Complete Peerage Addition: Joan Stafford, wife of William Beaumont and William Knyvet
Douglas Richardson
Complete Peerage, 2 (1912): 62-64 (sub Beaumont) has a good account of
the life of William Beaumont, Knt., 2nd Viscount Beaumont (died 19
Dec. 1507). Regarding his first marriage, the following information
is given on page 63:
"He married, 1stly, before 4 March 1461, Joan, daughter of Humphrey
(Stafford), 1st Duke of Buckingham, by Ann, daughter of Ralph (Nevil),
1st Earl of Westmorland. This marriage was, however, set aside before
1477." END OF QUOTE.
In footnote d on the same page, additional information is given
regarding Joan Stafford:
"This lady married, about that date (as the 2nd of three wives), Sir
William Knyvett, of Buckenham, Norfolk, and was living temp. Richard
III. Her husband was living 1491, aged 51." END OF QUOTE.
We can be certain that Sir William Beaumont's marriage to Joan
Stafford was set aside in or before 1477, as in that year she and her
2nd husband, Sir William Knyvet, presented to the church of Cantley,
Norfolk [see Blomefield, Essay towards a Top. Hist. of Norfolk, 4
(1775): 17].
My research further indicates that Joan Stafford was a legatee in the
undated will of her mother, Anne, Duchess of Buckingham, which will
was proved in 1480 [see Nicolas, Testamenta Vetusta 1 (1826): 356–357
(will of Anne, Duchess of Buckingham)]. Joan is styled "my daughter
Beaumond" in her mother's will, which fact suggests the mother's will
dates from in or before 1477. Joan Stafford was living in 1484, and
died before 1485. Sir William Knyvet died 25 Nov. (or 2 Dec.) 1515.
He left a will dated 18 Sept. 1514, proved 19 June 1516 (P.C.C. 18
Holder), requesting burial in the church of Wymondham, Norfolk.
By Joan Stafford's 2nd marriage to Sir William Knyvet, she was the
mother of three sons, Edward, Knt., Charles, Esq., and John, and two
daughters, Elizabeth and Anne (wife of Charles Clifford, Esq.).
Joan (Stafford) (Beaumont) Knyvet is ancestral to the following 17th
Century New World immigrant:
Margaret Touteville, wife of Rev. Thomas Shepard, of Cambridge,
Massachusetts
Best always, Douglas Richardson, Salt Lake City, Utah
Douglas Richardson
In my post earlier today, I failed to mention that Complete Peerage in
its Beaumont account provides no documentation for the marriage of
Joan (or Jane) Stafford and William Beaumont, Knt., 2nd Lord
Viscount. The marriage is simply stated as fact, and no citation is
given to prove the marriage. So we once again,we have another lapse
in Complete Peerage's documentation.
Mention could have been made, for example, of the will of Joan's
mother, Anne, Duchess of Buckingham, proved in 1480, in which Joan is
styled "my daughter Beaumond" [see Nicolas Testamenta Vetusta 1
(1826): 356–357 (will of Anne, Duchess of Buckingham)]. However, we
are not provided that information.
Fortunately, there is better evidence elsewhere of Joan Stafford's
parentage. In 1464-5 letters patent were issued by the king on behalf
of Joan "and the heirs of her body." In this record, Joan is styled
"wife of William Beaumont, knight, late lord Beaumont, daughter of
Humphrey [Stafford], duke of Buckingham." Below is a copy of this
item as found in the online Catalogue of the National Archives.
National Archives, E 211/237
Draft letters patent to Thomas [Bourgchier], archibishop of
Canterbury, George [Neville], bishop of Exeter, and Joan the wife of
William Beaumont, knight, late lord Beaumont, daughter of Humphrey
[Stafford], duke of Buckingham, and the heirs of her body of manors
and lordships of Stowe Bardolf, Roughton, Fareswell, Whinbergh,
Mattishall, Erpingham, Wickmere, Cantley, Strumpshaw, 'Castre
Bardolf', in Norfolk, Iketshall, Dennington, Brundish, Cretingham, and
Clopton, in Suffolk, Watton-at-Stone, Hertfordshire, Holton,
Oxfordshire, Wilbraham, Cambridgeshire, and Ruskington, Digby,
Westburgh and Cathorp, Lincolnshire, late of Lord Bardolf. See
Calendar of Patent Rolls, 1461-7, p. 355.
Covering dates: 4 Edward IV. END OF QUOTE.
A brief abstract of the above document is published in Ancient Deeds —
DD Ser. (List & Index Soc. 200) (1983): 150. The abstract, however,
was poorly done by the archivist. Joan is there called "widow" of
William Lord Beaumont, whereas she is called his "wife" in the actual
document. Also, the abstract identifies Joan's father as "Humphrey,
duke of Gloucester," whereas he is actually called "Humphrey, Duke of
Buckingham" in the original document.
As stated in my earlier post, Joan Stafford was living in 1484, and
was dead in or before 1485. The latter date is indicated by a
petition to Parliament dated 1485 submitted by her second husband,
William Knyvet, Knt., in which he refers to "Jane late his Wyfe." [see
Strachey, Rotuli Parliamentorum, 6 (1777): 298 ]. This petition may
be viewed at the following weblink:
Following Joan's death, Sir William Knyvet sued Joan's former husband,
William Beaumont, Lord Beaumont, in 1486 for the manors of Ilketshall,
Dennington, Bendish and Cretingham, Suffolk, and Fareswell, Whinbergh,
and Stow Bardolph, Norfolk [see National Archives, C 1/81/10]. These
manors were granted to Joan by the letters patent mentioned above
dated 1464-5.
Lastly, I might mention that Joan “daughter of Humphrey, late duke of
Buckingham” is styled “king’s kinswoman” by King Edward IV of England
in 1480 [see
Cal. Patent Rolls, 1476–1485 (1901): 171]. This record may be viewed
at the following weblink:
http://contentdm.lib.byu.edu/cdm4/document.php?CISOROOT=/FHMedieval&CISOPTR=60246
Joan Stafford was related to King Edward IV through her parents, both
of whom were descendants of King Edward III of England.
Douglas Richardson
In my post just now, I referred to Joan Stafford's first husband,
William 2nd Lord Viscount. I should have said "2nd Viscount
Beaumont." He was also Lord Beaumont.
DR
Buttercup
may have owned the famous Corpus Christie MS of the Troilus and
Crisseyde which was never finished, leading some to suspect a
Lancastrian hand in its production:
http://muse.jhu.edu/journals/studies_in_the_age_of_chaucer/v030/30.helmbold.html
Judy
http://katherineswynford.tk
http://katherineswynford.blogspot.com