View source for Baron Stafford

{{short description|English baronial title}}
{{redirect-distinguish|Earl of Stafford|Earl of Strafford}}
{{for|the feudal barony|Feudal barony of Stafford}}
{{Infobox nobility title
| name              = Barony of Stafford 
| image             = [[File:Coronet of a British Baron.svg|150px]]<br/>[[File:FitzHerbert arms.svg|180px]] 
| image_size        =  
| alt               =  
| caption           = Arms of Fitzherbert, Barons Stafford since 1913: ''Argent, a chief vairy or and gules overall a bend sable''
| creation_date     = 12 September 1640 {{small|(Fifth creation)}} 
| creation          = Fifth 
| monarch           = [[Charles I of England|Charles I]] {{small|(fifth creation)}} 
| peerage           = [[Peerage of England]] 
| baronetage        =  
| first_holder      = [[Edmund de Stafford, 1st Baron Stafford]] {{small|(First creation)}} 
| last_holder       =  
| present_holder    = [[Francis Fitzherbert, 15th Baron Stafford]] 
| heir_apparent     = The Hon. Benjamin Fitzherbert 
| heir_presumptive  =  
| remainder_to      = Heirs male of the first baron and baroness's bodies lawfully begotten; failing that, to heirs general of their bodies<ref>{{cite book|last1=Nicolas|first1=Sir Nicholas Harris|last2=Courthope|first2=William|title=The Historic Peerage of England|date=1857|publisher=John Murray|page=[https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_5HwaAAAAYAAJ/page/n520 444]|url=https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_5HwaAAAAYAAJ|quote=12 Sept. 1640 heirs male remainder.|access-date=15 May 2018|language=en}}</ref> 
| subsidiary_titles =  
| status            = Extant 
| extinction_date   =  
| family_seat       = [[Swynnerton Hall]] 
| former_seat       =  
| motto             = ''Ung je serviray'' ("One I will serve")<ref name="burke"/> 
| footnotes         =  
}}
[[Image:Vandyck - willianhoward01.jpg|thumb|200px|William Howard, 1st Viscount Stafford]]
'''Baron Stafford''', referring to the town of [[Stafford]], is a title that has been created several times in the [[Peerage of England]]. In the 14th century, the [[baron]]s of the first creation were made [[earl]]s. Those of the fifth creation, in the 17th century, became first [[viscount]]s and then earls. Since 1913, the title has been held by the Fitzherbert family.<ref name="burke">{{cite book |title= [[Burke's Peerage|Burke's Peerage, Baronetage & Knighthood]]|publisher=Burke's Peerage & Gentry |editor= Mosley, Charles |editor-link= Charles Mosley (genealogist) |edition=107 |year= 2003 |ref=Burke |isbn=0-9711966-2-1}}</ref>

==History of the title==
The '''first creation''' was by [[Hereditary peer#Writs of summons|writ]] in 1299 for Edmond de Stafford. His successor, the second baron, was made ''Earl of Stafford'' in 1351, and the [[Humphrey Stafford, 1st Duke of Buckingham|sixth earl]] was made ''[[Duke of Buckingham]]'' in 1444. The sixth earl was the son of [[Anne of Gloucester]], Countess of Buckingham, daughter of [[Thomas of Woodstock|Thomas of Woodstock, Earl of Buckingham]] (later [[Duke of Gloucester]]), youngest son of [[Edward III of England|King Edward III of England]]. Stafford was an important supporter of the [[House of Lancaster]] in the [[Wars of the Roses]], and was killed at the [[Battle of Northampton (1460)|Battle of Northampton]] in July 1460. The 1st Duke of Buckingham was succeeded in his titles by his grandson [[Henry Stafford, 2nd Duke of Buckingham|Henry]], who aided [[Richard III of England|Richard III]] in his claiming the throne in 1483 ([[Edward IV of England]]'s marriage to [[Elizabeth Woodville]] having been declared null and void and Edward's sons illegitimate by Act of Parliament [[Titulus Regius]]), but who then led a revolt against Richard. He was executed for treason in 1483 and his titles were declared forfeit. His son [[Edward Stafford, 3rd Duke of Buckingham|Edward]] was restored as 3rd Duke upon [[Henry VII of England|Henry VII]]'s accession to the throne in 1485, but he was ultimately executed in 1521 due to his opposition to Cardinal [[Thomas Wolsey]], [[Henry VIII of England|Henry VIII]]'s chief advisor. When he was executed for treason, his titles were declared forfeit.

The '''second creation''', again by writ, was for Richard Stafford, who was created Baron Stafford of Clifton. At the death of the fourth baron, that title fell into [[abeyance]].

The '''third creation''' was in 1411 for Sir Hugh Stafford, a son of [[Hugh Stafford, 2nd Earl of Stafford]]; he had married [[Elizabeth Bourchier, 4th Baroness Bourchier]] (c. 1399 – 1433), only child and sole heiress of [[Bartholomew Bourchier, 3rd Baron Bourchier]] (d.1409). Hugh was summoned to Parliament in lieu of his wife, as Baron Stafford. At his death, this title became extinct since he left no heirs.

The '''fourth creation''' was in 1547 for Henry Stafford. In 1558, his title was recognized as carrying precedence from 1299, so he is in fact the 10th Baron.<ref>C. S. L. Davies, ‘Stafford, Henry, tenth Baron Stafford (1501–1563)’, ''Oxford Dictionary of National Biography'', Oxford University Press, 2004; online edn, Oct 2006.</ref>

The '''fifth creation''' of the title came in 1640 in favour of [[William Howard, 1st Viscount Stafford|William Howard]]. He was the third and youngest son of [[Thomas Howard, 21st Earl of Arundel]], grandson of [[Thomas Howard, 4th Duke of Norfolk]] (see the [[Duke of Norfolk]]). He married Mary Stafford, only sister of Henry Stafford, 5th Baron de Stafford (of the 1547 creation, which is considered to have become extinct upon the death of Mary's uncle, the sixth Baron, sometime around 1640). On 12 September 1640 William Howard was created '''Baron Stafford''', with remainder, in default of heirs male of the body, to the heirs of his body by his wife Mary and with the precedence of the 1547 barony. The same day Mary was made Baroness Stafford in her own right. This title was for life only. Two months later, on 11 November, William Howard was created '''Viscount Stafford''', with remainder to his issue male.

[[File:Costessey Hall.jpg|thumb|Costessey Hall c.1850. Now demolished, seat of the Jerningham family, Barons Stafford]]
[[File:Swynnerton Hall - geograph.org.uk - 813386.jpg|thumb|Swynnerton Hall, Staffordshire, seat of the Fitzherbert family, Barons Stafford]]
Lord Stafford later became implicated in the [[Titus Oates#The Fabricated Popish Plot|Titus Oates plot]], where fabricated evidence was used to prove an alleged [[Catholic]] plot against [[Charles II of England|Charles II]]. He was attainted in 1678, with his titles forfeited. In 1680, he was impeached by the [[British House of Commons|House of Commons]] and executed. After the accession of the Catholic [[James II of England|James II]], Mary, Baroness Stafford, was created '''Countess of Stafford''' for life in 1688. On the same day, her eldest son by Lord Stafford, Henry Stafford-Howard, was created '''Earl of Stafford''', with remainder to his brothers John and Francis. However, he was not allowed to succeed in the barony or viscountcy of Stafford as these titles were still under attainder.

Henry was succeeded according to the special remainder by his nephew, the second Earl (the eldest son of John). He was succeeded by his son, the third Earl. When he died childless, the title passed to his uncle, the fourth Earl. He was also childless and on his death in 1762 the earldom became extinct (the viscountcy of Stafford also formally became extinct, although the title was then under attainder). The claim to the barony of Stafford passed to the late Earl's niece, Anastasia, the ''de jure'' sixth Baroness Stafford. She was the daughter of the second Earl of Stafford. However, Anastasia was childless and on her death in 1807 the claim passed to her first cousin once removed, Sir William Jerningham, 6th Baronet, of Cossey (see [[Jerningham Baronets]] for earlier history of this title). He was the son of Sir George Jerningham, 5th Baronet, and his wife Mary, Lady Jerningham, only daughter of Mary Plowden, sister of the fourth Earl of Stafford.

Jerningham died in 1809, when the claim passed to his son Sir George William Jerningham, 7th Baronet. He petitioned the [[House of Lords]] for a reversal of the attainder and for a writ of summons of Parliament. In 1824 the attainder of the first Baron was completely reversed, and on 6 July 1825, the House of Lords decided that Jerningham had been successful in his claim to the barony. He was summoned to Parliament the same year as the eighth Baron Stafford. In 1826 he assumed by Royal licence the additional surname and arms of Stafford. He was succeeded by his eldest son, the ninth Baron. He had earlier represented [[Pontefract (UK Parliament constituency)|Pontefract]] in the House of Commons. When he died the titles passed to his nephew, the tenth Baron, and then to the latter's brother, the eleventh Baron. On the eleventh Baron's death in 1913 the barony and baronetcy separated. The baronetcy was passed on to Sir Henry William Stafford Jerningham, 11th Baronet (on whose death in 1935 the title became extinct; see Jerningham Baronets).

The barony, which could be inherited through female lines, was passed on to the late Baron's nephew Francis Edward Fitzherbert, the twelfth Baron. He was the son of Emily Charlotte (sister of both the tenth and eleventh Baron) and her husband, Basil Thomas Fitzherbert. He assumed in 1913 by Royal licence the additional surname and arms of Stafford. He was succeeded by his younger brother, the thirteenth Baron. He was an [[admiral]] in the [[Royal Navy]]. On his death, the title passed to his nephew, the fourteenth Baron. {{As of|2010}}, the barony is held by the latter's son, the fifteenth Baron, who succeeded his father in 1986.

The seat of the Jerningham family, who held the title from 1825 to 1913, was [[Costessey#Manor of Costessey|Costessey Hall]] in [[Norfolk]] (demolished in 1925). The seat of the Fitzherbert family is [[Swynnerton Hall]] in [[Swynnerton]], near [[Stone, Staffordshire]].

Not to be confused with the title of [[Marquess of Stafford]] (created in 1786 in the [[Peerage of Great Britain]]), since 1833 the courtesy title for the heir of the [[Duke of Sutherland]].

==Barons Stafford, first creation (1299)==
[[File:Stafford arms.svg|thumb|Arms of Stafford: ''Or, a chevron gules'']]
*[[Edmund de Stafford, 1st Baron Stafford]] (d. 1308)
*[[Ralph Stafford, 1st Earl of Stafford|Ralph Stafford, 2nd Baron Stafford]] (1301–1372),  created ''Earl of Stafford'' in 1351

===Earls of Stafford (1351)===
*[[Ralph Stafford, 1st Earl of Stafford|Ralph Stafford, 1st Earl of Stafford, 2nd Baron Stafford]] (1301–1372),<ref>{{cite DNB |wstitle= Stafford, Ralph de |volume= 53 |last= Hunt |first= William |author-link= William Hunt (priest) |pages= 456-459 |short= 1}}</ref> a notable soldier in the [[Hundred Years' War]]
*[[Hugh Stafford, 2nd Earl of Stafford|Hugh Stafford, 2nd Earl of Stafford, 3rd Baron Stafford]] (c. 1342–1386), eldest son of the 1st Earl
*[[Thomas Stafford, 3rd Earl of Stafford|Thomas Stafford, 3rd Earl of Stafford, 4th Baron Stafford]] (c. 1368–1392), second son of the 2nd Earl
*[[William Stafford, 4th Earl of Stafford|William Stafford, 4th Earl of Stafford, 5th Baron Stafford]] (1375–1395), third son of the 2nd Earl
*[[Edmund Stafford, 5th Earl of Stafford|Edmund Stafford, 5th Earl of Stafford, 6th Baron Stafford]] (1378–1403), fourth son of the 2nd Earl
*[[Humphrey Stafford, 1st Duke of Buckingham|Humphrey Stafford, 6th Earl of Stafford, 7th Baron Stafford]] (1402–1460),<ref>{{cite DNB |wstitle= Stafford, Humphrey (1402-1460) |volume= 53 |last= Tait |first= James |author-link= James Tait (historian) |pages= 451-453 |short= 1}}</ref> eldest son of the 5th Earl, created [[Duke of Buckingham]] in 1444

===Dukes of Buckingham (1444)===
*[[Humphrey Stafford, 1st Duke of Buckingham|Humphrey Stafford, 1st Duke of Buckingham, 6th Earl of Stafford, 7th Baron Stafford]] (1402–1460), eldest son of the 5th Earl, created [[Duke of Buckingham]] in 1444
*[[Henry Stafford, 2nd Duke of Buckingham|Henry Stafford, 2nd Duke of Buckingham, 7th Earl of Stafford, 8th Baron Stafford]] (1455–1483), grandson of the 1st Duke<ref>{{cite DNB |wstitle= Stafford, Henry (1454?-1483) |volume= 53 |last= Tait |first= James |author-link= James Tait (historian) |pages= 448-450 |short= 1}}</ref>
* Titles forfeit 1483
* Titles restored 1485
*[[Edward Stafford, 3rd Duke of Buckingham|Edward Stafford, 3rd Duke of Buckingham, 8th Earl of Stafford, 9th Baron Stafford]] (1477–1521), eldest son of the 2nd Duke<ref>{{cite DNB |wstitle= Stafford, Edward (1478-1521) |volume= 53 |last= Pollard |first= Albert |author-link= Albert Pollard |pages= 446-447 |short= 1}}</ref>
* Titles forfeit 1521

==Barons Stafford of Clifton, second creation (1371)==
A second barony of Stafford, with the modifier "of Clifton", was created by writ of summons on 8 January 1371:
Richard Stafford (d. 1380), the younger son of [[Edmund de Stafford, 1st Baron Stafford]], married Maud de Camville, daughter and heir of Richard de Camville of Clifton. Richard fought in the French wars of Edward III and was also appointed seneschal of Gascony. Their son, also [[Richard Stafford, 1st Baron Stafford of Clifton|Richard]], was summoned to Parliament by Edward III and regularly participated through to 1379. He was appointed 1st Baron Stafford of Clifton. The barony then passed through:

*[[Edmund Stafford|Edmund Stafford, 2nd Baron Stafford of Clifton]] (d. 1419), Richard's son. Edmund was also the Bishop of Exeter and named [[Lord Privy Seal|Keeper of the Privy Seal]], 1396–1399 and again 1401–1403.
*[[Thomas Stafford, 3rd Baron Stafford of Clifton]] (d. 1425), the second son of Richard's. Was succeeded by his son.
*[[Thomas Stafford, 4th Baron Stafford of Clifton]] (d. 1445). He died issueless, leaving the Barony in [[abeyance]]. His heir was his sister, Katherine Stafford, who married Sir John Arden, Knt. Their daughter, Maud Arden, married Sir Thomas Stanley, and the barony is still invested in that line.

==Barons Stafford, third creation (1411)==
*[[Hugh Stafford, 1st Baron Stafford]] (d. 1420) ''Extinct on his death''

== Barons Stafford, fourth creation (1547) ==
* [[Henry Stafford, 1st Baron Stafford]] (1501–1563).<ref>{{cite DNB |wstitle= Stafford, Henry (1501-1563) |volume= 53 |last= Pollard |first= Albert |author-link= Albert Pollard |pages= 450-451 |short= 1}}</ref> In 1558, his title was recognized as carrying precedence from 1299.
* [[Henry Stafford, 2nd Baron Stafford]] (d. 1566)
* [[Edward Stafford, 3rd Baron Stafford]] (1536–1603)
* [[Edward Stafford, 4th Baron Stafford]] (1572–1625)
* [[Henry Stafford, 5th Baron Stafford]] (1621–1637)
* [[Roger Stafford, 6th Baron Stafford]] (c. 1573–1640) ''Title surrendered due to poverty in 1637; line extinct in 1640''

==Barons Stafford, fifth creation (1640) and Viscount Stafford (1640)==
[[File:Arms of Stafford Howard, Earl of Stafford.svg|thumb|Arms of the house of Stafford Howard, Earls of Stafford]]
*[[William Howard, 1st Viscount Stafford|William Howard, 1st Viscount Stafford, 1st Baron Stafford]] (1614–1680), second surviving son of [[Thomas Howard, 14th Earl of Arundel]]; peerage created jointly with wife (attainted 7 December 1680);
*[[Mary Howard, Countess of Stafford|Mary Howard, 1st Baroness Stafford]] (1619–1694), sister of [[Henry Stafford, 5th Baron Stafford]] and wife of William Howard, 1st Viscount Stafford, 1st Baron Stafford; peerage created jointly with husband; created Countess of Stafford for life in 1688.<ref name="burke"/>

===Earls of Stafford (1688)===
*[[Mary Howard, Countess of Stafford]] (life peerage)
*[[Henry Stafford-Howard, 1st Earl of Stafford]], ''de jure'' 2nd Baron Stafford (c. 1648–1719). Married Claude-Charlotte, daughter of [[Philibert de Gramont|Philibert, Count de Gramont]] and [[Elizabeth, Countess de Grammont|Elizabeth]], daughter of [[Sir George Hamilton, 1st Baronet, of Donalong|Sir George Hamilton]]. Died without issue and was succeeded by his nephew William, the son of his brother John. His widow survived him by 20 years.<ref>''The Register of Marriages (& Burials) belonging to St James's Westminster 1723-1754''. 22 May 1739.</ref>
*[[William Stafford-Howard, 2nd Earl of Stafford]], ''de jure'' 3rd Baron Stafford (c. 1690–1734). Married his first cousin Anne, daughter of Anastasia Stafford and George Holman. They had 4 children, William-Matthias, Mary (married [[French people|French]] Count [[Guy Auguste de Rohan-Chabot]]), Anastasia and Anne.
*[[William Stafford-Howard, 3rd Earl of Stafford|William Matthias Stafford-Howard, 3rd Earl of Stafford]], ''de jure'' 4th Baron Stafford (1718–1751) Married Henrietta, daughter of [[Richard Cantillon]] and left only female issue. He was succeeded by his uncle.
*[[John Stafford-Howard, 4th Earl of Stafford|John Paul Stafford-Howard, 4th Earl of Stafford]], ''de jure'' 5th Baron Stafford, (1700–1762) (younger brother of William). Married Elizabeth Ewan and died without issue. The Earldom became extinct.

===Baron Stafford (1640; reverted)===
*Anastasia Stafford-Howard (1722–1807) (assumed the title Baroness Stafford upon the death of her uncle, John, as senior heir general of [[William Howard, 1st Viscount Stafford]] and his wife [[Mary Howard, Countess of Stafford]]
[[File:Arms of the Jerningham family of Somerleyton.png|thumb|Arms of Jerningham: ''Argent, three buckles lozengy gules'']]
*[[Sir William Jerningham, 6th Baronet]] (1736–1809), ''de jure'' 7th Baron Stafford (first cousin once removed);
*[[George Stafford-Jerningham, 8th Baron Stafford|George William Stafford-Jerningham, 8th Baron Stafford]] (1771–1851) (son, who succeeded in having the 1680 attainder reversed in 1824). George was the great-grandson of Mary Stafford, sister of John Paul and daughter of John (second son of [[William Howard, 1st Viscount Stafford]]) and the heir-general to the Stafford Barony, and the four-times great-grandson of the 1st Baroness and Baron Stafford (1640 creation)<ref name="burke" />
*[[Henry Stafford-Jerningham, 9th Baron Stafford|Henry Valentine Stafford-Jerningham, 9th Baron Stafford]] (1802–1884)
*[[Augustus Frederick FitzHerbert Stafford-Jerningham, 10th Baron Stafford]] (1830–1892)
*[[Fitzherbert Edward Stafford-Jerningham, 11th Baron Stafford]] (1833–1913)
*[[Francis Fitzherbert-Stafford, 12th Baron Stafford|Francis Edward Fitzherbert-Stafford, 12th Baron Stafford]] (1859–1932)
*[[Edward Fitzherbert, 13th Baron Stafford|Edward Stafford Fitzherbert, 13th Baron Stafford]] (1864–1941)
*[[Basil Fitzherbert, 14th Baron Stafford|Basil Francis Nicholas Fitzherbert, 14th Baron Stafford]] (1926–1986)
*[[Francis Fitzherbert, 15th Baron Stafford|Francis Melfort William Fitzherbert, 15th Baron Stafford]] (b. 1954)<ref>{{cite news|title=Dropout brings academia and industry together|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/2786692/Dropout-brings-academia-and-industry-together.html|access-date=13 May 2018|work=The Daily Telegraph|date=20 March 2008}}</ref>

The [[heir apparent]] is the present holder's elder son, the Hon. Benjamin John Basil Fitzherbert (b. 1983).

== Family tree of the Barons Stafford ==
{{Barons Stafford family tree}}

==Further reading==
* {{Cite EB1911|wstitle= Stafford (Family) |volume= 25|last= Round |first= John Horace |author-link= John Horace Round| pages = 755&ndash;756 |short=1}}
* {{cite EB1911|wstitle=Stafford, Earls and Marquesses of  |volume=25 |page=756 |short=x}}
*[[Battle Abbey Roll]], under ''Toesni'', p.174[https://archive.org/details/battleabbeyrollw03battuoft/page/174]

==See also==
*[[Duke_of_Buckingham#Dukes_of_Buckingham,_first_creation_(1444)|Duke of Buckingham (1444 creation)]]
*[[Duke of Norfolk]]
*[[Duke of Sutherland]] (as '''Marquess of Stafford''')
*[[Earl of Arundel]]
*[[Earl of Wiltshire]]
*[[Earl of Devon]]
*[[Humphrey Stafford, 1st Earl of Devon|Baron Stafford of Southwick]]
*[[Jerningham Baronets]]

== References ==
{{refimprove|date=February 2013}}
{{Reflist|2}}

{{Extant Barons of England}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2017}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Stafford, Baron}}
[[Category:1299 establishments in England]]
[[Category:Noble titles created in 1299]]
[[Category:Baronies in the Peerage of England]]
[[Category:Extinct baronies in the Peerage of England]]
[[Category:Stafford]]
[[Category:Howard family (English aristocracy)|*]]
[[Category:Abeyant baronies in the Peerage of England]]
[[Category:Forfeited baronies in the Peerage of England]]
[[Category:Noble titles created in 1411]]
[[Category:Noble titles created in 1547]]
[[Category:Noble titles created in 1640]]
[[Category:Peerages created with special remainders]]
[[Category:Barons Stafford| ]]