Lionel de Welles, 6th Baron Welles
Encyclopedia
Lionel de Welles, 6th Baron Welles, KG (1406 – 29 March 1461) was an English nobleman and soldier. He was killed fighting on the Lancastrian
side at the Battle of Towton
.
and Margaret de Mowbray, and in the maternal line grandson of Ralph de Greystoke, 3rd Baron Greystoke and Catherine Clifford. The fifth baron died in 1421, having had by his second wife, Margaret, the son Eudo who predeceased him.
Lionel, the eldest son, succeeded his grandfather in 1421, was knighted with Henry VI at Leicester
by John of Lancaster, 1st Duke of Bedford
on 19 May 1426, and went with the young king to France in 1430. He was summoned to parliament as sixth Baron Welles from 25 February 1432 to 30 July 1460. In 1434 he became a privy councillor. He was sent to relieve Calais
in 1436, when the town was besieged by a weak force of Burgundians.
He served as Lord Lieutenant of Ireland
from about 1438; Lionel's younger brother, William, occasionally acted as his deputy in the post, and was in 1461 Lord Chancellor of Ireland
. Welles was a friend and relation of the king, and an attentive courtier. In 1450 he was appointed a trier of petitions for Gascony
. Subsequently he was at Calais, where he had been sent in 1451, with Lord Rivers; he remained in command as lieutenant of Edmund Beaufort, 2nd Duke of Somerset
until 20 April 1456, when Richard Neville, 16th Earl of Warwick
as commander secured possession of Calais. He was elected a Knight of the Garter by 13 May 1457.
As a Lancastrian supporter he took the oath of allegiance at Coventry
in 1459. He joined Margaret of Anjou
on her march south, was at the second battle of St Albans
on 7 February 1461. He was killed at Towton
on 29 March, and attainted in the parliament which followed. He was buried in Waterton church, Methley
, Yorkshire
.
First marriage.
About 1426 he married Joan (or Cecilia, Cecily) Waterton, only daughter of Sir Robert Waterton of Waterton and Methley, and had issue a son, Richard, and four daughters: these included
Comment:- Cecily previously listed to the second marriage could not have been born so late, she is listed as mother to Christopher Willoughby estimated birth 1453, so more likely to be born about 1430 to his 1st wife Cecily Waterton
Second marriage
Secondly, between 27 May 1444 and 31 August 1447 (DNB) (on 14 April 1447) he married Margaret Beauchamp of Bletso
(died 13 July 1480), daughter of Sir John Beauchamp of Bletsoe. She was widow of Sir Oliver St John and also of John Beaufort, 1st Duke of Somerset
, with children by both these marriage. The children of Lionel and Margaret included
House of Lancaster
The House of Lancaster was a branch of the royal House of Plantagenet. It was one of the opposing factions involved in the Wars of the Roses, an intermittent civil war which affected England and Wales during the 15th century...
side at the Battle of Towton
Battle of Towton
In 1461, England was in the sixth year of the Wars of the Roses, a series of civil wars between the Houses of York and Lancaster over the English throne. The Lancastrians backed the reigning King of England, Henry VI, an indecisive man who suffered bouts of madness...
.
Life
Born about 1405, he was son of Eudo de Welles by Maude de Greystoke. In his paternal line he was grandson of John de Welles, 5th Baron WellesJohn de Welles, 5th Baron Welles
John de Welles, 5th Baron Welles was an English soldier and noble. He married Margaret de Mowbray , daughter of John, Lord Mowbray by Elizabeth, Baroness Segrave....
and Margaret de Mowbray, and in the maternal line grandson of Ralph de Greystoke, 3rd Baron Greystoke and Catherine Clifford. The fifth baron died in 1421, having had by his second wife, Margaret, the son Eudo who predeceased him.
