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Paternal Family Tree: Stapleton
Before 1320 [his father] Gilbert Stapleton and [his mother] Agnes aka Matilda Fitzalan (age 21) were married.
In 1320 Miles Stapleton was born to Gilbert Stapleton and Agnes aka Matilda Fitzalan (age 22).
In 1321 [his father] Gilbert Stapleton died.
In or before 1326 Roger Strange 4th Baron Strange Knockin (age 24) and [his future wife] Joan Ightham Baroness Strange Knockin were married. She by marriage Baroness Strange Knockin.
On 23rd April 1344 King Edward III of England (age 31) created the Order of the Garter. The date nominal as there are different accounts; some sources say 1348.
2 Henry of Grosmont 1st Duke Lancaster.
3 Thomas Beauchamp 11th Earl Warwick.
4 Jean Grailly.
5 Ralph Stafford 1st Earl Stafford.
6 William Montagu 2nd Earl Salisbury.
7 Roger Mortimer 2nd Earl March.
9 Bartholomew "The Younger" Burghesh 2nd Baron Burghesh.
10 John Beauchamp 1st Baron Beauchamp Warwick.
11 John Mohun 2nd Baron Mohun of Dunster.
12 Hugh Courtenay.
13 Thomas Holland 1st Earl Kent.
15 Richard Fitzsimon.
16 Miles Stapleton.
17 Thomas Wale.
18 Hugh Wrottesley.
19 Neil Loring.
20 John Chandos.
21 James Audley.
22 Otho Holland.
23 Henry Eam.
24 Sanchet Abrichecourt.
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Adam Murimuth Continuation. In this year [1344], the Lord King ordered that the most noble tournament or chivalric contest be held at the place of his birth, namely, Windsor Castle, on the 19th of January, that is, the 14th day before the Kalends of February. He had it publicly proclaimed at an appropriate earlier time, both across the sea and in England. He also had all the ladies of the southern parts of England and the wives of the London burgesses invited by letter. So, on Sunday, the 14th day before the Kalends of February [19th January], when the earls, barons, knights, and a great many noble ladies had gathered at the castle, the king held a magnificent feast— such that the great hall of the castle was completely filled with ladies, and no man was among them, except two knights from France who had come solely for the celebration. At that feast were two queens, nine countesses, and the wives of barons, knights, and burgesses, whose numbers could hardly be counted. The king himself personally placed each woman in her seat according to rank. Meanwhile, the Prince of Wales, the Duke of Cornwall, the earls, barons, and knights, together with the common people, dined in tents and other locations, where food and all necessities were provided—freely and without complaint. In the evening, there were various dances and revels, solemnly arranged. For the three days following, the king, along with nineteen other knights, held the tournament against all challengers from outside. And the king himself, not because of royal favor, but because of the great effort he made and the fortune he had during those three days, was awarded the prize among the English participants. Among the foreign challengers, on the first day, Sir Miles de Stapleton (age 24), the second day, Sir Philip Despenser, the third day, Sir John Blount (age 46) were each honored for their performances. On the Thursday following, during the squires' tournament, the king held a great banquet, at which he inaugurated his Round Table, and took the oaths of certain earls, barons, and knights whom he wished to include under a specific form associated with that Round Table. He then set the next meeting of the Round Table to be held at the feast of Pentecost, and gave all those present leave to return home, with thanks and blessings. Later, he ordered that a magnificent building be constructed at Windsor, in which the Round Table could be held on the assigned date. To that end, he appointed masons, carpenters, and other craftsmen, and commanded that timber and stone be provided—sparing no labor or expense. However, this work was later abandoned, for certain reasons.
