William de Ros, 7th Baron de Ros
Encyclopedia
William de Ros, 7th Baron de Ros of Helmsley, KG (1369 – 1 September 1414) was Lord Treasurer of England.
He was a son of Thomas de Ros, 5th Baron de Ros
and Beatrice Stafford, daughter of Ralph Stafford, 1st Earl of Stafford
. He was also a younger brother of John de Ros, 6th Baron de Ros
.
, Cyprus
during 1394. William was already a Knight
and inherited the rank and privileges of his deceased brother. He was first summoned to the Parliament of England on November 20 of the same year. He would regularly attend sessions till 1413.
His first assignment from Richard II of England
was to join Walter Skirlaw
, Bishop of Durham, Henry Percy, 1st Earl of Northumberland
and others in negotiating for a peace treaty with Robert III of Scotland
.
Richard favored William with a position in his Privy council
. In 1396, William accompanied the King to Calais
for his marriage to his second Queen consort
Isabella of Valois, daughter of Charles VI of France and Isabeau of Bavaria
.
When Henry of Bolingbroke
started his revolt against Richard II, William was among the first to support him. He was present for the abdication of Richard II and the declaration of Henry IV as the new King. He retained his position in the Privy council for the rest of his life.
He seems to have been a special favourite with the first monarch of the House of Lancaster
and was employed him in various civil affairs of great importance. He served as Lord Treasurer of England from 1403 to 1404. He was created a Knight of the Garter in 1403 along with Edmund de Holand, 4th Earl of Kent and Richard Grey, 4th Baron Grey of Codnor
.
William was in charge of investigating the activities of Lollards
in Derbyshire
, Middlesex
and Nottinghamshire
from 1413 to his death.
and Elizabeth le Despenser
. They were parents to eight children:
He was a son of Thomas de Ros, 5th Baron de Ros
Thomas de Ros, 5th Baron de Ros
Thomas de Ros, 5th Baron de Ros of Helmsley was the son of William de Ros, 3rd Baron de Ros, and the brother of William de Ros, 4th Baron de Ros....
and Beatrice Stafford, daughter of Ralph Stafford, 1st Earl of Stafford
Ralph Stafford, 1st Earl of Stafford
Ralph de Stafford, 2nd Baron Stafford, 1st Earl of Stafford, KG was an English nobleman and notable soldier during the Hundred Years War against France.-Early life and family:...
. He was also a younger brother of John de Ros, 6th Baron de Ros
John de Ros, 6th Baron de Ros
John de Ros, 6th Baron de Ros of Helmsley, KB . He took a prominent part in the pageantry at the coronation of the ill-advised, and ill-fated Richard II, then only years old. Following the coronation he was made a Knight of the Bath. While on a pilgrimage to Jerusalem he died in Paphos, Cyprus. His...
.
Career
His older brother died heirless in PaphosPaphos
Paphos , sometimes referred to as Pafos, is a coastal city in the southwest of Cyprus and the capital of Paphos District. In antiquity, two locations were called Paphos: Old Paphos and New Paphos. The currently inhabited city is New Paphos. It lies on the Mediterranean coast, about west of the...
, Cyprus
Cyprus
Cyprus , officially the Republic of Cyprus , is a Eurasian island country, member of the European Union, in the Eastern Mediterranean, east of Greece, south of Turkey, west of Syria and north of Egypt. It is the third largest island in the Mediterranean Sea.The earliest known human activity on the...
during 1394. William was already a Knight
Knight
A knight was a member of a class of lower nobility in the High Middle Ages.By the Late Middle Ages, the rank had become associated with the ideals of chivalry, a code of conduct for the perfect courtly Christian warrior....
and inherited the rank and privileges of his deceased brother. He was first summoned to the Parliament of England on November 20 of the same year. He would regularly attend sessions till 1413.
His first assignment from Richard II of England
Richard II of England
Richard II was King of England, a member of the House of Plantagenet and the last of its main-line kings. He ruled from 1377 until he was deposed in 1399. Richard was a son of Edward, the Black Prince, and was born during the reign of his grandfather, Edward III...
was to join Walter Skirlaw
Walter Skirlaw
Walter Skirlaw was an English bishop and diplomat. He was Bishop of Durham from 1388 to 1406...
, Bishop of Durham, Henry Percy, 1st Earl of Northumberland
Henry Percy, 1st Earl of Northumberland
Henry Percy, 1st Earl of Northumberland, 4th Baron Percy, titular King of Mann, KG, Lord Marshal was the son of Henry de Percy, 3rd Baron Percy and a descendent of Henry III of England. His mother was Mary of Lancaster, daughter of Henry, 3rd Earl of Lancaster, son of Edmund, Earl of Leicester and...
and others in negotiating for a peace treaty with Robert III of Scotland
Robert III of Scotland
Robert III was King of Scots from 1390 to his death. His given name was John Stewart, and he was known primarily as the Earl of Carrick before ascending the throne at age 53...
.
Richard favored William with a position in his Privy council
Privy Council of England
The Privy Council of England, also known as His Majesty's Most Honourable Privy Council, was a body of advisers to the sovereign of the Kingdom of England...
