Biography of Richard Knightley 1533-1615

In 1533 Richard Knightley was born to Valentine Knightley (age 38) and Anne Ferrers (age 38).

On 12 Dec 1554 [his mother] Anne Ferrers (age 59) died.

Around 1555 [his son] Valentine Knightley was born to Richard Knightley (age 22) and [his future wife] Mary Fermor (age 22).

Around 1560 [his daughter] Dorothea Knightley was born to Richard Knightley (age 27) and [his future wife] Mary Fermor (age 27).

Around 1562 [his son] Edward Knightley was born to Richard Knightley (age 29) and [his future wife] Mary Fermor (age 29).

Before 1566 [his father] Valentine Knightley (age 70) and [his mother] Anne Ferrers were married.

In 1566 Richard Knightley (age 33) and Mary Fermor (age 33) were married. They had three sons and three daughters.

On 08 May 1566 [his father] Valentine Knightley (age 71) died

In 1567 attrbuted to Hans Eworth (age 47). Portrait of Richard Knightley (age 34).

On 27 Sep 1573 [his wife] Mary Fermor (age 40) died.

In 1575 Richard Knightley (age 42) entertained Queen Elizabeth I (age 41) at Fawsley Hall, Northamptonshire [Map]. The Queen stayed in the Jane Skenard Room at Fawsley Hall, Northamptonshire [Map].

Around 1578 Richard Knightley (age 45) and Elizabeth Seymour (age 26) were married. They had seven sons and seven daughters. She the daughter of Edward Seymour 1st Duke of Somerset and Anne Stanhope Duchess Somerset (age 81). She a great x 5 granddaughter of King Edward III of England.

Before 1579 [his daughter] Dorothea Knightley (age 18) died.

In or before 1579 [his son-in-law] Edward Unton (age 22) and [his daughter] Dorothea Knightley (age 18) were married. There were no children from the marriage. He the son of Edward Unton (age 44) and [his sister-in-law] Anne Seymour Countess of Warwick (age 40).

On 15 May 1580 [his son] Seymour Knightley was born to Richard Knightley (age 47) and [his wife] Elizabeth Seymour (age 28). Named for his mother's family Seymour.

On 26 May 1581 [his son] Ferdinanado Knightley was born to Richard Knightley (age 48) and [his wife] Elizabeth Seymour (age 29).

In 1582 [his brother-in-law] Edward Seymour 1st Earl Hertford (age 42) and Frances Howard Countess Hertford (age 28) were married. She by marriage Countess Hertford. He the son of Edward Seymour 1st Duke of Somerset and [his mother-in-law] Anne Stanhope Duchess Somerset (age 85). He a great x 5 grandson of King Edward III of England.

On 16 Sep 1582 Edward Unton (age 48) died. He was buried at All Saints' Church, Faringdon. The inscription on his monument ... Here lyeth Sir Edward Unton, Knight of the Noble Order of the Bathe, whoe married [his sister-in-law] Anne Countess of Warwick (age 44), daughter of Edwarde Seymer Duke of Somersett and Protector of England, by whome he had ffive sonnes, whereof 3 died younge in the life of their father; Two, namelye [his former son-in-law] Edwarde (age 26) and Henry (age 24) onely, survyved and succeeded him, the one after the other in their father's inheritance; and two daughters, [his future daughter-in-law] Anne (age 27) married to Sir [his son] Valentine Knightley (age 27), Knight, and Scissil (age 21) married to John Wentworth (age 18), Esquire.

Around 1583 [his son] Dudley Knightley was born to Richard Knightley (age 50) and [his wife] Elizabeth Seymour (age 31).

On 24 Feb 1583 [his daughter] Anne Knightley died.

On 25 Jul 1584 [his daughter] Anne Knightley was born to Richard Knightley (age 51) and [his wife] Elizabeth Seymour (age 32).

On 1585 [his son-in-law] Thomas Barnardiston of Witham Knights, Essex and [his daughter] Mary Knightley were married.

On 01 Aug 1585 [his son] John Knightley was born to Richard Knightley (age 52) and [his wife] Elizabeth Seymour (age 33).

On 25 Feb 1586 [his son] Nathaniel Knightley was born to Richard Knightley (age 53) and [his wife] Elizabeth Seymour (age 34).

In 1588 [his sister-in-law] Anne Seymour Countess of Warwick (age 50) died.

On 15 Sep 1588 [his son] Robert Knightley was born to Richard Knightley (age 55) and [his wife] Elizabeth Seymour (age 36).

In 1589 Richard Knightley (age 56) was arrested for the printing of the second Marprelate Tract. He was released in Feb 1589 being fined £2000 by the Court of the Star Chamber.

On 19 Jan 1590 [his son] Francis Knightley was born to Richard Knightley (age 57) and [his wife] Elizabeth Seymour (age 38).

Around 1594 [his son] Edward Knightley (age 32) and [his daughter-in-law] Mary Coles de Preston (age 16) were married.

On 03 Mar 1594 [his daughter] Mary Knightley died.

On 18 Nov 1598 [his son] Edward Knightley (age 36) died.

Around 1601 [his son] Seymour Knightley (age 20) and [his daughter-in-law] Dorothy Bedell (age 17) were married.

On 27 May 1601 [his brother-in-law] Edward Seymour 1st Earl Hertford (age 62) and Frances Howard Duchess Lennox and Richmond (age 22) were married. She by marriage Countess Hertford. The difference in their ages was 39 years. He the son of Edward Seymour 1st Duke of Somerset and [his mother-in-law] Anne Stanhope Duchess Somerset. They were half third cousins. He a great x 5 grandson of King Edward III of England.

In 1602 [his son] Nathaniel Knightley (age 15) died.

In Jun 1602 [his son] Dudley Knightley (age 19) died in Norton, Northamptonshire [Map]. He had been shot in the neck whilst in the defense of Ostend. Having returned home he "fell down wherwith a fever took him whereof he died".

On 03 Jun 1602 [his wife] Elizabeth Seymour (age 50) died. Monument in All Saints Church, Norton [Map]. Painted alabaster. Monument with recumbent praying effigy in coffered arch flanked by black marble Corinthian Columns and outer obelisks and topped by armorial panels. The monument also to [his son] Dudley Knightley (deceased). Elizabethan Period.

Elizabeth Seymour: In 1552 she was born to Edward Seymour 1st Duke of Somerset and Anne Stanhope Duchess Somerset in the year in which her father was executed. Around 1578 Richard Knightley and she were married. They had seven sons and seven daughters. She the daughter of Edward Seymour 1st Duke of Somerset and Anne Stanhope Duchess Somerset. She a great x 5 granddaughter of King Edward III of England.

Dudley Knightley: Around 1583 he was born to Richard Knightley and Elizabeth Seymour. In Jun 1602 Dudley Knightley died in Norton, Northamptonshire [Map]. He had been shot in the neck whilst in the defense of Ostend. Having returned home he "fell down wherwith a fever took him whereof he died".

In 1614 [his son] John Knightley (age 28) died.

On 01 Sep 1615 Richard Knightley (age 82) died in Norton, Northamptonshire [Map]. He was buried in St Mary's Church, Fawsley [Map].

[his daughter] Mary Knightley was born to Richard Knightley and Elizabeth Seymour.

[his daughter] Anne Knightley was born to Richard Knightley and Elizabeth Seymour.