Edward FITZ RANDOLPH Sr. (1565 – 1614) was Alex’s 11th Great Grandfather; one of 4,096 in this generation of the Shaw line.

Edward Fitz Randolph Sr was born about 1565Hucknall-under-Huthwaite in the parish of Sutton In Ashfield, Nottingham, England. His parents were Christopher FITZ RANDOLPH and Ann WOOD He first married Alice Tompson 16 Nov 1589 in Sutton-In-Ashfield, Nottinghamshire, England. After Ales died, he married Frances HOWES 17 Dec 1605 in Sutton, Nottingham, England. Edward died about 1614 in Normantown, Derby, England and is buried in Kneesall, Nottingham, England.  Alternatively, he died  between 13 Aug. 1647 (dated of will) and 27 Oct. 1647 (probate).

Alice Tompson was born 16 Nov 1569 in Sutton-In-Ashfield Laterof Kneesall, Nottinghamshire, England. Ales died 27 Dec 1604 in Sutton-In-Ashfield.

Frances Howes (Howls) was born about 1585 in Kneesall, Nottinghamshire, England. Her parents were Edward HOWES and Ann WELLS.  Frances died 7 Jun 1631 in Kneesall, Nottingham, England.

Edward moved after 1621 to Kirsall in the Parish of Kneesall, co. Nottingham, where he died. He was the 3rd son named in his father’s will, and was prob. the nephew Edward named in the will of his uncle Thomas Fitz Randolph, 21 May 1600.\

Original will of Edward Fitz Randolph at York Probate Registry, in which he bequeathed ten pounds sterling to his son Edward “if he cum to demand it.”)

Children of  Edward and Frances:

	Name	Born	Married	Departed
1.	Edward FITZ RANDOLPH	bapt. 5 Jul 1607 Sutton-In-Ashfield, Nottingham, England.	Elizabeth BLOSSOM 10 May 1637 Scituate, Plymouth Colony.	1675 in Piscataway, New Jersey
2.	Anthony Fitz Randolph	24 Sep 1609  Sutton Ashfield, Nottingham, England	Winifred [__?__]	13 Jul 1638 Sutton-In-Ashfield, Nottingham
3.	Christopher Fitz Randolph	May 1613  Sutton-In-Ashfield, Nottingham, England
4.	John Fitz Randolph	14 Jan 1615 Sutton-In-Ashfield, Nottingham, England		27 Oct 1647
5.	Joseph Fitz Randolph	18 Nov 1621 Sutton-In-Ashfield, Nottingham, England

Fitz Randolph Ancestral Generations

1. Edward Fitz RANDOLPH and Francis HOWES.

Edward  was found and in whom was confirmed by the “Visitation” of 1614, the Fitz Randolph Arms substantially as borne by the Lords of Middleham and by the Spennithorne branch of Fitz Randolph. Died probably about 1635.

Edward was born in Sutton-in-Ashfield is a market town in the Ashfield district of Nottinghamshire, England.  Today, it has a population of around 43,000. It is situated four miles west of Mansfield, close to the Derbyshire border.  The area was first settled in Saxon times and the Saxon suffix “ton” means “an enclosure or fenced in clearing”. The town appears in the Domesday Book as “Sutone”. The  Church of St. Mary Magdalene, Sutton-in-Ashfield dates from the twelfth century The church is medieval but was rebuilt in 1854 and 1867.   It contains a rare 12th century pillar piscina and the remains of the font top from the original Norman church

2. Christopher Fitz RANDOLPH, b. 1530 Normantown, Derby, England; d. 28 Jun 1588 Sutton-In-Ashfield, Nottingham; m. Ann WOOD about 1565 in Normantown, Derby, England

Christopher was his parents’ fourth son, and was named in his mother’s will, dated 30 July 1573. His own will, dated 20 June 1588, was proved 1 Apr. 1589 in the Peculiar Court of the Manor of Mansfield (Notts. County Record Office, D.D.P. 17/69). Christopher’s wife, who predeceased him, was not named in his will. He had four sons, James, Anthony, Edward and Christopher, named in the will.

