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, daughter of Ralph Neville, 1st Earl of Westmorland and Joan Beaufort, Countess of Westmorland sometime before October 18, 1424, at Raby, Durham, England. They had the following children:

1. Humphrey Stafford, Earl of Stafford (d. May 22, 1455). Married Margaret Beaufort, Countess of Stafford, daughter of Edmund Beaufort, 1st Duke of Somerset and Eleanor Beauchamp. They were parents of Henry Stafford, 2nd Duke of Buckingham.
2. Henry Stafford (d. 1481. Reportedly married or bethrothed to Lady Margaret Beaufort, daughter of John Beaufort, 1st Duke of Somerset and Margaret Beauchamp.
3. Edward Stafford
4. Catherine Stafford (1437 - December 26, 1476). Married John Talbot, 3rd Earl of Shrewsbury.
5. George Stafford (born 1439). Twin brother of William Stafford.
6. William Stafford (born 1439). Twin brother of George Stafford.
7. John Stafford, 1st Earl of Wiltshire (d. May 8, 1473. Married Constance Green. They were the parents of Edward Stafford, 2nd Earl of Wiltshire.
8. Joan Stafford (1442 - 1484). Married first William Beaumont and secondly William Knyvett.
9. Anne Stafford (1446 - 1472). Married first Aubrey de Vere, son of John de Vere, 12th Earl of Oxford. She married secondly Thomas Brooke, 8th Baron Cobham.
10. Margaret Stafford. Married Robert Dunham.

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

• Burke's Peerage

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