Lionel, the eldest son, succeeded his grandfather in 1421, was knighted with Henry VI at Leicester
Leicester
Leicester is a city and unitary authority in the East Midlands of England, and the county town of Leicestershire. The city lies on the River Soar and at the edge of the National Forest...
by John of Lancaster, 1st Duke of Bedford
John of Lancaster, 1st Duke of Bedford
John of Lancaster, 1st Duke of Bedford, KG , also known as John Plantagenet, was the third surviving son of King Henry IV of England by Mary de Bohun, and acted as Regent of France for his nephew, King Henry VI....
on 19 May 1426, and went with the young king to France in 1430. He was summoned to parliament as sixth Baron Welles from 25 February 1432 to 30 July 1460. In 1434 he became a privy councillor. He was sent to relieve Calais
Calais
Calais is a town in Northern France in the department of Pas-de-Calais, of which it is a sub-prefecture. Although Calais is by far the largest city in Pas-de-Calais, the department's capital is its third-largest city of Arras....
in 1436, when the town was besieged by a weak force of Burgundians.
He served as Lord Lieutenant of Ireland
Lord Lieutenant of Ireland
The Lord Lieutenant of Ireland was the British King's representative and head of the Irish executive during the Lordship of Ireland , the Kingdom of Ireland and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland...
from about 1438; Lionel's younger brother, William, occasionally acted as his deputy in the post, and was in 1461 Lord Chancellor of Ireland
Lord Chancellor of Ireland
The office of Lord Chancellor of Ireland was the highest judicial office in Ireland until the establishment of the Irish Free State in 1922. From 1721 to 1801 it was also the highest political office of the Irish Parliament.-13th century:...
. Welles was a friend and relation of the king, and an attentive courtier. In 1450 he was appointed a trier of petitions for Gascony
Gascony
Gascony is an area of southwest France that was part of the "Province of Guyenne and Gascony" prior to the French Revolution. The region is vaguely defined and the distinction between Guyenne and Gascony is unclear; sometimes they are considered to overlap, and sometimes Gascony is considered a...
. Subsequently he was at Calais, where he had been sent in 1451, with Lord Rivers; he remained in command as lieutenant of Edmund Beaufort, 2nd Duke of Somerset
Edmund Beaufort, 2nd Duke of Somerset
Edmund Beaufort, 2nd Duke of Somerset, KG , sometimes styled 1st Duke of Somerset, was an English nobleman and an important figure in the Wars of the Roses and in the Hundred Years' War...
until 20 April 1456, when Richard Neville, 16th Earl of Warwick
Richard Neville, 16th Earl of Warwick
Richard Neville KG, jure uxoris 16th Earl of Warwick and suo jure 6th Earl of Salisbury and 8th and 5th Baron Montacute , known as Warwick the Kingmaker, was an English nobleman, administrator, and military commander...
as commander secured possession of Calais. He was elected a Knight of the Garter by 13 May 1457.
As a Lancastrian supporter he took the oath of allegiance at Coventry
Coventry
Coventry is a city and metropolitan borough in the county of West Midlands in England. Coventry is the 9th largest city in England and the 11th largest in the United Kingdom. It is also the second largest city in the English Midlands, after Birmingham, with a population of 300,848, although...
in 1459. He joined Margaret of Anjou
Margaret of Anjou
Margaret of Anjou was the wife of King Henry VI of England. As such, she was Queen consort of England from 1445 to 1461 and again from 1470 to 1471; and Queen consort of France from 1445 to 1453...
on her march south, was at the second battle of St Albans
Second Battle of St Albans
The Second Battle of St Albans was a battle of the English Wars of the Roses fought on 17 February, 1461, at St Albans. The army of the Yorkist faction under the Earl of Warwick attempted to bar the road to London north of the town. The rival Lancastrian army used a wide outflanking manoeuvre to...
on 7 February 1461. He was killed at Towton
Towton
Towton is a small village and civil parish in the Selby district of North Yorkshire, England.The village is best known for the Battle of Towton, fought in 1461, during the Wars of the Roses....
on 29 March, and attainted in the parliament which followed. He was buried in Waterton church, Methley
Methley
Methley is a dispersed village in the City of Leeds metropolitan borough, south east of Leeds, West Yorkshire, England. It is located near Rothwell, Oulton, Woodlesford, Mickletown and Allerton Bywater. It nestles in the triangle formed by Leeds, Castleford and Wakefield, and is between the...
, Yorkshire
Yorkshire
Yorkshire is a historic county of northern England and the largest in the United Kingdom. Because of its great size in comparison to other English counties, functions have been increasingly undertaken over time by its subdivisions, which have also been subject to periodic reform...
.
Family
He married twice, and had issue from both marriages: at least seven children altogether.First marriage.
