Analysis of the Beck-Stafford marriage
Alan R Grey
Nicholas de Beck and Joan Stafford, daughter of Ralph, Earl of Stafford,
is of interest to some. Because the visitation seems to be the only
record of the marriage, I would like to contribute an analysis of
surviving documentation in relation to the likelihood of the marriage.
The Chester visitation records "Sir Nicholas Beck = Jane d. of Rafe
L:Stafford & of Katherin Hastang", and separately, "Sir Nicho' Beck =
... d. to the good Lord Stafford" [Richardson, Plantagenet Ancestry,
p.637]. Such records are not conclusive proof of any relationship,
which makes many people rightly hesitant to accept the marriage.
However, there is exceptional evidence of a very close Beck--Stafford
relationship. Nicholas's name appears in deeds independently in
connection with a number of members of the wider Stafford family ---
Earl Ralph himself, Humphrey Hastang (Ralph's brother-in-law), Sir John
Stafford (Ralph's son-in-law, being married to Margaret, Ralph's
daughter by Katherine Hastings), Richard Stafford (Ralph's brother) and
James de Pipe (Ralph's half-brother). Space constrains giving the
details of these deeds, but in summary:
(i) On 28 May 1345 Nicholas Beck was the second witness (after the
knight John Bagod) in a demise of land to Humfrey Hastang, Archdeacon of
Coventry [SRO, D938/71].
(ii) On 16 March 1352 Nicholas de Beek, knt., was the third witness
(after Thomas de Haleghton and Thomas de Swynenerton) to a grant by
Ralph, Earl of Stafford [SRO, D938/94]. Thomas de Swynnerton was
clearly Nicholas's senior, having been sheriff and a member of the
King's household [CP, Vol. XII, pt. 1, p.587]. Thomas de Haleghton was
probably(?) Swynnerton's uncle(?) and thus senior in that family.
(iii) On 10 April 1352, Nicholas de Beek, knt., was the third witness
(after Sir Richard Stafford and Sir James de Pipe) to a grant by John de
Stafford, knight [SRO, D938/95].
(iv) On 27 December 1353, Nicholas de Beek was the third witness
(after Richard de Stafford and Robert (sic) de Halghton) to a grant by
Ralph Stafford [CHS Vol. XIII, p.23].
(v) On 2 August 1354, Nicholas de Beck, knt., was the second witness
(after John de Stafford) to a transfer of land from William de Seynt Mor
to James de Pype, kt. [SRO, D4038/A/4/10].
(vi) On 11 June 1355, Nicholas de Beck, knt., was the second witness
(after John de Stafford) of a deed between Ralph Bagot and James de
Pipe, knt. [CHS, Vol.XI, NS, p.190].
(vii) In [May] 1364 a fine was made between Ralph, Earl of Stafford
and Nicholas de Beek, Knight, complainants, and Gilbert Trussel and
Elena his wife, deforciants, of the manor and advowson of Mukleston.
Gilbert and Elena remitted all right to Ralph and Nicholas and the heirs
of Ralph, for which Ralph and Nicholas gave them £200 [CHS, Vol. XI,
p.174, Fine, No. 88].
(viii) In 38 Edw. III, Nicho. de Beke, knt., was the second witness
(after James de Pipe, knt.) to the grant by Ralph Earl of Stafford to
Gilbert Trussell and Ellen his wife [cf. (vii), above)] [CHS, Vol. XII,
p267--8].
(ix) On 18 October 1364 Nicholas de Bek was the first witness on a
grant by Thomas, son of Alan de Glaseleye, to Sir James de Pipe, Knight
[CHS, Vol. IV, Part II, pp. 71--2].
(x) On 28 December 1364, Nicholas de Beck, knt., was the second
witness (after James de Pipe, knt.) to a deed of Ralph Earl of Stafford
[CHS Vol. VI, NS, Part II, p.167].
It is significant that Nicholas appears in deeds involving different men
right across the Stafford family, and where he and the Stafford family
appear together, the sequence of seniority is always Ralph de Stafford,
Richard de Stafford, James de Pipe, John de Stafford, Nicholas de Beek,
without exception. Nicholas appears before other witnesses, including
members of the Aston, Verdon, Draycote and Grendon families (though his
relationship to the Halghton family is not clear). Particularly telling
is when Nicholas appears with the earl in the acquisition of Muklestone
(they must have had a very close relationship in order for him to be
party to a £200 expenditure, especially when the manor was not entailed
to his own heirs).
It is also notable that Nicholas held a senior position even as early as
March 1347, being named after known members of the earl's family only.
On 20 March 1346/7 Ralph, Baron of Stafford, had letters of protection
for going overseas, his retinue being named, in order, James de Pipe,
John de Stafford and Nicholas de Beek, followed by four others [CHS,
Vol. XVIII, p.117].
If we assumed the marriage, then the social/economic circumstances
should be consistent. The DNB indicates that at the time of his first
marriage, Ralph Stafford's patrimony was worth a little over £200 p.a.
