Lionel de Welles, 6th Baron Welles
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Lionel de Welles, 6th Baron Welles, KG (c. 1406 – 29 March 1461) was an English peer who served as
Lord Lieutenant of Ireland Lord Lieutenant of Ireland (), or more formally Lieutenant General and General Governor of Ireland, was the title of the chief governor of Ireland from the Williamite Wars of 1690 until the Partition of Ireland in 1922. This spanned the Kingdo ...
and Joint Deputy of Calais. He was slain fighting on the Lancastrian side at the
Battle of Towton The Battle of Towton took place on 29 March 1461 during the Wars of the Roses, near Towton in North Yorkshire, and "has the dubious distinction of being probably the largest and bloodiest battle on English soil". Fought for ten hours between a ...
, and was
attainted In English criminal law, attainder or attinctura was the metaphorical "stain" or "corruption of blood" which arose from being condemned for a serious capital crime (felony or treason). It entailed losing not only one's life, property and hereditary ...
on 21 December 1461. As a result of the attainder, his son,
Richard Welles, 7th Baron Welles Richard Welles, 7th Baron Welles (c.1428–1470), was an English nobleman and soldier. From a Lancastrian family, he came to be on good terms with the Yorkist King Edward IV, but was later executed after being associated with a plot against Edwa ...
, did not succeed him in the barony of Welles until the attainder was reversed by Parliament in June 1467.


Family

Born about 1406, Lionel Welles was the son of Eudes Welles and Maud Greystoke. On his father's side, he was the grandson of
John de Welles, 5th Baron Welles John de Welles, 5th Baron Welles (1352–1421) was an English soldier and noble. The son of John de Welles, 4th Baron Welles and Maud de Ros. He married Eleanor de Mowbray, daughter of John de Mowbray, 4th Baron Mowbray, and Elizabeth de Segrav ...
(d. 26 August 1421), and Eleanor Mowbray, and on his mother's side, the grandson of
Ralph de Greystoke, 3rd Baron Greystoke Ralph de Greystoke, 3rd Baron Greystoke, (18 October 1353 – 6 April 1418) was an English peer and landowner. Life Greystoke was the son of William de Greystoke, 2nd Baron Greystoke, and Joane, daughter of Lord Fitzhugh, his second wife ...
and Katherine Clifford, daughter of
Roger de Clifford, 5th Baron de Clifford Roger de Clifford, 5th Baron de Clifford, ninth Lord Clifford, fifth Baron of Westmoreland (10 July 1333 – 13 July 1389), was the son of Robert de Clifford, 3rd Baron de Clifford (d. 20 May 1344), second son of Robert de Clifford, 1st Baron de ...
. He had one brother, Sir William Welles,
Lord Chancellor of Ireland The Lord High Chancellor of Ireland (commonly known as Lord Chancellor of Ireland) was the highest judicial office in Ireland until the establishment of the Irish Free State in 1922. From 1721 to 1801, it was also the highest political office of ...
.


