General Notes

BASSET (a) (of Drayton)

RALPH BASSET, son and heir of Ralph Basset, of Drayton, co. Stafford, and of Colston Basset, Notts (b), was summoned to Parliament 24 December 1264, by writ directed Radulfo Basset de Drayton; which writ however, having issued in rebellion, should not create a peerage dignity.

He married Margaret, daughter of Roger de Somery, of Dudlcy, co. Worcester, by his 1st wife (to whom she was daughter and cohheir), Nicole, daughter and eventually coheir of William (d'AUBIGNY), EARL OF ARUNDEL. He died 4 August 1265, being slain at the battle of Evesham fighting against the King, who, however, continued the estates to his widow and son, as her father had fought for the King at Evesham. His widow married before 26 January 1I270/1, as 2nd wife, Ralph DE CROMWELL, Of Cromwell, Notts, and West Hallam, co. Derby, who died shortly before 18 September 1289. She took the veil shortly before 18 June 1293.  [Complete Peerage II:1-2, (transcribed by Dave Utzinger)]

(a) In Dugdale's "Usage of Arms", are given the numerous variations (for the sake of "difference") in the armorial ensigns borne by the various members of the Basset family.  From this it would appear that the house of Weldon, and that of Drayton, both of whom derived from the elder sons of Richard Basset by Maud, daughter and heir of Geoffrey Ridel (a powerful feudal Baron, whose lands they inherited), adopted the "3 piles" (the Ridel coat), but that William Basset (ancestor of the house of Sapcote, being the youngest son of the said William and Maud), "having no advancement by the house of Rydell, retained "Undie" the devise of the Bassets, and only changed the colours thereof (from gold and red) into silver and black.  But, about the time of Edward III, Simon Basset, Baron of Sapcote (descended from the forenamed William) and Sir John Basset of Blore (also so descended), both of them (I know not the case why) at one instant (as I think) relinquished their devise of "Undie" and invested themselves into "Ridels" (ie. the 3 piles with certain variations). [G.E. Cokayne]  J. H. Round, however points out that all this is invalidated by the fact that Geoffrey Ridel d. as early as 1120, when there cannot have existed a family coat of Ridel. [Vicary Gibbs]

(b) This Ralph, who d. 1254-61, was son of Ralph, who d. 1211, son of Ralph who d. 1160, son of Richard Basset, Justiciar temp. Henry I, who held Drayton through his marriage with Maud Ridel, and d. 1144.

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"Immediately after the Norman conquest," says Collins, "arose into power and importance, more especially in the midland counties, the great baronial family of Basset" (descended from Thurston the Norman), which gave a chief justice to England in the reign of Henry I, in the person of Ralph Basset, from whom sprang the Lords Basset of Drayton, the Lords Basset of Heddington, &c. About the middle of the 12th century, the Bassets of Cornwall obtained the estates of Tehidy by marriage with the heiress of the great house of de Dunstanville. In the 42nd year of King Henry III (1257-8), Ralph Basset, Lord of Drayton, co. Stafford, [great-]great-grandson of Richard Basset, justice of England, and his wife, Maud Ridel, had summons (amongst other great men) to attend the king at Chester, well furnished with horse and arms, to oppose the incursions of the Welsh. But in the 48th of the same monarch, having joined Simon Montfort, Earl of Leicester, and the other rebellious barons, he was appointed the next year, after the defeat of the king's arms at Lewes, and capture of the king, governor for those lords of the castles of Salop and Bruges. He fell, however, before the close of the same year at the battle of Evesham. It is said that when the Earl of Leicester perceived the great force and order of the royal army, calculating upon defeat, he conjured Ralph Basset and Hugh Dispenser to retire and reserve themselves for better times but they bravely answers, "that if he perished, they would not desire to live." Lord Basset m. Margaret, dau. of Roger de Someri, Baron of Dudley, and widow of Uriah St. Pierre, and had issue, Ralph, and Maud. Notwithstanding the death of Lord Basset, thus in arms against the king, his widow was so favoured by the monarch as to have the chief of his estates settled upon her for life, but soon afterwards, taking the veil, she passed her title in those lands to her son, Ralph Basset. [Sir Bernard Burke, Dormant, Abeyant, Forfeited and Extinct Peerages, Burke's Peerage, Ltd., London, 1883, p. 26-7, Basset, Barons Basset, of Drayton]