Lady Orabilie

  Information about this person:

• From Gen-Medieval Archives: Identity of Lady Orabilie . ¹⁹³
From: "Peter Sutton" <petersutton@ntlworld.com>
Subject: RE: Sir Richard de Draycott (d. ca. 1268) and the identity of 'Lady Orabilie'
Date: Thu, 20 May 2004 12:39:54 +0100

The most comprehensive account of the Draycott family was written by William Fowler Carter and contained in Volume 1925 (pages 70 to 153) of the "Collection for a History of Staffordshire" published by The William Salt Archaeological Society.

Orabilis or Orabella (Arabella) was the 3^rd wife of Sir Richard de Draycott. After Sir Richard's death she married as her third husband Sir William Wyther, Kt.

Her 1^st husband was Robert de Bec (son of Robert de Bec & his wife Lettice)(See Collections for a History of Staffordshire Vol XII, (NS), 1909 - Chetwynd's History of Pirehill - Hundred, Part I. - pages 139-141 for details and pedigree of Bec of Tean and Hopton).

Their daughter Lettice married Sir Richard de Draycott (eldest son of Sir Philip de Draycott). This Sir Richard appears to have been born between 1245-1250.

Lettice de Bec was the daughter and heiress of Robert de Bek and Orabel. Robert was Uncle and heir of Gilbert Bek of Tene. When she was under age, Lettice was in ward to William Wyther (her Mother's 3^rd husband)(both serial litigants!!).

Lettice died before Michaelmas 1292 and her husband Richard de Draycott was living and held her lands by the courtesy of England, having had children by her. She was also heiress of Orabel her mother. This is shown by a De Banco suit of 1369 in which Lettice's lineal heir Sir Nicholas Bek specifically claimed as heir of Orabel, tracing his heirship through Lettice her daughter and heir.

As far as the origin of Orabel is concerned Carter makes the following comment.

The wife who survived him (Sir Richard de Draycott d. c. 1268)) was Orabilis or Orabella a name identical I presume with the more modern "Arabella". Of her birth I know nothing except that in 1276 she was called "sister" by a certain Sarra de Thene. Sara had only married into the junior Tean line. I (Carter) suggest however that she was an Okeover, sister of Sir Robert de Okeover who died about 1282 leaving a daughter Arabella. If so. Orabella's siser Sarra de Tean probably derived her Christian name from her grandmother Sarra de Chandos, wife of an earlier Sir Robert de Okeover (see SHS NS VII p. 180 etc.). The relationship suggested would explain the presence of Philip de Draycott's grant (which you have quoted) amongst the Okeover Charters.

Peter Sutton

Orabilie married Robert de Beke.¹⁴¹

Orabilie next married Sir Richard de Draycote Knight & Justice of Chester, son of Hugh/Richard de Draycote and Unknown. (Sir Richard de Draycote Knight & Justice of Chester was born about 1200 in Draycote-in-le-Moors, Cheadle, Staffordshire, England ¹⁹³ and died about 1268 in Draycote-in-le-Moors, Cheadle, Staffordshire, England ¹⁹³.)