Robert de Beke

  Information about this person:

• From Gen-Medieval Archives: Beke. ¹⁹³
From: "Peter Sutton" <p.sutton@net.ntl.com>
Subject: RE: de Clare, de Stafford, de Audley, Beke, Swynnerton ekkkkkk!
Date: Thu, 20 Jul 2000 20:26:43 +0100

Contemporary records show Sir Nicholas Beke was certainly married to someone called Joan who was alive in 1348 and these records apparently do not disclose her surname.

Sir Nicholas de Bek is descended from Sir Robert de Draycote alias Bek of Hopton and Tean, the eldest son of Sir Richard de Draycott (d. abt 1321) and his wife Lettice de Bek daughter and heiress of Robert de Bek, of Tean. She was dead by 1292 but had been married to Sir Richard de Draycott as early as 7 Edward I (1279-80). They had issue (among others):

Sir Robert de Draycote alias Bek of Hopton and Tean, knight. He was undoubtedly the heir of his mother, and it was probably settled at his birth that, as he would succeed to her estate, he should assume her surname. He was the eldest son of his father and seems to have come to age in about 1292. In 1295 Robert sued his father Sir Richard, mainly to do with Tene and the advowson of Checkley church. Their quarrels and court cases seemed to have continued off and on for the remainder of Sir Richard's life.

Robert de Bek evidently served in the campaign of 1318, against the Scots, and was in the retinue of Thomas Earl of Lancaster. In 1324 he was summoned from Staffordshire to attend at Westminster to consult with the King respecting various important and difficult matters. He was married to Matilda de Hertwalle. He died about 1330 and had issue:

Sir Robert de Bek. He was summoned on Christmas Eve 1334 from Roxhurgh to attend there on 2nd February for military service. He was dead by Easter 1346. He was married to Mariota. He had issue:

Sir Nicholas de Bek MP. He served in the Crecy campaign and he took part in the siege of Calais, 1347. In 1361 Prince Lionel of Clarence was appointed Lieutenant of Ireland, and was accompanied there by a body of men-at-arms commanded by Ralph Earl of Stafford and others. Nicholas de Bek was a knight in the Earl's retinue. He was married to Joan. He died in about 1369 which brought to an end the male line of these de Beks who were in fact de Draycotes. He had issue two daughters and co-heiresses:

1.Elizabeth de Beek. Married to Sir Robert de Swynnerton, knight.
2.Margaret who died without issue.

The Draycott family and also de Bek are discussed in some detail in Volume 1925 of the Collection for a History of Staffordshire published by the Willam Salt Society under "Notes on Staffordshire Families". Sir Nicholas de Beek died in 1369. According to the HCS 1925 p. 109 it states from a suit at Stafford Assizes in July, 1402, we learn definitely that he was the son of Mary (otherwise Mariota) de Bek, and that he himself married a wife named Joan; while from a suit also heard at Stafford in August, 1408 we know that he and Joan were both living at Lady day, 1348 [SHC XV, pages 114 and 122; Plea Rolls 1387-1405]. Volume 1925 appears to be the most accurate regarding the Draycott family that I have seen to date.

However, there are other references to Sir Nicholas de Beek which I have seen. HCS Volume XII (NS) Chetwynds History of Pirehill Hundred (Part1) gives an account of the Manor of Hopton. On page 140 there is a pedigree which shows "Nicholas de Bek,kt. (21 Ed. III. ob 45 Ed. III). = Joan". However, later on page 144 there is another pedigree which shows "Nic. de Beke, mil. 20 and 43 E.III = Margeria".

These are the only sources I have seen however as Sir Nicholas represented Staffordshire in Parliament he must be covered by Wedgewood's History of Parliament. There is also a footnote to page 141 of Chetwynd's History of Pirehill Hundred which says "A plea of 20 Ed. I (Vol VI, p. 209) throws much light on the Beck pedigree, which is continued by the Plea Roll of 2 H. IV (Vol XV, p. 114), and those of 4 H.IV (Vol XVI, p. 40) and (Vol. XVII, pp. 96-8) of 2 H. VI., which are too lengthy for insertion here, though interesting in enabling us to trace the family history and to understand the difficulties which beset heiresses in those days."

As to Ralph de Stafford's children by Katherine de Hastang, I have not seen any direct evidence that there were any other Children from this marriage apart from Margaret. There certainly were no males who lived to adulthood.

As I understand it by his second marriage to Margaret de Audley there was a daughter Joan whom I understand married Gilbert, Baron Talbot. Indeed all his daughters from this second marriage appear to have married into the nobility.

Sir John de Stafford (son of Sir William de Stafford and Isabel de Stafford) was certainly married twice his first wife being Elizabeth de Somerville daughter and in her issue coheir of Sir Philip de Somerville (d. 1355). There was one child of this marriage Maud or Matilda de Stafford born about 1328. After the death of Elizabeth which was certainly before 1355, Sir John de Stafford definitely married Margaret de Stafford daughter of Ralph Earl of Stafford and Katherine de Hastang. It should be noted that they were related being 2nd cousins once removed.

Regards
Peter Sutton

• Background Information. ¹⁴¹
Robert, son and heir of Lettice by her marriage to Sir Richard Draycote, assumed the name Bek, and was ancestor of a family of that name of Tean and Hopton.

~ Cokayne's Complete Peerage, 2nd Edition, Vol. IV, (Draycote), p. 462, footnote (b)

Robert married Matilda de Hertwalle.¹⁹³