Richard Hastings, Baron Welles
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Sir Richard Hastings, Baron Welles (died 1503), was the son of Sir Leonard Hastings and a younger brother of
William Hastings, 1st Baron Hastings William Hastings, 1st Baron Hastings KG (c. 1431 – June 1483) was an English nobleman. A loyal follower of the House of York during the Wars of the Roses, he became a close friend and one of the most important courtiers of King Edward IV, ...
. He was a favourite of Edward IV, who granted him the lands of the baronies of Willoughby and Welles after he had married the heiress, Joan Welles. He fought at
Tewkesbury Tewkesbury ( ) is a medieval market town and civil parish in the north of Gloucestershire, England. The town has significant history in the Wars of the Roses and grew since the building of Tewkesbury Abbey. It stands at the confluence of the Ri ...
. He died in 1503, and was buried at the
Greyfriars, London In London, the Greyfriars was a Conventual Franciscan friary that existed from 1225 to 1538 on a site at the North-West of the City of London by Newgate in the parish of St Nicholas in the Shambles. It was the second Franciscan religious ...
.


Family

Richard Hastings was the second son of Sir Leonard Hastings (1396 – 20 October 1455) and Alice Camoys, daughter of
Thomas de Camoys, 1st Baron Camoys Thomas de Camoys, 1st Baron Camoys (c. 1351 – 28 March 1421), KG, of Trotton in Sussex, was an English peer who commanded the left wing of the English army at the Battle of Agincourt in 1415. Origins Thomas de Camoys was the son of Sir John ...
, by his first wife, Elizabeth Louches, the daughter and heiress of William Louches. He had three brothers and three sisters: *
William Hastings, 1st Baron Hastings William Hastings, 1st Baron Hastings KG (c. 1431 – June 1483) was an English nobleman. A loyal follower of the House of York during the Wars of the Roses, he became a close friend and one of the most important courtiers of King Edward IV, ...
, who married Katherine Neville, sister of
Richard Neville, 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 'stron ...
, and widow of
William Bonville, 6th Baron Harington William Bonville, 6th Baron Harington (1442 – 30 December 1460) was an English nobleman who was a loyal adherent of the House of York during the dynastic conflict in England in the 15th century now known as the Wars of the Roses. He was slain ...
, slain at the Battle of Wakefield 30 December 1460. He was beheaded 13 June 1483 by order of the future Richard III. * Sir Ralph Hastings (d.1495) of Harrowden,
Northamptonshire Northamptonshire (; abbreviated Northants.) is a county in the East Midlands of England. In 2015, it had a population of 723,000. The county is administered by two unitary authorities: North Northamptonshire and West Northamptonshire. It is ...
, who married Amy Tattershall, daughter and heiress of John Tattershall, esquire, of
Woolwich Woolwich () is a district in southeast London, England, within the Royal Borough of Greenwich. The district's location on the River Thames led to its status as an important naval, military and industrial area; a role that was maintained thr ...
, Kent, and Wanstead, Essex, by whom he had six daughters. *Thomas Hastings. *Elizabeth Hastings (c.1450 – 1508), who married, before 1465,
Sir John Donne Sir John Donne (c.1420s – January 1503) was a Welsh courtier, diplomat and soldier, a notable figure of the Yorkist party. In the 1470s he commissioned the ''Donne Triptych'', a triptych altarpiece by Hans Memling now in the National Galle ...
(1450–1503) of
Kidwelly Kidwelly ( cy, Cydweli) is a town and community in Carmarthenshire, southwest Wales, approximately northwest of the most populous town in the county, Llanelli. In the 2001 census the community of Kidwelly returned a population of 3,289, inc ...
,
Carmarthenshire Carmarthenshire ( cy, Sir Gaerfyrddin; or informally ') is a county in the south-west of Wales. The three largest towns are Llanelli, Carmarthen and Ammanford. Carmarthen is the county town and administrative centre. The county is known as ...
, third son of Griffith Donne of Kidwelly by Janet, daughter of Sir John Scudamore, and by him had two sons, Sir Edward Donne (c.1482 – 1552) and Sir Griffith Donne (c.1487 – 1543), and two daughters, Anne Donne (c.1471 – c. 1507), who was the first wife of Sir William Rede of Boarstall, Buckinghamshire, and Margaret Donne (born c.1480), who married Edward Trussell (c.1478 – 16 June 1499) of
Elmesthorpe Elmesthorpe (''sometimes spelt Elmersthorpe, Elmsthorpe or Aylmersthorpe'') is a village and civil parish in the Blaby district of Leicestershire, England. It is situated to the south-east of Earl Shilton, near to Hinckley on the A47 road. In ...
, and was the mother of Elizabeth Trussell (1496–1527), wife of
John de Vere, 15th Earl of Oxford John de Vere, 15th Earl of Oxford, Lord Great Chamberlain KG PC (c. 1482 – 21 March 1540). was an English peer and courtier. Career John de Vere, born about 1482, was the son of John de Vere and Alice Kilrington (alias Colbroke), and the gr ...
. *Anne Hastings, who married Thomas Ferrers, esquire. *Joan Hastings, who married John Brokesby, esquire.


