Henry Stafford, 1st Baron Stafford (18 September 1501 – 30 April 1563) was an English nobleman. After the execution for treason in 1521 and posthumous attainder of his father

Edward Stafford, 3rd Duke of Buckingham Edward Stafford, 3rd Duke of Buckingham (3 February 1478 – 17 May 1521) was an English nobleman. He was the son of Henry Stafford, 2nd Duke of Buckingham, and Katherine Woodville, and nephew of Elizabeth Woodville and King Edward IV. Thu ...

, with the forfeiture of all the family's estates and titles, he managed to regain some of his family's position and was created

Baron Stafford Baron Stafford, referring to the town of Stafford, is a title that has been created several times in the Peerage of England. In the 14th century, the barons of the first creation were made earls. Those of the fifth creation, in the 17th century ...

in 1547. However his family never truly recovered from the blow and thenceforward gradually declined into obscurity, with his descendant the 6th Baron being requested by King Charles I in 1639 to surrender the barony on account of his poverty.Cokayne, ''Complete Peerage'', new edition, vol.XII, p.188

Origins

He was born on 18 September 1501 at

Penshurst Place Penshurst Place is a historic building near Penhurst, Kent, south east of London, England. It is the ancestral home of the Sidney family, and was the birthplace of the great Elizabethan poet, courtier and soldier, Sir Philip Sidney. The origi ...

in Kent, the only son and heir of

(1477–1521), of

Stafford Castle Stafford Castle is an ancient Grade II listed castle situated two miles west of the town of Stafford in Staffordshire, England. From the time of the Norman Conquest and as recorded in the Domesday Book of 1086 it was the seat of the powerful Ang ...

in Staffordshire and of

Thornbury Castle Thornbury Castle is a Tudor castle in the place of Thornbury, in Gloucestershire, England, situated next to the parish church of St Mary, founded in the Norman era. Construction was begun in 1511 as a further residence for Edward Stafford, 3rd ...

in Gloucestershire, by his wife Eleanor Percy, a daughter of

Henry Percy, 4th Earl of Northumberland Henry Percy, 4th Earl of Northumberland (c. 1449 – 28 April 1489) was an English aristocrat during the Wars of the Roses. After losing his title when his father was killed fighting the Yorkists, he later regained his position. He led the ...

and Maud Herbert.

Marriage and issue

On 16 February 1519, aged 18, he married

Ursula Pole Ursula Pole, Baroness Stafford (c. 1504 – 12 August 1570) was an English noblewoman; the wife of Henry Stafford, 1st Baron Stafford; a wealthy heiress and the only daughter of Margaret Pole, 8th Countess of Salisbury. Her mother was the last sur ...

, a daughter of

Sir Richard Pole Sir Richard Pole, KG (1462 – October 1504) was a supporter and first cousin of King Henry VII of England. He was created a Knight of the Garter and was married to Margaret Plantagenet, Countess of Salisbury, a member of the Plantagenet dyn ...

by his wife Margaret Plantagenet, ''suo jure'' 8th Countess of Salisbury. The marriage had been arranged by his father at the suggestion of Cardinal

Thomas Wolsey Thomas Wolsey ( – 29 November 1530) was an English statesman and Catholic bishop. When Henry VIII became King of England in 1509, Wolsey became the king's almoner. Wolsey's affairs prospered and by 1514 he had become the controlling figur ...

. Ursula's

dowry A dowry is a payment, such as property or money, paid by the bride's family to the groom or his family at the time of marriage. Dowry contrasts with the related concepts of bride price and dower. While bride price or bride service is a payment b ...

was 3,000

marks Marks may refer to: Business * Mark's, a Canadian retail chain * Marks & Spencer, a British retail chain * Collective trade marks, trademarks owned by an organisation for the benefit of its members * Marks & Co, the inspiration for the novel ...

