STAFFORD. as BARON(') STAFFORD, by writs from 6 Feb. (1298/9), 27 Ed. L, to 20 Aug. (1307), 1 Ed. II., directed " i'dmundo, Baronil 3 ) Stafford." His signature, as iibuve, appears ou the. Barons' letter to tbe Pope dated 1301. ( b ) He m. Margaret, da. of Ralph (ISasset), Loud Basset de Drayton, by Joan, da. of Reginald Grey, of Ruthin. He d. 11308-09), 2 Ed. It., and was bur. in the Friars Minor at Stafford. His widow m. Sir Thomas de Pipe, of Pipe, oo. Stafford. She ci. 17 March 1336/7. lug. post mortem, 11 Ed. III. II. 1308. 2 rind 1. Ralph (Stafford), Baron-(' 1 ) Stafford, 1st V -M m s ' "S 1 "' mne at " ie death of his father in 1308 ; had livery of a his lands in 1323 ; K.B., 1824, with robes and accoutrements as a I. 1351. Banneret. He served in the Scotch war in 1328, and, with great distinction on several occasions, in that with France from 1340 to 1.3o'5. He was sum. to Purl, (as B Baron/ from 14 Jan. (1336/7), 10 Ed. III., to 25 Nov. (1350), 24 Ed. IIL;( C ) P.O., 1337 ; L. Steward of the Household, 1337-45 j Seneschal of the Duchy of Aquitaine, 134 5 ; K.G . being one of the Founders^) of that Order, 23 April 1344. and was or. 3 March 1350/1, KARL OF THE COUNTY Of STAFFORD " to hold to him and his heirs." He was also on several important treaties with France, Germany, Flanders, Scotland, and the Pope ; was P.O. [I.], 1861, and employed in quelling an insurrection in Ireland. He )«. firstly, before 1327,!°) Katharine, da. of Sir John DE Hastang, of Chebsey, co. Stafford, (0 and Eva, his wife.(-) He m. secondly, before 10 Oct. 1336, Margaret, de jure, apparently, sua jure (1317) Bahonkss Audley, da. and h. of Hugh Audi.ey, only child of Hugh (Ai'DLey), Haul of Gloucester and Lord Acdi.et, by Margaret, 2d da. of Gilbert (de Clare), Earl ok Hertford and Gloucester. She, who was b. between 1317 and 1321a") did homage, 15 Dec. 1347, after her father's death [10 Nov. 1347] for the ! a ) As to this peculiar term of " Baron " (which is applied to but two families, i.e., those of Greystock and Staiford in their summons to Pari.), see vol. iv, p. 114, note d," and p. 304, note " c," sub "Greystock" and "Hylton." See also a somewhat wild conjecture, but one that occurs in a work of great erudition [Pike's "Constitutional History of the House of Lords]," that tho' " the reason for the application of the expression ' Baron ' to members of the families De Stafford and De Greystock has never yet been discovered, it is possible that the word may be only a part of the surname in each case, and may have no reference to the dignity of a Baron." In support of this remarkable theory the existence is quoted of one " Odardtis Baro," temp. King John ; of " Roger Baron," temp. Hen. Ill , and of " Robert Baron of Wilesthorpe, and another William Baron of the same place," temp. Ed. I., it being added that " there ia ample evidence that ' Baron ' was used merely as a cognomen without any reference to status or dignity." This kind of remark, however, might apparently be made as to the cognomina of " Earl " or " Duke." ( b ) See "Nicolas," pp. 761—809, for an able account of this letter. In There is proof in the rolls of Purl, of his sitting. See vol. i, p. 276, note " a," sub " Beauchamp," for a list of these Founders. {") In 1327 a fine was levied between Ralph de Stafford and Katharine his wife, Querents, and Humphry de Hastang, Deforciant, whereby the manors of Caleloud, Cornwall, and la Hide, co. Stafford, were settled in fee tail on the said Ralph and Katharine. [Feet of Fines, Divers Counties, 1 Ed. III. No. 7]. ( f ) Add. MSS. in Brit. Mus., 6672. fol. 390. (e) Ashmole MSS. at Oxfurd, 799, fol. 236, being a volume of Robert Glover's Collections, ( h ) Her age is given as 18 at her mother's death in 1342, tho' as 30 at her father's death in 1347. Her parents m. 28 April 1317. Her own death is (in one place) given as 7 Sep. 1347, i.e., two mouths before that of her father, but "tho' there is much vagueness as to the time, it is certain that she survived her father " [ex. inform. B. W. Greenfield, who illustrates it as under]. "Inq. p.m. 37 E. III. pt. i (1 nrs.), No. 67. Whit of 1 melius sciri,' &c, as to ' Margareta que f uit ux' Rad'i Comitia Stafford defuncta teuuit kc. T. apud Westin' 13 die Julii reg. nr'i 36° (1362). • .Ikquis. capta apud Stafford, &c. 2G die Jauuarii anno reg. Edwardi III. 37" &c. P