Career

During the
Wars of the Roses The Wars of the Roses (1455–1487), known at the time and for more than a century after as the Civil Wars, were a series of civil wars fought over control of the English throne in the mid-to-late fifteenth century. These wars were fought bet ...
, Hastings was a committed supporter of the House of York. Shortly before 1 June 1470, he married Joan Welles, who was heir to her brother,
Robert Welles, 8th Baron Willoughby de Eresby Robert Welles, 8th Baron Willoughby de Eresby and 8th Baron Welles (died 19 March 1470), was the son of Richard Welles, 7th Baron Welles, and Joan Willoughby, 7th Baroness Willoughby de Eresby. He was the prime mover in an uprising against Edward ...
. Her inheritance was complicated by the fact that, as the result of an anti-Yorkist uprising in
Lincolnshire Lincolnshire (abbreviated Lincs.) is a Counties of England, county in the East Midlands of England, with a long coastline on the North Sea to the east. It borders Norfolk to the south-east, Cambridgeshire to the south, Rutland to the south-we ...
, Joan Welles' father,
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 ...
, and her brother, Sir Robert, had been beheaded by order of Edward IV within a week of each other, her father on 12 March 1470, and her brother on 19 March. A month later, on 25 April 1470, the King seized Sir Robert Welles' lands, but on 1 June 1470, granted them to Joan and her now husband, Sir Richard Hastings, giving them licence to enter all the lands 'which on the death of her father and brother, both tenants-in-chief, should descend to her'. According to modern doctrine, Joan also inherited the baronies of Willoughby and Welles after her brother's execution. A year later, on 4 May 1471, Hastings fought for the victorious Yorkists at the
Battle of Tewkesbury The Battle of Tewkesbury, which took place on 4 May 1471, was one of the decisive battles of the Wars of the Roses in England. King Edward IV and his forces loyal to the House of York completely defeated those of the rival House of Lancaster. ...
, and was knighted by Edward IV. In 1475 his elder brother,
William Hastings, 1st Baron Hastings William Hastings, 1st Baron Hastings KG (c. 1431 – June 1483) was an English nobleman. A loyal follower of the House of York during the Wars of the Roses, he became a close friend and one of the most important courtiers of King Edward IV, ...
, was with the King in France, and Hastings was appointed, as deputy for his brother, surveyor of the office of Constable of
Nottingham Castle Nottingham Castle is a Stuart Restoration-era ducal mansion in Nottingham, England, built on the site of a Norman castle built starting in 1068, and added to extensively through the medieval period, when it was an important royal fortress and ...
, as well as magistrate of several forests, chases and parks in
Nottinghamshire Nottinghamshire (; abbreviated Notts.) is a landlocked county in the East Midlands region of England, bordering South Yorkshire to the north-west, Lincolnshire to the east, Leicestershire to the south, and Derbyshire to the west. The trad ...
, Derbyshire, Leicestershire and Staffordshire. Joan Welles died about 1474/5. The exact date of her death is not known; however she likely died shortly before her father and brother were attainted, five years after their executions, by the Parliament of January–March 1475. As a result of the attainders, all their honours were forfeited, including the baronies of Welles and Willoughby, which should have been inherited, respectively, after Joan Welles' death, by her paternal uncle,
John Welles, 1st Viscount Welles John (de) Welles, 1st Viscount Welles, KG (c. 1450 – 9 February 1498) was an English Lancastrian nobleman who was made a Knight of the Garter. John was born about 1450 to Lionel de Welles, 6th Baron Welles and Margaret Beauchamp. He was a ...
, and her second cousin,
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 ...
. According to some historians, the attainders were passed by Parliament in order to enable Edward IV to grant Joan Welles' lands after her death to her husband, 'the trusted
Yorkist The House of York was a cadet branch of the English royal House of Plantagenet. Three of its members became kings of England in the late 15th century. The House of York descended in the male line from Edmund of Langley, 1st Duke of York, t ...
Sir Richard Hastings', and accordingly, on 23 January 1475, the King granted Hastings a life interest in the greater part of the Welles and Willoughby estates. Moreover, Hastings was summoned to Parliament from 14 November 1482 to 9 December 1483 by writs directed ''Ricardo Hastyng de Wellys'', whereby he is held to have become either Lord Hastings of Welles, or Lord Welles. Edward IV died on 9 April 1483. On 13 June 1483 the future Richard III had Hastings's elder brother,
William William is a male given name of Germanic origin.Hanks, Hardcastle and Hodges, ''Oxford Dictionary of First Names'', Oxford University Press, 2nd edition, , p. 276. It became very popular in the English language after the Norman conquest of Engl ...
, beheaded at the
Tower of London The Tower of London, officially His Majesty's Royal Palace and Fortress of the Tower of London, is a historic castle on the north bank of the River Thames in central London. It lies within the London Borough of Tower Hamlets, which is sep ...
for allegedly conspiring against him. Only a few weeks later, on 6 July, Hastings was among the thirty-five peers who attended Richard's coronation. On 22 May 1484 the new King granted him an annuity of 1000 marks during life, and on 4 May 1485 granted him, again for life, the office of surveyor of the lordship and manor of
Tattershall Tattershall is a village and civil parish in the East Lindsey district of Lincolnshire, England. It is situated on the A153 Horncastle to Sleaford road, east from the point where that road crosses the River Witham. At its eastern end, Tatter ...
in Lincolnshire, apart from the castle itself. He was also appointed Master of Game of all deer, either in the park and chase, or elsewhere within the manor. Richard III died at the
Battle of Bosworth The Battle of Bosworth or Bosworth Field was the last significant battle of the Wars of the Roses, the civil war between the houses of Lancaster and York that extended across England in the latter half of the 15th century. Fought on 22 Au ...
on 22 August 1485, and under the new regime of Henry VII, the attainders of Joan Welles' father and brother, as well as the attainder of her uncle, John Welles, were all reversed by the Parliament of 1485/6. John Welles was still living, and with the reversal of his attainder became Lord Welles. Sir Richard Hastings was thus no longer recognized as Lord Welles. In compensation, however, it was enacted in the same year that Hastings should be entitled, for life, to all the lands which had belonged to Joan Welles' father. Having received this grant, until his death Hastings continued to be styled, and styled himself, Lord Willoughby, to the exclusion 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 ...
, who should have inherited the title. In his will, dated 17 September 1495, Hastings' brother, Sir Ralph Hastings, referred to him as 'my brother, Sir Richard Hastings, Lord Willoughby'. In his own will, dated 18 March 1502 and proved 5 October 1503, Hastings referred to himself as 'Richard Hastings, knight, Lord Willoughby'. He was buried September 1503 at the Greyfriars in London. In the reign of
Elizabeth I Elizabeth I (7 September 153324 March 1603) was List of English monarchs, Queen of England and List of Irish monarchs, Ireland from 17 November 1558 until her death in 1603. Elizabeth was the last of the five House of Tudor monarchs and is ...
, the barony of Willoughby was claimed, in right of his wife, by Richard Bertie, husband of
Katherine Willoughby, Duchess of Suffolk Katherine Brandon, Duchess of Suffolk, ''suo jure'' 12th Baroness Willoughby de Eresby ( Willoughby; 22 March 1519 – 19 September 1580), was an English noblewoman living at the courts of King Henry VIII, King Edward VI and Queen Elizabeth I. ...
, granddaughter 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 ...
.