, which would be increased by 1,000 marks ''"if the Countess (of Salisbury) get back certain lands from the King"''.Harris, p.55 As part of the

marriage settlement A marriage settlement in England was a historic arrangement whereby, most commonly and in its simplest form, a trust of land or other assets was established jointly by the parents of a bride and bridegroom. The trustees were established as legal ow ...

the Countess settled lands in

Somerset ( en, All The People of Somerset) , locator_map = , coordinates = , region = South West England , established_date = Ancient , established_by = , preceded_by = , origin = , lord_lieutenant_office =Lord Lieutenant of Somerset , lord_ ...

and

Devon Devon ( , historically known as Devonshire , ) is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in South West England. The most populous settlement in Devon is the city of Plymouth, followed by Devon's county town, the city of Exeter. Devon is ...

worth 700 marks on the couple and their children and the Duke of Buckingham contributed lands worth £500 as Ursula's

jointure Jointure is, in law, a provision for a wife after the death of her husband. As defined by Sir Edward Coke, it is "a competent livelihood of freehold for the wife, of lands or tenements, to take effect presently in possession or profit after the dea ...

. He also paid for the wedding expenses, apart from Ursula's wedding clothes which were provided by her mother. Following their marriage, Henry and Ursula lived in the household of his father, where they had guardians to watch over them.Harris, p.56 By Ursula he had about fourteen children, seven sons and seven daughters, of whom twelve names are known: * Henry Stafford (b. November 1520), who died in early infancy. The Duke paid a midwife 10

shillings The shilling is a historical coin, and the name of a unit of modern currencies formerly used in the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, other British Commonwealth countries and Ireland, where they were generally equivalent to 12 pence or ...

to attend Ursula following his birth. *

Henry Stafford, 2nd Baron Stafford Henry Stafford, 2nd Baron Stafford (before 1527 – 1 Jan 1565) was a British peer in the peerage of England and MP. Family life Henry Stafford was the eldest surviving son of Henry Stafford, 1st Baron Stafford and Ursula Pole. He married Eliza ...

(died 1565), eldest surviving son and heir, who married Elizabeth Davy; * Thomas Stafford (c.1533 – 28 May 1557), executed for

high treason Treason is the crime of attacking a state authority to which one owes allegiance. This typically includes acts such as participating in a war against one's native country, attempting to overthrow its government, spying on its military, its diplo ...

. *

Edward Stafford, 3rd Baron Stafford Edward Stafford, 3rd Baron Stafford (7 January 1535 – 18 October 1603) was the second surviving son of Henry Stafford, 1st Baron Stafford and Ursula Pole. He was the younger brother of Henry Stafford, 2nd Baron Stafford. He served in Parliam ...

(17 January 1535 – 18 October 1603), heir to his elder brother; he married Maria Stanley, a daughter of

Edward Stanley, 3rd Earl of Derby Edward Stanley, 3rd Earl of Derby KG (c. 10 May 1509 – 24 October 1572) was an English nobleman and politician. He reigned over the Isle of Mann until his death, and then was succeeded by his son. Early life At the age of thirteen, Edwa ...

, by whom he had issue. * Richard Stafford, who married Mary Corbet, a daughter of John Corbet of Lee in

Shropshire Shropshire (; alternatively Salop; abbreviated in print only as Shrops; demonym Salopian ) is a landlocked historic county in the West Midlands region of England. It is bordered by Wales to the west and the English counties of Cheshire to th ...

and Anne Booth, by whom he had issue

Roger Stafford, 6th Baron Stafford Roger Stafford, 6th Baron Stafford, was the son of Richard Stafford, a younger son of Henry Stafford, 1st Baron Stafford, and Ursula Pole. He was forced to give up the Stafford barony in 1637 on the grounds of poverty. Roger was born about 1572, ...

, born about 1572, and Jane Stafford, born about 1581 * Walter Stafford (c. 1539 – after 1571) * William Stafford *

Dorothy Stafford Dorothy Stafford, Lady Stafford (1 October 1526 – 22 September 1604) was an English noblewoman, and an influential person at the court of Queen Elizabeth I of England, to whom she served as Mistress of the Robes. Dorothy Stafford was the second ...

