Stafford’s of Grafton
Descended
from Ralph Stafford (1354-1410), the younger son of Sir John Stafford of Hooke
and Margaret Stafford, daughter of the 1st Earl of Stafford, the
Grafton Manor was obtained by Ralph via marriage to Maud Hastings. He was
Steward of the Household to Edward III.
On his
death in 1410 the title passed to his son Humphrey (1370-1419) who fought for
Henry V at Agincourt in 1415. Humphrey was succeeded by his son John who
inherited Upton Warren Manor by marriage.
John
Stafford died in 1422 without issue and his possessions were inherited by his
brother Sir Humphrey (1400 -1450) which were further enhanced in1426 by Sir
Humphrey’s marriage to Alianora de Aylesbury who brought with her Blatherwyke
Manor, Milton Keynes. They had three sons Richard, Humphrey (1427-1486) and
Thomas.
In 1436, Sir Humphrey held
the office of Royal Commissioner and the Governor of Calais.
In May 1448, Sir Humphrey, his eldest son Richard and a number
of his retainers were making for their Inn at Coventry. On the road they met
Sir Robert Harcourt and his attendants. Sir Humphrey and Harcourt, a supporter
of the Duke of Suffolk and the King’s favourite, had long been embroiled in a
personal feud and they immediately fell to blows.
Harcourt struck Richard on the head with his sword, not
seriously, for the young man made at Harcourt with his dagger. He stumbled and
one of Harcourt's men fatally stabbed him in the back. Sir Humphrey was also
struck from behind and fell from his horse. A general melee ensued in which the
Stafford retainers killed two of Harcourt's men.
The following day the city coroner charged Sir Robert with
murder and he was detained in Chester Castle. However as a direct consequence
of pressure applied to the local Sheriff by Suffolk under a writ of the Privy
Seal, he was soon released and had still not been brought to trial a year
later.
Tired of waiting for satisfaction by judicial means, the Sir
Humphrey assembled some “two hundred friends and tenants” and marched overnight
to Stanton Harcourt in Oxfordshire. Sir Robert had enough warning to make for
the tower of the parish church to which Stafford’s laid siege to for more
than six hours, loosing off over a thousand arrows and killing one Harcourt
retainer. Despite threatening to set fire to the tower Harcourt was fortunate
and managed to hold out until Sir Humphrey was forced to withdraw as he was
unequipped for a long siege.
Harcourt was killed in 1469 by Sir Humphrey’s second son,
Humphrey (1427-1486).
In
1450 dissatisfaction with the King and his Government was rife and the men of
Kent rose up in rebellion under the leadership of Jack Cade claiming that the
King’s system of tax collection was unjust and extortive. By June some 20,000
rebels had gathered at Blackheath, south of London to petition the King
The
King replied two days later by commanding the gathering to disperse. The King
then marched his army out of London to give battle to the rebels only to find
their camp deserted.
The
King then foolishly divided his army ordering half, under the command of Sir
Humphrey Stafford and his brother William to hunt down the rebels who by now
had now fallen back to Sevenoaks. The road into the town narrowed through a
wood and soon the Royal army found it’s self caught in a bottleneck. Rebels,
concealed on either side of the road, sprung their trap, firing volleys of
arrows into the stranded men followed up by a fierce charge in which both Sir
Humphrey Stafford and his brother were killed.
Hearing
the news, the King panicked and withdrew from London, leaving the city
undefended; Cade saw his opportunity and swiftly marched on London making camp
at the White Hart Inn, Southwark. Fearing the consequences if they resisted the
Lord Mayor allowed Cade to cross London Bridge unopposed and as the gates were
opened he rode through 'like a lordly captain' wearing armour and spurs taken
from the body of Sir Humphrey Stafford. Despite Cade’s assurances, the rebels
looted the city and several prominent citizens were executed before calm was
restored and the rebels withdrew to Southwark for the night. At 10.00pm, Cade
again attempted to enter the city but as they crossed the bridge they were
attacked by a force led by Lord Scales and comprising the Tower Garrison,
well-to-do citizens and a group of archers, recently returned from France.
Fierce fighting quickly erupted and as the rebels were pushed back they also
came under cannon fire from the Tower. In desperation, Cade set fire to the
houses near the drawbridge and as the flames swept across the bridge the two sides
were forced apart. The following morning protracted negotiation took place
which culminating in Cade being duped into accepting the 'Charters of Pardon'.
Cade was subsequently outlawed, betrayed and killed on 12 July 1450.
The
Grafton Estates now passed to the second son, Sir Humphrey (1427-1486)
In
1483 Sir Humphrey helped suppress the rebellion of his cousin, the Duke of
Buckingham by blockading the immediate exits across the Upper Severn by
destroying the bridges. Prevented from raising rebellion the Duke’s forces
began to disperse and he was forced to flee alone before being betrayed by one
of his servants and executed on 2 November 1483.
When
Henry Tudor invaded in 1485, Sir Humphrey again rallied to the King and along
with his brother, Thomas, was present at the Battle of Bosworth on 22 August.
With Tudor triumphant and the King dead, Sir Humphrey Stafford, his brother and
Francis Lord Lovell and others fled the field and escaped to Sanctuary at St.
John near Colchester in Essex.
In
1486 Sir Humphrey and Lovell came out of hiding in a failed attempt to raise
the country against Henry VII in support of the imprisoned Earl of Warwick
(infant son to the Duke of Clarence). With the rebellion crushed, Sir Humphrey
again fled to Sanctuary, but shortly after was forcibly removed and
subsequently executed for treason at Tyburn in 1486 and buried at Greyfriars'
in Leicester.
The
Grafton possessions were granted to Sir Edward Poynings in 1488 before
transferring back to the Stafford family in 1521
