Some corrections and additions to the Complete Peerage: Volume 5: Felton

FELTON

Volume 5, page 294:
SIR WILLIAM DE FELTON, of Edlingham, West Matfen, and Nafferton, Northumberland, Medomsley and Hamsterley, co. Durham, and Boddington, Northants, sometime Constable of Roxburgh castle ... d. 21 Sep. 1358.(e) Will, directing his burial to be in the Church of St. John the Baptist at Edlingham, dated Monday before the Nativity of the Virgin [3 Sep.] 1358.
Note e:
... Inq., Northumberland, Wednesday the vigil of All Saints [31 Oct.] 1358. "Item dicunt quod idem Willelmus obiit xxj die Septembris ultimo preterito Et dicunt quod Willelmus de Felton' miles filius predicti Willelmi est heres predicti Willelmi propinquior et est etatis triginta annorum et amplius." (Ch. Inq. p. m., Edw. III, file 140, no. 11). Inq., Durham, Monday after St. Peter in cathedra, 15 Hatfield [24 Feb. 1359/60]. Heir, as before, aged 21. (Durham Cursitors' Records, no. 2, f. 61).

Sir William de Felton married twice.

His first wife, whose name is unknown, appears to have been a daughter of Sir Thomas de Grey of Heton (d. 1343/4) (see Heron, vol. 6, p. 486). Their children were:

• (Presumably) Thomas, mentioned in a final concord of 1334; possibly an elder son who predeceased Sir William [Publications of the Newcastle upon Tyne Records Committee, vol. 11, p. 83 (1932)].
• Sir William de Felton, son and heir (d. 1366/7).
• Eleanor, who married Robert de Hilton and Agnes, who married Robert de Swynburn; both were dead by 1367, when their sons were the heirs of the younger Sir William de Felton [Calendar of Inquisitions Post Mortem, vol. 12, no 200].

Sir William married, secondly, Isabel, daughter and heir of Duncan, earl of Fife (d. 1353) (see Fife, volume 5, pages 374, 375). The children of this second marriage were:

• Sir John (d. 1396), said to be aged 26 or 28 in 1367, when he succeeded his half brother Sir William as lord of Edlingham etc. [Calendar of Inquisitions Post Mortem, vol. 12, no 200; vol. 17, nos 632-7].
• Duncan, for whom in 1351 a benefice was reserved at the petition of the king and queen [Calendar of Papal Petitions, vol. 1, p. 210; Calendar of Papal Letters, vol. 3, p. 428]; presumably the same Duncan in 1367 had licence to pass beyond seas to Gascony [Calendar of Patent Rolls, 1367-70, p. 56] and in 1385/6 had a protection for a year when going with Sir Thomas Swynbourne to Roxburgh [Calendar of Documents relating to Scotland, 1357-1509, p.79].
• Joan, who married Sir Walter Faucomberge of Bilton (both dead by 1384/5) [Calendar of Inquisitions Post Mortem, vol. 18, no 755; Calendar of Patent Rolls, 1381-85, p. 592].
• Possibly another daughter Constance, who married Sir Thomas Faucomberge (d. 1407) (see Fauconberge, volume 5, page 276).

Isabel survived William, being named as an executor in his will. For her later history, see Fife, volume 5, pages 374, 375.

[Rosie Bevan provided the evidence for William's first marriage in April 2002, and Douglas Richardson that for his second marriage in March 2002; both also made further contributions to the following discussion.]