Career

Lionel Welles' father, Eudes Welles, died sometime before 26 July 1417, predeceasing his own father, the 5th Baron. At the death of the 5th Baron in 1421, Lionel Welles thus inherited the Welles barony and lands, but as he was underage, his wardship was granted to his future father-in-law, Robert Waterton (d.1425), a 'trusted retainer of
John of Gaunt John of Gaunt, Duke of Lancaster (6 March 1340 – 3 February 1399) was an English royal prince, military leader, and statesman. He was the fourth son (third to survive infancy as William of Hatfield died shortly after birth) of King Edward ...
and the Lancastrian Kings'. He was knighted at the Parliament at
Leicester Leicester ( ) is a city status in the United Kingdom, city, Unitary authorities of England, unitary authority and the county town of Leicestershire in the East Midlands of England. It is the largest settlement in the East Midlands. The city l ...
by the infant Henry VI on 19 May 1426, and had control of his lands on 5 December 1427. He accompanied Henry VI to France in 1430, was summoned to Parliament from 25 February 1432 to 30 July 1460 by writs directed to ''Leoni de Welles'', and was a privy councillor before 12 November 1434. In 1436 he was with
Humphrey, Duke of Gloucester Humphrey of Lancaster, Duke of Gloucester (3 October 139023 February 1447) was an English prince, soldier, and literary patron. He was (as he styled himself) "son, brother and uncle of kings", being the fourth and youngest son of Henry IV of E ...
, in the expedition sent to relieve the siege of Calais. He was a member of Henry VI's household before February 1438. From 12 February 1438 he resided in Ireland as
Lord Lieutenant A lord-lieutenant ( ) is the British monarch's personal representative in each lieutenancy area of the United Kingdom. Historically, each lieutenant was responsible for organising the county's militia. In 1871, the lieutenant's responsibility ...
; according to Hicks, he 'failed to control the contending factions and resigned prematurely in 1442'. In 1441 he was particularly embarrassed at his inability to prosecute Thomas FitzGerald, the Prior of the
Knights Hospitallers The Order of Knights of the Hospital of Saint John of Jerusalem ( la, Ordo Fratrum Hospitalis Sancti Ioannis Hierosolymitani), commonly known as the Knights Hospitaller (), was a medieval and early modern Catholic military order. It was headq ...
at Kilmainham, whom he accused of being party to the
kidnapping In criminal law, kidnapping is the unlawful confinement of a person against their will, often including transportation/asportation. The asportation and abduction element is typically but not necessarily conducted by means of force or fear: the p ...
of Lionel's brother William. The Prior produced a
royal pardon In the English and British tradition, the royal prerogative of mercy is one of the historic royal prerogatives of the British monarch, by which they can grant pardons (informally known as a royal pardon) to convicted persons. The royal preroga ...
, and no action was taken against him; nor would he release William until certain demands were met. His dealings, together with his kinsmen
Robert Willoughby, 6th Baron Willoughby de Eresby Robert Willoughby, 6th Baron Willoughby de Eresby ( 1385 – 25 July 1452) was an English nobleman and military commander in the Hundred Years' War. Family Robert Willoughby was the son of William Willoughby, 5th Baron Willoughby de Eresby, and ...
and Ralph, Lord Cromwell, towards a servant of
William Tailboys William Tailboys, de jure 7th Baron Kyme (c.1416 – 26 May 1464) was a wealthy Lincolnshire squire and adherent of the Lancastrian cause during the Wars of the Roses. He was born in Kyme, Lincolnshire, the son of Sir Walter Tailboys and his ...
at
Boston, Lincolnshire Boston is a market town and inland port in the borough of the same name in the county of Lincolnshire, England. Boston is north of London, north-east of Peterborough, east of Nottingham, south-east of Lincoln, south-southeast of Hull ...
are complained of in a letter earlier than 1450 to the
Viscount Beaumont Baron Beaumont is an ancient title in the Peerage of England, created in 1309 for a younger branch of the French counts of ''de Brienne'' family. The sixth Baron Beaumont was created Viscount Beaumont (the first creation of this rank in England) ...