Marriages and issue

Hastings married firstly Joan Welles, the daughter of
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 ...
(beheaded 12 March 1470), and his first wife, Joan Willoughby, ''de jure suo jure'' Baroness Willoughby, daughter and heiress of
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 ...
, by his first wife, Elizabeth Montagu, daughter of
John Montagu, 3rd Earl of Salisbury John Montagu, 3rd Earl of Salisbury and 5th and 2nd Baron Montagu, KG (c. 1350 – 7 January 1400) was an English nobleman, one of the few who remained loyal to Richard II after Henry IV became king. Early life He was the son of Sir John de M ...
. They had one son, Anthony Hastings, who predeceased his father. He married secondly Joan Romondbye (d. 20 March 1505), widow of Richard Pigot, (died c. 15 April 1483),
Serjeant-at-law A Serjeant-at-Law (SL), commonly known simply as a Serjeant, was a member of an order of barristers at the English and Irish Bar. The position of Serjeant-at-Law (''servientes ad legem''), or Sergeant-Counter, was centuries old; there are wri ...
, by whom he had no issue.


Notes


References

* * * * * * * * * * * * *


External links


Will of Sir Ralph Hastings of Wanstead, Essex, proved 1 December 1495, PROB 11/10/514, National Archives
Retrieved 7 October 2013 {{DEFAULTSORT:Hastings, Richard 1503 deaths 15th-century English people 16th-century English nobility Year of birth unknown