Marmaduke Constable
Encyclopedia
Sir Marmaduke Constable, "the little" (c.1458 – 20 November 1518) was an English
soldier
descended from the Hereditary Constables of Chester
, hence the surname of the family. He descended from Robert FitzJohn (son of John) or le Constable (-c.1216), Lord of Flamborough
, who was the brother of Roger FitzJohn (aka Roger de Lacy).
, Yorkshire
) and his wife Agnes Wentworth (died 20 April 1498, Flamborough) who had married on 2 January 1458. He was in France with Edward IV
in 1475 and with Henry VII
in 1492, in spite of the fact that he fought for Richard III
at the Battle of Bosworth
. He was High Sheriff of Staffordshire
and Yorkshire
(1488 and 1493), was in high favour with Henry VII of England
and Henry VIII
, and led his kinsmen (including his four sons) and retainers to the Battle of Flodden Field
in 1513. In Flamborough
church one may still read a rhyming epitaph describing Constable's life and prowess.
He was twice married. Firstly to Margery FitzHugh, sister to Alice
and Elizabeth FitzHugh
. The marriage produced no issue.
He married secondly to Joyce Stafford and by her left several children when he died on 20 November 1518.
Children of Constable and Joyce Stafford:
Another noteworthy member of this family was Sir William Constable (died 1655) who was a signatory to the death warrant of Charles I of England
.
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
soldier
Soldier
A soldier is a member of the land component of national armed forces; whereas a soldier hired for service in a foreign army would be termed a mercenary...
descended from the Hereditary Constables of Chester
Chester
Chester is a city in Cheshire, England. Lying on the River Dee, close to the border with Wales, it is home to 77,040 inhabitants, and is the largest and most populous settlement of the wider unitary authority area of Cheshire West and Chester, which had a population of 328,100 according to the...
, hence the surname of the family. He descended from Robert FitzJohn (son of John) or le Constable (-c.1216), Lord of Flamborough
Flamborough
Flamborough is a village and civil parish in the East Riding of Yorkshire, England. It is situated approximately north east of Bridlington town centre on the prominent coastal feature of Flamborough Head. The most prominent man-made feature of the area is Flamborough lighthouse. The headland...
, who was the brother of Roger FitzJohn (aka Roger de Lacy).
Life and family
Marmaduke was the eldest son and heir of Sir Robert Constable (died 23 May 1488, FlamboroughFlamborough
Flamborough is a village and civil parish in the East Riding of Yorkshire, England. It is situated approximately north east of Bridlington town centre on the prominent coastal feature of Flamborough Head. The most prominent man-made feature of the area is Flamborough lighthouse. The headland...
, Yorkshire
York
York is a walled city, situated at the confluence of the Rivers Ouse and Foss in North Yorkshire, England. The city has a rich heritage and has provided the backdrop to major political events throughout much of its two millennia of existence...
) and his wife Agnes Wentworth (died 20 April 1498, Flamborough) who had married on 2 January 1458. He was in France with Edward IV
Edward IV of England
Edward 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...
in 1475 and with Henry VII
Henry VII of England
Henry VII was King of England and Lord of Ireland from his seizing the crown on 22 August 1485 until his death on 21 April 1509, as the first monarch of the House of Tudor....
in 1492, in spite of the fact that he fought for Richard III
Richard III of England
Richard III was King of England for two years, from 1483 until his death in 1485 during the Battle of Bosworth Field. He was the last king of the House of York and the last of the Plantagenet dynasty...
at the Battle of Bosworth
Battle of Bosworth Field
The Battle of Bosworth Field was the penultimate battle of the Wars of the Roses, the civil war between the House of Lancaster and the House of York that raged across England in the latter half of the 15th century. Fought on 22 August 1485, the battle was won by the Lancastrians...
. He was High Sheriff of Staffordshire
High Sheriff of Staffordshire
This is a list of the High Sheriffs of Staffordshire.The High Sheriff is the oldest secular office under the Crown. Formerly the High Sheriff was the principal law enforcement officer in the county but over the centuries most of the responsibilities associated with the post have been transferred...
and Yorkshire
High Sheriff of Yorkshire
The High Sheriff of Yorkshire was an ancient High Sheriff title originating in the time of the Angles, not long after the invasion of the Kingdom of England, which was in existence for around a thousand years. A list of the sheriffs from the Norman conquest onwards can be found below...
(1488 and 1493), was in high favour with Henry VII of England
Henry VII of England
Henry VII was King of England and Lord of Ireland from his seizing the crown on 22 August 1485 until his death on 21 April 1509, as the first monarch of the House of Tudor....
and Henry VIII
Henry VIII of England
Henry VIII was King of England from 21 April 1509 until his death. He was Lord, and later King, of Ireland, as well as continuing the nominal claim by the English monarchs to the Kingdom of France...