. In 1396, William accompanied the King to Calais
Calais
Calais is a town in Northern France in the department of Pas-de-Calais, of which it is a sub-prefecture. Although Calais is by far the largest city in Pas-de-Calais, the department's capital is its third-largest city of Arras....
for his marriage to his second Queen consort
Queen consort
A queen consort is the wife of a reigning king. A queen consort usually shares her husband's rank and holds the feminine equivalent of the king's monarchical titles. Historically, queens consort do not share the king regnant's political and military powers. Most queens in history were queens consort...
Isabella of Valois, daughter of Charles VI of France and Isabeau of Bavaria
Isabeau of Bavaria
Isabeau of Bavaria was Queen consort of France as spouse of King Charles VI of France, a member of the Valois Dynasty...
.
When Henry of Bolingbroke
Henry IV of England
Henry IV was King of England and Lord of Ireland . He was the ninth King of England of the House of Plantagenet and also asserted his grandfather's claim to the title King of France. He was born at Bolingbroke Castle in Lincolnshire, hence his other name, Henry Bolingbroke...
started his revolt against Richard II, William was among the first to support him. He was present for the abdication of Richard II and the declaration of Henry IV as the new King. He retained his position in the Privy council for the rest of his life.
He seems to have been a special favourite with the first monarch of the House of Lancaster
House of Lancaster
The House of Lancaster was a branch of the royal House of Plantagenet. It was one of the opposing factions involved in the Wars of the Roses, an intermittent civil war which affected England and Wales during the 15th century...
and was employed him in various civil affairs of great importance. He served as Lord Treasurer of England from 1403 to 1404. He was created a Knight of the Garter in 1403 along with Edmund de Holand, 4th Earl of Kent and Richard Grey, 4th Baron Grey of Codnor
Richard Grey, 4th Baron Grey of Codnor
Richard Grey, 1st or 4th Baron Grey of Codnor KG was an English soldier and diplomat.-Military and diplomatic service:In 1400 he was appointed Admiral of the king's fleet from the Thames to the north, and in the same year was made Governor of Roxburgh Castle...
.
William was in charge of investigating the activities of Lollards
Lollardy
Lollardy was a political and religious movement that existed from the mid-14th century to the English Reformation. The term "Lollard" refers to the followers of John Wycliffe, a prominent theologian who was dismissed from the University of Oxford in 1381 for criticism of the Church, especially his...
in Derbyshire
Derbyshire
Derbyshire is a county in the East Midlands of England. A substantial portion of the Peak District National Park lies within Derbyshire. The northern part of Derbyshire overlaps with the Pennines, a famous chain of hills and mountains. The county contains within its boundary of approx...
, Middlesex
Middlesex
Middlesex is one of the historic counties of England and the second smallest by area. The low-lying county contained the wealthy and politically independent City of London on its southern boundary and was dominated by it from a very early time...
and Nottinghamshire
Nottinghamshire
Nottinghamshire is a county in the East Midlands of England, bordering South Yorkshire to the north-west, Lincolnshire to the east, Leicestershire to the south, and Derbyshire to the west...
from 1413 to his death.
Marriage and children
William was married to Margaret Fitzalan (Margaret d'Arundel), on 9 October 1394. She was daughter to John FitzAlan, 2nd Baron ArundelJohn FitzAlan, 2nd Baron Arundel
John FitzAlan, 2nd Baron Arundel, 3rd Baron Maltravers jure matris ?, also called John de Arundel , of Buckland, Surrey, was the son of John FitzAlan, 1st Baron Arundel and Eleanor Maltravers....
and Elizabeth le Despenser
Elizabeth le Despenser
Elizabeth Despenser was an English noblewoman of the late 14th century. She should not be confused with another woman of that name, Elizabeth le Despenser, Baroness Berkeley, the daughter of Eleanor de Clare....
. They were parents to eight children:
- John de Ros, 8th Baron de RosJohn de Ros, 8th Baron de RosJohn de Ros, 8th Baron de Ros of Helmsley was an English nobleman.He was the eldest son of William de Ros, 7th Baron de Ros and Margaret FitzAlan. His mother was a daughter of John FitzAlan, 2nd Baron Arundel and Elizabeth le Despenser....
(1396–1421). - Margaret de Ros (c. 1398 – after 1423). She married James Tuchet, 5th Baron AudleyJames Tuchet, 5th Baron AudleyJames Tuchet, 5th Baron Audley, 2nd Baron Tuchet was an English peer.James Tuchet, 5th Baron Audley, son of John Tuchet, 4th Baron Audley and his wife Elizabeth, was a distinguished veteran of the Hundred Years' War...
. - Thomas de Ros, 9th Baron de RosThomas de Ros, 9th Baron de RosThomas de Ros, 9th Baron de Ros of Helmsley was an English nobleman.-Lineage:He was the second son of William de Ros, 7th Baron de Ros and Margaret Fitzalan...
(1403–1431). - Elizabeth de Ros. She married Robert Morley, 6th Baron Morley.
- Sir Robert de Ros (1412–1481).
- William de Ros (died 1421).
- Beatrice de Ros. A nunNunA nun is a woman who has taken vows committing her to live a spiritual life. She may be an ascetic who voluntarily chooses to leave mainstream society and live her life in prayer and contemplation in a monastery or convent...
. - Alice de Ros.