Ralph Basset, 2nd Baron Basset of Drayton (died 25 February 1343) was a 13th-14th century English nobleman who fought in both the Anglo-French War and in the

First War of Scottish Independence The First War of Scottish Independence was the first of a series of wars between Kingdom of England, England and Kingdom of Scotland, Scotland. It lasted from the English invasion of Scotland (1296), English invasion of Scotland in 1296 until ...

Background

Basset was the son of

Ralph Basset Ralph Basset (sometimes Bassett; died c. 1127) was a medieval English royal justice during the reign of King Henry I of England. He was a native of Normandy and may have come to Henry's notice while Henry held land in Normandy prior to becoming ...

and Hawise. Ralph succeeded his father on his death on 31 December 1299, and was knighted on 22 May 1306.

Military career

Distinguishing himself in France, Ralph was appointed to the office of

Seneschal of Gascony The Seneschal of Gascony was an officer carrying out and managing the domestic affairs of the lord of the Duchy of Gascony. During the course of the twelfth century, the seneschalship also became an office of military command. After 1360, the offic ...

on 11 June 1323, also serving as the Steward of the

Duchy of Aquitaine The Duchy of Aquitaine (, ; , ) was a historical fiefdom located in the western, central, and southern areas of present-day France, south of the river Loire. The full extent of the duchy, as well as its name, fluctuated greatly over the centuries ...

. Within the first four months of holding office in Gascony, the Gascon nobleman Raymond-Bernard de Montpezat raided Saint-Sardos and hanged a royal sergeant of King

Charles IV of France Charles IV (18/19 June 1294 – 1 February 1328), called the Fair (''le Bel'') in France and the Bald (''el Calvo'') in Navarre, was the last king of the direct line of the House of Capet, List of French monarchs, King of France and List of Nav ...

. Basset was within the village's vicinity when de Montpezat raided Saint-Sardos and the two had met only two days earlier. The French assumed Basset was complicit in the raid. King

Edward II of England Edward II (25 April 1284 – 21 September 1327), also known as Edward of Caernarfon or Caernarvon, was King of England from 1307 until he was deposed in January 1327. The fourth son of Edward I, Edward became the heir to the throne follo ...

sent forth an apology to the French king, declaring his innocence. Basset was summoned to Bergerac, but he declined to appear and replied with unconvincing excuses. While Charles IV was inclined to accept Edward II's excuses, he was determined to try Basset and de Montpezat, though neither appeared in court and they were outlawed and their property forfeited to the French crown. By 15 March 1324, Basset was recalled to England and removed from his office, though he was briefly reappointed from 21 July to 18 November 1324. Basset held the office of

Constable of Dover Castle Lord Warden of the Cinque Ports is the name of a ceremonial post in the United Kingdom. The post dates from at least the 12th century, when the title was Keeper of the Coast, but it may be older. The Lord Warden was originally in charge of the ...

between March and September 1326 as well as the office of

Warden of the Cinque Ports Lord Warden of the Cinque Ports is the name of a ceremonial post in the United Kingdom. The post dates from at least the 12th century, when the title was Keeper of the Coast, but it may be older. The Lord Warden was originally in charge of the ...

during the same time. Ralph was created a

Knight Banneret A knight banneret, sometimes known simply as banneret, was a medieval knight who led a company of troops during time of war under his own banner (which was square-shaped, in contrast to the tapering standard or the pennon flown by the lower- ...

in 1341 and died in 1343.

Marriage and issue

Ralph married Joan, the daughter of John de Grey of Wilton and Matilda de Verdun. They obtained a marriage license on 27 March 1304 to wed. They are known to have had the following issue: *Margaret Basset, married

John de Bohun, 5th Earl of Hereford John de Bohun, 5th Earl of Hereford (23 November 1306 – 20 January 1336) was born in St Clement's, Oxford to Humphrey de Bohun, 4th Earl of Hereford and Elizabeth of Rhuddlan, a daughter of Edward I of England. After his father's deat ...

without issue. *Ralph Basset (died 1335), married Alice Audley, had issue. He was succeeded in the barony by his grandson,

Ralph Ralph (pronounced or ) is a male name of English origin, derived from the Old English ''Rædwulf'' and Old High German ''Radulf'', cognate with the Old Norse ''Raðulfr'' (''rað'' "counsel" and ''ulfr'' "wolf"). The most common forms are: * Ra ...

, the son of Ralph (died 1335) who predeceased him.

Citations

References

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Basset, Ralph 2nd Baron Year of birth unknown 1343 deaths 13th-century English nobility 14th-century English nobility 2 Medieval English knights Seneschals of Gascony