Humphrey Stafford, 1st Duke of Buckingham
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Humphrey Stafford, 1st Duke of Buckingham (August 15, 1402 – July 10, 1460) was best-known as a military commander in the Hundred Years' War and in the Wars of the Roses.
He was born at Stafford, Staffordshire, England, the son of Edmund Stafford, 5th Earl of Stafford and Anne of Gloucester, daughter of Thomas of Woodstock and a grand-daughter of Edward III of England.
When Humphrey was a small child his father died and he became 6th Earl of Stafford, inheriting a large estate with lands in more than a dozen counties.
Knighted in 1421, he was made a knight of the Garter (KG) in 1429, and became a Privy Councillor from 1424.
Stafford had been Lieutenant-General of Normandy between 1430 – 1432 and was created, in 1431, the Count of Perche, a province in English-occupied Normandy by King Henry VI. This title was one of many granted by Henry VI to his leading supporters during the English occupation of France.
He was created the First Duke of Buckingham, a new title, on September 14, 1444. He had previously been recognized as Earl of Buckingham, by right of his mother, who was the Countess of Stafford.
Captain of Calais, Seneschal of Halton 1439, and Lieutenant of the Marches 1442–51, he also served as an Ambassador to France in 1446. Stafford became Lord Warden of the Cinque Ports and Constable of Dover Castle (and Queensborough, on the Isle of Sheppey), in 1450.
He died in the Battle of Northampton on July 10, 1460 fighting against the Yorkists.
Stafford married Anne Neville sometime before October 18, 1424, at Raby, Durham, England. They had the following children:
- Humphrey Stafford (7th Earl Stafford).
- Henry Stafford
- Edward Stafford
- Catherine Stafford (Countess Shrewsbury).
- George Stafford
- William Stafford
- John Stafford (1st Earl Wiltshire).
- Joan Stafford
- Anne Stafford
- Margaret Stafford
The eldest, Humphrey, Earl of Stafford (died 1455), married Margaret Beaufort, daughter of Edmund Beaufort, 2nd Duke of Somerset. The next eldest, Lord Henry Stafford (died 1481), married Margaret Beaufort, daughter of John Beaufort, 1st Duke of Somerset and widow of Edmund Tudor. The youngest son, John, later became Earl of Wiltshire.
His eldest son having already died, Humphrey was succeeded by his grandson Henry.
[edit] Further reading
- Rawcliffe, Carole. The Staffords, Earls of Stafford and Dukes of Buckingham 1394–1521. Cambridge University Press, 1978.
[edit] Reference
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by: The Earl of Stafford |
Lord High Constable 1403–1460 |
Succeeded by: The Duke of Buckingham |
| Preceded by: The Lord Saye and Sele |
Lord Warden of the Cinque Ports 1450–1459 |
Succeeded by: The Lord Rivers |
| Peerage of England | ||
| Preceded by: New Creation |
Duke of Buckingham 1444–1460 |
Succeeded by: Henry Stafford |
| Preceded by: Edmund Stafford |
Earl of Stafford 1403–1460 |
|
