History Forum / General / British History / April 2004

Dear Everyone ~

Complete Peerage 5 (1926): 361-362 (sub Ferrers of Groby) includes a
good account of the short life of Sir John Grey (died 1461), son and
heir apparent of Sir Edward Grey, Lord Ferrers of Groby.  Sir John
Grey is noted principally for having been the first husband of [Queen]
Elizabeth Wydeville, who following his death was afterwards wife of
King Edward IV of England.  Curiously, Complete Peerage gives no
indication of when Sir John Grey and Elizabeth Wydeville married,
although presumably it was about 1454, as their son and heir, Thomas
Grey, was stated to be aged 37 in 1492 (or born about 1455) [see
Complete Peerage, 14 (1998): 321].

The document below is taken from the catalogue of the Shakespeare
Birthplace Trust Records Office, which may be consulted on the helpful
A2A website(http://www.a2a.org.uk/search/index.asp).  It shows that
jointure for John Grey and Elizabeth Wydeville was settled on them on
or about 8 January 1454/5.  This is presumably close to the actual
date of their marriage.

Shakespeare Birthplace Trust Records Office: Archer of Tanworth [DR
37/1/1 - DR 37/2/Box 97]

ARCHER OF TANWORTH

Catalogue Ref. DR 37
Creator(s):
Archer family of Tanworth, Warwickshire

FILE  [no title] - ref.  DR 37/2/Box 73  - date: c1200-1743

Item:  [no title] - ref.  DR 37/2/Box 73/34  - date: 8 Jan 1454/5
       
Letters patent from Richard, Duke of York,, Earl of Ulster, Lord
[Mortimer] of Wigmore and Clare [Protector of the realm] that Richard
Castleford, cousin and heir of Richard Castleford, clerk has sworn in
his presence that release made of manor of 'Mew & Gyngjoyberdlaundry'
[modern Buttsbury], Essex to Edward Gray, Lord Ferrers, for the
settling of a jointure on the son of Lord Ferrers and the daughter of
Lord Rivers [later Queen to Edward IV], is to be disavowed if found to
be to the prejudice of Edward Ferrers of Tamworth.  END OF CATALOGUE
ITEM.

Best always, Douglas Richardson, Salt Lake City, Utah

E-mail: royalancestry@msn.com