The Conquerors Earls |
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| Ferrers & Peveral lines | Monarch line | |||
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Henri de Ferrierers was at the Battle of Hastings and was said to have brought many companies to the action along with his elder brother William. Henri was the son of Walkelin de Ferrierers, seigneur of St.Hilaire de Ferrierers near Bernay in Normandy. The family were allied to the Count of Mortain, half brother of the Duke of Normandy. (William the conqueror) Walkelin had been killed in a joust with Hugh de Montfort prior to the Conquest, when both men died. Henri de Ferrieres became a major land holder, almost all of the hundred of Appletree in Derbyshire. He was granted 210 manors and lordships throughout England and Wales by Duke William of Normandy for his conspicuous bravery and support at Hastings. 114 of these were in Derbyshire and much of Nottingham over which he held virtual rule. The family became the Earls of both Derby and Nottingham. In 1068, after Duke William's march through the southern midlands, it is not known where Henri elected his chief domain. In 1071, Hugh Lupus was made Earl of Chester and surrendered Tutbury Castle in Staffordshire to Henri Ferrers. Henri made it his chief domain, even though his son would become the first Earl of Derby. Henri had three sons, Enguenulf, William and Robert. The two eldest died before their father Henri, and his successor became Robert, his youngest son and the first Earl of Derby some time before 1138. Robert de Ferrers the 2nd Earl of Derby distinguished himself at the Battle of the Standard (22 Aug 1138), and the Earldom was confirmed by King Stephen in 1139. Robert lost Tutbury in a rebellion against King Henry II. Tutbury Castle was part demolished. William
de Ferrers 3rd Earl of Derby, was favorite of King John and
he reclaimed the Honours of Peverel, 'see below'. William was granted many lordships
for his loyalty. The Priory of
Lenton was now in charge of some of the land in the emerging Parish of
Chapel en le Frith or so it fought. The Dean & Chapter of
Lichfield who resided over the parish which at this time was under the
control of the Hope church, being the authority of the new Church,
they took issue with the Priory's claim to the jurisdiction and claim to
the tithes of the newly founded parish. (The priory was a monastic
community of Monks). This put the new forming parish in the middle of a
power struggle to the great benefit of the dwellers because they refused
to accept either party as being in charge and as such paid no tithes
other then to their local parish, party due to the fact that this part
was in the Royal Forest and as such had no tithes tied to it, the local
inhabitants for all intents and purposes were Crown employees.
The Crown refused to enter into the feud unless either party could
producer a Charter which proved their claim to the great tithes which
neither could. Robert Ferrers, being a favorite of the king at the
time took advantage of his close relationship with King John, placing
the king in the awkward position of Judge between the church &
priory, as such the king didn't want to rock the boat with either church
or the Baron controlled Monastic priory's at that time, so he
refused to intervene unless either party could produce a Charter
confirming their claim, to which he knew full well neither party could.
As a result, William held and gained most of the part tithes held by his
dispossessed relative leaving the church & Priory to fight over the
parts he had bestowed upon the Priory. 'William had pulled off a
master plan. The Priory of Lenton is situated in the county of Staffordshire. This shows the common bonds of this part of Derbyshire with the lands held by the Ferrer's & Peverel's in Staffordshire. Thus proving that a flow of trade and people took place between the two parts of the counties more closely then one would imagine for such a distance at the time. The right of the people of Chapel to present their own Clergyman goes back to the time when there was uncertainty as to who held authority to elected a minister, and as such the unusually case arises in that the local people chose their candidate rather than the Priory installing their candidate or the Dean & Chapter installing theirs again the parish won this one. Clearly both the Priory and Dean of Lichfield would rather let the locals choose rather then give up their on going claims, to the great benefit of the parish. However the parish did have to present there candidate to the Dean for approval and to be invested. This situation is very rare as the Church held great power at local level but due to the priory's claim and interference this power was weakened and the parish took great advantage of the feud. Records relating to the Chapel upon-til recent times were proven at the Diocese of Lichfield, Staffordshire. Robert de Ferrers 4th Earl of Derby Is stated as the custodian of the Peak in court rolls. In 1269 Robert forfeited his lands to Henry III having taken the wrong side in a Barons feud around 1263. The lands & titles were taken from the Ferrers. Prince Edmund laid waste to all the Ferrers lands around Tutbury Castle and almost destroyed the castle. All the lands were given to Henry III second son Edmund other lands were taken from Simon de Montfort to create a new Earldom being Earl of Lancaster. This marks the beginning of the Dutchy of Lancasters control over the High Peak area which still owns lands in the area today and Tutbury castle. William de Peverel, the next major land holder in Derbyshire, is somewhat of a mystery. It is claimed he was the bastard son of Duke William of Normandy in a relationship with Maud, daughter of a Saxon noble, Ingleric. Whether this lady was married to Ranulph? before or after the relationship is uncertain. The difficulty in the argument is one of timing. If he, William Peveral, appears in 1068 in charge of Nottingham Castle, he must have been at least twenty years old. That makes this liaison between Duke William and Maud somewhere around 1046 and must have been in Normandy. This is supported by both William and his half brother, Ranulf, both being of age, were recorded at the Battle of Hastings. Nevertheless, William Peveral became the holder of Nottingham Castle, and a further 162 lordships and manors throughout England and Wales, including the Peak Castle which was situated in the Royal Forest at that time. The Castle is above the town of Castleton. The grant almost blended the distinction of the two counties, Nottingham and Derby and courts of assize were held alternately between the two jurisdictions. The royal relationship of William Peveral was further clouded by Ranulph Peverel, legitimate son of Maud and Ranulph, half brother of William, possibly treated (theoretically) as a stepson? of the Duke, who, surprisingly, was granted 64 manors, almost as many as William Peverel (69 manors) in Nottingham. From Ranulph is descended the distinguished baronial family of Peverel and its many branches. William Peverel, on the other hand, married Adelina, daughter of Roger de Poitou and acquired, through her, many lordships in Lancashire, probably a few years after the Domesday around 1094 or soon after. when Roger died. William was succeeded by his second son, William in 1114. This William took possession of the vast Peverel estates and added to them through marriage. However William became involved in civil war against King Stephen, in which he poisoned the Earl of Chester. When Henry II was Crown King in 1154, Henry disinherited William Peverel for his treachery and confiscated all his estates.
Ref: Extracts taken from the Feudal History of Derbyshire by Yeatman. Amongst many other sources.. |
Walkelin de Ferrers. 1010-1089 Sir Henri de Ferrers.1036-1088
Robert de Ferrers. 1062-1139. 1st Earl of Derby. Robert de Ferrers. 1100-1160. 2nd Earl of Derby. William de Ferrers. 1140-1157. William de Ferrers. 1162- 22Sept1247. 3th Earl of Derby. William de Ferrers 1200-24 Mar1254. 4th Earl of Derby. Robert Ferrers
Ranulp Peverell 1030-1073 William Peverel the younger (Nottingham) married twice in 1112 & 1114
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Edward the confessor 1042-1066 Harold Medieval
Age William II Henry I Stephen I Middle Ages Henry II Richard I John I Henry III
Edward I
Medieval
Age William II Henry I Stephen I Middle Ages Henry II Richard I John I Henry III
Edward I |
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