Robert II de Ferrers, 2nd Earl of Derby (c. 1100 – 1162) was a younger, but eldest surviving son of

Robert de Ferrers, 1st Earl of Derby Robert I de Ferrers, 1st Earl of Derby ( 1068 – 1139) was born in Derbyshire, England, a younger son of Henry de Ferrières and his wife Bertha (perhaps l'Aigle). His father, born in Ferrières, Normandy, France accompanied William the Conqu ...

and his wife Hawise. He succeeded his father as

Earl of Derby Earl of Derby ( ) is a title in the Peerage of England. The title was first adopted by Robert de Ferrers, 1st Earl of Derby, under a creation of 1139. It continued with the Ferrers family until the 6th Earl forfeited his property toward the end ...

in 1139 (William, his elder brother, having been murdered in

London London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...

sometime before). He was head of a family which controlled a large part of

Derbyshire Derbyshire ( ) is a ceremonial county in the East Midlands, England. It includes much of the Peak District National Park, the southern end of the Pennine range of hills and part of the National Forest. It borders Greater Manchester to the nor ...

including an area later known as

Duffield Frith Duffield Frith was, in medieval times, an area of Derbyshire in England, part of that bestowed upon Henry de Ferrers (or Ferrars) by King William, controlled from his seat at Duffield Castle. From 1266 it became part of the Duchy of Lancaster ...

Life

Little is known of Robert's life, other than his generosity to the church. In 1148, he established

Merevale Abbey Merevale is a small village and civil parish in the North Warwickshire district of the county of Warwickshire in England. Located about one and a half miles west of Atherstone, it is the site of a medieval Cistercian Abbey (founded in 1148) and ...

Warwickshire Warwickshire (; abbreviated Warks) is a county in the West Midlands region of England. The county town is Warwick, and the largest town is Nuneaton. The county is famous for being the birthplace of William Shakespeare at Stratford-upon-Avon an ...

England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...

, where he requested to be buried in an ox hide. He founded the Priory of Derby, which later moved to

Darley Abbey Darley Abbey is a former historic mill village, now a suburb of the city of Derby, England. It is located approximately north of the city centre, on the west bank of the River Derwent, and forms part of the Darley ward along with Little Ches ...

, and its Abbot was granted many privileges in Duffield Forest and Chase. He continued his father's attempts to play a role in the civil war commonly called

The Anarchy The Anarchy was a civil war in England and Normandy between 1138 and 1153, which resulted in a widespread breakdown in law and order. The conflict was a war of succession precipitated by the accidental death of William Adelin, the only legiti ...

that arose because of the contesting claims of

Empress Matilda Empress Matilda ( 7 February 110210 September 1167), also known as the Empress Maude, was one of the claimants to the English throne during the civil war known as the Anarchy. The daughter of King Henry I of England, she moved to Germany as ...

and

Stephen of England Stephen (1092 or 1096 – 25 October 1154), often referred to as Stephen of Blois, was King of England from 22 December 1135 to his death in 1154. He was Count of Boulogne '' jure uxoris'' from 1125 until 1147 and Duke of Normandy from 1135 u ...

. The family's support for Stephen led to him being awarded the revenues of the Borough of Derby in 1139, though in 1149 Stephen then granted the Borough to the

Earl of Chester The Earldom of Chester was one of the most powerful earldoms in medieval England, extending principally over the counties of Cheshire and Flintshire. Since 1301 the title has generally been granted to heirs apparent to the English throne, and a ...

He finally threw in his lot with the future Henry II after

Tutbury Castle Tutbury Castle is a largely ruined medieval castle at Tutbury, Staffordshire, England, in the ownership of the Duchy of Lancaster and hence currently of King Charles III. It is a Scheduled Ancient Monument. People who have stayed in the castle i ...

was besieged in 1153. However, when Henry came to the throne in 1154, he withdrew de Ferrers' right to use the title of Earl or to receive the "third penny" on the profits of the county.

Family and death

Around 1135, he married Margaret Peverell, and had at least one son and one daughter. He died in 1162 and was succeeded by his son

William de Ferrers, 3rd Earl of Derby William I de Ferrers, 3rd Earl of Derby (died 31 December 1189) was a 12th-century English Earl who resided in Tutbury Castle in Staffordshire and was head of a family which controlled a large part of Derbyshire known as Duffield Frith. He was ...

. The stone effigies of Robert and his wife,

Margaret Peverel Margaret Peverell, Countess of Derby (b. circa 1114, Nottinghamshire, England), was an English noblewoman who lived at Tutbury Castle in Staffordshire, England. Family and marriage Margaret was the daughter of William Peverel the Younger of P ...

, lie in the gatehouse chapel of Merevale Abbey, near the village of Atherstone. CORRECTION-I DON'T KNOW WHO THESE STONE EFFIGIES BELONG TO BUT THEY ARE NOT OF ROBERT FERRERS. ONLY WILLIAM FERRERS 5TH EARL OF DERBY WAS BURIED IN THE GATEHOUSE CHAPEL OF MEREVALE. https://www.british-history.ac.uk/vch/warks/vol2/pp75-78

References

1162 deaths Anglo-Normans People from Staffordshire People from Derbyshire Burials in Warwickshire Year of birth unknown 2 Year of birth uncertain {{England-earl-stub