Sir Nicholas de Stafford [b], Lord of Stafford, b abt 1076, of Stafford, Staffordshire, England, d abt 1138. He md Maud abt 1100. She was b abt 1084, d bef 1138.
Child of Nicholas de Stafford and Matilda was:

• Robert de Stafford, Lord of Stafford, b abt 1154, d 1193/94; md Basilia.
• Millicent de Stafford b abt 1166.

• Sir Hervey de Stafford b abt 1193. See LINE A
• William de Stafford b abt 1202. See LINE B

Sir Robert de Stafford [f], Lord of Stafford, b abt 1223, of Stafford, Staffordshire, England, d bef 4 Jun 1261. He md [1] Alice Corbet abt 1242, daughter of Thomas Corbet and Isabel de
Valletort; and [2] Joan.
Child of Robert de Stafford and Alice Corbet was:

Sir Edmund de Stafford [h], Lord Stafford, b 15 Jul 1273, Stafford, Staffordshire, England, d bef 12 Aug 1308. He md Margaret Basset bef 1298, daughter of Sir Ralph Basset and Hawise.
Child of Edmund de Stafford and Margaret Basset was:

Sir Ralph de Stafford [i], Earl of Stafford, Knight of the Garter, b 24 Sep 1301, Stafford, Staffordshire, England, d 31 Aug 1372, Staffordshire, England He md:
[1] Katherine de Hastang abt 1326-27, of Staffordshire, England, daughter of Sir John de Hastang and Eve. She was b abt 1308, Staffordshire, England, d bef 6 Jul 1336.
Child of Ralph de Stafford and Katherine de Hastang was:

Jane/Joan de Stafford b abt 1328, Staffordshire, England, d bef 1397. She md Sir Nicholas Beke, Knight, abt 1343.

• Ralph de Stafford b abt 1336, Stafford, Staffordshire, England, d 1348; md Maud Plantagenet 1 Nov 1344.
• Joan de Stafford b abt 1337, Staffordshire, England, d bef 1379; md John de Cherleton.
• Elizabeth de Stafford b abt 1339, prob Staffordshire, England, d 7 Aug 1375. She md [1] Fulk le Strange, 1346/47, [2] Sir John de Ferrers abt 1356, son of Sir Robert de Ferrers, Lord of Chartley, Knight, and Margaret, and [3] Sir Reynold de Cobham.
• Sir Hugh de Stafford, Earl of Stafford, b abt 1342.
• Beatrice de Stafford b abt 1345, Stafford, Staffordshire, England, d 13 Apr 1415. She md Sir Thomas de Ros, Lord Ros, Knight, 1 Jan 1358/59, Northamptonshire, England, son of Sir William de Ros, Lord Ros, and Margery de Badlesmere.
• Katherine de Stafford b bef 1347/48, Stafford, Staffordshire, England, d Dec 1361. She md Sir John III de Sutton, Lord of Dudley Castle, 25 Dec 1357, son of Sir John II de Sutton, Knight, Lord of Dudley Castle, and Isabel de Cherleton.

Margaret Stafford b abt 1364, d 9 Jun 1396. She md Sir Ralph de Neville, Earl of
Westmorland, abt 1380, son of Sir John de Neville,Lord Neville, and Maud de Percy.

Robert de Stafford b abt 1243, of Bramshall, Staffordshire, England. He md Gundreda abt 1265. She was b abt 1250.
Child of Robert de Stafford and Gundreda was:

Joan de Stafford b abt 1278. She md Sir Peter de Gresley abt 1294.

NOTES:
a. He was the younger son of Roger de Toeni, and one of the greater tenants-in-chief in 1086, holding nearly 70 manors in Staffordshire, over 25 in Warwickshire, over 20 in Lincolnshire, among others. He granted Wrottesley and Loynton in co. Stafford to Evesham Abbey in 1072, and later became a monk at Evesham. He died probably in 1088.

b. With his eldest son, Robert, he made grants to the Priory of Kenilworth. His wife, Maud, is said to have been a daughter of an Earl of Chester, but no such daughter is known.

c. He was sheriff of Staffordshire in 1155, an office he held until 1160. He made a gift of his chapel of Stafford to Stone Priory circa 1138 and 1147. He last appears in the Pipe Rolls in 1177-78, and probably died between that date and 1184-85.