among the
Paston Letters The ''Paston Letters'' is a collection of correspondence between members of the Paston family of Norfolk gentry and others connected with them in England between the years 1422 and 1509. The collection also includes state papers and other impor ...
. Together with
Richard Woodville, 1st Earl Rivers Richard Woodville, 1st Earl Rivers (1405 – 12 August 1469), also Wydeville, was the father of Elizabeth Woodville and father-in-law of Edward IV. Early life Born at Maidstone in Kent, Richard Woodville was the son of Richard Wydeville ( ...
, he served as Joint Deputy of Calais for his brother-in-law,
Edmund Beaufort, 2nd Duke of Somerset Edmund Beaufort, 2nd Duke of Somerset, 4th Earl of Somerset, 1st Earl of Dorset, 1st Marquess of Dorset styled 1st Count of Mortain, KG (140622 May 1455), was an English nobleman and an important figure during the Hundred Years' War. His riva ...
, who was
Lieutenant of Calais The town of Calais, now part of France, was in English hands from 1347 to 1558, and this page lists the commanders of Calais, holding office from the English Crown, called at different times Captain of Calais, King's Lieutenant of Calais (Castle ...
from 1451 to 1455, and apparently remained at Calais until 20 April 1456, when
Richard Neville, 16th Earl of Warwick Richard is a male given name. It originates, via Old French, from Old Frankish and is a compound of the words descending from Proto-Germanic ''*rīk-'' 'ruler, leader, king' and ''*hardu-'' 'strong, brave, hardy', and it therefore means 'strong ...
, took over as Lieutenant. Despite these appointments, according to Hicks, Welles was 'essentially a Lincolnshire landowner'; he was 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 ...
and served on other commissions in that county. He was installed, together with
John Talbot, 2nd Earl of Shrewsbury John Talbot, 2nd Earl of Shrewsbury, 2nd Earl of Waterford, 8th Baron Talbot, KG (12 DEC 1413 – 10 July 1460) was an English nobleman and soldier. He was the son of John Talbot, 1st Earl of Shrewsbury, 1st Earl of Waterford, 7th Baron Talbot ...
, as a
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 ...
on 14 May 1457, and in October of that year was sent with English reinforcements to Calais. He was taken prisoner by Yorkist forces at the
Battle of Blore Heath The Battle of Blore Heath was a battle in the English Wars of the Roses. It was fought on 23 September 1459, at Blore Heath in Staffordshire. Blore Heath is a sparsely populated area of farmland, two miles east of the town of Market Drayton in ...
on 23 September 1459. In 1461 he was with the army of Queen Margaret, which advanced on London, and won the
Second Battle of St Albans The Second Battle of St Albans was fought on 17 February 1461 during the Wars of the Roses in England. It took place at St Albans in Hertfordshire, the first battle having been fought in 1455. The army of the Yorkist faction under the Earl of W ...
on 17 February 1461. He was slain a month later at the
Battle of Towton The Battle of Towton took place on 29 March 1461 during the Wars of the Roses, near Towton in North Yorkshire, and "has the dubious distinction of being probably the largest and bloodiest battle on English soil". Fought for ten hours between a ...
on 29 March 1461, though rumours of his survival ran about. After his death he was attained by Act of Parliament on 21 December 1461, whereby all his honours were forfeited. He was buried with his first wife, Joan Waterton, in the Waterton Chapel in St Oswald's parish church at
Methley Methley is a dispersed village in the City of Leeds metropolitan borough, south east of Leeds, West Yorkshire, England. It is located near Rothwell, Oulton, Woodlesford, Mickletown and Allerton Bywater. The Leeds City Ward is called Kippax a ...
,
Yorkshire Yorkshire ( ; abbreviated Yorks), formally known as the County of York, is a Historic counties of England, historic county in northern England and by far the largest in the United Kingdom. Because of its large area in comparison with other Eng ...
, where they have a fine table-tomb monument with recumbent effigies. Welles is shown in full armour with a lion at his feet.