Ann Wood was born about 1545 in Normantown, Derbyshire, England. Her father was Hugh WOOD (1518 – 1548).  Ann died 1588 in Ashfield, Nottinghamshire, England

Children of Christopher and Ann

i. Edward Fitz RANDOLPH b. 1565 in Ashfield, Nottinghamshire, England

ii. Christopher Fitz Randolph b. 1569 in Sutton, Nottinghamshire, England

iii. Anthony Fitz Randolph b. 1578 in Sutton, Nottinghamshire, England

3. Christopher Fitz RANDOLPH b. ~ 1495 Langdon, Nottingha, England; d. 28 Jun 1574 Ashfield, Nottingham, England;  Alternatively,  d. bef. 26 Apr. 1570 (adminstration granted on that date to his widow Jane and eldest son Thomas)  m. 1514 to Joan LANGTON (~1499 – d. betw. 30 July 1573 (date of will) and 2 Apr. 1574 (probate), daughter and heiress of Cuthbert LANGTON of Langton Hall who died in 1588.

Of Langston Hall in the Parish of Kirkby in Ashfield in the County of Nottingham. Appointed an executor of the will of Christopher Fitz-Randolph vicar of the said parish of Kirkby in Ashfield June 1, 1516. Administration granted 26 April 1570.

Joan was heiress to Langston Hall.  This home was a large ivy covered mansion for years before it descended to Joan and Christopher. This Langston Hall was still in the Randolph family when Edward Fitz-Randolph ,the pilgrim, sailed for America in 1630.

Christopher doubtless came to Kirkby-in-Ashfield, co Nottingham, because of his uncle Christopher Fitz Randolph, parson of that place, who d. 1516 leaving a will dated 1 Jun 1516 of which the nephew Christopher was named as one of the executors;

6  H 8 is the sixth year of the reign of Henry VII or 1515.

Children of Christopher and Jane:

i. John Fitz Randolph b. 1516 in Birchwood, Derby, England

ii. Thomas Fitz Randolph b. 1518 in Birchwood, Derby

iii. Christopher Fitz RANDOLPH, b. 1530 in Normantown, Derby

iv. Edward Fitz Randolph b. 1532 in Birchwood, Derby

v. Isabel Fitz Randolph b. 1534 in Nottinghamshire

vi. Margaret Fitz Randolph b. 1536 in Nottinghamshire

vii. Margery Fitz Randolph b. 1538 in Nottinghamshire

4. John FITZ RANDOLPH  b. 1455 Spennithorne, Yorkshire, England; d. 1514
Yorkshire, England; m. 1472 in England to Edith [__?__] (b. 1452 in Langton Hall, Nottinghamshire – d. 1524 in England) daughter of the Earl of Sandwich.

John’s eldest brother, Sir Ralph, Lord of Spennithorne received inheritance

5.  John Fitz RANDOLPH (Fitz RANDALL) ( ~ 1420 –   5 Mar  1474/75  Yorkshire) ; m.  Joan CONYERS  (  ~1420  –  aft. 1483)  Joan’s parents were Sir. Christopher  CONYERS Knight of Hornby Castle, and Helen (Eleanor) ROLLESTON  ( ~1400 – 1444)

Lord of  Spennithorne in the Richmondshire district of North Yorkshire

6.  Sir Ralph Fitz RANDALL ( ~1398 –  ~1458) Lord of Spennithorne;  m.  Elizabeth [__?__]

Lord of Spennithorne He inherited his fathers lands.  under age in 1407, will dated 20 Jan. 1457/58, pr. ult. Jan. 1457/58;   (VCH cit. 1: 259; Sir Ralph’s Will is printed in Surtees Soc. Publ., 26: 4).

7. John Fitz RANDALL ( ~1374 – 1405) Lord of Spennithorne beheaded, 1405 for taking part in the rebellion of Henry Percy, 1st Earl of Northumberland, his son of Henry Percy, nicknamed “Harry Hotspur”, Richard Scrope, Archbishop of York, and other northern magnates.

7. Randall (Ranulf) FitzJOHN  ( ~1345 –  aft. 1388) Lord of Spennithorne

8. John FitzRANULPH de LASCELLES  ( ~1325 – by 1369) Lord of Spennithorne; m. Maud de CAMPANIA  After John died, Maude married (2) Robert De Hilton.

Held Spennithorne in 1367 -1368

9. Ranulph FitzRALPH de LASCELLES  ( ~  1300  – aft. 1354) Lord of Spennithorne; m. Isabel [__?__]

10. Ralph FitzRANULF  (1255? – by 1316)  m. Tiffany (Theophania) de LASCELLES ( ~ 1250 in Kirby-under-Knowles-Yorkshire,England.)