Hoc anno ordinavit dominus rex habere nobilissima hastiludia sive tirocinium in loco nativitatis suse, videlicet in castro de Wyndesore, die videlicet Januarii XIX et XIIIJ kalendas Februarii, quæ competenti temore præcedenti fecit tam in partibus transmarinis quam in Anglia publice proclamari. Ad que etiam fecit omnes dominas australium partium Angliæ et uxores burgensium Londoniensium per suas literas invitari. Congregatis igitur comitibus, baronibus, militibus, et quam plurimis dominabus die Dominica, videlicet XIIJ kalendas Februarii, in castro prædicto, fecit rex solempne convivium, ita quod magna aula ipsius castri plena exstitit dominabus, nec fuit aliquis masculus inter eas, præter duos milites qui soli de Francia ad solempnitatem hujusmodi accesserunt. In quo convivio fuerunt dus reginæ, IX comitissæ, uxores baronum, militum, et burgensium, qua non potueruunt faciliter numerari, quas rex ipse personaliter in locis suis secundum ordinem collocavit. Princeps vero Wallis, dux Cornubiæ, comites, barones, et milites, una cum toto populo in tentorio et locis aliis comederunt, ubi fuerunt cibaria et omnia alia necessaria præparata et omnibus liberaliter et sine murmure liberata; et in sero choreæ et tripudia diversa ‘solempniter ordinata. Et tribus diebus sequentibus rex cum aliis decem et novem militibus tenuit hastiludia contra omnes ab extrinseco venientes; et idem dominus, non propter favorem regium, sed propter magnum laborem quem sustinuit et propter fortunam quam dicto triduo habuit, inter intrinsecos gratias reportavit, Extrinsecus vero dominus miles de Stapeltona primo die, dominus Philippus Despenser secundo die, dominus Johannes Blount tertio die, gratias reportarunt. Die vero Jovis sequente post hastiludia domicellorum, dominus rex fecit cenam magnam in qua suam rotundam tabulam inchoavit, et juramenta quorumdam comitum et baronum et militum quos voluit esse de dicta tabula rotunda recepit sub certa forma ad dictam rotundam tabulam pertinente; et præfixit diem rotundese tabule tenendæ ibidem in festo Pentecostes proxime tunc futuro, et omnibus præsentibus dedit licentiam cum gratiarum actionibus ad propria remeandi. Ordinavit etiam postea quod ibidem fieret una nobilissima domus, in qua posset dicta rotunda tabula teneri in termino assignato; ad quam faciendam, cæmentarios et carpentarios ceterosque artifices deputavit, et tam ligna quam lapides provideri præcepit, non parcendo laboribus vel expensis. A quo opere fuit postea ex certis causis cessatum.
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On 3rd November 1348 [his mother] Agnes aka Matilda Fitzalan (age 50) died in Bedale.
Annales of England by John Stow. This yeere, on Saint Georges day [23rd April 1350], the king held a great and solemne feast at his castle of Windsor, where he had augmented the chappel which Henry the first and other his progenitors, kings of England, had before erected, of eight chanons. He added to those eight chanons a deane and fifteene chanons more, and 24 poore and impotent knights, with other ministers and servants, as appeareth in his charter dated the two and twentieth of his reigne. Besides the king, there were other also that were contributors to the foundation of this colledge, as followeth: i. The sovereigne king Edward the third, 2. Edward, his eldest sonne, prince of Wales, 3. Henry, duke of Lancaster, 4. the earle of Warwicke (age 37), 5. Captaine de Bouch (age 19), 6. Ralph, earle of Stafford (age 48), 7. William Montacute (age 21), earle of Salisburie, 8. Roger, lorde Mortimer (age 21), earle of March, 9. sir John de Lisle (age 31), 10. sir Bartholomew Burwash (age 22), 11. sir John Beauchampe (age 34), 12. sir John Mahune (age 30), 13. sir Hugh Courtney, 14. sir Thomas Holland (age 36), 15. sir John Grey (age 49), 16. sir Richard Fitz Simon, 17. sir Miles Stapleton (age 30), 18. sir Thomas Walle (age 47), 19. sir Hugh Wrothesley (age 16), 20. sir Nele Loring (age 30), 21. sir John Chandos (age 30), 22. sir James de Audley (age 32), 23. sir Othes Holland (age 34), 24. sir Henry Eme, 25. sir Sechet Dabridgecourt (age 20), 26. sir Wiliam Panell (age 31). All these, together with the king, were clothed in gownes of russet, poudered with garters blew, wearing the like garters also on their right legges, and mantels of blew with scutcheons of S. George. In this sort of apparell they, being bare-headed, heard masse, which was celebrated by Simon Islip, archbishop of Canterbury, and the bishops of Winchester and Excester, and afterwards they went to the feast, setting themselves orderly at the table, for the honor of the feast, which they named to be of S. George the martyr and the choosing of the knights of the Garter.
On 30th November 1350 Miles Stapleton (age 30) and Joan Ightham Baroness Strange Knockin were married.
Around 1355 [his son] John Stapleton was born to Miles Stapleton (age 35).
Chronicle of Geoffrey le Baker of Swinbroke [-1360]. Accordingly, after offering homage and an oath of fealty,1 he received by the King's command Sir Miles de Stapleton (age 36), a man of great virtue and remarkable devotion to the Blessed Virgin, yet well-instructed in the conduct of war, as a most faithful partner in the desired enterprise. These renowned warriors, with two thousand men in arms, set out for Normandy, scouring the countryside, capturing walled towns and other strongholds; some they burned, others they received in surrender or ransom, and they advanced as far as a certain castle2 only nine leagues from the city of Paris. Nor did they cease from this labour until, having agreed to a truce, which will be related in the following year,3 they returned to England.