Marriages and issue

Welles married firstly Jane (in some accounts, Cecily) Waterton, daughter of Robert Waterton, esquire, of Waterton, Lincs. and
Methley Methley is a dispersed village in the City of Leeds metropolitan borough, south east of Leeds, West Yorkshire, England. It is located near Rothwell, Oulton, Woodlesford, Mickletown and Allerton Bywater. The Leeds City Ward is called Kippax a ...
,
Yorkshire Yorkshire ( ; abbreviated Yorks), formally known as the County of York, is a Historic counties of England, historic county in northern England and by far the largest in the United Kingdom. Because of its large area in comparison with other Eng ...
, and his wife, Cecily Fleming, daughter of Sir Robert Fleming of Woodhall (brother of Richard Fleming, Bishop of Lincoln), by whom he had one son and four daughters: *
Richard Welles, 7th Baron Welles Richard Welles, 7th Baron Welles (c.1428–1470), was an English nobleman and soldier. From a Lancastrian family, he came to be on good terms with the Yorkist King Edward IV, but was later executed after being associated with a plot against Edwa ...
. *Cecily Welles, who married Sir Robert Willoughby of Parham, Suffolk and was the mother of
Christopher Willoughby, 10th Baron Willoughby de Eresby Sir Christopher Willoughby, ''de jure'' 10th Baron Willoughby de Eresby, KB (1453 – between 1 November 1498 and 13 July 1499), was heir to his second cousin, Joan Welles, 9th Baroness Willoughby de Eresby, in her own right Lady Willoughby, as ...
. *Margaret Welles (d. 13 July 1480), who married first, Sir Thomas Dymoke (executed 12 March 1470), and secondly Robert Radcliffe, esquire. *Eleanor Welles (died before 1504), who married first,
Thomas Hoo, Baron Hoo and Hastings Thomas Hoo, Baron Hoo and Hastings KG (c. 1396 – 13 February 1455) was an English courtier. William Camden called him ''vir egregius'', literally an "outstanding man". The Barony created in his name had no successors, and he had no male issu ...
(d. 13 February 1455); secondly Sir James Laurence (died 1490); and third, Hugh Hastings.Richardson, ''Magna Carta Ancestry'' (2011), IV, p. 310. *Katherine Welles, who married first, Sir Thomas de la Launde (executed 19 March 1470), and secondly Robert Tempest (d. 23 April 1509), esquire. Secondly, by licence dated 14 April 1447, he married
Margaret Beauchamp Margaret Beauchamp (1404 – 14 June 1467) was the eldest daughter of Richard Beauchamp, 13th Earl of Warwick and his first wife, Elizabeth de Berkeley. As the eldest child of a family without male issue, Margaret was expected to inherit from h ...
, widow successively of Sir Oliver St John (d.1437) and
John Beaufort, 1st Duke of Somerset John Beaufort, 1st Duke of Somerset, 3rd Earl of Somerset, KG (25 March 1404 – 30 May 1444) was an English nobleman and military commander during the Hundred Years' War. He was the maternal grandfather of Henry VII. Origins Born on 25 ...
(d. 27 May 1444), and daughter of Sir John Beauchamp of Bletsoe,
Bedfordshire Bedfordshire (; abbreviated Beds) is a ceremonial county in the East of England. The county has been administered by three unitary authorities, Borough of Bedford, Central Bedfordshire and Borough of Luton, since Bedfordshire County Council wa ...
, by his second wife, Edith Stourton, daughter of Sir John Stourton, by whom he had one son: *
John Welles, 1st Viscount Welles John (de) Welles, 1st Viscount Welles, Knight of the Garter, KG (c. 1450 – 9 February 1498) was an English House of Lancaster, Lancastrian nobleman who was made a Knight of the Garter. John was born about 1450 to Lionel de Welles, 6th Baron ...
, who married
Cecily of York Cecily of York (20 March 1469 – 24 August 1507), was the third daughter of King Edward IV of England and his queen consort Elizabeth Woodville. Shortly after the death of her father and the usurpation of the throne by her uncle King Richar ...
, the daughter of
Edward IV of England Edward IV (28 April 1442 – 9 April 1483) was King of England from 4 March 1461 to 3 October 1470, then again from 11 April 1471 until his death in 1483. He was a central figure in the Wars of the Roses, a series of civil wars in England ...
. By his second marriage Welles became the stepfather of
Margaret Beaufort Lady Margaret Beaufort (usually pronounced: or ; 31 May 1441/43 – 29 June 1509) was a major figure in the Wars of the Roses of the late fifteenth century, and mother of King Henry VII of England, the first Tudor monarch. A descendant of ...
, mother of Henry VII.


Notes


References

* * * * * *


External links


Tomb of Sir Lionel Welles at Methley
Retrieved 12 October 2013
Methley Archive website


Further reading

{{DEFAULTSORT:Welles, Lionel de Welles, 6th Baron 1400s births 1461 deaths Barons in the Peerage of England Knights of the Garter People of the Wars of the Roses English military personnel killed in action Lords Lieutenant of Ireland