11. Ranulf (of Middleham) FitzRANULF ( b. ~  1222   – d. by 1294); m. Bertrama widow of Sir Roger de Ingoldsby

With this generation the Fitz Randolph name became well established. Ranulf bore the arms of Glanville.  Ranulf’s descendants in the male line continued at Spennithorne until the 16th century.

12. Randolph Fitz RANDULPH, Lord of Middleham aka Randolph (Ranulf) FitzRobert ( ~1180 Yorkshire – by 1252 buried in Coverham Abbey)

He married  Mary (le) BIGOD, (1188  – 1237) daughter of Roger BIGOD, (c. 1144/1150 – 1221)  2nd Earl of Norfolk    In most of the years of the reign of King John, the earl was frequently with the king or on royal business. Yet Roger was to be one of the leaders of the baronial party which obtained John‘s assent to Magna Carta, and his name and that of his son and heir Hugh II appear among the twenty-five barons who were to ensure the king’s adherence to the terms of that document. The pair were excommunicated by the pope in December 1215, and did not make peace with the regents of John’s son Henry III until 1217.  Roger Bigod and his wife Ida de Tosny are the main characters in Elizabeth Chadwick‘s The Time of Singing (Sphere, 2008), published in the USA as For the King’s Favor.

Randolph held 6 knights fees in the honor of Richmond. He bore the arms of his Grandfather Glanville.( Ralph ,eldest son b.1218,d. 1270 married Anastacia daughter of William DePercy.  This marriage produced only daughters. The eldest daughter,Mary married Robert DeNeville of Raby and conveyed her fathers lands to the Nevilles therefore the male line of the FitzRandolphs lost inhertance to Middleham

Children of Randolph and Mary:

i. Ralph Fitz Randolph  (1218 – 1270) Lord of Middleham who married  Anastasia (Anastance; de) Percy, daughter of William Percy, 6th Baron Percy (1193–1245) who founded the Gray Friars at Richmond, Yorkshire.

Ralph’s daughter Mary (aka Mary Tailboys) was the heiress of Middleham. When she married   Robert NEVILLE  ( ~1240 – 1271), the castle of Middleham passed to to the Neville family

House of Neville Armorial: Gules, a saltire argent

The House of Neville became one of the two major powers in northern England along with the House of Percy and played a central role in the Wars of the Roses.

See below for Generations of the House of Neville   – From Fitz Randolf to Edward IV and Richard III ,

ii. Ranulf (of Middleham) Fitz RANULF ( b. ~ 1222   – d. by 1294); m. Bertrama

13. Robert FITZ RANULF, aka Robert Fitz Ralph (Talybois) of Middleham ( – ~1185)

Lord of Middleham and builder of the castle of Middleham. He married  Helen (Hawise Helewise) de GLANVILLE, who founded Coverham Abbey.

Middleham Castle in Wensleydale, in the county of North Yorkshire, was built by Robert Fitzrandolph, 3rd Lord of Middleham and Spennithorne, commencing in 1190. It was built near the site of an earlier motte and bailey castle. In 1270 it came into the hands of the Neville family, the most notable member of which was Richard Neville, 16th Earl of Warwick, known to history as the “Kingmaker”, a leading figure in the Wars of the Roses. Following the death of Richard, Duke of York at Wakefield in December 1460, his younger sons, George, Duke of Clarence and Richard, Duke of Gloucester, came into Warwick’s care, and both lived at Middleham with Warwick’s own family. Their brother King Edward IV was imprisoned at Middleham for a short time, having been captured by Warwick in 1469. Following Warwick’s death at Barnet in 1471 and Edward’s restoration to the throne, his brother Richard married Anne Neville, Warwick’s younger daughter, and made Middleham his main home. Their son Edward was also born at Middleham and later also died there.

Richard ascended to the throne as King Richard III, but spent little or no time at Middleham in his two-year reign. After Richard’s death at Bosworth in 1485 the castle remained in royal hands until the reign of James I, when it was sold. It fell into disuse and disrepair during the 17th Century. It was garrisoned during the Civil War, but saw no action.

