James Audley, 2nd Baron Audley

Arms of Audley: Gules, fretty or. As given for Nicholas de Audley on the following Rolls of arms: Collins Roll (1304), Falkirk Roll (1298) and for his ancestor on the Glover's Roll (c. 1240-45)

James Audley, 2nd Baron Audley (8 January 1312/1313 — 1 April 1386) of Heighley Castle, Staffordshire, was an English peer.

Origins

James Audley was the son and heir of Nicholas Audley, 1st Baron Audley (1289–1316) by his wife Joan FitzMartin (died Feb. 1320 / 1 Aug. 1322), daughter of William I FitzMartin (d.1324), feudal baron of Barnstaple, Devon. She was in her issue (i.e. posthumously) the eventual sole heiress of her brother William II FitzMartin (d.1326) to the feudal barony of Barnstaple.^[1]

Marriages and progeny

James Audley married twice:

• Firstly before 13 June 1330 to Joan Mortimer, daughter of Roger de Mortimer, 1st Earl of March by his wife Joan de Geneville, 2nd Baroness Geneville. By Joan he had four children:
  • Nicholas Audley, 3rd Baron Audley (c.1328-1391), who succeeded his father in the title. He married Elizabeth Beaumont, a daughter of Henry de Beaumont, 4th Earl of Buchan, but died without legitimate issue. His nephew John Tuchet, 4th Baron Audley inherited the title and a one-third share of the lands of the barony of Audley.^[2]
  • Roger Audley, who predeceased his father^[3]
  • Joan Audley (1331–1393) who married Sir John Tuchet (1327—1371) and had progeny John Tuchet, 4th Baron Audley and 1st Baron Tuchet.^[2]
  • Margaret I Audley (b. pre-1351, d. 1410/11), married Sir Roger Hillary.^[4]
• Secondly after the death of his 1st wife he married before December 1351 to Isabel LeStrange, daughter of Roger le Strange, 5th Baron Strange (c. 1327–1382) of Knokyn. They had the following children:
  • Thomas Audley, died without progeny^[5]
  • Rodeland (or Rowland) Audley, died without progeny^[6]
  • James Audley, died without progeny^[7]
  • Margaret II Audley (d.1373), who married Fulk VIII FitzWarin, 4th Baron FitzWarin (1341-1374) of Whittington Castle, Shropshire and Alveston, Gloucestershire.^[8] Fulk's mother was said to be Joan de Beaumont, a daughter of Henry de Beaumont, 4th Earl of Buchan,^[9] and was thus a sister of the wife of Fulk's half-brother-in-law Nicholas Audley, 3rd Baron Audley. In 1392 Margaret's 3 year-old grandson Fulk X FitzWarin, 6th Baron FitzWarin (1389-1407) inherited the manor of Tawstock in Devon, thought to have been a later seat of the feudal barons of Barnstaple,^[10] which had been settled in 1370 by James Audley, 2nd Baron, in tail male successively to his three sons from his 2nd marriage, Thomas, Rodeland and James, who all died without progeny.^[11]

Succession

James Audley had settled the feudal barony of Barnstaple by means of an entail on his heirs male, with remainder to the crown.^[12] As all his sons from both his marriages died without progeny, the barony thus became the inheritance of King Richard II (1377-1399), who granted the barony to his half-brother John Holland, 1st Duke of Exeter (c.1352-1400), in tail-male.^[13]

Sources

• ThePeerage.com entry

References