General Notes

James of Aldithley, 1st or 2nd son and heir, b. about 1220.  Keeper of the castle of Newcastle-under-Lyme 30 Oct 1250.  He joined in a letter of the Barons to the Pope in 1258.  Witnessed, as one of the King's sworn Council, the confirmation by Henry III of the Provisions of Oxford, 1258; Lord Marcher; Sheriff of Salop, and co. Staffs, 1261-2 and 1270-1; Justiciar of Ireland 1270-2.  He took an active part on the King's side against the Barons, being in arms for the King on the Welsh Marches in 1264, and engaging in the Evesham campaign in 1265.  He m. in 1244, Ela, daughter of William Longespee (who d. 1250), son and heir of Ela, suo jure Countess of Salisbury, by Idoine, daughter and heir of Richard de Camville.  She brought him the manors of Stratton, afterwards called Stratton Audley, and Wretchwick, Oxon, in frank marriage.  He d. about 11 June 1272, in Ireland, by "breaking his neck".  Writ for his Inq.p.m. 16 July 1272.  His widow d. apparently shortly bef. 22 Nov 1299.  Inq.p.m. 1325-6.  [Complete Peerage I:337-8 XIV:50]

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James de Alditheley was a great favourite of Richard, Earl of Cornwall, at whose coronation as king of Almaigne he assisted. This nobleman had livery of his lands in the 31st Henry III [1247], and was constituted in two years afterwards constable of Newcastle-under-Lyne. Being one of the lords-marchers he was actively employed for some years against the Welsh and was appointed governor of the castles of Salop and Bridgenorth and sheriff of the counties of Salop and Stafford. In the 47th of Henry III [1263] he was made justice of Ireland; and in the same year, upon the misunderstanding between the king and the barons regarding the provisions of Oxford, being referred to arbitration of the monarch of France, he was one of the noblemen who undertook for the king therein. The next year we find him with Roger de Mortimer and the other barons-marchers giving battle to Llewelyn, Prince of Wales, and afterwards joining the Earl of Gloucester at Evesham in rescuing the king, who had become captive to the Earl of Leicester at the battle of Lewes. In the 52nd of Henry III [1268], his lordship performed a pilgrimage to the shrine of St. James in Galicia, and the following year embarked in the Crusade. His death, occasioned by breaking his neck, occurred soon afterwards (1271). He had a dau. Joan, who m. John, son of Robert de Beauchamp, to whose child, prior to its birth, the said John then being deceased, his lordship was appointed guardian. He had also five sons, the youngest of whom, Hugh, is supposed to have been the Hugh Alditheley who had summons to parliament 15 May 1321, and whose son became Earl of Gloucester. His lordship was s. by his eldest son, James de Alditheley, who d. s. p. in 1272, and was s. by his brother, Henry, who d. without issue in 1275, and was s. by his brother, William, who d. without issue is 1275, was s. by his brother, Nicholas, who died in 1299. [Sir Bernard Burke, Dormant, Abeyant, Forfeited and Extinct Peerages, Burke's Peerage, Ltd., London, England, 1883, p. 15, Audley, Barons Audley, of Heleigh]

NOTE: John Burke, History of the Commoners of Great Britain and Ireland, Vol. IV, R. Bentley, London, 1834, p. 757, Stansfeld, of Burley Park, names two additional sons, William, Lord of Blore and Grindon, co. Stafford, and Sir Adam, surnamed FitzWolfric.