14. RALPH (FITZ RANDULPH) Taillebois (Talybois) aka Radulphus de Alfreton ; poss. aka Ranulph (Radulf) Fitz Ribald  ( – 1168) m.    Agatha de BRUS  (1100 – )

Agatha was daughter of Robert I de BRUS, 1st Lord of Annandale (c. 1078 – 1141/1142) and father of the distinguished line of eight Bruces ending with Robert the Bruce (1274 – 1329) of Braveheart fame,  first son of Robert de Brus, 6th Lord of Annandale.

15. RIBALD, Lord of Middleham, d. 1121/1131, spending his days in retirement in St. Mary’s Abbey, York. aka Robert de Penthierve; aka Rybold FitzRANULPH; (Bretagne); Seigneur de Midelham; m. Beatrice de TAILLEBOIS-HEPHALL

16.  ODO, Count of Penthièvre.  ( ~999 – 1079) aka EUDES,(I; Regent) de Brittany; aka Eozen kont Penteur; of Tours; m. Agnes de CORNWALL

Following the death of his brother Duke Alan III, Eudes ruled as regent of Brittany in the name of his nephew Conan II, between 1040 and 1062, although some histories show 1057 as the year in which Conan II captures and imprisons him in chains. Eudes married Agnes of Cornouaille, sister of Hoel II of Brittany. At least two of Eudes’ sons (Alan and Brian) participated in the Norman conquest of England.

17. GEOFFREY I   Duke of Brittany (980 – 20  Nov 1008) ;  m. HAWISE of Normandy (c. 977 – 21 Feb 1034) daughter of RICHARD I

Geoffrey was the oldest son of Duke CONAN I and Ermengarde-GERBERGA of Anjou

When Geoffrey succeeded to Brittany he had several problems; Blois was encroaching on his territory, Vikings were threatening his shores and Anjou was offering protection.  He chose to align himself with the Duke of Normandy, marrying Hawise of Normandy, daughter of Richard I of Normandy in 996. 

Geoffrey died en route while on a pilgrimage to Rome 20 November 1008.

19. RICHARD I Duke of Normandy , “The Fearless”, Duke of Normandy,  (933–996),who reigned more than a half century; m. GUNNORA, Duchess of Normandy

Children of Richard and Gunnora:

i. Richard II Duke of Normandy “The Good”, (978/83 -1026), m.  c.1000, JUDITH (992–1017), daughter of Conan I of Brittany  He was father of Robert, “The Magnificent”, whose son was William the Conqueror .  Havoise who married Geoffry, Duke of Brittany, was hence aunt of William the Conqueror..

ii. Robert II (Archbishop of Rouen)

iii. Mauger

iv. Robert Danus

v. Willam?

vi. Emma of Normandy

vii. Maud of Normandy

viii. HAWISE of Normandy

ix. Geoffrey, Count of Eu (illegitimate)

x. William, Count of Eu (illegitimate)

xi. Beatrice of Normandy (illegitimate)

xii. Robert (illegitimate)

xiii. Papia (illegitimate)

20. WILLIAM of Normandy, “Longsword”, (c. 900 – 942)  m.  SPROTA The title duke (dux) did not come into common usage until the eleventh century and has been anachronistically applied to early Norman rulers.

21. ROLLO  (c. 846 – c. 931), was a Norse nobleman of Norwegian or Danish descent and founder and first ruler of the Viking principality which soon became known as Normandy. His descendants were the Dukes of Normandy, and by later extension, the King of England.

In the Treaty of Saint-Clair-sur-Epte (911) with King Charles the Simple, Rollo pledged feudal allegiance to the king, changed his name to the Frankish version, and converted to Christianity, probably with the baptismal name Robert.  In return, King Charles granted Rollo land between the Epte and the sea as well as Brittany and according to Dudo of St. Quentin, the hand of the King’s daughter, Gisela, although this marriage and Gisela herself are unknown to Frankish sources.  He was also the titular ruler of Normandy, centered around the city of Rouen.