It was his (second) marriage to Margaret Audley that brought him a
significant fortune, since her inheritance was worth (conservatively)
£2,314. Therefore, the children of that marriage would become
financially and socially well-endowed, whereas any daughters of his
first marriage would receive a good, though perhaps not substantial,
dowry. By comparison, Sir Nicholas was supposed to be receiving £100
p.a. from the old Draycote estate alone [CHS, Vol. XII, pp.81--2],
besides the income from his knight's fee in Tean (and reversion of the
manor of Hopton, held by his mother). He also, apparently, held the
manors of Dovere, Repindon, Merthon and Mounselon, in Derbyshire, and
Shropshire, with 100 acres of land in Tillington, and several burgages
in Stafford [CHS Vol. XII, NS, p.141]. Therefore, he could easily
compete in economic terms with Joan Stafford's matriarchal family, and
with her patriarchal family before the economic and social elevation of
her father. The fact that in 1348 Nicholas could reduce the £100
Draycote income to only 20 marks implies that he had a more than
sufficient income.
While the marriage of a "lowly" knight with an earl's daughter might be
questioned, it ought to be remembered that it was not until 5 March 1351
that Ralph became Earl Stafford; this was several years (probably about
6 years) after the marriage of Nicholas Beck.
There was also clearly an opportunity for the marriage given that Ralph
and Nicholas's father Robert Bek undoubtedly knew each other --- they
lived near each other and served together in campaigns in Scotland in
the early-to-mid 1330s.
After his marriage, it is notable that Nicholas was significantly
advanced in social/professional standing. He became MP, a Justice of
Oyer and Terminer, and Sheriff of Staffordshire, positions that were not
attained by his predecessors. On 15 March 1351 both Ralph Stafford and
Nicholas Beke were appointed Conservatores Pacis for Staffordshire,
Nicholas being named in seniority next after Richard de Stafford [CPR
Edw.III, Vol. 9, p.91]. Given the co-incidence in date (i.e., within
days of Ralph's elevation to the earldom), it is plausible that Ralph
brought both his brother Richard and Nicholas to the office. Similarly,
the first Justices of the Peace for co. Stafford after the 1360 Statute
were Ralph, Earl of Stafford, Sir Richard de Stafford and Sir Nicholas
de Beek (and 7 others) [CHS Vol. VI, NS, Part II, p. 136]. It is also
evident that Nicholas acted in concert with the Staffords. Thus we find
Ralph, Earl Stafford, Sir James de Pipe and Sir Nicholas de Beek of Tean
all being Justices of Oyer and Terminer in Staffordshire at the same
time, and all being removed from office together in December 1366 [CHS,
N.S., Vol. 1911, p.464].
Finally, in terms of social context, there is also the marriage of
Nicholas's daughter Elizabeth to consider. She married Robert, Lord
Swynnerton, the nephew of Thomas Holland, jure uxoris earl of Kent (who
was married to Joan, grand-daughter of Edward I). If Elizabeth was the
grand-daughter of Earl Ralph (and married in his lifetime), then the
marriage makes sense socially. It must also be remembered that the
Beek-Swynnerton marriage had to have dispensation, since Elizabeth and
Robert were related to the fourth degree. This is readily explicable if
she was the daughter of Earl Ralph, as outlined in earlier posts:
Elizabeth [4], dau. Jane/Joan Stafford [3], dau. Katherine de Hastang
[2], dau. Sir John de Hastang [1], son of Sir Robert de Hastang; cf.
her husband Robert de Swynnerton [4], son of Sir Thomas de Swynnerton
[3], son of Sir Roger de Swynnerton [2], son of Joan de Hastang [1],
dau. Sir Robert de Hastang, the common ancestor.
In conclusion, the simplest and most logical explanation for all the
known information about the life of Nicholas is that he married a
daughter of Ralph Stafford. While some of the above could easily be
attributed to Nicholas's position in the earl's retinue, there has to be
an explanation firstly for how Nicholas came to be in the retinue in the
first place, and secondly, why as just a young man he immediately took
the most senior position, after the earl's brothers and son-in-law.
Similarly, it is conceivable that the undoubted closeness to the
Stafford family could arise by other means (e.g., if his mother was a
Stafford), but there appears to be no documentary connection between the
Staffords and the other members of Nicholas's family, such as his father.
As a postscript, a re-visitation of the visitation could be useful.
There are two expressions for the marriage in the visitation (as
above). One specifically identifies the parentage of Jane/Joan, whereas
the other says only that she was a daughter of an unnamed Lord
Stafford. Clearly in the latter case they knew she was a Stafford, but
could not say which Lord Stafford because they did not know. The two
different expressions carry implied accuracy with a varying degree of
information preservation. In addition, if the visitation record is just
plain wrong, then it is astounding that it could explain all the known
facts about Nicholas presented above. Such information about Nicholas
would have been very difficult to construct at the time of the
visitations (being scattered among various families and in a number of
crown archives not always easy to access). Therefore, my feeling is
that the visitation record was based on some evidence since lost, and so
the extant documentary evidence, when all taken together, simply
provides the expected strong support for the marriage.
Alan R. Grey
Abbreviations:
CHS = Collections for a History of Staffordshire
CPR = Calendar of Patent Rolls
DNB = Dictionary of National Biography
SRO = Staffordshire Record Office
VCH = Victoria County History