(1 October 1526 – 22 September 1604), who married Sir William Stafford, by whom she had six children. She was an influential person at the court of

Queen Elizabeth I Elizabeth I (7 September 153324 March 1603) was Queen of England and Ireland from 17 November 1558 until her death in 1603. Elizabeth was the last of the five House of Tudor monarchs and is sometimes referred to as the "Virgin Queen". El ...

whom she served as

Mistress of the Robes The mistress of the robes was the senior lady in the Royal Household of the United Kingdom. Formerly responsible for the queen consort's/regnant's clothes and jewellery (as the name implies), the post had the responsibility for arranging the rota o ...

. * Elizabeth Stafford, married Sir William Neville * Anne Stafford, married Sir Henry Williams * Susan Stafford (after 1547) * Jane Stafford

Titles and offices

He was styled by the

courtesy title A courtesy title is a title that does not have legal significance but rather is used through custom or courtesy, particularly, in the context of nobility, the titles used by children of members of the nobility (cf. substantive title). In some co ...

''Earl of Stafford'' (his father's secondary peerage) until the attainder of his father in 1521. In 1547 he petitioned Parliament for restoration in blood, but did not claim any of his father's forfeited land or titles. In 1548 he was summoned to Parliament by writ, by

King Edward VI Edward VI (12 October 1537 – 6 July 1553) was King of England and King of Ireland, Ireland from 28 January 1547 until his death in 1553. He was crowned on 20 February 1547 at the age of nine. Edward was the son of Henry VIII and Jane Seymour ...

, and was thus created 1st

.Henry Stafford, 1st Baron Stafford profile
Oxford Dictionary of National Biography. Retrieved 17 January 2010. This was the 4th creation of the title

which eventually was surrendered in 1639 by his descendant Roger Stafford, 6th Baron Stafford (called in his youth by the surname "Floyde"), due to his poverty and "very mean and obscure condition", at the request of King Charles I.

Cleveland Cleveland ( ), officially the City of Cleveland, is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Cuyahoga County. Located in the northeastern part of the state, it is situated along the southern shore of Lake Erie, across the U.S. ...

commented on him as follows: ''"This unfortunate man, the great-grandson of the last Duke, was then sixty-five, and had sunk into so abject a condition that he felt ashamed of bearing his own name, and long passed as Fludd, or Floyde, having, it is supposed, assumed the patronymic of one of his uncle's servants, who had reared and sheltered him in early life."'' The barony was initially regarded as a new creation, but in February 1558, he won the right to have it recognised as carrying precedence of the first creation of 1299, created for his ancestor

Edmund de Stafford, 1st Baron Stafford Edmund de Stafford, 1st Baron Stafford (1272/1273 – 1308), was the son of Nicholas de Stafford, who was summoned to parliament by writ on 6 February 1299 by King Edward I. The origins of the Stafford family The Staffords were first found in ...

(1272/3-1308), of

in Staffordshire, feudal baron of Stafford. In 1554, having petitioned Queen

Mary I Mary I (18 February 1516 – 17 November 1558), also known as Mary Tudor, and as "Bloody Mary" by her Protestant opponents, was Queen of England and Ireland from July 1553 and Queen of Spain from January 1556 until her death in 1558. Sh ...

for financial assistance, he was made one of two Chamberlains of the Exchequer, a position that brought him an annual fee of £50. Having trained as a lawyer at

Gray's Inn The Honourable Society of Gray's Inn, commonly known as Gray's Inn, is one of the four Inns of Court (professional associations for barristers and judges) in London. To be called to the bar in order to practise as a barrister in England and Wale ...

in 1528, in 1531 he was appointed to the honourable post of

recorder Recorder or The Recorder may refer to: Newspapers * ''Indianapolis Recorder'', a weekly newspaper * ''The Recorder'' (Massachusetts newspaper), a daily newspaper published in Greenfield, Massachusetts, US * ''The Recorder'' (Port Pirie), a news ...

of the

borough A borough is an administrative division in various English-speaking countries. In principle, the term ''borough'' designates a self-governing walled town, although in practice, official use of the term varies widely. History In the Middle Ag ...