About 1426 he married Joan (or Cecilia, Cecily) Waterton, only daughter of Sir Robert Waterton of Waterton and Methley, and had issue a son, Richard, and four daughters: these included
- Richard de Welles, 7th Baron WellesRichard de Welles, 7th Baron WellesRichard Welles, 7th Baron Welles was an English nobleman and soldier. From a Lancastrian family, he came to be on good terms with the Yorkist King Edward IV, but was executed after then being associated with plotting against him.-Life:...
(c. 1429–1469/1470); - Eleanor de Welles (c.1428-1490), who married Thomas Hoo, Baron Hoo and Hastings;
- Margaret de Welles, who married Sir Thomas DymokeDymokeDymoke is the name of an English family holding the office of king's champion. The functions of the champion were to ride into Westminster Hall at the coronation banquet, and challenge all comers to impugn the King's title . The earliest record of the ceremony at the coronation of an English king...
. - Cecily de Welles, who married Sir Robert Willoughby of Parham (died 1465), son of Sir Thomas Willoughby (son of William Willoughby, 5th Baron Willoughby de Eresby, and Lucy Le Strange) and Lady Joan FitzAlan (daughter of John FitzAlan, 13th Earl of ArundelJohn FitzAlan, 13th Earl of ArundelJohn FitzAlan, 13th Earl of Arundel, 3rd Baron Maltravers was an English nobleman.He was the son of John FitzAlan, 2nd Baron Arundel, and Elizabeth le Despenser, and became Baron Arundel on his father's death in 1390 and Baron Maltravers on his grandmother's death in 1405...
, and Eleanor Berkeley); they had issue Christopher Willoughby, 10th Baron Willoughby de EresbyChristopher Willoughby, 10th Baron Willoughby de EresbySir Christopher Willoughby, 10 Baron Willoughby de Eresby was an English baron.-Life:...
(and were great-grandparents of Catherine WilloughbyCatherine WilloughbyCatherine Willoughby, Duchess of Suffolk, suo jure 12th Baroness Willoughby de Eresby , was an English noblewoman living at the royal courts of King Henry VIII, King Edward VI and later, Queen Elizabeth I...
)
Comment:- Cecily previously listed to the second marriage could not have been born so late, she is listed as mother to Christopher Willoughby estimated birth 1453, so more likely to be born about 1430 to his 1st wife Cecily Waterton
Second marriage
Secondly, between 27 May 1444 and 31 August 1447 (DNB) (on 14 April 1447) he married Margaret Beauchamp of Bletso
Margaret Beauchamp of Bletso
Margaret Beauchamp, of Bletso, Bedfordshire, Spelsbury, Oxfordshire and Lydiard Tregoze, Wiltshire was the daughter of John Beauchamp, of Bletso and Edith Stourton...
(died 13 July 1480), daughter of Sir John Beauchamp of Bletsoe. She was widow of Sir Oliver St John and also of John Beaufort, 1st Duke of Somerset
John Beaufort, 1st Duke of Somerset
John Beaufort, 1st Duke of Somerset, KG was an English noble and military commander.-Family:Baptised on 25 March 1404, he was the second son of John Beaufort, 1st Earl of Somerset and Margaret Holland, and succeeded his elder brother Henry Beaufort, 2nd Earl of Somerset to become the 3rd Earl of...
, with children by both these marriage. The children of Lionel and Margaret included
- John Welles, 1st Viscount WellesJohn Welles, 1st Viscount WellesJohn Welles, 1st Viscount Welles, KG was an English Lancastrian Nobleman who was made a Knight of the Garter.John was born about 1450 to Lionel de Welles, 6th Baron Welles and Margaret Beauchamp...
, who married Cecily of YorkCecily of YorkCecily of York, Viscountess Welles was an English Princess and the third, but eventual second surviving, daughter of Edward IV, King of England and his queen consort, née Lady Elizabeth Woodville, daughter of Richard Woodville, 1st Earl Rivers.-Birth and Family:Cecily was born in Westminster Palace...
the daughter of Edward IV of EnglandEdward IV of EnglandEdward IV was King of England from 4 March 1461 until 3 October 1470, and again from 11 April 1471 until his death. He was the first Yorkist King of England...