d. Heir to her only known brother, Robert, who died 1193/94, her husband, Hervey Bagot, assumed the name Stafford upon becoming seized of the barony by right of his wife. He is believed to be the grandson or great-grandson of one Bagot, who held Bramshall under Robert de Stafford in 1086. With the consent of his wife and heirs, he granted Drayton to the canons of St. Thomas the Martyr of Stafford in return for 35 silver marks towards the sum due to the King. He predeceased Millicent.

e. Having come into the King's faith and service, he was to have his lands on 4 Nov 1217. On 3 Sep 1228, he was summoned to join the King at Mongomery, and in Sep 1230 he was in the King's service overseas. In Jun 1233, as one of the Barons de Marchia, he gave his son John as a hostage for his faithful service, and in Jan following was one of the knights directed to remain at Shrewsbury for its defence. In Jul 1234 he, with others, was appointed to conduct David, son of Lewelyn, to the King. His wife, Pernel, daughter of William de Ferrieres, Earl of Derby, survived him.

f. Heir to his brother Hervey, who died s.p. bef 7 Oct 1241, he did homage for his brother's lands 24 Oct 1241. He was summoned for service in Wales in 1257/58 and 1260. He was twice married, first to Alice, daughter and coheir of Thomas Corbet of Caus, and secondly to Joan, who survived him.

g. Son and heir by his father's first wife, he had not yet been knighted at Trinity term 1272, but was in possession of his lands. He served repeatedly in Wales from 1277-1287, and in 1279, as Nicholas, Baron of Stafford, he was sued by his brother Edmund for an acquittal of his service. The name of his wife is not known, but she is believed to have been a daughter of Geoffrey de Langley; she appears to have predeceased her husband.

h. In Jul 1297, he was about to go beyond seas with the King, and he was summoned for service against the Scots in 1298, 1299, 1301, 1302 and 1308. He was summoned to Parliament from 6 Feb 1298/99 to 26 Aug 1307, whereby he is held to have become Lord Stafford. He was but 35 years of age at his death. He married Margaret, daughter and coheir, in her issue, of Ralph Basset of Drayton, by Joan de Grey, who survived him, and married secondly, Thomas de Pype.

i. In Apr 1325, he was in the King's service, with his mother and her second husband, and his own brothers, in the company of Ralph, 2nd Lord Basset of Drayton and Constable of Dover Castle. He was made Knight Banneret 13 Jan 1326/27, and on 6 Apr 1327 was summoned to serve against the Scots. He was summoned to Parliament from 29 Nov 1336 to 25 Nov 1350, and served in Scotland in 1336 and 1337. He was in France with the King, returning 29 Nov 1339, and on 23 Jun 1340 was present at the battle of Sluys. In 1342 he sailed to Brittany and took part in the siege of Vannes, where he was captured, and later exchanged for another prisoner. In Apr 1344 he was in Gascony with 3 bannerets, 20 knights, 92 esquires, and 90 archers, and in Oct 1346 was appointed Seneschal of Aquitaine. He was a Knight of the Garter 23 Apr 1348, as one of the founders of that order. On 6 Sep 1348, he was granted for life 600 marks p.a. for his stay for life with the King with 60 men-at-arms. He was present at the naval battle off Winchelsea in Aug 1350, and was created Earl of Stafford 5 Mar 1350/51. He was among the leaders of the King's expedition to France in Oct 1355, and in Oct 1360 was in the vanguard of the army under the Duke of Lancaster, and joint marshal with the Earl of Warwick. In Aug 1360 he was appointed, with others, to treat for peace with France, and was a party to the treaty of Bretigny. He was in Ireland from Sep 1361 to Feb 1361/62, and crossed to France with the King in Oct 1369. He married firstly, about 1326-27, Katherine, dau of Sir John Hastang, and secondly, before 6 Jul 1336, Margaret, daughter of the Earl of Gloucester, Hugh de Audley. He survived his second wife by 24 years. On 6 Jul 1336, a commission had been appointed to enquire into a complaint by Hugh de Audley, that Ralph de Stafford and others, mostly his relatives, had abducted his daughter, Margaret, and married her against his will.

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SOURCES:
CP: Vol XII/1[168-177]; AR: Line 9[31-32], Line 32[32], Line 55[31-32], Line 61[31], Line 81[33]; SGM: Henry Sutliffe [ref: The Gresleys of Drakelow, by Falconer Madan]

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