Stafford Stafford () is a market town and the county town of Staffordshire, in the West Midlands region of England. It lies about north of Wolverhampton, south of Stoke-on-Trent and northwest of Birmingham. The town had a population of 70,145 in t ...

, next to his family's ancient seat of

. He was later appointed a

justice of the Peace A justice of the peace (JP) is a judicial officer of a lower or ''puisne'' court, elected or appointed by means of a commission ( letters patent) to keep the peace. In past centuries the term commissioner of the peace was often used with the sa ...

for both Staffordshire and Shropshire in 1536. Between 1558 and 1559 he was the

lord-lieutenant of Staffordshire This is a list of people who have served as lord lieutenant for Staffordshire. Since 1828, all lord lieutenants have also been custos rotulorum of Staffordshire. Lord Lieutenants of Staffordshire *Henry Stafford, 1st Baron Stafford 1559 *Georg ...

, a role which included being appointed as clerk of the Peace.History of Lord-Lieutenant of Staffordshire
Retrieved 17 January 2010

Literary interests

Stafford had an extensive library of about 300 books, mostly in Latin. In 1548 he published an English translation of the 1534 tract by

Edward Foxe Edward Foxe (c. 1496 – 8 May 1538) was an English churchman, Bishop of Hereford. He played a major role in Henry VIII's divorce from Catherine of Aragon, and he assisted in drafting the ''Ten Articles'' of 1536. Early life He was born at Durs ...

, as "The True Dyfferens Between the Royall Power and the Ecclesiasticall Power", (original Latin title ''De vera differentia regiae potestatis et ecclesiae''). Under Queen Mary I, he converted back to Catholicism and translated two tracts by

Erasmus Desiderius Erasmus Roterodamus (; ; English: Erasmus of Rotterdam or Erasmus;''Erasmus'' was his baptismal name, given after St. Erasmus of Formiae. ''Desiderius'' was an adopted additional name, which he used from 1496. The ''Roterodamus'' wa ...

against

Luther Luther may refer to: People * Martin Luther (1483–1546), German monk credited with initiating the Protestant Reformation * Martin Luther King Jr. (1929-1968), American minister and leader in the American civil rights movement * Luther (give ...

, of which neither survives. He commissioned other translations, such as Humphrey Lloyd's version of Vassaeus on urine, and influenced the publication of ''Mirror for Magistrates'' in 1559.

Death

He died on 30 April 1563, at the age of about 62, at

Caus Castle Caus Castle is a ruin of a hill fort and medieval castle in the civil parish of Westbury in the English county of Shropshire. It is situated up on the eastern foothills of the Long Mountain guarding the route from Shrewsbury, Shropshire to Mon ...

in Shropshire, the seat of the Corbet family. He was buried on 6 May in nearby

Worthen Worthen is a village in Shropshire, England approximately 13 miles west of Shrewsbury. The village forms part of the Worthen with Shelve civil parish, which includes the hamlet of Little Worthen immediately to the north-east and the villages ...

Church. He was succeeded in his titles by his eldest surviving son

(died 1565), who himself died two years later.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Stafford, Henry Stafford, 1st Baron 1501 births 1563 deaths Members of the Parliament of England (pre-1707) for Stafford People from Penshurst 1

Henry Henry may refer to: People *Henry (given name) * Henry (surname) * Henry Lau, Canadian singer and musician who performs under the mononym Henry Royalty * Portuguese royalty ** King-Cardinal Henry, King of Portugal ** Henry, Count of Portugal, ...

16th-century English nobility Lord-Lieutenants of Staffordshire