Igitur, offerens homagium et iurata fidelitate, recepit ex ordinacione regis dominum Milonem de Stapiltone, virum magne probitatis et mire devocionis ad Virginem beatam, set bellicis negociis experienciis egregiis instructum, collegam fidelissimum laboris optati. Prenominati viri bellicosi, cum duobus milibus togatorum Neustriam profecti, patriam transequitarunt, capientes opida murata et alias municiones, et, nonnullis igne consumptis, aliis deditis et redemptis, processerunt usque ad castrum quoddam, quod IX leucis dumtaxat distinguitur a civitate Parisiensi. Nec a tanto labore vacare curabant quousque, treugis initis, annali proximo dicendis, in Angliam redierunt.
Note 1. Baker is here going back upon Lancaster's raid, already referred to. Sir Miles Stapleton was one of the founders of the Garter; he died in 1364.
Note 2. Verneuil was the furthest point reached by Lancaster.
Note 3. This would imply that Baker intended to carry on his chronicle.
All About History Books
The Chronicle of Geoffrey le Baker of Swinbroke. Baker was a secular clerk from Swinbroke, now Swinbrook, an Oxfordshire village two miles east of Burford. His Chronicle describes the events of the period 1303-1356: Gaveston, Bannockburn, Boroughbridge, the murder of King Edward II, the Scottish Wars, Sluys, Crécy, the Black Death, Winchelsea and Poitiers. To quote Herbert Bruce 'it possesses a vigorous and characteristic style, and its value for particular events between 1303 and 1356 has been recognised by its editor and by subsequent writers'. The book provides remarkable detail about the events it describes. Baker's text has been augmented with hundreds of notes, including extracts from other contemporary chronicles, such as the Annales Londonienses, Annales Paulini, Murimuth, Lanercost, Avesbury, Guisborough and Froissart to enrich the reader's understanding. The translation takes as its source the 'Chronicon Galfridi le Baker de Swynebroke' published in 1889, edited by Edward Maunde Thompson. Available at Amazon in eBook and Paperback.
On 23rd June 1357 [his son] Miles Stapleton was born to Miles Stapleton (age 37) at Ingham, Norfolk.
Before 1364 [his son] John Stapleton (age 8) died.
On 29th September 1364 Battle of Auray decided the Breton Succession in favour of John Montfort V Duke Brittany (age 25). The Breton and English army was commanded by John Chandos (age 44) and included William Latimer 4th Baron Latimer of Corby (age 34), Miles Stapleton (age 44) and Hugh Calverley (age 40). Charles "Saint" Chatillon Duke Brittany (age 45) was killed. Bertrand Geusclin (age 44) surrendered.
On 4th December 1364 Miles Stapleton (age 44) died.
In or before 1365 [his former wife] Joan Ightham Baroness Strange Knockin died.
Effigy of Sir Miles Stapleton and his Lady. Miles Stapleton and [his former wife] Joan Ightham Baroness Strange Knockin
Effigy of Sir Miles Stapleton and his Lady. ONE of those engraved plates familiarly termed brasses. It is on the floor of the chancel of Ingham church, Norfolk, and commemorates Sir Miles Stapleton, Knight of the Garter, and his wife, [his former wife] Joan, daughter of Sir Oliver Ingham, and widow of Lord Strange, of Knockyn. He died on Wednesday before the feast of St. Nicholas, 38 Edward III. (December 4,1364.) The lady, perhaps from courtesy as a coheiress, is placed on the knight's right hand. An elegant crocketed gothic canopy and pinnacles surmount the figures. These have suffered some mutilation. Into the verge of the stone has been inserted a fillet of brass, with this inscription:
Priez pour les almes de Monseur Miles de Stapleton, et Dame Johanne, sa femme, fille de Monseur Oliver de Ingham, fondours de ceste maison; qe dieu de jour almes eit pitie.
[Pray for the alms of Sir Miles of Stapleton, and Dame Johanne, his wife, daughter of Sir Oliver of Ingham, founders of this house; may god of day almes have mercy]
That portion printed in the black letter alone now remains, the rest is supplied from Bloomfield.
[his daughter] Joan Stapleton was born to Miles Stapleton.
Kings Franks: Great x 16 Grand Son of Charles "Charlemagne aka Great" King Franks King Lombardy Holy Roman Emperor
Father: Gilbert Stapleton
Great x 4 Grandfather: Alan "Black" Penthièvre 1st Earl Richmond
Great x 3 Grandfather: Bryan Penthièvre
Great x 2 Grandfather: Brian Fitzalan
Great x 1 Grandfather: Alan Fitzalan of Bedale
GrandFather: Brian Fitzalan 1st Baron Fitzalan of Bedale
Mother: Agnes aka Matilda Fitzalan