of his wife Margaret de Clare, who had died 9 Apr 1342. He died s.p.m. 10 Nov 1347, the aforementioned daughter, Margaret, wife of Lord Stafford, being his only daughter and heir. At this time, the earldom of Gloucester became extinct.

---

SOURCES:
CP Vol I, pp 337-348], Vol V[715-719]; AR: Line 9[30-31], Line 27[32-33], Line 71[31-32], Line 122[30-33].

---

Return to TOP of this page

Return to INDEX FOR AUDLEY

Return to INDEX FOR ALDITHLEY

Return to MAIN INDEX

Return to HOME