Elizabeth Ferrers (1240 - abt. 1297)

Born 1240 in Derby, Derbyshire, England

Ancestors

Wife of William Marshall — married 1256 in Hingham, Norfolk, England

Wife of Dafydd ap Gruffudd — married 1277 (to 3 Oct 1283) in Wales

Descendants

Died about Jun 1297 at about age 57 in North Wales

Problems/Questions Profile manager: Chet Snow [send private message]

Biography

There is a lot of biographical confusion of dates and persons regarding the de Ferrers and Marshall families in the 13th Century. At least 5 quite different birth dates are ascribed to John Marshall's mother, Elizabeth de Ferrers Marshall. The earliest is 1209, which is clearly impossible as the same Elizabeth is said to have had at least one daughter in the 1270s. Next is the year 1240, which is the most likely, given that she had a son in 1257 and a daughter in 1279 as it would make her about 39 then. Next is 1242, the date that is hinted at by sources cited in The Complete Book of Peerage... (see below). After that is 1246, which would make her married to Baron William Marshall at around 10 years old or finally, 1250, which would make her first married at under 8 years old. The following is what I have researched. Please correct it IF you have new sources to confirm your corrections.

Elizabeth (de) Ferrers was the 1st daughter of William de Ferrers, 5th Earl of Derby, by his 2nd wife, Margaret de Quincy (b. 1218, m. 1238). She was born in Derby, Derbyshire. According to documents quoted in the Complete Book of the Peerage... she was born in about 1240-42 and widowed at around 25 years old when her husband died at the Battle of Evesham in August 1265.

In about 1256, at 16 years old, she married William, 2nd Baron Marshall (aka Baron William Marshal) (b. 1214), as his 2nd wife, with their son, John Marshall, being born in 1257. According to some genealogies they had another son, William, but he must have died as a child or else had no descendants. Baron William Marshall had lands in Norfolk, Cheshire and Wales. A friend and counselor to King Henry III, he would eventually side with Baron Simon de Montfort in a civil war against Henry and especially his son, later King Edward I (reigned: 1272-1307). William Marshall was killed at or from wounds suffered at the Battle of Evesham, (August 4, 1265, Gloucestershire), along with Simon de Montfort, effectively ending the barons' civil war. His lands were forfeited to the Crown but his widow Elizabeth de Ferrers was given back her own lands in 1266.

About 11 years after Baron William Marshall was killed, Elizabeth was remarried, this time by order of King Edward I, to David ap Griffith (Dafydd ap Gruffydd), a Welsh prince and younger brother to Prince Llywelyn ap Gruffydd, ruler of North Wales, which was still technically independent, although a vassal state to the English Crown. He was a widower with one young son.^[1]

The two Welsh princes had also fought at the 1265 Battle of Evesham, where they and the rebellious English Barons were beaten by King Henry's son, who became King Edward I in 1272. Elizabeth was married to Prince David in 1277 and their son, Prince Llywelyn ap Dafydd, was born in 1278. They had a second son, Owain, and a daughter Gladys in the early 1280's.^[2]

Alas, in April 1282 the uneasy peace between King Edward I and his Welsh vassals erupted into a full-scale war. Ruling Prince Llywelyn ap Gruffydd was killed in battle in December 1282 and his brother Prince Dafydd succeeded him. Despite their mountain and bogland strongholds, however, Dafydd and his Welsh barons were no match for the thousands of soldiers and knights that the English king could command. By April 1283 the last major Welsh fortress had surrendered and on June 22, Prince Dafydd and his family were betrayed by English sympathizers and captured in a bog.^[3]

They were taken to Shrewsbury where Dafydd was condemned to death as a traitor; he was hung, drawn and quartered there on October 3, 1283. His 2 sons were taken to Bristol prison while Elizabeth de Ferrers Griffith and her daughter were put in a nunnery. Elizabeth was later released as a wealthy landowner in her own right (by inheritance from her mother) and a daughter of the powerful de Ferrers family. She retired to North Wales where she died in June 1297. Tradition says she is buried in the Caerwys church under an unmarked, prominent stone.^[4]

Research Notes

The following data was included in gedcom imports. It may be useful for research.

Amice Pichard - blewett.ged

Note: He [William Marshall] married, 2ndly, Elizabeth, daughter of Robert de Ferrers, 6th Earl of Derby.^[5] He was dead in September 1265. His widow had a compassionate grant in June 1266; and married, 2ndly, David, son of Griffith, PRINCE OF WALES. She was living in the summer of 1297.

Note: Title: Complete Peerage of England Scotland Ireland Great Britain and the United Kingdom, by G. E Cokayne, Sutton Publishing Ltd, 2000, Page: VIII:527-8.

Note: living summer 1297 ,no date (implied by birth of John), 2nd wife 1st husb. ,date implied by death of 1st husb.

FAMILY 6162011.GED

Name: Elizabeth /de FERRERS/

Birth Date: ABT 1246 - Place: <Of, Derby, Derbyshire, England>

Family Tree_2010-09-30.ged

Name: Elizabeth /De Ferrers/

Birth Date: 1209 - Place: Derby, Derbyshire, England

Birth Date: 1246 - Place: Derby, Derbyshire, England

Found multiple copies of BIRT DATE. Using 1209

Death Date: JUN 1297

Found multiple copies of DEAT DATE. Using JUN 1297Array

Sources

1. ↑ http://wc.rootsweb.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?op=GET&db=jweber&id=I21201
2. ↑ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dafydd_ap_Gruffydd and Candelarium Genealogicum_ i. 271. cited by Prof. Thomas Frederick Tout on: http://wc.rootsweb.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/igmpostem.cgi?op=show&app=jweber&notify=GNxuisph2uKJGUfPOuo53bzgUVmFTmHm&key=I21201&return=%3Ca+href%3D%22%2Fcgi%2Dbin%2Figm%2Ecgi%3Fop%3DGET%26amp%3Bdb%3Djweber%26amp%3Bid%3DI21201%22%3EReturn+to+WorldConnect%3C%2Fa%3E
3. ↑ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dafydd_ap_Gruffydd
4. ↑ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elizabeth_Ferrers
5. ↑ Sic - Elizabeth was the sister of Robert de Ferrers and daughter of the 5th Earl of Derby.

• https://archive.org/stream/completepeerageo04byucoka#page/202/mode/1up - see footnote (a) that says Elizabeth, widow of William Marshall, was about 23+ years old when he died in 1265. This makes her born in 1240-42.
• http://www.mathematical.com/ferrerswilliam1200.html - pedigree is correct but birth date is wrong by 6 years.
• https://sinclairgenealogy.info/england/the-saint-clair-family/the-marshal-family/
• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elizabeth_Ferrers
• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Evesham

See also:

• Ancestral File Number: B3D8-5Q.
• Ancestry Family Tree: Ancestry Profile

Acknowledgements

• WikiTree profile De Ferrers-19 was created through the import of Eldred, Hallock, Hayes, Perrin.ged on 20 February 2011.
• WikiTree Profile Ferrers-103 was created through the import of Bwiki.ged by Brent Bowen on 03 April 2011.
• WikiTree profile De FERRERS-176 created through the import of FAMILY 6162011.GED on Jun 20, 2011 by Michael Stephenson.
• WikiTree profile De Ferrers-214 created through the import of My Family_2011-08-21.ged on Aug 21, 2011 by Kate G.
• WikiTree profile Ferrers-227 was created through the import of Amice Pichard - blewett.ged on Sep 16, 2011 by Cody Coggins.
• WikiTree profile Ferrers-386 was created through the import of David Rentschler Family Tree_2010-09-30.ged on 01 October 2010.
• WikiTree profile Ferrers-103 was edited and other profiles merged into it by Chet Snow on January 23, 2015.
• This person was created through the import of Eldred, Hallock, Hayes, Perrin.ged on 20 February 2011.