Some corrections and additions to the Complete Peerage: Volume 2: Bradeston

BRADESTON

Volume 2, page 273:
THOMAS DE BRADESTON, grandson and h. [of Thomas de Bradeston (d. 1360)], being only s. and h. of Sir Robert B., s. and h. ap. of the last Lord (who was taken prisoner at Pisa when going on pilgrimage to the Holy Land in 1345, and d. v.p., between Midsummer 1355 and 28 June 1357), by Isabel, apparently da. of Sir William DE LA POLE. He was aged 8 years in 1360, ...

Thomas de Bradeston was born 19 May 1353. His mother Isabel was the widow of John Peverel (d. 1349), was married to Robert Bradeston by January 1351/2, and afterwards remarried by November 1357 to Robert de Rigge - she and Robert were both living in Trinity Term 1376. The suggestion that Isabel was a de la Pole seems to be an error.

In the inquisition taken after his grandfather's death, 2 September 1360, Thomas was said to have been aged 7 at the previous feast of St Dunstan (19 May), implying that he was born 19 May 1353 [Calendar of Inquisitions Post Mortem, vol. 10, no 614].

An indenture made 25 Edward III [25 January 1350/1-24 January 1351/2] between Sir William de la Pole and Margaret his wife, and Sir Robert de Bradeston and Isabel his wife, concerned the dower given to Isabel by John Peverell, described as her first husband [Collectanea Topographica et Genealogica, vol. 7, p. 327 (1841)]. Robert de Rigge and Isabel his wife were parties to a fine in the quindene of St Martin 1357 concerning dower in Castle Ashby granted by her former husband John Peverel [CP 25/1/177/81, no 458] and they were involved in suits concerning her dower rights in Stretton, Staffordshire, as widow of John Peverel between Hillary Term 1372/3 and Trinity Term 1376 [Staffordshire Historical Collections, vol. 13, pp. 92, 126, 134, 135 (1892); note that in the second and third of the three entries Isabel's former husband is erroneously called Robert Peverel].

Margaret, the wife of Sir William de la Pole, was the sister and coheir of Isabel's first husband, John Peverel, who died 15 November 1349 [Calendar of Inquisitions Post Mortem, vol. 9, no 180]. The suggestion that Isabel was the daughter of Sir William de la Pole presumably arose from the misinterpretation of a document in which he appeared as the brother-in-law of her first husband.

[Note also that, in the light of the dates given above, Isabel the wife of Robert Bradeston cannot be identical with the Isabel who married, successively, John Shirley (d. 1362), Sir John Woodhull (d. 1367) and Sir Gerard Braybroke (d. 1403), as has sometimes been claimed (e.g. History of Parliament, 1386-1421, vol. 2, pp. 343, 344)]

[Douglas Richardson, in May 2004, pointed out the evidence identifying the wife of John Peverel with the wife of Robert de Rigge in the 1370s. Thanks to Rosie Bevan and Brad Verity for providing other relevant references.
Item last updated 26 August 2004.]