Sir Miles Stapleton of Bedale (or of Cotherstone) KG (1320?–1364) was an English knight, one of the Knights Founder of the

Order of the Garter The Most Noble Order of the Garter is an order of chivalry founded by Edward III of England in 1348. It is the most senior order of knighthood in the British honours system, outranked in precedence only by the Victoria Cross and the George C ...

Biography

He was the eldest son of Sir Gilbert de Stapleton, Knt. (d. 1321), and paternal grandson of Miles de Stapleton (d. 1314). His mother was Matilda (b. 1298), also called Agnes, elder daughter and coheiress of Brian FitzAlan, lord of

Bedale Bedale ( ) is a market town and civil parish in the district of Hambleton, North Yorkshire, England. Historically part of the North Riding of Yorkshire, it is north of Leeds, south-west of Middlesbrough and south-west of the county town of ...

Askham Bryan Askham Bryan is a village and civil parish in the unitary authority area of City of York in the north of England, south-west of York, west of Bishopthorpe, and close to Askham Richard and Copmanthorpe. According to the 2001 census the parish ha ...

, and

Cotherstone Cotherstone is a village and civil parish in the Pennine hills, in Teesdale, County Durham, England. Cotherstone lies within the historic county boundaries of the North Riding of Yorkshire, but along with the rest of the former Startforth R ...

. Through his paternal line, he was a great-grandson of

Dervorguilla of Galloway Dervorguilla of Galloway (c. 1210 – 28 January 1290) was a 'lady of substance' in 13th century Scotland, the wife from 1223 of John, 5th Baron de Balliol, and mother of John I, a future king of Scotland. The name Dervorguilla or Dervorgilla ...

, mother of John Balliol, King of Scotland, and a descendant of

the Bruces Alex McManus is a musician from Omaha, Nebraska currently based in Vancouver, BC. He has played with such bands as Acorns, Empire State, Lambchop, Vic Chesnutt, and Bright Eyes. He is also in his own band called The Bruces. Selected discography ...

by Laderia, daughter of Peter III de Brus of Skelton and grandmother of Sir Gilbert. Sir Miles Stapleton of Bedale should not be confused with Sir Miles Stapleton of Haddlesey (ca. 1318–1372), occasionally identified as ''le seigneur''. Only an infant at the death of his father, he was at the

Siege of Tournai (1340) The siege of Tournai (23 July - 25 September 1340) occurred during the Edwardian phase of the Hundred Years' War. The Siege began when a coalition of England, Flanders, Hainaut, Brabant and the Holy Roman Empire under the command of King Edwa ...

with his younger brother Brian Stapleton, and then fought in Brittany during the War of Breton Succession. He was probably at the siege of Calais in 1347. He participated in three tournaments between October 1347 and January 1348, at Bury St Edmunds, Eltham, and Windsor, after which he was described as a knight of the chamber in the Wardrobe accounts. He was made a founder

Knight of the Garter The Most Noble Order of the Garter is an order of chivalry founded by Edward III of England in 1348. It is the most senior order of knighthood in the British honours system, outranked in precedence only by the Victoria Cross and the George ...

(stall 17) in 1348. In October 1351, Stapleton joined the newly knighted William Latimer abroad. In 1354, he participated in an embassy to

Pope Innocent VI Pope Innocent VI ( la, Innocentius VI; 1282 or 1295 – 12 September 1362), born Étienne Aubert, was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 18 December 1352 to his death in September 1362. He was the fifth Avignon pope a ...

requesting intervention in the Anglo-French war. Stapleton joined Henry Lancaster's raid across Normandy in 1356 in support of Philippe de Navarre, whom he served in 1358 as a messenger. In June 1361, he received an annuity of 100l, from the exchequer for his "unwearied labours and laudable services".''Calendar of the patent rolls preserved in the Public Record Office, 1358–61'', 429 He may have been the Miles Stapleton who was one of the witnesses to the

treaty of Brétigny The Treaty of Brétigny was a treaty, drafted on 8 May 1360 and ratified on 24 October 1360, between Kings Edward III of England and John II of France. In retrospect, it is seen as having marked the end of the first phase of the Hundred Years' ...

in 1360. In March 1361 and August 1362 he served on commissions of peace with the

Earl of Suffolk Earl of Suffolk is a title which has been created four times in the Peerage of England. The first creation, in tandem with the creation of the title of Earl of Norfolk, came before 1069 in favour of Ralph the Staller; but the title was forfei ...

. In January 1363, Stapleton was one of a group of English knights recorded as borrowing money from local merchants at

Thorn Thorn(s) or The Thorn(s) may refer to: Botany * Thorns, spines, and prickles, sharp structures on plants * ''Crataegus monogyna'', or common hawthorn, a plant species Comics and literature * Rose and Thorn, the two personalities of two DC Com ...

in Poland, most likely during a Prussian crusade. He died in December 1364, possibly, as the family historian conjectures, of wounds received in the

battle of Auray The Battle of Auray took place on 29 September 1364 at the Breton-French town of Auray. This battle was the decisive confrontation of the Breton War of Succession, a part of the Hundred Years' War. In the battle, which began as a siege, a Bre ...

(29 September 1364).

Family

He was three times married. By his first wife he had a son John, who died in 1355. He married his second wife in 1350. This lady was Joan, daughter and coheiress of

Oliver de Ingham Sir Oliver Ingham (about 1287–1344) was an English knight and landowner who served as a soldier and administrator under King Edward II of England and his successor, King Edward III. He was responsible for the civil government and military defenc ...

in Norfolk, and widow of Roger Lestrange of Nockin. Henceforward Stapleton is as often described as 'of Ingham' as of 'Bedale', and became a considerable proprietor in Norfolk. Stapleton's eldest son John died before him, and he was succeeded at Ingham as well as Bedale by Miles, his son by the heiress of Ingham. Their other issue was a daughter Joan, married to Sir John Plays. Another three generations in the male line succeeded Stapleton and Ingleton, after which the property was divided among coheiresses.

Notes

References

* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Stapleton 1320s births 1364 deaths English people of Scottish descent Garter Knights appointed by Edward III Medieval English knights