| Margaret Beaufort | |
|---|---|
| Countess of Stafford | |
| Spouse(s) | Humphrey Stafford, Earl of Stafford Sir Richard Dayrell |
| Issue | |
| Henry Stafford, 2nd Duke of Buckingham Margaret Dayrell, Baroness Audley |
|
| Father | Edmund Beaufort, 1st Duke of Somerset |
| Mother | Lady Eleanor Beauchamp |
| Born | 1427 |
| Died | 1474 |
Margaret Beaufort (c. 1427–1474) was a daughter of Edmund Beaufort, 2nd Duke of Somerset and Lady Eleanor Beauchamp.
Her maternal grandparents were Richard de Beauchamp, 13th Earl of Warwick and his first wife Elizabeth Beauchamp, 4th Baroness Lisle. Elizabeth was daughter of Thomas de Berkeley, 5th Baron Berkeley and Margaret de Berkeley, 3rd Baroness Lisle, becoming the main heiress of her mother.
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Margaret had several prominent relations through both of her parents. Her paternal uncles included (among others) Henry Beaufort, 2nd Earl of Somerset and John Beaufort, 1st Duke of Somerset. Her paternal aunts included Joan Beaufort, Queen of Scotland. Her only maternal uncle was Henry de Beauchamp, 1st Duke of Warwick. Her maternal aunts included Margaret Beauchamp, wife of John Talbot, 1st Earl of Shrewsbury, and Anne Neville, 16th Countess of Warwick. The latter aunt was married to Richard Neville, 16th Earl of Warwick, the so-called "Kingmaker" during the Wars of the Roses.
Her first cousins included (among others) namesake cousin Lady Margaret Beaufort (mother of Henry VII of England), James II of Scotland, Margaret Stewart, Dauphine of France, Anne de Beauchamp, 15th Countess of Warwick, John Talbot, 1st Viscount Lisle, Isabella Plantagenet, Duchess of Clarence and Anne Neville.
Margaret was first married to Humphrey Stafford, Earl of Stafford. He was the eldest son and prospective heir of Humphrey Stafford, 1st Duke of Buckingham by his wife Anne Neville. Anne was daughter of Ralph de Neville, 1st Earl of Westmorland and his 2nd wife, Joan Beaufort, youngest daughter of John of Gaunt and his mistress / third wife Katherine Swynford. They had only one known child:
Her father led forces loyal to the House of Lancaster in the First Battle of St Albans (May 22, 1455) against his main rival Richard Plantagenet, 3rd Duke of York. The Earl of Stafford followed his father-in-law into battle. Neither of the men survived the encounter. Margaret was now a widow and could no longer count on the support of her father.
She had a second marriage to Sir Richard Dayrell. They were parents to at least one child: