Some corrections and additions to the Complete Peerage: Volume 4: Derby

DERBY (County of)

See also "proposed" section

Volume 4, pages 193, 194 (as modified by volume 14):
He [William (de Ferrieres), Earl of Derby (d. 1190)] m. Sibyl, da. of William DE BRAIOSE, Lord of Bramber, by Bertha (heiress of Brecon and Over Gwent), sister and coheir of William DE HEREFORD, and 2nd da. of Miles (DE GLOUCESTER), EARL OF HEREFORD.(e) ... His wife survived him, and m. 2ndly, Adam DE PORT, Lord of Basing, who d. 1213, and was, perhaps, living as late as 5 Feb. 1227/8.(b)
Page 193, note e:
"Robertus [sic] Comes de Ferrieres ... [pro] anima Sibille de Braosa uxoris mee matris W. filii mei et sua ..." (Vincent, Discoverie of Errours, p. 677). The mistake of writing Robertus - instead of Willelmus - in this transcript has been the principal source of error in the various pedigrees of the Earls of Derby that have been put forward. ... In what may be called the official account de forisfacto Willelmi de Braosa [son of the William mentioned in the text] in 1208, it is twice mentioned that W. Comes de Ferariis was nepos suus. And the Earl is one of the witnesses to the truth of the document. (Liber Niger, vol. i, p. 377). ... It appears, however, that this whole charter is a fabrication by Vincent. Apart from giving the wrong name to the Earl, the charter is nearly identical to one of Robert de Stafford for Bordesley Abbey (Harl. Charter 56D.50, printed in Staffs. Collections, William Salt Soc., vol. ii, p. 259, ex inform. Lewis Loyd). This charter being the sole evidence for the marriage of Earl William, it now does not appear whom he did marry.
Page 194, note b:
She certainly survived her husband for many years (Testa de Neville, p. 108), and was, perhaps, the Sibilla de Ferrariis who occurs 5 Feb. 1227/8, being then a widow (Patent Roll, 12 Hen. III, m. 6).

The identification of Sibyl as a daughter of William de Braiose is sound, despite being alluded to in a spurious charter. This is shown by the account of the forfeit of William de Braiose mentioned above. In addition to twice describing William, the son of William de Ferrieres [d. 1190], as the nepos of William de Braiose [d. 1211], this also refers to Adam de Port as having married the sister of William de Braiose [the account is printed in Rymer's Foedera, vol. 1, part 1, p. 107 (1816 edn), as well as in T. Hearne, Liber Niger Scaccarii, cited above]. Sibyl's remarriage to Adam de Port was established by J. H. Round, using quite independent evidence [Genealogist, new series, vol. 18, p. 137].

Although Sibyl was certainly still living in 1219, it is not clear how much longer she survived. Complete Peerage, vol. 11, p. 321, identifies her as probably the same Sibyl de Ferrers who appears in September 1228, but this is clearly a different Sibyl, who married firstly Walter de Dunstanville (d. in the 1190s) and secondly Ingelram de Pratellis (d. between 1226 and 1229) [for further details see Eyton, Antiquities of Shropshire vol. 2, pp. 291, 292; it seems quite likely that this other Sibyl was a daughter of William de Ferrers and Sibyl de Braiose]. Possibly the reference from February 1227/8, mentioned above, also relates to the widow of Ingelram de Pratellis.

[The evidence for Sibyl's parentage was provided by Doug Thompson in October 2002. The identity of the other Sibyl de Ferrers was discussed in July 2003 by Rosie Bevan and John P. Ravilious.
Item last updated: 23 August 2003.]