, and led his kinsmen (including his four sons) and retainers to the Battle of Flodden Field
Battle of Flodden Field
The Battle of Flodden or Flodden Field or occasionally Battle of Branxton was fought in the county of Northumberland in northern England on 9 September 1513, between an invading Scots army under King James IV and an English army commanded by the Earl of Surrey...
in 1513. In Flamborough
Flamborough
Flamborough is a village and civil parish in the East Riding of Yorkshire, England. It is situated approximately north east of Bridlington town centre on the prominent coastal feature of Flamborough Head. The most prominent man-made feature of the area is Flamborough lighthouse. The headland...
church one may still read a rhyming epitaph describing Constable's life and prowess.
He was twice married. Firstly to Margery FitzHugh, sister to Alice
Alice FitzHugh
Alice FitzHugh, Lady Fiennes was the eldest daughter and co-heiress of Henry FitzHugh, 5th Baron FitzHugh, and Lady Alice Neville. Alice was born at the ancestral castle of Ravensworth. She married Sir John Fiennes, the son of Sir Richard Fiennes and Joan Dacre, 7th Baroness Dacre...
and Elizabeth FitzHugh
Elizabeth FitzHugh, Baroness Vaux of Harrowden
Lady Elizabeth FitzHugh was an English noblewoman as Lady Parr of Kendal. She is best known for being the grandmother of Catherine Parr, sixth queen consort to Henry VIII, and her siblings Anne Herbert, Countess of Pembroke, and William Parr, 1st Marquess of Northampton.-Family:Elizabeth was born...
. The marriage produced no issue.
He married secondly to Joyce Stafford and by her left several children when he died on 20 November 1518.
Children of Constable and Joyce Stafford:
- Sir Robert ConstableRobert ConstableSir Robert Constable was an English nobleman. He was the eldest son of Sir Marmaduke Constable and his wife Joyce Stafford...
(c.1478-1537), knighted at Blackheath, and executed for treason for taking part in the Pilgrimage of GracePilgrimage of GraceThe Pilgrimage of Grace was a popular rising in York, Yorkshire during 1536, in protest against Henry VIII's break with the Roman Catholic Church and the Dissolution of the Monasteries, as well as other specific political, social and economic grievances. It was done in action against Thomas Cromwell...
. - Sir Marmaduke Constable (c.1480-1545), of Everingham, was knightKnightA knight was a member of a class of lower nobility in the High Middle Ages.By the Late Middle Ages, the rank had become associated with the ideals of chivalry, a code of conduct for the perfect courtly Christian warrior....
ed after the battle of Flodden, and was at the Field of the Cloth of GoldField of the Cloth of GoldThe Field of Cloth of Gold is the name given to a place in Balinghem, between Guînes and Ardres, in France, near Calais. It was the site of a meeting that took place from 7 June to 24 June 1520, between King Henry VIII of England and King Francis I of France. The meeting was arranged to increase...
in 1520. He was a knight of the shireShireA shire is a traditional term for a division of land, found in the United Kingdom and in Australia. In parts of Australia, a shire is an administrative unit, but it is not synonymous with "county" there, which is a land registration unit. Individually, or as a suffix in Scotland and in the far...
for Yorkshire and then for WarwickshireWarwickshireWarwickshire is a landlocked non-metropolitan county in the West Midlands region of England. The county town is Warwick, although the largest town is Nuneaton. The county is famous for being the birthplace of William Shakespeare...
, and was a member of the Council of the NorthCouncil of the NorthThe Council of the North was an administrative body originally set up in 1484 by king Richard III of England, the third and last Yorkist monarch to hold the Crown of England; its intention was to improve government control and economic prosperity, to benefit the entire area of Northern England...
from 1537 until his death. - Eleanor Constable (c.1485-1527), married 1st John Ingleby of Ripley, Yorkshire and had a son William Ingleby. She married second Sir Thomas Berkeley, 5th Baron Berkeley (1472-1533) and had 2 sons and 2 daughters. Their daughter Muriel Berkeley married Sir Robert ThrockmortonRobert ThrockmortonSir Robert Throckmorton of Coughton Court, MP, KG was a distinguished English Tudor courtier.-Overview:...
. - Sir John Constable of Kinalton, knighted at Flodden
- Sir William Constable of Hatfield, knighted at Flodden
Another noteworthy member of this family was Sir William Constable (died 1655) who was a signatory to the death warrant of Charles I of England
Charles I of England
Charles I was King of England, King of Scotland, and King of Ireland from 27 March 1625 until his execution in 1649. Charles engaged in a struggle for power with the Parliament of England, attempting to obtain royal revenue whilst Parliament sought to curb his Royal prerogative which Charles...
.