Generations of House of Neville

From Fitz Randolf to Edward IV and Richard III ,

I. Robert Neville  ( ~1240 – 1271,) married Mary Fitz Randolph  (aka Mary Tailboys) heiress of Middleham who survived him by 49 years dying in 1320.  The Fitz Randolph’s castle of Middleham passed to Robert Neville when he married Mary Fitz Randolph, daughter of 12. (Above)  Randolph Fitz RANDULPH, Lord of Middleham aka Randolph (Ranulf) FitzRobert ( ~1180 Yorkshire – by 1252 buried in Coverham Abbey)

II. Ralph Neville, 1st Baron Neville de Raby, Lord of Middleham, (18 Oct 1262 / 1270 – 18 Apr 1331) An English aristocrat and member of the powerful Neville family. He married first Euphemia de Clavering daughter of Robert de Clavering (5th Baron of Warkworth & Clavering) and Margaret La Zouche, with whom he had fourteen children. His second marriage was to Margery de Thwenge, daughter of John De Thwenge and Joan De Mauley.

III.  Ralph Neville, 2nd Baron Neville de Raby, Lord of Middleham ( ~.1291 – 5 Aug 1367) He married  Alicia, daughter of Hugo de Audley. on 14 Jan 1326 with whom he had thirteen children:

Neville led the English forces to victory against the Scottish king David II of Scotland at the Battle of Neville’s Cross on  Oct 17 1346.

IV.  John Neville,  3rd  Baron Neville de Raby,Lord of Middleham, (btw 1337 – 40 Raby Castle, Durham, – 17 Oct 1388)  He married Matilda Percy, Maud Percy ( – d. bef 18 Feb 1379), daughter of Henry de Percy, 2nd Baron Percy of Alnwick, Northumberland, and Idoine de Clifford, daughter of Robert de Clifford, 1st Baron de Clifford, by whom he had two sons and five daughters.   She was the second of the Noble family of Percy to become allied with the Neville-Fitz Randolph line.

V. Ralph de Nevelle ( ~ 1363 – 1425) Lord of Middleham and first Earl of Westmoreland  4th Baron Neville de Raby.(1397),  who died 1435, Knight of the Garter; Marshall (later co-Regent) of England; Warden of west marches

Westmorland is portrayed in Shakespeare’s Henry IV, Part 1, Henry IV, Part 2, and Henry V.

In the opening scene of Henry IV, Part 1, Westmorland is presented historically as an ally of King Henry IV against the Percys, and in the final scenes of the play as being dispatched to the north of England by the King after the Battle of Shrewsbury to intercept the Earl of Northumberland.

In Act IV of Henry IV, Part 2, Westmorland is portrayed historically as having been principally responsible for quelling the Percy rebellion in 1405 by Archbishop Scrope almost without bloodshed by successfully parleying with the rebels on 29 May 1405 at Shipton Moor.

However in Henry V Westmorland is unhistorically alleged to have resisted the arguments made in favour of war with France by Archbishop Chichele in the Parliament which began at Leicester on 30 April 1414.

m1.  Margaret Stafford (d. 9 June 1396), the eldest daughter of Hugh Stafford, 2nd Earl of Stafford, and Philippa Beauchamp, the daughter of Thomas Beauchamp, 11th Earl of Warwick, by Katherine Mortimer, the daughter of Roger Mortimer, 1st Earl of March

m2. bef.  29 Nov 1396, at Château de Beaufort, Maine-et-Loire, Anjou, Joan Beaufort, the widow of Robert Ferrers, 2nd Baron Ferrers,  daughter of John of Gaunt, son of Edward III  thus joining the English Royal line. Randolph and Joan had a daughter, Cicely Nevelle, called “The Rose of Raby”, who married Richard Plantagenent 3rd Duke of York who was killed in the battle of Wakefield in 1460.

The children were Edward IV and Richard III , Kings of the House of York.

Elizabeth of York, daughter of Edward IV and granddaughter of Cicely, combined the Houses of York and Lancaster in the person of her son  Henry VIII, — she having married Henry VII, a Lancastrian  descendant of John of Gaunt—and thus ended definitely “The War of Roses”.

Sources:

http://trees.ancestry.com/owt/person.aspx?pid=8903382&st=1

http://trees.ancestry.com/tree/26709453/person/12576431982/story/e15f48e9-6a26-4ed8-bc2e-1e1bd0388ea1?src=search

http://josfamilyhistory.com/htm/hopkins/woodruff/wood-drake-fitz-early.htm

History of Nottinghamshire, Volume 2 By Robert Thoroton — London 1797

THOMAS VAIL, SALEM 1640 by Wm. PennVail, M.D. LDS Library Call 929.273

http://www.geni.com/people/John-Fitz-Randolph-Lord-of-Spennithorne/6000000002665734378